Antidotes to our world
Places that offer an all-round happy, healthy & holistic experience
In short: Before I share my views on the luxurious Six Senses Zighy Bay I wanted to get back to basics and tell you about Dzogchen Beara, a lovely Tibetan Buddhist retreat centre on the unspoilt Beara Peninsula in Ireland. It’s under the spiritual direction of Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, set on high cliffs looking out [...]
In short: This is a rare treat. A comfortable, 400-year old house in the Lincolnshire countryside where two expert ayurvedic practioners offer bespoke retreats lasting 3, 5 or 7 days. Andy and Laura Shakeshaft are genuine, normal & full of integrity, and have created a real haven of calm. Cleanse body & mind with daily oil [...]
In short: This beautifully renovated, wooden-floored 17th century water mill is the eco-friendly family home of Melissa Kendall, an expert on nutrition and sustainability who runs healthy holiday company Jiva Healing. Come for juice fasts, healthy eating breaks, yoga weekends, fitness breaks and other breaks, or book your own private retreat for your family or friends [...]
Mmm, I’ve always loved making marks with my feet in the sand and collecting shells and things. Maybe I should sign up for one of these? Environmental artist Helen Grove-White of the Creative Arts Retreat runs residential courses in Land Art, an art form for anyone who loves nature – especially city folk who are in dire [...]
In short: Tilton House is a large and lovely white-painted Georgian house set at the foot of the South Downs National Park. It offers a range of creative and holistic breaks during the weekends, and relaxing B&B and self catering during the week. It’s the former home of economist John Maynard Keynes and his Russian ballerina wife, [...]
In short: This marvellous Buddhist retreat is set in a former convent in the peaceful countryside of South Devon, and has all the ingredients you need for a successful meditation retreat, including a serene meditation hall, clean and simply decorated bedrooms, healthy vegetarian food and lots of spaces to lose yourself in. Expert tutors offer highly affordable meditation days, [...]
In short: Yeotown is an unexpectedly contemporary haven in a lush, rural setting which organises group yoga weekends, effective detox weeks and yoga teacher training retreats throughout the year – they also cater for parents & babies on some breaks. You can expect contemporary interiors, power showers, underfloor heating, decent beds, a spanking new sauna, good treatments with local [...]
