5 Essential Ingredients for a Retreat
I am retreating myself this week, with family in Windermere and its been lovely! We are staying at Winterfel which I highly recommend if you are looking for a big house where you can come together with friends / family. I wanted to share my top 5 essential ingredients for a great Retreat with you:
MOVEMENT - We’ve hiked and ran this week, I’ve taught my online classes and we’ve even been for a few dips in the lake! Many of us are so busy that Retreats simply give us the time to enjoy exercise rather than feel it is such a chore.
GOOD FOOD - We’ve shared lots of wholesome home cooked meals, which always taste better after a day out in the fresh air. For me there is something special about making meal times sociable too - often food just fits in around work, meetings, kids and its nice to appreciate the prep, savour the meal and try new dishes.
THE GROUP - There have been more than just us 6 here, and I like a big group setting. It’s social and at the same time you can all dip in and out of different activities. Plus it’s a great way to spend time with family because you aren’t all distracted by work and life. If you are a busy bee and you miss quality time with your best friends, your daughter or maybe your mother or aunt I think Retreats are the perfect way to soak up one another’s company.
ACCOMMODATION - In my opinion you have to be somewhere the baths are deep, the social / snug rooms are plenty, the bedrooms are spacious bright clean and at the same time cosy. Walks from the door are a must from me too! We have done a few this week that are a drive away and whilst I try to avoid any extra time in the car it is satisfying to climb something high and admire the views from the top.
DISSCONNECT - of course we’ve been on Wi-Fi (and I am sharing this) but phone service has been naff so when we’ve been out and about we’ve unplugged which I think is pretty important these days. Please never come on one of our retreats worrying that you can’t be on your phone but do enjoy the fact you get to reduce your screen time.
Being here this week has certainly got me in the mood for our Winter Retreats where we do have some availability.
November 3rd - 6th // Chef Sophie Gordon, One Last Minute Private Room £500
January 2nd - 5th // Chef Olivia Horsley , 3 Rooms Prices start at £435 Shared
January 5th - 8th // Chef Olivia Horsley , 1 Room £580pp Shared and £780 Private
Please reach out to me if you would like to know more about our retreats or visit the HIFE Retreats tab at the top of this page.