Yoga and meditation weekend retreats: what's in a weekend?

What's in a weekend? A good deal, if current trends are to be observed.

As stress, speed and modern pressures continue to define the tone of our modern lives, consumers' appetite for ready-made weekends away, many of which are designed to nurture mind and body, is at an all-time high.

Consider this: in 2016, Brits took almost 100 million overnight trips in England, averaging 3 nights a time. Short breaks of up to three nights now account for two-thirds of English holidays (all figures supplied by Visit Britain) – leaving the traditional week or fortnight away to trail in the shadows.

Weekend breaks are seen as a perfect counter to unrelentingly long week-time working hours – a chance to pause and replenish sleep quotas, energy levels and perspective.

Short trips fit our internet age: they cater to our growing need to find a short, sharp wellness fix. Healthy holidays can be booked online, in an instant. They allow friends or family to spend elusive quality time together, or – such is the flexible nature of what's out there – some rejuvenating alone-time, if going away solo is the tonic.

And, if money is in reasonable supply, there is no limit to the number taken in any one year. Why have one longer holiday each year, when numerous weekends away are at our fingertips?

For us at Satvada Retreats, providing shorter (three-to-five night) breaks, whether in the UK or further afield, has always felt natural. As small business owners ourselves, getting away for a longer period is challenging – the long weekend option, forever appealing and practical.

It seems customers agree. On one of our Norfolk mindfulness retreats last winter, I enjoyed a good chat with a lady in her mid-thirties who heads up a thriving Shoreditch business. A longer retreat wasn't practical, she told me, and a three-night number allowed her to dip her toe into the luxury retreats market without committing to a week-long experience that she may, or may not, enjoy.

A shorter retreat allows flexibility, said another client, on one of our walking and yoga holidays in the Atlas mountains last year. After all, five nights in Morocco can easily be extended to a week or more, by booking a few cheeky days in the heart of buzzy Marrakech, or adding an extra quiet night or two at the retreat venue.

As to the format of the weekend away chosen: the sky's the limit, these days. From boutique retreats and spa weekend breaks, to luxury holidays or silent retreats, in the UK or abroad - the world is your shiny, pithy oyster.

By Lucia Cockcroft, co-founder of Satvada Retreats

Satvada Retreats runs nurturing three-to-five night yoga and mindfulness meditation retreats and holidays in the UK, Croatia and Morocco. The company is known for creating a nurturing experience that's defined by a friendly, small group vibe, and an ethos of self-care, balance and accessibility.