Womens Wellness Retreat
Friday 10th - Sunday 12th May 2024
Time for you
Hello and Welcome,
We would like to invite you to join us at the luxurious Riverside Lodge Retreat Centre. Myself and some amazing wellness experts (aka the Wellness dream team) will be sharing our knowledge and wellbeing practices that embrace and celebrate woman at all seasons of this journey called life. As women our bodies are continually changing, our energetic and physical needs are always evolving. Thank goodness this topic is now being openly embraced and talked about and on our last few retreats we noticed that they main topic at the dinner table were based around women’s health, those pesky hormones and how to find time for self care in a schedule that is already jammed packed.
So we decided to dedicate our May retreat to Womens health and Wellbeing. Whether you are a new mum, perimenopausal or on the other side of Menopause we know how to optimise your health, wellbeing and energy.
Our workshops are a perfect balance of delivering interesting information taken from extensive research and scientific fact, mixed with a tiny bit of woo woo, some essential oils and food that will not only nourish you but have you begging Jackie (our superstar Caterer) for the recipes (which we give you of course).
Come indulge in nourishing organic cuisine that revitalises from the inside out, and embrace the opportunity to connect with like-minded women on a similar path to wellness.
Do as much or as little as you like. Take in the stunning location and relax in luxury accommodation.
Our intention is to create a Weekend Sanctuary where you can reconnect to you leave feeling rested and blissful.
Location:
We are honoured to have been invited to host our retreat at a newly renovated luxury Retreat Centre in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire.
Riversdale Lodge is a family Run riverside Oasis only 40 minutes from London.
Weekend Schedule
Friday 10th May 2024:
4.00pm Arrive and settle in
5.30pm Welcoming Vinyasa Flow
A perfect practice for easing movement into the body after your journey. Start to feel any tension ebb away as you leave the hustle and bustle of the outside World at the door and reconnect to yourself.
6.30 pm Meet and greet with Fizz (Elderflower or Prosecco) down by the river relaxation area (We will have blankets and fire - Weather permitting)
7.00 pm Dinner by Plant based cuisine by Jackie Walls. Jackie is the founder of ‘Miss Walls Food’ - A Vegan Vegetarian Catering Company and Cookery School setting new standards for vegan and vegetarian food in a world seeking flavour, nutrition, beautiful plates, kindness to our environment, each other and animals everywhere. She is catering for the whole weekend.
9.00pm Yoga Nidra - Also known as Yoga Sleep. The perfect relaxation to set you up for a fully restoritive sleep.
Saturday 11th May 2024:
7.00am Early Risers Yoga Flow
8.00 am - Breakfast
10.00 am – 12.00 pm Vinyasa Flow Workshop
A warming Vinyasa practice to welcome in the weekend. Enjoy the flow of this movement (suitable to all levels) allowing us to invigorate, energise and balance our bodies.
12.00 pm – Lunch
1.30pm - Movement is medicine Workshop.
4pm - Cookery Workshop with Jackie Walls
How to support womens health with nutrition
When women hit their 40s and 50s all too often they suddenly and inexplicably don't feel like themselves anymore.
Often women believe it is their own fault, I haven't changed my diet that much, but I am heavier than ever, don't have energy so I must be doing something wrong.
But With time and the right insight things become clearer, their reality is changing.not that they have lost touch with it .
Following a healthy plant based diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, can not only, transform symptoms but protect against them .
This is huge brilliant news for women, knowing that they can improve their daily lives simply by tweaking what they are eating.
Diet can always help , looking at how symptoms come about and what they are eating means discovering which foods can significantly improve the experience of the menopause and which won't!
6.30pm Chill and chat around the Fire Pit (Weather permitting).
7.00 pm Dinner
9.00pm Meditation for sleep
Sunday 12th May 2024:
8.00am - Breakfast
9am - 10am Yoga and Pilates Fusion Flow with Sarah Alice
11.00 am – 12.30 pm Womens Wellness Work Shop with Susannah White
12.30pm - Lunch
2.00pm – 3.15pm Earth Element Yin Yoga Workshop
3.15pm Closing
3.45pm onwards - Hugs and Departure
Day Retreat Option on Saturday starts from 10am and finishes at 7pm (workshops finish by 6pm). Lunch is included.
This is your home away from home for the weekend. Do as much or a little as you please.
The surrounding area is perfect for a long country walk. There will be massages on offer in the free time and comfy sofas where you can curl up with a good book.
The House
THE HOUSE - Originally built in 1890, this historic, charismatic house has recently been beautifully renovated to incorporate every luxury, including underfloor heating throughout.
Meditation Orb
At the end of the garden is our Meditation Orb, a warm, cosy space lit by twinkling lights, for individual or small set group meditation, looking out onto the river. Includes an infrared mat.
The Yoga Studio
The studio is lit from above via 3 huge rooflights and at night you can see the fairy lights of the roof terrace. All Mats, Bolsters, Straps, Yoga Blocks, Eye Pillows and Blankets are provided. The yoga studio can spaciously fit twenty mats.
The River
The river is home to 42 different species of birds, including our two swan families who will greet you as you lounge under the weeping willow. The moorlands are a peaceful background to the jolly sight of boats gliding up and down the river.
Fire Pit
Gather around the fire pit to enjoy the sunset overlooking the river.
The Terrace and Roof Garden
There is a spacious terrace directly outside of the main kitchen, centred on a calming reflection pool. You can comfortably accommodate 22 in the teak outdoor furniture, including 2 daybeds and 2 armchairs, 2 large tables. There is also a fire pit and a BBQ.
Our roof garden is planted with medicinal herbs and fresh vegetables. The sun graces the roof garden from the early morning, making this an ideal spot for a quiet tea to start the day.
Meet the Team:
Sarah Alice Lee - Yoga Teacher
Sarah is a senior yoga teacher, sharing her time between, running teacher trainings, hosting retreats and teaching at studios in East sussex.
Her passion lies within the healing power of yoga. As a competitive gymnast in her youth, Sarah always understood that movement was integral to maintaining a healthy body and mind but it was her own journey with yoga whilst trying to navigate the after effects of the Christchurch Earthquakes in New Zealand, when she came to realise just how important that connection is. Yin Yoga at this time was the only thing that was able to calm her over stimulated nervous system and it lead to a fascination on how stress and trauma (such as enduring thousands of aftershocks) effected the body on a cellular level and why yoga was so effective at bringing the body back into balance. So inspired by the positive benefits she had experienced in health as a result of her yoga practice, Sarah trained to become a teacher and has never looked back. In 2016 she moved back to the U.K after a decade living abroad and now based in East Sussex.
Susannah White
Susannah has been teaching yoga for the past 15 years, predominately around Kensington and Chelsea before moving to Forest Row in 2020.
Originally a professional dancer, Susannah became injured and started her journey into healing. She first qualified as a Personal Trainer, before travelling to India to become a yoga teacher. Since then, Susannah has trained extensively, travelling around the world to work with different teachers and experts in yoga, functional movement and pre and post natal care.
During the last 8 years Susannah has been studying to become a movement specialist in Pelvic Health for women, she is now qualified as an Advanced Post Natal Wellness Practitioner and has achieved her Level 2 certification from The international Hypopressive Board of trainers.
Susannah is continuing her studies with a 3rd Age Women global certification, a huge study into the affects of menopause and how to support women through this transition and beyond. And she will also be completing her Level 3 Hypopressive training before the end of the year.
Jackie Walls - Chef to the sport stars
Jackie is the founder of ‘Miss Walls Food’ - A Vegan Vegetarian Catering Company and Cookery School setting new standards for vegan and vegetarian food in a world seeking flavour, nutrition, beautiful plates, kindness to our environment, each other and animals everywhere.
‘Ever since my father taught me as a child how to grow and tend vegetables in our kitchen garden, I have loved everything about plant powered food. I am inspired everyday in Miss Walls Food whether I am menu planning for my pop-up Supper and Breakfast Clubs, cooking for my international sports star clients; catering for private or corporate events and weddings; running my cookery workshops and country retreats. I love the natural colours, tastes, versatility and beauty of fresh,vegetables, herbs and spices.
My vegan and vegetarian cooking is a combination of skilled cookery and beautiful presentation so people are drawn to the taste and look of my dishes, forgetting all the noise we often hear around the politics of veganism or the sad monastic presentation of vegan food as a 'worthy' endeavour rather than gastronomic experience. I love how veganism adds so much to our personal health and wellbeing, taking nothing away from us or our natural world.
The mission in all my cooking, catering, cookbooks, workshops and retreats is to inspire, delight, surprise and nourish my 'foodies' with dishes I create with ingenuity, kindness, taste and serve with love.’
Massage by Nikki Garman
We have our wonderful Massage therapist joining us to offer you a range of beautiful treatments.
Clinical holistic massage. Each treatment is individually tailored to the individual, which combining massage techniques which include no hand, deep tissue trigger points, myofascial, soft tissue release to encourage flexibility and mobility and acupressure to clear energy channels. Although during the treatment I may focus on Pacific problems as a holistic therapy, I always work with a listening and healing touch and treat the whole person. The outcome should always therefore be an increased sense of well-being and feeling of deep tissue relaxation. 1Hr £60.00
Reflexology works on pressure points on the feet, known as reflex points, which correspond to different parts, organs, and systems of the body. By working on the reflex points, reflexology aims to correct and balance the body. Reflexology enables the body to enter into a deep state of relaxation and allows the body to stimulate its own healing properties. 1Hr £60.00
No hands massage it is deep, releasing regenerating and nurturing massaging .It works because it literally does not use the hands, but instead uses the soft surface of the four arms. This means it’s deeper and more relaxing than conventional massage. This is a massage that works on every level, physical, energetic, emotional mental and spiritual. 1Hrs £60.00
Indian head massage works on the upper back, shoulders up arms neck, scalp and face. These areas are Massage gentle rhythmic movements that involve acupressure points and meridian points, 30Min £30.00
Myofascial stretching/massage working effectively with fascia including indirect myofascial release, direct structural integration approaches, cranial work and visceral manipulation. Fascia allows the body to soften the muscles to lengthen and a sense of increasing fluid flow in to the tissues throughout the treatment. Which allows the body to relax. 1Hr £60.00
Releasing the balance in the body through the Meridian point. Meridian Massage is an ancient Chinese medical technique that incorporates various Chinese acupressure treatments to enhance health and re balance the body. 1Hr £60.00
Sports massages. Which works on trigger points throughout the body for muscles release. A combination of deep and soft tissue massage, stretching, mobilisation and myofascial, to improve the range of joint movement and general joint function. 1Hrs £60.00
Rates:
Includes Two night accommodation. Arriving Friday afternoon, two full days of yoga and all food. Departing Sunday afternoon.
All rooms are finished to the highest standard, with beautiful decor and the comforts of underfloor heating and modern fittings.
Triple £550 per person - 3 Single Beds
Twin Room £650 per person - 2 single Beds
Private Room £950 per person
Rooms are either ensuite or have shower rooms shared by room quests.
A deposit of £150 is required to secure your spot with the remaining amount to be paid one month prior to the event.
Day Pass £115 pp Come enjoy the Yoga and amazing food - a perfect day retreat.
Your journey here:
Riversdale Lodge
Riversdale
Bourne End
SL8 5EB
Just off junction 2 of the M40 and junction 7 of the M4 - 40-minute drive from Notting hill
Nearest train stations are Bourne End (15-minute walk) or Beaconsfield (20-minute fast train from Marylebone station and 15 minute taxi) , Taplow or Maidenhead (40 minute train from Paddington Station and 15 minute taxi).
Register your interest now:
Cancellation Policy:
Deposit is non refundable.
If you cancel 6 weeks before arrival and have paid in full, we will refund 50% of total cost. If you cancel less than 6 weeks before arrival, we will charge 100% of total cost.
Bookings can be transferred upon agreement.