Retreats
Day retreats in the Norfolk countryside, yoga, meditation, nourishment and space to breathe.
A Blossom retreat day is not a productivity hack, a wellness weekend or an Instagram moment. It is a full day, and I’ll be honest about that: the yoga and the meditation can be challenging, and most people go home tired in a good way. You are supported throughout, with props and variations, so you can work at the edge that is right for you. You arrive on a Saturday morning to a beautiful old manor house, drop your bag, take a coffee in the garden, and begin a day with room for effort and room for rest.
The morning yoga session is longer than a normal class, ninety minutes of grounded, careful practice, more spacious than usual because we have the time. There follows a nourishing, seasonal lunch cooked from good local ingredients, eaten slowly, at a long table, with as much or as little conversation as you want.
After lunch, we have time to enjoy the space. West Lexham’s grounds are beautiful: walled gardens, ancient woodland, a natural pool and the river, with swimming, paddle-boarding and rowing for those who want them. People wander, sit, read, or simply drift. It is unhurried time in one of the loveliest places in Norfolk.
The afternoon draws back together for a gentler, restorative yoga session and a long guided meditation. The day closes with tea and a snack, and you drive home in the early evening light slightly different to who you were when you arrived that morning.
Retreats are held at West Lexham Manor, set in beautiful walled gardens and woodland, nearer King’s Lynn, a place I love, chosen because it is quiet, beautiful and warmly held. Retreat days run a couple of times a year and are typically limited to twenty participants.
Dates at West Lexham
The next date has not been announced. Put your name down and Ania will let you know when it is.
Benefits
- A whole day set aside for yourself, with proper rest between the practices
- Longer yoga practice than a weekly class allows
- Beautiful venues chosen for their quiet and their hospitality
- Excellent seasonal food, no paleo, no juice fast, just good cooking
- Real silence and real space in your week for once
- Often the beginning of meaningful friendships between participants
Who it’s for
- Anyone in need of a proper pause, you know if this is you
- Regular students wanting to deepen for a day
- Women in transition, menopause, retirement, grief, change
- Newcomers to retreat, the day format is a gentle entry
- Those who’d love to do a weekend retreat but don’t have the time
Common reasons students come
What to expect
Arrive at 9am to tea or coffee in the gardens. The morning moves through an opening circle, a 90-minute Hatha yoga and pranayama session, and a long shared organic lunch. The afternoon opens out into free time in the grounds: the pool, the river, the woodland, paddle-boards and rowing boats all available. As the afternoon settles, the group comes back together for restorative yoga and guided meditation, then a closing circle at 5pm.
Questions about Retreats
Do I need to have done yoga before?
What is the food like?
Can I come alone?
How do I book?
On Retreats
"The venue was stunning. My first ever yoga retreat, and I’ve only been a yogi for 18 months. Ania and James, what can I say? A wonderful warm welcome with thoughtfully provided teas, coffees and snacks. A beautifully balanced day of yoga, friendship, meditation, love, learning and enlightenment. Included was a wonderful lunch and time to explore the amazing surroundings. A closing circle brought the day to fruition. I went home refreshed, calmed, peaceful and happy as well as very tired. I’ll be back."
"It was a truly idyllic day, so peaceful, calming and restorative. I felt truly blessed. Very calm and relaxed, spending the day with Ania and James and so many lovely people. Can’t wait for the next time."
"A day at West Lexham with Ania was exactly the pause I needed. Good food, good movement, quiet woods, and enough space in the day to actually think. I’m booking the next one already."
