Mid-Week Yoga Retreat

I've always thought we could do with having Wednesday's off, splitting the week into two more manageable chunks with a lovely little break in the middle.

Lou Lovegrove has got the right idea in that case! She offers mid-week yoga retreats at her home studio in Eastbourne, for a mini-reset and escape from the 9-5 (or the kids!).

I was incredibly lucky to be invited along last week to join five other ladies for a blissful few hours of yoga and personal attention.

The day started with my train journey down from Croydon - even just travelling away from the city and through the fields for a change of scene was a positive start. After arriving at Lou's house I was offered  a refreshing orange juice, greeted the other attendees and was shown through to the yoga studio.

It was a lovely space - small and friendly, with lots of sunlight coming through the windows and a soft floor - great for those with dodgy knees! Lou provided all the mats and props we would need throughout the day, and surrounded us with calming music and positivity.

The first couple of hours of the day were spent in a slow Hatha/Vinyasa style workshop with lots of modifications given - I was the youngest there, with an older lady who must have been in her 60s at the other end of the spectrum, but Lou made sure that all of our different levels and abilities were taken into account, and she provided hands-on adjustment and encouragement throughout.

Lunch was provided by local vegetarian restaurant "The Green Almond" in Lou's spacious kitchen. I really enjoyed chatting to the other five ladies while tucking into a colourful tasty plate of falafel and salad!

The afternoon was spent doing restorative yoga which I love, and which was perfect for post-lunch when I was feeling a little to full for anything more energetic! Restorative yoga involves holding poses for a long time supported by blocks, bolsters and blankets and is great for achey runners legs.

We finished up with a Yoga Nidra, which is a guided meditation or yogic sleep offering a profound physical, mental and emotional relaxation. Lou explained to us the idea of setting an intention at the start of the Yoga Nidra (I am calm/I am strong), and then the idea is to lie back and let the spoken words wash over you. Normally I find it quite hard to switch off, but I will admit I think I fell asleep!

Lou brought us lemon and ginger tea after, and we slowly woke ourselves up and prepared to join the real world again. I felt completely at peace and relaxed - it was a lovely end to the yoga retreat, and a perfect way to press pause on the madness of everyday life.

I even got to enjoy a beautiful sunset on the way back home.

What would you do with a Wednesday off? Have you been on a yoga retreat?

Beki x