Looking to escape the stresses of daily life on a wellness retreat without harming the planet? Here are some of our favourites.
Wellness retreats are on the rise with a new one seemingly popping up on our Instagram feed every other week – and that’s a good thing! When the Selfcare Sunday just won’t quite do it and you physically and mentally feel the need to retreat into a different space surrounded by nature practicing some yoga, pilates or meditation, and simply resetting, a wellness retreat is the perfect place to start. Last week we got to sample a little taster of the incredible Conscious Living Retreat by Your Ideal Fit and were absolutely blown away by all the carefully considered environmentally-friendly details it had to offer. It also proved, that you don’t have to travel halfway around the world for a week of wellness, leaving behind a significant carbon footprint, because the English countryside is just as beautiful and nourishing.
For our conscious readers, here are all the best eco wellness resorts in the UK.
The Conscious Living Retreat, Norfolk
If a yoga retreat (and the spirituality that sometimes comes with it) isn’t your thing, then why not try a Pilates retreat designed with a holistic approach to wellness and sustainability in mind. On the Conscious Living retreat you’ll get two 1 hour Pilates classes a day led by the talented Lucy Mills.
You’ll also enjoy plant-based and seasonal food by chef Lauren Lovatt, founder of the vegan culinary school Plant Academy and Feed Your Mind Candy events that advocate for mental health through food. For the retreat she worked with forager Danny Seeley to add as many local ingredients to the plate as possible.
The four-day retreat is hosted at West Lexham in Norfolk, which is run on 90% renewable energy powered by a biomass boiler and solar panels, using eco-building techniques throughout and incorporating characterful reclaimed materials wherever possible.
The retreat will also feature a natural and organic beauty workshop with Eco-Age contributor Sjaniël Turrell where you’ll learn everything from how to do your own natural make-up to what ingredients to avoid or look out for – she is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to clean make-up so come armed with all your burning questions.
In an effort to make the whole experience as sustainable as possible, you will also be joined by Vivobarefoot, a British company aimed at offering the optimum biomechanics and posture commonly associated with walking and running barefoot, as well as Yatay Yoga’s eco mats to practice Lucy Mill’s fantastic pilates classes on.
Book the Conscious Living Retreat (14th-17th June).
Ecoyoga, Interliever Lodge, Scotland
Located in the midst of Scottish hills, lochs and forests, Ecoyoga is totally off-the-grid. If the term “off-the-grid” is making you think of campers or muddy tents, think again – this is a beautifully renovated luxury retreat space powered by a hydro turbine and a large bank of solar panels, yes, even the outdoor wooden hot tubs. The food is all vegetarian and comes straight from the organic garden when in season.
In August, they have a 4-day retreat on Ayurveda and Yoga where you will learn to practice and eat according to your individual ayurvedic constitution. Yoga Sessions will include posture work, breathing work, theory, and technique.
The Clover Mill, Worcestershire
The Clover Mill is mainly a Yoga and Ayurveda retreat located in beautiful Malvern, Worcestershire. To be as sustainable as possible they have their own borehole, which provides alkaline spring water, a wood-burning biomass boiler, an innovative low energy lighting system and they source sustainable products and organic food preferably from the mill garden. You can stay in one of their eco lodges located in the forest and face onto a private deck with lake views. The Clover Mill offers two, three or five night Yoga and Ayurveda retreats, as well as a healthy gut retreat for anyone wanting a little ‘detox’.
If you are looking for some more ways to spend quality ‘me-time’, see our list to the best eco Spa’s in the UK.
And why not implement some wellbeing rituals into your everyday life with Danielle Copperman’s guide to self-massage, or Venetia Falconer‘s morning routine.