What happens when women and water come together

There is something truly remarkable when women and water come together. Through the grief, through the pain, through the challenges that life throws at us, somehow the light and the laughter always find a way through. I’ve been running retreats for over 15 years now. We’ve hosted more than 200 retreats and welcomed over 3,000 guests, and what I am always amazed by is what happens during those few days when a group of women come together, often as complete strangers, and give themselves permission to slow down.

At the start of a retreat, there are usually a few handshakes and polite hellos. “Hi, nice to meet you.” People arrive with their bags, find their rooms and settle in, perhaps wondering who everyone else is and whether they will fit in. And then, somehow, by the end of the retreat, whether it is three days or six, those handshakes have become hugs. There are caring words exchanged, laughter, shared stories and a real sense of having connected. We may never see each other again, and we probably won’t ever recreate that exact group, although one of our venues has two retreats where the whole group started off as strangers and have returned together for many years. They now arrive like long-lost school friends.

I think one of the questions I get asked most often is, “Can I come on my own?” Of course you can. So many of our guests come solo, and for some it may be the first time they have ever travelled somewhere alone. I think that is incredibly brave. You can sometimes see the fragility and vulnerability in someone when they first arrive, that little feeling of stepping outside their comfort zone and not quite knowing what to expect. But then you watch as the days unfold. A conversation starts over breakfast, someone asks if they want to join them for a walk, they sit together at dinner, they laugh, they swim, and slowly the awkwardness disappears. They realise they are not really alone at all.

The other question is, “Will I have time to myself?” And yes, absolutely. In fact, that balance is one of the things I think makes a retreat so special. We come together for our yoga, walks, swims, activities and meals, but there is also plenty of space to retreat into yourself. An afternoon to have a massage, read a book, take a nap, go for a wander or simply sit somewhere beautiful and do absolutely nothing. There is no expectation that you have to be with everyone all of the time. You can dip in and out as you please.

And perhaps this is where something begins to shift. When you take yourself away from the noise and demands of everyday life and place yourself somewhere quiet, surrounded by nature, it does something to you. The stillness of the environment seems to create a stillness within us. The trees, the water, the birds, the fresh air, the changing light. There is nowhere you need to rush off to and nothing you need to achieve. You start to notice things again. You hear the sound of the water. You feel the cold as you get into the lake. You notice the warmth of the sun on your face afterwards. You sit and watch the trees move in the breeze. And somehow, as the world around you becomes quieter, you become a little quieter too.

There is a deep knowing that we are all in this together, despite arriving from such different places and different lives. The tension falls away and the joy begins to bubble to the surface. The child in us appears. We skip, throw leaves into the water, splash around, laugh and throw caution to the wind. We connect not just through our physical practice, but emotionally too. We begin to see each other, and perhaps more importantly, we begin to feel seen ourselves.

As a host, I take part, of course, but I also find myself stepping back sometimes and watching in absolute admiration as these women from all walks of life come together. All ages, all abilities and all at completely different stages of life. There are women in their 30s training to swim the Channel, middle-aged women navigating life as widows, women starting IVF, women going through huge changes and women simply looking for a few days away from the chaos of everyday life. We have 80-year-old women still showing up and giving it their absolute best, even though one guest once said to me, “I’m not at the top of my game anymore, you know.” And I loved that. Because perhaps none of us are. But we still show up. We still have adventures. We still try new things. We still laugh. We still have so much life to live.

It is such a privilege to share space with these women month after month, at different venues, watching them do remarkable things and create memories that I hope stay with them long after they have gone home. It is also why I think it is so difficult to put into words what actually happens on a retreat. It isn’t just the yoga or the swimming or the walking. It isn’t even necessarily the place itself. It is everything that happens in between. The conversations over breakfast, the laughter around the dinner table, the quiet moments beside the water, the person who sits next to you when you are feeling nervous, the unexpected friendship, the feeling of being completely present for a few days.

And the places matter too. There is something about being somewhere tranquil, somewhere where the natural world is allowed to be the dominant force, that gives you permission to let go of the outside world for a while. One particular venue we have been using for more than 15 years still feels magical every single time I arrive. It never seems to tire. It still brings a smile to my face and a feeling of warmth to my heart. There is a private waterfall where you can bathe and bask in the water in the morning, at midday or as the light begins to change in the evening. You can be there with friends, laughing and chatting, or you can slip away on your own and simply listen to the water. Each day feels like a new beginning, an opportunity to begin again. A new dawn, a new day, and somehow you are feeling good.

I think we sometimes believe we need to travel far away to really escape. And yes, I love travelling around the world and discovering new countries and places. There is something wonderful about that sense of adventure. But perhaps sometimes the retreat you are looking for is much closer to home. Perhaps it is the ease of packing a bag, as large as you wish with no extra baggage charge, and driving across the country. No airport, no queues, no flight, just the road ahead and the knowledge that for the next few days you don’t have anywhere else you need to be.

Maybe that is the real gift of retreat. Not escaping your life, but stepping away from it for long enough to see it differently. To breathe a little deeper. To reconnect with nature, with other people and perhaps with a part of yourself that has been buried underneath the busyness of everyday life. Nature has a wonderful way of reminding us that we don’t have to rush. The seasons don’t rush. The river doesn’t rush. The trees don’t rush. Everything simply is, and when we spend enough time immersed in that stillness, perhaps something inside us remembers how to be still too.

Wonderful ladies (and David) you know who you are. Thank you for an incredible week. Thank you for the laughter, the swims, the walks, the stories, the vulnerability, the courage and all the little moments that are so difficult to capture in photographs or words. It is an absolute privilege to do what I do, to welcome different women into these beautiful places and watch something shift.

Here’s to spreading a little more joy and love through Zest Life retreats in 2027, and to many more women arriving as strangers and leaving with a hug.

Till next time.

For more information about our yoga and wellness retreats visit us here.

Laura Bell is the founder of Zest Life and has been leading yoga and wellness retreats in the UK and abroad for over a decade. A qualified yoga teacher and experienced retreat leader, she designs and hosts small group retreats rooted in nature, movement and genuine care. Laura also works with organisations to design and deliver bespoke corporate wellness programmes and retreats - bringing the same standards of quality and thoughtful facilitation to workplace wellbeing.