The best mental health retreats in the UK
Last September, I awoke to the resonant echoing of a gong. A far cry from my usual bleary-eyed alarm clock scrabble, for three glorious days my waking senses were treated to the ethereal melody of this historical instruction. Sadly, though I tried to figure out how to reshape my life to make this my daily ritual, all too soon it was time to head for home and return to the not-so-dulcet tones of my iPhone alarm. That’s the bad news. The good news, though? A mental health retreat, the kind I had embarked on as a tonic for my rinsed-out, frayed brain, is a joy that can be booked over and over. The only criteria are an open mind and a handful of hope that things could be better, or at least feel calmer. Thanks to popular meditation apps and trendy wellness studios, more people than ever are turning to holistic methods, therapy and bodywork to really slow down, take stock and focus on their mental health – and the UK market has provided for them accordingly. From Buddhist teachings and fitness camps to wild swimming and days of meditation, these are the best mental health retreats in the UK to book now – and thank yourself for later.