The Art of Relaxation: a long weekend retreat in rural Suffolk

It's surprising what a difference a long weekend can make.

This nurturing Friday-to-Monday retreat aims to help you relax, find some 'head-space' and learn de-stressing tools you can apply to everyday life back at home.

The extra night (leaving on Bank Holiday Monday) will allow more time to sink into the restful retreat atmosphere.

Along with an already high-stress culture, the recent arrival of pressure in the form emails, texts, and social media have made it more difficult than ever before to switch off.

In our extrovert, noisy society, relaxation is increasingly becoming a lost Art; an essential skill that many people have lost, through habitual busyness. 

The consequences are plain to see:- stress is now the second most common reason to see a GP - anxiety, depression or burn-out (sometimes in the form of ME).

Many physical illnesses (as many as 80%), including serious conditions, can be traced back to stress.

But all is not lost. As babies and children, we are all born with an innate ability to relax - it's just that, somewhere along our way, we unlearn the skill, and instead find ourselves stuck (often unconsciously) in unhelpful and dangerous patterns of chronic over-work and over-stimulation.

This weekend retreat aims to help you re-discover your inherent ability to relax: both physically and mentally. To this end, we will practice simple but effective techniques mainly drawn from the ancient traditions of mindfuless meditation and restorative and hatha yoga.

Please note: this is not a traditional, active yoga retreat weekend. The focus will very much be on relaxation, with the help of meditation, gentle movement, healthy and delicious food and optional massages - all within a restorative retreat environment.

Invaluable skills for everyday living

You will be encouraged to apply the skills learnt on this weekend to your everyday life, no matter how busy your family life and/or work schedule might be.

At the end of the weekend, we will give out hand-outs and suggestions for continuing the practices learnt on retreat.

Who can join us?

Anyone! Whether you are a successful but stressed-out business person, a harrassed Mum or you have been feeling generally tired and unwell, you are invited to join us for a chilled-out weekend in beautiful and comfortable surroundings.

Complete beginners to yoga and/or meditation are very welcome.

The weekend may also be suitable for those suffering from ME, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/or or mild depression.

Our host venue, Potash Barns, is our favourite UK small retreat centre.

Tucked away in countryside near the peaceful village of Framligham, Suffolk, the centre is a 35 minute drive away from the chic coastal towns of Aldeburgh and Southwold.

Potash Barns consists of three lovingly converted, listed barns, on a smallholding (beware of countryside sounds: there are some chickens, pygmy goats and horses!).

The dedicated yoga studio is set apart from the accommodation, with sweeping countryside views overlooking fields.

There are comfortable, stylish twin or double rooms, with luxurious touches: supremely comfy beds; Egyptian cotton linen. One bathroom to two rooms; a spacious lounge/kitchen to every barn.

A few double/twin, en-suite rooms as single occpuancy, may be available at the local farmhouse B&B (pictured, right) - first come, first served (see above for pricing). There is currently one single room left.

We will eat and live well: food is delicious, healthy and plentiful.

All meals are vegetarian. Please note that, to optimise our wellbeing, this is an alcohol-free weekend. Smokers are welcome, but are requested to smoke outside.

Three nights: arrivals Friday May 2 after 3.30pm; departures Monday May 5, 2013 at 1pm.

Potash Barns, rural Suffolk (near Framlingham). Our favourite small UK retreat centre! A collection of beautifully restored, listed barns - now housing boutique-standard accommodation. On-site yoga studo, overlooking fields. Blissful absence of road noise and ambient light....

* £365 per person, sharing a twin/double room with another known guest (bathroom shared with one other room). If booking a twin/double room, you need to book with another person.

* £435 per person in a single, en-suite room in the nearby farmhouse B&B, 15 minutes walk along a country lane - very limited availability. If the retreat is not full, single room guests may a housed in the main retreat centre.

Price includes?

All tuition; all accommodation (for standard residential places); all food; and return transfers from Diss train station to the retreat centre. Excludes any massage treatments booked. Taxi transfers will be arranged for the following times:

* Anyone interested in having some much-needed 'me-time'; this is a golden opportunity to rest and rejuvenate, as well as learn simple body and mind techniques that will help boost wellbeing.

* The retreat may also be suitable for those with a tendency towards mild-moderate anxiety or/and depression, as well as mild-to-moderate Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /ME.

Some restoring, relaxing massage treatments will be available on-site on Saturday and Sunday (extra cost):

* Back Massage (£30, 30 minutes) - Soothing back massage. Relaxes muscles, eases tension, helps keep neck & shoulders supple.

* Shoulder, Neck & Scalp Massage - (£30, 30 minutes) Concentrating on tension in the shoulders and neck; ends with a relaxing face & scalp massage.

* Indian Head Massage: (£30, 30 minutes) - a perfect antidote for stress.

* Reflexology (£40 for 40 minutes) - Balances and treats the whole body

Direct trains from London Liverpool St to Diss takes around 90 minutes. By car, the journey from London is just over two hours.

To encourage train travel, we will arrange free transfers to and from Diss station at a designated time (to be announced).