Zenaa Retreats
Discover Zenaa Retreats, a welcoming, fad-free approach to yoga and wellness retreats in the UK and abroad. Designed for real life, these nourishing escapes blend movement, rest, great food and genuine connection. Perfect for beginners, solo travellers and the yoga curious.
Perfect For
Zenaa Retreats are for the "yoga curious" including regulars, dabblers, those who prefer the back row, and complete beginners. It is designed for the "schedule-seeking, choice-conscious" crowd who value a balance of activity and downtime. Solo travellers are especially welcome and make up a large part of the community.
Why You’ll Love It
We all need a space to pause, breathe, and reconnect. In a world of high expectations, Zenaa provides a judgment-free environment to strip away the pressure and allow you to be present. It’s an opportunity to escape the daily grind, slow down through the "art of slow living," and find nourishment for the mind, body, and soul without the pressure of a detox or juice cleanse.
What Makes It Special
Zenaa stands out for its "fad-free," balanced approach to wellbeing. Unlike many retreats that focus on restriction, Zenaa celebrates food and connection. The focus is on handpicked serene venues and a non-judgmental atmosphere that welcomes all body types and abilities. It is a family-feel business (founder Katie’s mum even helps out!) that prioritises genuine connection over performance.
The If Lost Take
We’ve often written about how we can get lost in wellbeing itself and we’re very much on a mission to get you to the places that can help you find your way through it all. When we met Katie we felt like here was a retreat organiser who really understands our real-lives. The places where we get overwhelmed or stuck, burned out and disconnected. And her events aren’t about adding yet more pressure, but really meeting you where you are, with consideration and kindness too.
Founder’s Story | Katie Hodge
Founder Katie is a wellbeing advocate and planner whose passion for events and yoga creates the perfect blend for meticulously designed retreats. Her journey began ten years ago in Sydney, where she first turned to yoga to find calm for an anxious mind. What started as a personal practice evolved into a mission to bring like-minded people together to connect with nature and enjoy incredible food, the ultimate self-care experience.
After launching Katie J Yoga in 2020 she rebranded to Zenaa in 2024. Today, it is a thriving community where every detail is covered so guests feel entirely nourished and supported.
Founder’s Go-To Wellbeing Advice
“Prioritising sleep. When everything feels overwhelming or I've lost my way, coming back to a consistent and restful sleep routine is the foundation for mental clarity and emotional resilience.”
Some Practical Details
Zenaa offers luxury wellness and yoga retreats in the UK (including Devon, Bath, and the Cotswolds) and abroad (Italy, France, Portugal, and Sri Lanka). These include:
Varied Yoga: Dynamic Hatha sessions in the morning and gentle Yin or yoga nidra in the evenings.
Nourishment: Healthy, wholesome meals prepared by private chefs (always including dessert and sometimes a glass of wine).
Activities: Countryside walks, cold-water swims, creative workshops, and meditation.
Community: A warm, inclusive environment where guests often leave as close friends.
If you’re not able to attend in-person, don’t worry, there’s Zenaa Online which provides an online retreat experience. You can try out their free 7 day trial here.
Coming up:
Italy Retreat (July 2026) – A 6-night restorative escape
France Retreat (Sept/Oct 2026) – A 5-night wellness experience
Devon, UK (Oct 2026) – A weekend of nourishment and nature
Book a retreat using code IFLOST and get a special welcome gift.
Soul Circus Festival
Too soon to think about what your well-being looks like next summer? Not according to this Cotswold based glitterball of a holistic festival.
What is it: A summer festival that puts wellness at the center but keeps the fun going, set in the beautiful Cotswold countryside.
Why you’ll love it: If Downward Facing Dog in the company of hundreds and an openness to all things wellness is your thing, then this is the Summer weekender for you. Who needs wellies and stumbling drunk into tents when you can have tipis full of meditation, breathwork sessions from GOOP superheroes, and yoga to Beyonce (as in played not present). Don’t worry there’s still cocktails to be had, comedy for life-affirming belly-laughs, and serious dancing in the evening (Goldie and Norman Jay MBE have attended previous years).
What you need to know: Is it too early to think about summer festivals and spending long summer days outside (as we start to huddle indoors in 12 layers)? Seems not. Tickets are already on sale for 2021. Who knows where the world will be by then but this year Soul Circus managed to pull off a COVID secure festival with 46,000 attendees spread over 59 days of programs in Cheltenham’s Montpellier Gardens.
What they offer – from here and there: When our worlds closed down earlier this year, Soul Circus brought its festival to our homes with their on-demand platform. Still going strong you can recreate some of the magic in your living rooms, with videos that offer the same range of classes and events, with yoga, dance, pilates, HIIT, cooking classes, DJ sets, and coaching sessions. There are even Gong baths online.
Why we think it's different: This is one festival that gets that wellness isn’t just white lycra and the splits against beautiful sunsets. The 2020 event had a community mental health clinic in one of its tents to meet new needs after months of pandemic induced stresses. We are all struggling in our own ways and there are like a thousand ways (not an exact number) to respond to those needs. Soul Circus isn’t about how stretchy your body is, but about finding a way that works for you to recalibrate your life. Then you can take whatever it is you have discovered with you when you return to your everyday world.
In their own words: “Because at the end of the day, we’re here to expand your curiosities, provide you a safe place to explore your unknowns, and sprinkle just a bit of glitter into your every day.”
To find out more: Website / Instagram / Facebook
If you’ve visited the Soul Circus Festival or you love other wellness-based festivals let us know about it. Things change all the time and we want to make sure we’re bringing you the most up to date information and the latest places to go to find that mind/body connection.