15 April 2019

The Zest Life feature on outdoor swimmer magazine

We’re proud to have been featured in Outdoor Swimmer magazine. The article gives an overview of what to expect at The Zest Life Yoga and Wild Swimming retreats with their perfect combination of yoga and swimming in the outdoors. Our retreats are held in stunning locations, choose the lakes and sea around Anglesey and Snowdonia in north Wales or the epic lakes of the Lake District.


Our swimming retreats are great if you want to immerse your self in wild swimming. With delicious and nutritious meals and snacks, specially designed to boost your energy for the activities of the day, and time to relax in wonderful surroundings of our country house accommodation, it’s a perfect way to get away from it all.


The Outdoor Swimmer is highly informative about all aspects of outdoor swimming from great places to swim, explanations of health benefits and how to make the most of your training sessions to useful tips on the kit you might need and safety advice. The contributors are all passionate outdoor swimmers and Jonathan Cowie, the editor of the publication, is also an open water swim coach and leads on our Lake district retreats.

A group of people are standing in the water with their arms in the air.
A group of people are sitting on a rock near a lake.

We highly recommend have a look and subscribing. Whether you’re a complete beginner, a fair weather dipper or a seasoned open water swimmer the magazine will have something for you.


Read our feature on Outdoor Swimming magazine:


All about… Yoga and wild swimming retreats


Or find out more about our retreats:
Yoga and Wild Swimming retreats
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by Laura Bell 7 June 2025
A New Chapter: Yoga, Food & Connection This week marked a beautiful milestone for us. We hosted our very first Yoga & Seasonal Supper Evening and Day Retreat. What a joy it was! Both events were filled with warmth, laughter, movement, and the most wonderful mix of local students, retreat guests, and dear friends. These gatherings felt like more than just events, they were a chance to reconnect, recharge, and simply be. Sharing yoga and nourishing food in a mindful, welcoming space reminded us just how powerful these small moments of togetherness can be. The evening was very mellow, with a relaxed yoga flow with myself followed by a 3 course seasonal meal, where conversation and laughter flowed. Our Day Retreat at The Barn gave our guests time to really settle in. it was an opportunity to show off our wonderful North Wales venue and for us to try out our new business idea. We began with a strong yoga practise to help ground and relax the guests. We walked into the hills, breathed deeply in the fresh air, and even dipped toes into the newly renovated woodland pond, complete with a jetty! It felt like stepping into a secret sanctuary. We also had the pleasure of welcoming chef Kelly Mason, who generously shared some of her favourite cooking tips and seasonal inspiration with us all. And of course, what’s a retreat without something delicious to nibble on? I had the fun job of making energy balls for our guests, and I wanted to share this quick, zesty recipe with you. It’s perfect for busy weekends or a midweek pick-me-up. They're easy, bright, and full of goodness, just like the events themselves. Both events were a great success, and we’ll be offering them every quarter going forward. They’re a beautiful way to honour the changing seasons and to reconnect with yourself, with nature, and with each other.
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