Make this year the year for you, starting off with booking on to one of these balancing and revitalising experiences
Sleep Soundly at Chewton Glen
Who will love it? The sleep deprived
Exhausted souls should pack their PJs and retreat to Chewton Glen for their brand-new Suite Dreams package for 2024. The Spa has collaborated with CBD wellbeing brand OTO, to offer a treatment designed to encourage a full circadian rhythm reset. Created especially for those struggling with insomnia and broken sleep cycles, the Sleep Soundly treatment combines the OTO signature scent of mandarin and ylang-ylang with high levels of CBD, applied throughout a whole-body massage to rapidly reduce inflammation in the soft tissues.
Deliciously hot Himalayan salt stones work their magic on the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for recovery and stress reduction, while live sound is used to help identify imbalances in the body's energy field, releasing emotional blockages.
Post-treatment, zen-like guests can make a beeline straight to their bedroom where an OTO Sleep Kit will await them, stocked with OTO’s signature CBD Sleep Drops - infused with pure OTO CBD, lavender, butterfly pea mint flower - and a Sleep Soundly Bath & Body Oil.
TO BOOK: The overnight ‘Suite Dreams’ package starts from £485 per night including one 90-minute Sleep Soundly treatment, an in-room sleep kit and overnight accommodation in a Double Room, inclusive of breakfast. chewtonglen.com/spa-wellness
Lush Eco Farm Yoga Retreat, New Forest
Who will love it? Nature lovers
If you’re looking for a unique yoga adventure, check out Nova Milesko’s New Forest Retreats, near to Lymington.
‘My retreats combine yoga, meditation, lamb-y cuddles and outdoor activities for a weekend of pure bliss,’ says Nova. ‘Whether you're into hiking, biking, or simply soaking in nature, this retreat has something for everyone.
‘Imagine winding down after a day of exploring, reflecting on a day well-spent. With themes that interconnect yoga, mindfulness practices and the food you consume, you'll leave feeling refreshed and revitalised.’
Having been organising these popular retreats for almost a decade, Nova says: ‘With its rustic charm and meticulous attention to detail, you'll feel grounded and connected without any preachy or pious vibes. So, grab your backpack, put on those hiking boots, and prepare for an exciting, nature-filled yoga adventure!’
Nova also runs lots of day retreats for those looking for a quick reset.
TO BOOK: Retreats start on January 12 with the Fresh Start three-night retreat and run throughout 2024.Prices start from £475 for a shared dorm, but there are also shepherd’s huts and ensuite rooms available for booking too. newforestretreats.com/lush-eco-farm-retreats
Mindfulness and Beyond Retreats at Herb House Spa, Lime Wood Hotel, New Forest
Who will love it? Those wanting to do the deep work
Herb House Spa is introducing three new retreats for 2024, which focus on mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Hosted by world-renowned wellness experts Rajesh Ramani and Smitha Jayakumar, of Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary, they blend Eastern philosophy with modern Western psychology techniques. Themes include restoring the body-mind-heart connection, regulating the nervous system, and rediscovering the tranquillity of balance.
Mindfulness and Beyond Retreat co-founders, Rajesh Ramani and Smitha Jayakumar said: ‘The incredible connection to nature that one experiences at Lime Wood harmonises with our journey, making it the perfect setting for meditation and transformation to happen. We are excited to be back and bring further retreats and workshops to this unique setting to co-create a profound healing experience for all.’
Expect lessons in nurturing self-care, self-love, stress-management, wellbeing and positive thinking, through one-on-one mentoring sessions, meditation, movement and breathwork. Spa treatments from Bamford, Ground and Voya, and seriously delicious food by Luke Holder’s HH&Co ensure you’ll leave content and balanced.
TO BOOK: ‘Stress: Balance and Wellbeing’ three-day retreat (May 14-17);
‘Befriending Oneself’ one night retreat (May 13-14);
‘Embracing Connection’ three-day retreat (September 17-20);
‘Open mind; Open heart: an immersion into positive feeling and thinking’ two-day retreat (September 16-17). One-night retreats from £150 and three-night retreats from £800. limewoodhotel.co.uk/retreats
Moments for Me Menopause Spa Day at Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa
Who will love it? The peri/menopausal
Half of the world’s population will inevitably experience perimenopause and the menopause - an intense and often erratic change in hormone levels that cause mental, physical, and emotional challenges. With this in mind, Careys Manor Hotel and SenSpa have teamed up with The Menopause Boutique to develop a programme to provide women with some much-needed relief and relaxation.
Check in to the 22,000 square foot Thai-inspired spa where you’ll be greeted by a dedicated wellness expert. Once you’ve filled in a questionnaire about your emotional, mental, and physical symptoms, you’ll enjoy a personalised 60-minute massage using one of the essential oils from The Menopause Boutique – each curated to target specific symptoms including brain fog, sleep deprivation and stress.
Post-treatment retreat in your robe to the hydrotherapy zone; gentle bubble jets will soothe muscles, ease tension, increase circulation and improve joint mobility. Toast in the thermal rooms to cleanse, detoxify, and revitalise the skin before cooling off in the ice-room.
Your blissful day continues with a two-course lunch in the Zen Garden restaurant. Feast on signature dishes such as Tom-Kha soup with lemongrass, galangal, coriander, chilli, and lime leaves, followed by Pla Krapong Nueng Manow - seabass steamed with pak choi and a lemon chilli dressing and a glass of wine. This should leave you suitably relaxed and ready to retire to your garden room.
TO BOOK: From £245 per person between Monday and Thursday and £265 per person between Friday and Sunday. To extend the pampering further, book an overnight stay and enjoy a blissful night’s sleep with rooms starting from £249, which includes breakfast. careysmanor.com
The Bothy by Wildsmith at Heckfield Place, Hook
Who will love it? Luxury lovers
Heckfield Place is all about wellbeing. With 438 acres to roam, this Georgian beauty utilises the healing power of the great outdoors with wild swimming in the lake and forest bathing to the locally grown produce at Home Farm.
Book an overnight wellness stay to take full advantage of the brand new 17,000 square ft spa: The Bothy by Wildsmith. Treatments are available in one of six rooms, from high-performance skincare brand, Wildsmith Skin. We love Wildsmith Time, a 135-minute hero treatment which incorporates Kinesiology principles to reveal the body’s requirements. A therapeutic massage sequence is applied using essential oil blends specifically formulated to circadian rhythms and the time of day. Each treatment includes craniosacral holds, abdominal massage and foot zone reflex therapy to help spark up energy pathways.
Post-treatment you can hang out in The Waters - a chlorine-free space of relaxation and healing that uses ionisation and natural minerals ions of copper, silver, zinc, aluminium and gold; The Oak Terrace - home to outdoor hydrotherapy, healing thermal experiences including sauna, steam room, temperature-and-mood-shifting Experiential Shower and a bucket shower with ice cold water, or there’s two fitness rooms and a Movement Studio.
Once you’ve worked up an appetite, head to The Sun Room - an indoor/outdoor space fuelled by the epicurean alchemy of Heckfield’s Culinary Director Skye Gyngell, with a small plant-based menu.
TO BOOK: Rates: £550 per room per night; Wildsmith Time: £310 per person; Wildsmith Radical Botany Facial £230 per person. heckfieldplace.com/
