Wellbeing goes with Glastonbury territory | Letters

Contrary to a suggestion in a recent Guardian piece, Glasto has a long history of hosting ‘spiritual and wellbeing stuff’, writes Gill Jackman

So Alex Holbrook attributes a “change” at the Glastonbury festival to the “wellbeing” movement (Festival-goers swap drink and drugs for wellness highs, 3 August), as this year at Glasto at the Humblewell area they “did lots of spiritual and wellbeing stuff”. My cup overflows with thanks. Can I just point out that the Glastonbury festival has an entire field that goes by the name of the Healing Field. I’ve been working in it since 1997, and it was around way before that. It is made up of four gardens full of flowers, at least 10 marquees full of free yoga, tai chi, chi gung and meditation sessions, and tents with dozens of qualified and insured practitioners of massage, counselling, rebalancing, gong-baths and shamanic journeying, who work solely for a donation so that broke people aren’t excluded.

I know we’re getting on a bit, but reinventing the wheel is so last year.
Gill Jackman
Butcombe, Somerset

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