This month Ben's interview is with IPHM accredited Training Providers "Angelis Holistic Therapies" Offering a unique Bed and Breakfast experience
Andy and Cheryl Hood are the owners and founders of Angelis Holistic Therapies who run a beautiful B&B and retreat located in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales. They offer Bed & Breakfast in their newly refurbished bedrooms with stunning views over the Irfon Valley and are also offering a range of holistic therapies such as: Reiki, Rahanni, Crystal Healing, Transformative Meditation and Relaxation, Mindfulness as well as various workshops.
So can I start by asking what you were doing before you started pursuing a career in Angelis Holistic Therapies and B&B?
Well… I was actually a HR manager for a cleaning company down in Kent and my husband was a pest control officer for Westminster council which was about 2 years ago. The B&B that we developed over the past two years is in Llanwrtyd Hall which is about 250 years old and in the past has been used as a junior school by Bromsgrove School during the war years after their own school was commandeered by the government and then as a Hostel for soldiers returning from the war.
We are going to the Powys archives next week to research more on the history of the hall and when it turned from a farm to hall.
We have been renovating the Hall for just over two years as it has had a complete refurb including the roof and opened the B&B side in November 2019. So far we have had 10/10 on our reviews, which shows people are liking it. We are fully booked for the Man vs Horse event in June and almost fully booked for the Royal Welsh Show in July.
So when you are talking about the retreat, it seems like it is in a remote location. Is that correct?
Llanwrtyd Wells claims to be the smallest town in the UK, so it is remote to an extent, however there is so much that goes on here throughout the year. Through Green Events we have events such as a hike up devils staircase in April, Man vs Horse which is always popular and bog snorkelling which is exactly what it sounds like… a lot of fun! So every year we have hundreds of people come to participate in these events.
That does sound like a lot of fun Cheryl! So what made you decide that you wanted a change in career?
So there were a couple of things really. I lost my brother in 2013 and I have actually been doing Reiki since 2004 because after my mum had a stroke she found that Reiki had been very beneficial for her so I thought if I can do it then I can help her as well. It took me a few years before I went onto achieving my second and then achieved my teacher qualification in 2016. At that time I found out about Rehanni, which was quite new, so I have gone onto teaching that as well.
Wow, that's a lot of motivation! When going through all these stages did you do it all solo or did you receive any help from your family?
Well my husband had always been interested because he was brought up in a spiritual church and was very supportive in what I was doing. I was working full time and doing the Reiki in the evenings and weekends in my own little room when we were down in Kent. The money was donated to the Gravesend After Breast Cancer Support Group.
My husband had a few health problems and I had wanted to go more into the holistic side so we both decided to sell up, to go and help people because that is what my husband and I are about, helping people.
It took us about a year or two to find this place, we put 2 years of really hard graft into it and are just starting to get the holistic side up and running by running courses, meditation classes and working with the local schools teaching about mindfulness and meditation. I’m doing my first Rahanni practitioner level 1 course at the end of this month so everything is starting to build as well as the energies in the hall itself.
My husband is now doing Rehanni level 1, Crystal healing and also a diploma course in crystals so he is also getting involved with everything and we both have our own therapy rooms. We do a donation day on a Thursday where the money goes to the local school.
Our families have always been supportive in what we are doing, even though they think we are a bit mad to be doing this at our age.
That’s amazing! As being part of IPHM as Executive Training Provider how has it benefited you and your business?
Well it's being part of a large organisation because you are international. So, it's a known accreditaiton to have that means I am respected, and my clients have confidence in me. People can look you up and know that we are genuine in what we do and that we provide a quality service.
I love that answer! You have told me part of your story which I have loved hearing, so what are your future plans for yourself and the B&B?
We want to get up and running with an holistic fair that takes place once or twice a year. This is going to sound corny but it's all about spreading the love! If you have got the love inside of you then it's about spreading the love and healing the earth because all the negative things that are going on with the earth right now. We are just wanting to help people find their place in the world right now. In terms of Rahanni, it is all about love and spreading it out to the world by working with angels. When people come to us they are looking for something but don't know what it is so we help them find it, no matter what it is!
That is the best answer I have ever had! My last question for you is do you have any advice for the people who are wanting to take that leap into following their dreams?
Life is too short for regrets! One of our regrets is that we didn't do this sooner. If you have an idea, then get out and follow it! Plan for what you want, otherwise it is only a wish
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