Escape the city for a weekend in rural Norfolk with the retreat located within 21 acres of woodland. This retreat focusses mainly on meditation with gentle yoga classes and is designed for both total beginners to mindfulness, as well as those with an established practice, seeking a refresher. Enjoy delicious, wholesome food while you switch off your phone for the weekend.

This company, with a focus on balance, runs three-night mindfulness weekends every 6 weeks or so between December and March. Hosted in renovated barns with underfloor heating in the grounds of a manor house surrounded by acres of gardens and woodland, these getaways are especially suitable for anyone who baulks at more traditional meditation for large groups.

If you’re looking for a wholesome, rewarding retreat with a little luxury to boot, then Lucia Cockcroft and Vikki Stevenson’s long weekend in the rolling Norfolk countryside is the one for you. It’s a real chance to unwind and place focus on the reasons why you’re there. The weekend schedule is primarily based upon exploring different mindfulness practices and sessions draw from the contemplative aspects of yoga practice as opposed to the physical, so it’s perfect for beginners as well as those looking to refresh their practice.

For urbanites who want to experience mindfulness without the discomfort you can sometimes have at more traditional meditation retreats, these long weekends, led by Lucia Cockcroft and Vikki Stevenson, are held at a luxury manor house. They mix Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra with periods of Mindfulness practice. Meals are tasty vegetarian and vegan (with good cake).

It’s a warm North African evening on a rooftop deep in the Marrakesh medina. I’m lying supine on the smooth tadelakt floor, surrounded by my fellow retreaters. We’re about to start our evening yoga practice, and I feel like I’m coming home. But it’s been over four years since I was on the mat… over four years since I last did a yoga class, or indeed any yoga at all.

A suitably slow-paced yoga and mindfulness weekend is revelatory ...

Excerpt: We’re all tired. Some of us go on about it more than others (guilty) but most of us are wrecked most of the time. Which is why going on holiday to lie down in a darkened room for two days is not as weird as it might once have sounded. That’s essentially what Satvada Retreats offers on its winter weekends in north Norfolk: two days of mindfulness and yoga in the beautiful setting of West Lexham, a cluster of converted, eco-friendy farm buildings and treehouses (plus bell tents in summer) set in extensive grounds with paths winding through gardens and around a lake.

These gentle, five-day retreats combine yoga and meditation with daily two- to three-hour walks from your eco-friendly kasbah at Tahanaout, Morocco, in the foothills of the Atlas mountains, and the food (with cake and wine, if you want them) is rustic and good.

Satvada Retreats lead this lovely holiday based at a seaside villa on a Croatian island. You can expect a relaxed daily schedule of morning and evening yoga for all levels, gentle walks, good organic food, swimming in the infinity pool or sea (a minute’s walk away). The guided walks (around two hours a time) take you through olive groves and offer amazing sea views.

Jet off to enjoy Morocco's guaranteed sunshine (it's just 3.5 hours away from London) for a January wellbeing weekend in magical Marrakech. Satvada Retreats is again hosting one of its wellbeing weekends in the vibrant moroccan city, suitable for all levels (complete beginners welcome!), where you will stay at one of the city's stylish riads.

The best yoga holidays get under your skin and make you feel fantastic, with asanas (postures), pranayama (breathwork), meditation and cleansing food to help you tone up, lose weight, re-energise, de-stress and let go of all the irritating niggles (and any larger ones) you face in daily life. The breaks that I’ve chosen are suitable for all levels. Do, however, ask questions before you book to check the teaching style is right for you.

We went on one of their yoga and wellbeing weekends in the heart of Marrakech, where teacher and staff work together to create a friendly, uncompetitive atmosphere that’s perfect for beginners, those wanting to brush up their yoga, and those who want to explore this exotic city whilst taking care of their wellbeing. Your base is a riad (or traditional house) with a serenely peaceful central courtyard in the exciting medina (walled city). The traditional food is excellent, and Satvada Retreats is happy to accommodate particular dietary requirements.

Though these holidays are open to all levels, many guests on Satvada Retreat holidays have no previous retreat or yoga experience, and the team’s gentle touch ensures your body and mind will feel safely taken care of. Teachers focus on mindful hatha yoga, with a focus on awareness and alignment, and meditation is always included. Their holidays include short breaks in the UK, wellbeing weekends in Marrakech and yoga and walking breaks in the Atlas mountains, where yoga takes place on a large terrace overlooking the swimming pool and surrounding mountains. The group trips run on set dates throughout the year.

Gazing up at the Atlas Mountains in the early morning sunshine, I breathed in slowly and took it all in. The craggy landscape glowed red beyond the manicured lawns and olive trees, with snow-capped peaks beyond. It was the perfect way to wake up in Morocco. But I soon had to drag my eyes away when we were asked to bend down and put our hands on the ground. We were on the sun-drenched, stone roof terrace of our boutique hotel and it was the first yoga class of the day. It was part of our five-day yoga and mountain walking holiday, based just 30 minutes’ drive from Marrakech.

Why go? To completely reboot your mind and body. Satvada Retreats runs a variety of three and five-day yoga and meditation breaks in beautiful locations in Morocco, Croatia and Suffolk. Whether you’re a yoga buff or a newbie, travelling solo or with a friend, these retreats - run by yoga teacher Lucia Cockcroft and her partner Darren Cooper - are super-friendly. Every day is properly structured but also very relaxed, so you can join in as much or as little as you like. My holidays usually involve a gaggle of husband, kids, siblings or friends, so this is my first-ever solo get away.

hose looking for a tailored healthy retreat will find lots that’s new this year. British company Satvada Retreats is offering yoga and walking holidays in Croatia from May.

Lucia Cockcroft’s twice-daily 90-minute classes combine yoga with mindfulness meditation.

Whether you want to take care of your body, soothe your mind, or just indulge in some rest and relaxation, there will be a break to suit, writes Caroline Sylger Jones

Excerpt: Only a few hours' flight from the UK, yet with a lovely warm climate, Morocco continues to sprout new healthy holidays. Go on a Wellbeing Weekend in a Marrakech riad with Satvada Retreats.

Satvada Retreats has a new trip combining daily hatha flow yoga sessions with guided walks in the Atlas Mountain, followed by evening yoga and meditation session.

The deal: Five nights which include airport transfers, two-daily 75-minute yoga classes, daily guided walk and five nights full-board (except one evening meal).

A new wellbeing weekend, offered by Satvada Retreats, launches in Marrakech from September. The three-night weekend breaks feature six alfresco yoga sessions, a massage, healthy vegetarian food and a workshop on stress. Accommodation is in a five-bedroom riad, with a roof terrace and pool.

Satvada Retreats has joined forces with meditation trainer Shamash Alidina, author of bestselling book Mindfulness For Dummies, to organise this five-day yoga and mindfulness meditation break beginning on May 19. The retreat is an introduction to meditation. Guests will stay at the Hotel Tigmi, a boutique hotel just 30 minutes outside Marrakech with a new yoga and meditation studio.

Besides guaranteed sunshine, the itinerary for this five-night healthy holiday to Marrakech departing on April 19 includes a 9am dynamic hatha yoga class, which will get you pumped for the day ahead, and a more meditative 5.30pm session to help you relax. You will sleep in a traditional riad, a mansion centred around an open-air courtyard.

Satvada Retreats is offering a five-night yoga holiday in Marrakech, including two daily yoga sessions, brunch, four vegetarian evening meals, a massage, a half-day walking tour and daily tea and cake.

A long weekend in the Suffolk countryside will give you the opportunity to take some much-needed time out before the madness of Christmas ensues. Potash Barns is a small retreat centre tucked away near the town of Framlingham, consisting of three listed barns on a smallholding and a dedicated yoga studio.

The emphasis of the weekend is geared towards resting and relaxation, through meditation, gentle exercise, healthy food and massage.

Satvada Retreats is offering a four-day Art of Relaxation break from £365 per person, incl. full board accommodation, all tuition and return transfers from Diss railway station, based on two sharing, arriving on November 29.

Your base for this yoga retreat is a wonderfully restored and sustainable art deco-style riad oozing style and comfort. Twice daily yoga with flowing hatha yoga teacher Lucia Cockcroft takes place in a marvellous central courtyard, and will include mindfulness meditation. You’ll also have healthy food, a half-day city tour of Marrakech, a New Year Gala dinner, and use of the hammam at the riad’s small spa.

The beauty of these weekends run by Satvada Retreats in rural Suffolk is that they mix restorative hatha yoga with mindfulness meditation. A Friday-to-Monday retreat, it aims to help you find breathing space and teach you tools to help you combat stress in everyday life, and you’ll go home with hand-outs and reading suggestions so that you can maintain and develop these skills when you’re back in the fray.

backgroundBy the end of the five-day retreat I felt so chilled and relaxed I returned to the UK feeling like a different person, though sad to leave Morocco. I'd met a group of great people, there like myself, to bring a little calm to their lives through yoga; the staff at the hotel couldn't have made us feel more welcome and our two yoga instructors worked hard to ensure the retreat was a success. I discovered a love of Morocco that I wasn't expecting, and I will be returning to Marrakech later this year to see more of the city. As for the yoga? Yes, I'm a convert and now back home, have signed up for my local yoga class. Namaste.

The Art of Relaxation retreat was designed to tackle this ubiquitous challenge of modern life and create the space where people can re-discover their inherent ability to relax and let go, both physically and mentally, within the short space of time, and not too far from their homes.

Queen of Retreats writers have reviewed their week-long yoga and walking holidays in the Atlas mountains , the Wellbeing Weekends in Marrakech and the Art of Relaxation weekends in Suffolk. We’ve found each of these healthy holidays to be authentic, run with passion and featuring a team of yoga teachers handpicked for their inclusive, sensitive approach and thorough, mindful teaching methods.

Set in the naturally calming countryside of Suffolk, the Satvada Retreats offer time away from the hustle and bustle of modern life for a weekend of mindfulness. With rolling fields, prickly rose hips and stretching skies, the pretty Potash Farm in Suffolk was the perfect venue for seven weary city dwellers to roll up, relax and reconnect with our inner selves. The retreat combines two daily yoga practises with massages and meditations on mindfulness – something that an anxious soul like myself had struggled to embrace before.

Set above a peaceful Berber villoge jus 30 minutes from Marrakech, this pretty hide away has courtyards filled with rose beds, olive trees and flower filled urns, two large swimming pools, a gorgeous roof top just made for yoga, and a magical spa Rooms hove colourful throws and comfortable beds. Enjoy traditional hammams and beauty treatments in between shopping.

This is the yoga lover's retreat of choice, and also one for complete beginners because the teachers are that good, and you can make it exactly as body- and mind-challenging as you want. 'People let go of everything, emotionally and physically, in different ways,' says founder Lucia Cockcroft. Whether you choose a weekend in Morocco, France or Suffolk (where the focus is more on meditation and mind, rather than body stretching), staff at YA Retreats (now known as Satvada Retreats) promise that the two 90-minute sessions of yoga (usually vinyasa, or flow yoga, in the morning and meditative in the evening) will have you feeling changes in one day. No wonder businesswomen use this as the great mobile-free escape. Cockcroft describes her yin-yang retreats as the antithesis of the bootcamp: 'There are no eating, exercise or activity rules, and spare time is your own' - making this practical, user-friendly yoga at its mind-and-body-releasing best.

Healthy holiday specialist Satvada Retreats is hosting a three-night Art Of Relaxation meditation and yoga retreat at Potash Barns

RURAL RELAXATION Satvada Retreats is running an Art Of Relaxation weekend in Su olk