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Lake District Weekend Retreats – 2025 open for bookings!

Wellness weekends with Yoga, Nature, Music, Meditation, Art, Dance & more!

Our fun-filled, friendly & welcoming retreat weekends in the Lake District are the place to MOVE your body with yoga, qigong, dance & more. Relax & de-stress your MIND with meditation & mindfulness, MAKE memories, music & art as you MEET new & old friends around the campfire. All with the power of NATURE in a beautiful private woodland campsite.

Our retreat weekends are all unique with YinYan founder Robin Ellis, his faithful hound Carter and a special guest teacher. Each weekend is a feast of feeling great, the perfect health & wellbeing tonic, so let’s get together & feel good!

In addition to standard Weekend Tickets (plus a new rent-a-tent option) there’s a limited number of discounted “Long Weekend Helper Tickets” – to be a helper you won’t miss any classes but you need to arrive 1 day early and help with a few hours setting up the day before everyone else arrives & again a couple of hours helping to pack up on the last day (you’re welcome to stay an extra night if you want).

YinYan Wellbeing CIC is a Community Interest Company, classed as not-for-profit business because 100% of our profits have to go towards improving people’s health & happiness – we like the fact that you can help yourself with our weekends, and you can help others at the same time.

Saturday 24th to Monday 26th May – Bank Holiday Weekend Retreat

It’s a bank holiday special so you can really relax an unwind without having to worry about work on Monday! As with all our weekends there will be a wide range of ways to put a big smile on your face with loads of classes & activities included, plus space to unwind and do your own thing as needed.

You should arrive in plenty of time to settle in and be ready for the group welcome at 4pm on Saturday 24th May, then departures after lunch on Monday 26th May. Long Weekend Helpers should arrive 24 hours early and can leave as soon as everything packed away (about 4/5pm on Bank Holiday Monday).

Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July 2025 – Summer Weekend Retreat

Join us as we celebrate the long, hopefully sun-drenched, days of summer by getting together to stretch, strengthen, move, dance, sing, laugh, connect and feel really, really good! We’ve got all our usual wellbeing weekend classes & activities – we’ve got more ways to feel good than you can shake a stick at!

You should arrive in time for the group welcome at 4.30pm on Friday 4th July, then departures after lunch on Sunday 6th. Long Weekend Helpers should arrive 24 hours early and can leave as soon as everything packed away (about 4/5pm on Sunday).

Bookings & Contact

For bookings & enquiries contact us [email protected] / call Robin on 07912 031543. Prices below.

Private Weekends Available

If you would like to have your own exclusive weekend at our stunning venue, we have sole use of the site throughout 2025 and in addition to our own retreat weekends, we are delighted to open the site up for private weekends & other teacher’s retreats:

  • Private weekends for groups, clubs & families – have you got a group of mates, or a couple of families that would like to have your own private weekend at SpringWood? Maybe you’re part of a sports/activity/social group or club that fancies a weekend away together in a beautiful setting? If so we can help – just email [email protected] for further info and costs.
  • Are you a teacher that wants to run your own weekend retreat?  In which case why not have it at Springwood? Email [email protected] for info and prices.

Plus we will be running at least one secret, invitation-only, mega-exclusive special weekend in 2025, which will only be open to people on the YinYan Citizen scheme (details to be announced soon).

Our stunning Lake District venue

A beautiful meadow where birds sing, wild flowers carpet the woodland and we camp beside the river we share with the resident otter. Our ‘Big Top’ parachute canopy provides open sided weather protection all weekend, plus there’s a yurt. There’s portable toilets, a hot shower, sink with hot water & kitchen cabin with fridges, kettles, toaster & microwave, plus there’s campfires & a large gas BBQ to cook on.

Springwood campsite is just outside the village of Grayrigg, under 2 hours drive from Liverpool/Manchester. 15 minute taxi from Oxenholme station (direct trains from London Euston in 3 hours).

Yoga, Meditation, QiGong, Nature & the POWER of Power Ballads!

Each weekend includes 3 yoga classes (60-90 mins each) with a balance between Yang (strong, flowing movements) and Yin (relaxing, meditative stretches) energy, with Hatha, Vinyasa & Yin. These weekends are suitable if you have never done yoga before – we are very serious about giving beginners the best possible start on their journey to improved health & happiness – and there will be plenty of opportunities for experienced yogis to challenge themselves and learn new things.

Plus you will experience guided meditations for deep relaxation, forest bathing, a QiGong taster session in the woods, and a Power Ballad based extravaganza that we can’t decide what to call yet but rest assured it’s a lot of fun and harnesses the powers of Qi, Prana, Awe, Dance, collective effervescence & laughter (lots of it).

Creativity

We believe creativity is a powerful way to feel good, and you’ll experience it on our retreats. Try clay modelling, mindful drawing and ukulele crash courses (no musical experience necessary) – we create a friendly & fun environment for beginners and the magic starts to happen!

Every retreat weekend includes optional beginner ukulele lessons, plus you can try singing/kazoo-ing. The ukulele is such an accessible &  joyful instrument, you’ll be laughing your head off before you know it – and if you play any instrument please bring it!

As with all our classes & activities, you can join in with as little or as much as you like.

Food & drink

This is a change from previous retreats – we’ll still be providing unlimited brews & breakfasts, but lunches and dinners in 2025 will be self-catered. It’s a shame we won’t have the same delicious food that was cooked for us on previous retreats but that just wasn’t possible this year, but it can’t be helped.

That means you should bring your own food for two lunches and two dinners (more if you’re a long weekend helper) – bring it prepared, or ready to cook onsite.

Please feel free to team up and look after each other – so if 4 of you are coming together, why not take a meal each and feed each other?

Cooking facilities include:

  • Two camp fires with grills – one will be allocated for meat, the other will be veggie
  • A gas BBQ with a large grill, burner & lid (can even be used to cook pizzas, amongst other things)
  • Microwave, kettle & toaster in the camp kitchen

We’ll have some BBQ tools and basic cooking utensils, but if there’s something that you want/need and it isn’t listed above please bring it. You can bring your own camping stoves but these should not be used directly on the grass, but on a table, otherwise they leave scorch marks that take months to heal.

We have 3 below counter fridges in the kitchen cabin, which are for everyone to share – please bear this in mind when deciding what food to bring (and how it is packaged!)

Please bring your own camping mug, plate, bowl & cutlery (there’s a sink to wash up).

If you have any allergy or special requirements let us know when you’re booking and we can advise accordingly.

Fresh fruit, porridge, muesli and toast will be available to help yourself at breakfast, bring anything else you’d like in terms of a alternative breakfasts/extra snacks. A range of tea & coffee is also provided because unlimited brews might just be the cornerstone of a civilised society.

We don’t sell/provide alcohol but you’re welcome to bring if you like (within reason) – the emphasis of our weekends is having fun, we’re here to have a good time together not judge anyone.

Fire Pits

The communal fire pits are the beating heart of our retreat – it’s where we come together to bond, share stories, make music & memories…please bring your instrument if you have one – anything & everything welcome, and everyone gets their own kazoo.

A fire will always be burning so you can have a brew and warm your cockles anytime – and Carter the hound is always up for a cuddle! We can’t wait to be laughing & singing together under the stars – it’s so good for your soul.

Camping – bring your own or ‘Rent-a-Tent’

We have exclusive use of the private campground & woodland at Spring Wood. It’s a lovely level, grassed meadow with plenty of stunning places to pitch a tent right next to the river.

The yurts are not available to book this year but there’s the option of renting a tent for the weekend – this is a great option if you don’t usually camp/it’s your first time, because a lovely tent will be all set up ready for you with a camping airbed (you just need to bring a warm sleeping bag & pillow). Unless otherwise agreed your tent will be for one person – technically it’s a 2 person tent, but in reality it’s perfect for 1 with their stuff.

Parking & Campervans

Parking is available and we will direct you on arrival. To minimise our carbon footprint please car-share where possible, or consider public transport – Oxenholme train station is just 15 mins in a taxi. You can’t drive onto the meadow but you only have to carry your things about 100m and trolleys are available. 

We can accommodate a limited number of campervans – although please note that due to a narrow gate these must NOT exceed transit sized vans (motorhomes are out, sorry). Please let us know if you’re bringing a campervan when booking.

Hazards, Dogs & Children

Carter (Robin’s hound & YinYan’s official head of wellbeing) will be there and we are proud to be a dog-friendly yoga retreat! If you would like to bring your dog please let Robin know in advance on [email protected] N.B. dogs MUST be kept on lead at all times, this is not negotiable and is a requirement of the venue owners who have chickens & livestock roaming freely. 

Happy to discuss if you want to bring children especially as we’ve had great success with parent(s) & children (especially teenagers) enjoying our weekends together, contact us email [email protected] / call Robin on 07912 031543 to discuss before booking.

The venue includes a rocky river & working woodland – there are ditches, slopes, barbed wire & electric fences so please watch your step & sturdy shoes/wellies are recommended if the ground is wet. 

Bookings, payments & cancellations

  • Weekend Pass (includes all classes, activities & camping):
    • £210 per person
    • £150 deposit to book your place, remainder due 3 weeks before the event
  • Helpers Weekend Pass (includes all classes, activities & camping):
    • £160 per person (£100 deposit, remainder due 3 weeks before the event) with a limited number of Helper places available per weekend
    • You MUST arrive the day before to help us set up the site (3 hours), AND stay until mid/late afternoon on the last day to help pack up (you’re welcome to stay an extra night if you want!) It’s a bit of work for a discount and more time at our gorgeous site
  • Rent-a-Tent & Bed (optional) – £90 per person to be paid in full when booking.  Your very own dome tent (just for you so you don’t share) & camping air bed will be set up, ready & waiting for you. And we’ll take it down for you at the end so you can relax & focus on enjoying yourself. If you want to be pitched next to friends please advise when booking so we can set up accordingly. If you damage your rent-a-tent you will have to pay for a replacement in full.

All prices include VAT. If we cancel the event for any reason you get the option of an alternative/rescheduled retreat at no extra cost or you can choose a full refund. In the unlikely event that we do not have sufficient bookings to run a retreat then we will advise those that have booked at least 21 days in advance, offering a full refund or an alternative weekend.

If you cancel 21+ days in advance you can choose an alternative retreat at no extra cost (subject to availability), or get a refund less cancellation charge of £75 per Weekend Pass & £45 per Rent-a-Tent (which we will waive/reduce if we get someone else to take your place).

If you cancel less than 21 days before the retreat your payment is non-refundable (unless we find someone to take your place, in which case we will refund you minus our costs or transfer you to an alternative weekend).

For bookings & enquiries please contact us email [email protected] / call Robin on 07912 031543 – for payments we will send you a secure online payment link via our payment partner SumUp.

Packing List
  • Tent & bed/sleeping mat (unless you’re renting)
  • Sleeping bag & pillow/cushion, the nights can be chilly and an extra blanket is great for the meditations & keeping cosy around the fire pits 
  • Water bottle
  • Yoga mat & block – if you need to borrow/buy a mat let us know
  • Camping mug, plate, bowl & cutlery
  • Food for 2 lunches & 2 dinners
  • Snacks, drinks & anything else you want 
  • Toiletries
  • Footwear – wellies/boots/sturdy trainers (it might be muddy), bring a pair of old trainers to use in the river if you’re planning on getting wet as it is rocky & uneven
  • Clothes – hope for the best but prepare for the worst with a waterproof jacket, fleece/warm jumpers, plenty of layers, spare socks etc. & bring clothes you can move freely in for yoga
  • Towel & swimming costume (optional)
  • Headtorch / light for your tent
  • Hat & scarf
  • Sun hat, sunscreen & sun glasses – we live in hope!
  • Phone/camera/battery pack – useful to keep your phone charged so you can take lots of photos/videos, although there is a plug if you need a battery boost
  • If you play an instrument please bring it for the camp fire sing-song!
  • Camping chair (optional – there are benches & logs to sit on too)
  • Carrier bags – great for wet clothes & refuse…please take everything with you & leave no trace!

Friendly & welcoming Lake District yoga retreats

Check out our past retreats:

***SOLD OUT***27-29th May 2022 – Yoga, Nature & Music Retreat

2nd-5th June 2022 – Yin & Yang Bank Holiday Retreat

***SOLD OUT***17-19th June 2022 – Earth, Water & Light: Women’s Retreat

***2 SPACES AFTER LATE CANCELLATION***1st-3rd July 2022 – Yoga & Ukuleles Feel Good Weekend

***SOLD OUT***2nd-4th September 2022 – End of Summer Yoga & Dance Party

***SOLD OUT***Mindfulness & Nature Wellness Retreat, Lake District, 29th-31st May 2021

***SOLD OUT***Ukuleles & Yoga Wellness Retreat, Lake District, 4-6th June 2021

***SOLD OUT***Glow with the Flow Wellness Retreat, Lake District, 2-4th July 2021

***SOLD OUT*** Yoga & Nature Wellness Retreat, Lake District, 9-11th July 2021

***SOLD OUT*** Yoga for Self-Care & Resilience, Lake District, 13-15th August 2021

***SOLD OUT*** Yoga, Creativity & Nature Retreat, Lake District, 3rd – 5th Sept 2021

 

The best weekend of my life - just fantastic!

Dave

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