Dorset, Somerset &amp; Bristol


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-5633.jpg" alt="BodyRetreat" class="wp-image-95206" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-5633.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-5633-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-5633-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-5633-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-5633-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where">WHAT, WHERE?</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.thebodyretreat.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Body Retreat</a>, founded by women’s wellness coach Juls Abernethy and semi-pro sportswoman turned strength and conditioning coach Julie Brealy, offer super friendly, women-only holistic health, fitness and wellbeing retreats in Dorset. </p>



<p>There are six different retreats: Weight-loss, Menopause, Sugar-Detox, Stress Re-set, Conscious Cook and Tone, and Healthy Holiday. </p>



<p>The retreat I joined was a returners&#8217; retreat for women who&#8217;d been on The Body Retreat before – some of them <em>five times</em> before. Once you&#8217;ve been once, you tend to want to come back (I know I do). </p>



<p>The retreat was held at a gorgeous, spacious house in the Dorset countryside, not far from Dorchester.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<p>Juls and Julie set up The Body Retreat in 2010 to create the kind of retreats they wanted to go on, and they&#8217;re about as far removed from a traditional boot camp or intensive detox as you can imagine. Don&#8217;t come expecting a week of dawn runs, long hours in the gym going for the burn or feeling hungry on a starvation diet. The Body Retreats aren&#8217;t gimmicky, or about short, sharp shocks. Rather, they&#8217;re about a change of mindset; they&#8217;re holistic, realistic, evidence-based, enduring –&nbsp;and enjoyable! </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-7003.jpg" alt="BodyRetreat" class="wp-image-95203" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-7003.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-7003-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-7003-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-7003-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-7003-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>All retreats are based around the same four Ms: mindset; menu; movement and maintenance. Juls is the yin to Julie&#8217;s (quietly self-confident) yang. They make the perfect team with Juls leading on  &#8216;mindset&#8217; and &#8216;menu&#8217; and Julie on &#8216;movement&#8217;. They&#8217;re supported by their team of expert trainers, therapists and other professionals and practitioners&nbsp;– many of whom have been with them from the beginning – who cover everything from nutrition and fitness to psychology.</p>



<p>The retreats are an opportunity to completely switch off, focus on yourself (and why not?) and your own wellbeing, and to re-set. When you arrive, you can relax, don&#8217;t have to worry about what you&#8217;re wearing, don&#8217;t have to make any decisions. Juls and Julie are here to nurture and nourish. </p>



<p>Everything is tailored to the individual – taking into consideration your own health, level of fitness, dietary and exercise requirements, any injuries and you go at your own pace. There&#8217;s lots on offer but you&#8217;re not expected to do every single thing if you don&#8217;t want to, nor put everything you learn into practice. Having said that, everything you do here can be taken and used back in your real life.</p>



<p>There are from seven to nine women of all ages – who may come from all over the world as well as close to home – on each retreat, which usually run from Friday to Friday. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4651.jpg" alt="Body Retreat" class="wp-image-95205" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4651.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4651-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4651-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4651-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4651-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>There was such a friendly, easy going atmosphere, I was surprised to discover the other seven women hadn&#8217;t known each other beforehand. Although coming from different walks of life and having varied reasons for being on the retreat, there&#8217;s a real feeling of camaraderie, of looking out for each other and women bond quickly. It felt like a group of friends coming to stay at another friends&#8217; –&nbsp;rather lovely – house; friends who just happen to be wellness and fitness experts dedicated to your wellbeing.  Juls talks about a &#8216;retreat family&#8217; and it&#8217;s not just words, you can feel it. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-typical-day">A TYPICAL DAY</h2>



<p>Juls and Julie chalk up the itinerary for the day on a blackboard in the living room and while there will be some common elements, no two days are the same. There&#8217;s not much chance of getting bored here. There&#8217;s a flow to the day but you can drop in and out, participating as much or as little as you like, with quiet times interspersed throughout. </p>



<p>Each day starts with a wake-up workshop at 7.15am, nothing too strenuous but enough to get the blood flowing before breakfast at the huge kitchen table (more about the food later).  </p>



<p>Julie and the dogs lead us on on a fabulous walk along the footpaths and bridleways, up and down hills, past fields and woodlands –&nbsp;the remains of a Roman aqueduct (which once supplied water from the river Frome to the Roman town of Durnovaria AKA Dorchester) – in the glorious Dorset countryside. Everyone walks at their own pace, briskly (or not so fast), in twos, threes or solo, forming and reforming, chatting or in comfortable silence. At  around 5k, it was invigorating rather than knackering, though some days, they can stride out more than double that.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-3957.jpg" alt="Body Retreat" class="wp-image-95202" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-3957.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-3957-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-3957-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-3957-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-3957-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>After a short break for water, tea or relaxation in your room Julie leads a resistance class with weights. Everyone&#8217;s at different levels; she&#8217;s encouraging, pushing us, but in a nice way. </p>



<p>The aroma of cooking drifting through the house told us that lunch was ready. Afterwards, some women went to relax in their rooms; others went for a dip in the indoor pool. There&#8217;s an outside tub for Wim Hoff ice bath. Eek!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-6072.jpg" alt="Body Retreat" class="wp-image-95207" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-6072.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-6072-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-6072-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-6072-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat-6072-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>In the afternoon, there&#8217;s a yoga session; when it&#8217;s warm, these can be held outside in the gardens. Had I come on another day, it might have been Bollywood-inspired dancersize!</p>



<p>Later, when Juls gives a talk about gut health, it&#8217;s not just about imparting information, it&#8217;s always practical &#8211; so, easy recipes you can make at home, or useful kitchen staples.  </p>



<p>During the day you can book yourself in for individual sessions: maybe Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) with Juls, a qualified practitioner; hypnotherapy; massage; body balancing – or how about pulling on a pair of inflatable compression trousers to look like Wallace in <em>The Wrong Trousers</em>, which use air pressure to gently massage legs and body to get lymph fluid moving to strengthen your immune system and maybe do something about your cellulite.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4577-copy.jpg" alt="Body Retreat" class="wp-image-95204" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4577-copy.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4577-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4577-copy-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4577-copy-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/BodyRetreat2024-4577-copy-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Evenings are your own; you can relax in the lounge on squash sofas around the woodburner, chatting, reading, watching a DVD (there are lots) or the TV or your room.</p>



<p>A fast forward to the end of the week: everyone&#8217;s given follow-up plans and  recipes to take home. Some women write copious notes and follow The Body Retreat guidance religiously when they&#8217;re back home; others do less &#8211; it&#8217;s whatever feels right for you. Juls and Julie keep in touch with everyone to see how they&#8217;re getting on.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-and-drink">FOOD AND DRINK</h2>



<p>Food is integral to the whole The Body Retreat experience but it&#8217;s not about &#8216;diet&#8217; or &#8216;dieting&#8217; but about &#8216;conscious eating&#8217; – how you eat ,not just what you eat. You take the time to savour each mouthful, putting your knife, fork or spoon down whilst you chew, really tasting the food rather than just shovelling it in (the usual Muddy way). There&#8217;s a good selection of fruit and herb teas and iced water to which you can help yourself to during the day.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-concious-eating_Fotor.jpg" alt="body retreat " class="wp-image-95214" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-concious-eating_Fotor.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-concious-eating_Fotor-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-concious-eating_Fotor-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-concious-eating_Fotor-300x400.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-concious-eating_Fotor-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-concious-eating_Fotor-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Juls writes up the menu for each day on a blackboard in the kitchen and cooks everything from scratch (she&#8217;s a great cook). It&#8217;s all local, organic, seasonal, as plastic-free as possible – and delicious (I can vouch for that). Predominantly plant-based (anti-inflammatory), there&#8217;s cheese just twice a week, animal protein once a day and Monday is always meat-free. Juls is super knowledgeable about food and nutrition, well-up on the latest research and full of tips (note to self: don&#8217;t constantly graze as the body continually produces insulin; leave at least three and a half hours between meals). She&#8217;s written a couple of cookery books, puts her recipes up on her blog, and sends retreaters home with recipes they can make themselves. The Cook &amp; Tone retreats sound good. </p>



<p>Just to give you a taster, we had a yummy rhubarb and chia pot for breakfast, and a huge slice of sweet potato, red onion and feta frittata with salad for lunch. What do you think?</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1920" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401.jpeg" alt="body retreat " class="wp-image-95212" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401.jpeg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401-1000x750.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/body-retreat-food-scaled-e1713956288401-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pillow-talk">PILLOW TALK</h2>



<p>Everyone has their own super comfy, tastefully decorated, spacious room with an en suite bathroom, large enough to relax in without feeling you&#8217;re sitting in your bedroom and complete with robe, bath and swimming towels. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-word-on-the-ground">WORD ON THE GROUND</h2>



<p>A couple of women spoke of The Body Retreat changing their lives&nbsp;–&nbsp;literally.  Some see it as a regular welcome break from their every day lives. They describe The Body Retreat as a safe place, where you can get to know one another and be open. It&#8217;s a chance to spend time focused entirely on yourself.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-upcoming-retreats">UPCOMING RETREATS</h2>



<p>Retreats are held throughout the year. In 2024: </p>



<ul>
<li>Fri 26 April – Fri 3 May: 7 Day Weight Loss Retreat, £2,000 – £2,700</li>



<li>Fri 10 – Fri 17 May: 7 Day Re-set Retreat, £2,700 – £3,050</li>



<li>Mon 20 – Fri 24 May: Midweek Kick Start Wellness Retreat, £1,450 – £1,850</li>



<li>Fri May – Fri 7 June: 7 Day Weight Loss Retreat, £2,500 – £3,000</li>



<li>Mon 1st – Sun 7 July: Sugar Detox Retreat, £2,450 – £2,850</li>



<li>Mon 8 – Fri 19 July: 12 Day Weight Loss Retreat, £3,950 – £4,750</li>



<li>Fri 12 – Fri 19 July: 7 Day Weight Loss Retreat, £2,500 – £3,000</li>



<li>Fri 9 – Fri 16 August: 7 Day Weight Loss Retreat, £2,500 – £3,000</li>



<li>Fri 20 – Fri 27 Sept: 7 Day Weight Loss Retreat, £2,500 – £3,000</li>



<li>Fri 27 Sept – Fri 4 Oct: 7 Day The Menopause Retreat, £2,900 – £3,450</li>



<li>Fri 4 – Fri 11 Oct, 7 day returners for only healthy holiday retreat, £2,500–£3,000</li>



<li>Fri 15 – 22 Nov: 7 Day Sugar Detox for Weight Loss Retreat, £2,650 – £3,250</li>



<li>Fri 22 – Fri 29 Nov: 7 Day Weight Loss Retreat, £2,500 – £3,000</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<p><strong>Good for</strong>: Women who fancy a boost, want time to focus on themselves, would like to change their lifestyle or need help navigating the time leading up to, during and after the menopause in a supportive, all-women environment.</p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> Those who want a full-on boot camp or an extreme detox experience should probably look elsewhere; this is a gentler holistic retreat designed to have long-lasting effects on your whole life.</p>



<p><strong>The damage:</strong> All accommodation, food, activities, workshops, treatments, recipes, meal and follow-up plans are included. Retreats run from 5 to 14 days (most are 7 days) and cost from £1,450. </p>



<p></p>



<p><strong><em>For more information about <a href="https://www.thebodyretreat.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Body Retreat</a>, call<a href="tel:+44 (0)203 701 1603"> 0203 701 1603</a> or email <a href="mailto:info@thebodyretreat.co.uk">info@thebodyretreat</a></em></strong></p>


Review: The Body Retreat, Dorset

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