Wellness Retreat UK - Wild Mountain Retreat, Scottish Highlands

Wellness Retreats in the UK

The term wellness ‘retreat’ is used a lot these days to describe a wide variety of experiences. We thought we would explore the concept further and give you a clearer picture of what to expect on a retreat with us.

Our Wild Mountain Retreats running this autumn are guided by Mountain Leader, Anna Danby, and Life Coach & Counsellor, Shona Macpherson. Here we share how we approach the experiences and how we enable you to get the most out of your weekend away.

The dictionary definition of retreat goes something like this.

Retreat: ‘an act of moving back or withdrawing’

This is a pretty straight forward explanation. But how does that look in relation to wellness, mountain walking and time out in wild landscapes?

What does a wellness retreat (UK) mean to me?

I (Anna) see a retreat as an opportunity to step out of the everyday. To tune out from everything that ‘needs’ doing and allow myself time to spend exactly as I wish.

Invariably this involves a wild place where nature abounds, and people are fewer. For me nourishing my mind and body means movement and challenge in equal measure to rest and relaxation. And of course wholesome healthy food as well as some sweet treats are essential to the mix.

What am I bringing to the retreat?

I will be bringing my enthusiasm for wild places and a willingness to embrace the outdoors in all weathers. I am a big believer that ‘challenge’ in the right measure has wide reaching benefits for our minds and bodies. Sometimes the best growth happens when we are at the edge of our comfort zone. As an experienced Mountain Leader I will create a variety of opportunities to explore this in a supported environment regardless of your previous experience.

Connection with nature is now well documented to have profound benefits for our mental well-being. As both these retreats take place on my home patch I have spent endless hours in these places. I have an intimate knowledge of the landscape and a unique local perspective. Both of which I will share in order to deepen connections with the places we explore and create lasting memories.

With this in mind my invitations over the weekend will include:

A variety of walks from low level wanders to mountain summit hikes
Tutoring on mountain skills such as navigation, route finding and movement on technical terrain
Landscape stories sharing the natural and human history of the area
Learning about the local plants and wildlife
Wild swims in lochs and rivers
Opportunity to explore at all times of day; sunrise, sunset, daytime and night

What does a wellness retreat (UK) mean to me?

For me (Shona) a retreat in the wilderness is a space where people can come away from the everydayness of their lives.

It’s a coming together in a place away from the busyness, the familiar, the routine, the comforts that can numb us and pull us away from ourselves.

Coming away from. But to what? And why?

To be in the present moment, living through their senses.
To remember what makes you feel alive, connective, vital. And what doesn’t.
To create. To re imagine. To dream. To play.
To rest (but this doesn’t have to be a passive sleeping way. It could be restful to do some of the afore mentioned).
To nourish – with good food, company, moving body in ways that feel energising, and feeding the mind and spirit through all the offerings.

Having space in a wild place, a beautiful place, a place not filled with technology. A place to be in the here and now feels really important. Being truly immersed in the environments of Loch Ossian and Ben Nevis will settle our nervous systems, calm and centre us.

What am I bringing to the retreat?

I’ll be bringing as much of myself as I can. My energy and experience with working with individuals and groups in both indoor and outdoor settings. Sense of humour, curiosity and gentle care for others. Love for these wild places and belief that they can change us if we let them.

I’m a Counsellor and a Life Coach and this work has given me a deep respect for each person’s knowing and intuition. I’ve seen over and over that, given the right conditions, humans will move towards growth.

I’m conscious of different energies within groups. Some of us need quiet and space whereas others gravitate to conversation and being with others. I’ll create opportunities for both and will gently hold awareness of our differences. Being on the introverted end of the scale myself, I’ll be modelling how to get space and how to keep energy whilst in a group. I’ll often remind us that saying ‘no’ to any of our invitations is as good and valid as saying ‘yes’.

Bringing together the two elements, of trust in place and you, we will create a safe space for you to get what you need from this retreat.

With this in mind my invitations over the weekend will include:

Daily opening and closing circles, where each person has the option space to speak and be listened to if they wish
A series of writing invitations each focusing on using different senses with the potential to pull them together into a longer piece of prose
Invitations to sketch and or use watercolour pencils to help you engage with the landscape
Pockets full of beautiful poems to be shared outdoors.
Mindfulness practices and meditations, including a daily place based gratitude practice.
A closing tea ceremony

What the weekend will not be like:

Signing up to a group experience can be a daunting thing to do, especially when there are so many unknowns. Universally we tend to think ‘everyone else will be… insert your fear here: (younger, skinnier, fitter, braver, female). This is a totally natural worry but also one that is worth pushing aside. We work hard to create a welcoming environment for everyone and are regularly told that people’s concerns quickly fade and they feel welcome and relaxed from the moment they meet us.

That being said we all have a tendency to imagine ‘worst case’ scenarios so in an attempt to reassure you further here’s some more detail on what the weekend will not be like!

It will not involve lots of compulsory activities

The only compulsory things will walking in and out together on day one and three; and sharing breakfast and dinner at the same time. Otherwise your time will be your own – and you will get to chose if you wish to join on us on various walks and other offerings or not.

It will not have to involve lots of in-depth personal sharing with strangers

We will have morning and evening opening and closing circles but these are just to check in on how things are going for you in the here and now. You can speak as much or as little as you choose. As you get to know people and feel more comfortable you may choose to share more but this is entirely up to you and there is no pressure to do so.

You’ll not have to push yourself if you don’t want to

There will be opportunities to challenge yourself physically if you chose to however these will always be optional. If you are keen to join in with the more challenging activities but unsure then you will be supported to do so in a way that works for you. The summit walks will be more physically demanding but they will be at a relaxed pace and still very much with a focus on enjoying the landscape along the way.

It will not include chanting, crystals or anything mystic

If that is your thing – great, we aren’t anti these things at all but they are not in our version of a wellness retreat. Our focus is on nature based mindfulness and being in the present moment, exploring wild landscapes and letting them speak for themselves.