Bonhays Retreats

04/01/2026

Sparkly frost, full moon setting, dawn birds singing ❄️

02/01/2026

Foundations of Nei Gong
Bonhays retreat centre, Dorset

Sophie is a senior baishi'd teacher of over 30 years experience in the Daoist arts

Jan 30th - Feb 1st

https://www.sophieneigong.com/foundationsofneigong



https://youtu.be/V6_xNDTFCi4?si=jbQ9l_FM5YQhBk4s

13/12/2025

Thanks to everyone contributing to get Sophie video'd and up more on the 'online' world! We hope that Sophie's work can reach a few more people who are yearning for such a thing.

Please enjoy and share onwards if you feel to!

Short clip from Sophie Johnsons 3 year LNG Intensive Nei Gong Training in Dorset, UKhttps://www.sophieneigong.com/

10/12/2025

Wishing you all a beautiful Christmas season, its hard to believe we are already so close to the end of the year!
🎄
Bonhays Winter Newsletter 2025 - Info on trainings and classes for the new year. Next newsletter will be in the early springtime.
🎄
If you'd like to be on our mailing list or interested in any retreats you can send us an email on Bonhays.calendar@gmail.com
🎄
Winter blessings and a mulled wine fireside toast to you all 🍷🎄🌟

Soggy winter greetings to you all! Its been quite a year here at Bonhays, for me personally and from my eye for the people I have the joy to train.

10/12/2025

Many of you may have enjoyed the delicious poached pears while on retreat here -

A seasonal recipe from our very own wonder chef - Evie -

Festive Poached Pears for 5

5 firm pears, peeled and bottoms cut off so they can stand up straight
1 bottle of wine
6 tbsp sugar
peel of 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla pod or 1 tsp essence

Pour the wine into a pot with a cup of water and add all the other ingredients except for the pears. Bring to the boil. Lower your pears in gently and allow to come back to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently turning the top ones once or twice to make sure each side is cooked. You can also put a lid on or scrunch up a piece of greaseproof paper and push it over the top of the pears to make sure they cook more evenly.

They should be cooked in half an hour to 40 mins, you want to be able to press a fork in easily.

Lift the pears out with a slotted spoon and turn up the heat on the poaching liquor. Reduce until syrupy and pour this back over the pears. They are much improved if left overnight in the liquor, they will turn to a beautiful dark ruby colour.

Serve standing up on their bums surrounded by the syrup (very kitsch), with some single cream and some slivered almonds toasted with some sugar until caramelised.

25/11/2025

✨ Gratitude ✨ Expansion and stillness winter nei gong retreat at Bonhays retreats

21/11/2025

If you are interested to start your journey with the incredible art of Nei Gong,

A foundations training is the first step.

Senior teacher Sophie Johnson will be holding one here at
Lotus Nei Gong Bonhays at the end of Jan 2026 - Spaces filling..

Details -->. https://www.sophieneigong.com/foundationsofneigong

20/11/2025

The first proper frosty morning this winter @ Bonhays retreat centre

18/11/2025

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘅, 𝗿𝗲-𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲? 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱/𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱?

．．．．I mean...who doesn't these days!

The thought of navigating this alone can feel too much. You are not alone in this!

Bonhays retreat centre is hosting a New Year Detox retreat, supported by a wonderful team of experienced therapists offering:
* Detox programme level 1,2 or 3
* Daily workshops on food, detox and nervous system awareness
* Embodied movement sessions specifically to release tension & restore balance
* Somatic experiencing workshops for nervous system regulation
* Optional bodywork sessions for deep relaxation
* Optional 1:1 somatic experiencing sessions
* All detox meals & teas
* Single room with shared bathroom

You should expect to leave feeling
refreshed, renewed and grounded for the year to come.

Email us @ bonhays.calendar@gmail.com with any questions or for further info see this link:
https://linktr.ee/bonhaysretreatcentre

06/11/2025

A few moments of Autumn here at Bonhays retreat centre, Dorset Uk

29/09/2025

A wonderful and far too short (!) weekend with these lovely people of exploring the subtle in the art of Nei Gong. I really enjoyed teaching this weekend., the material we covered started to go deeper.

We looked at:

* Defining what we mean by the word ‘body’ to break down some of the concepts which limit our capacity to perceive truthfully

* Understanding the relevance of continual development of the lower Dan Tian when starting to work with more subtle levels of qi

The practices had an emphasis on nourishing the kidney system, including the spine and the whole lower abdominal area , as well as the opening and activating of the yellow Court.

Unusually for my teaching these days, it was a relatively small group, so it’s been interesting to notice how that is after spending a lot of time teaching much larger/fuller courses. I am certainly very much less tired, even though the teaching (and helping) was exactly the same as it would’ve been if I’d had 30 or 40 (just less) and a few years ago teaching a group of 14 would’ve been quite tiring. Perhaps there’s something to all this Qi building after all 😂

30/08/2025

The autumn email newsletter is out now with news, classes & Nei gong retreats at Bonhays

Greetings everyone from me and us all at Bonhays, autumn is arriving here in Dorset, we can feel its nip especially in the early morning air, carrying with it the need to keep nourishing the lung system as the beginning of the contraction away from the expanse of Summer deepens.