Gentle Wellbeing retreat
2-6 June 2024, Cumbria
A luxury wellbeing retreat designed exclusively for people living with with chronic fatigue
At Wellbeing in Spoonfuls we understand chronic fatigue
Our Gentle Wellbeing retreat is designed by and for people living with chronic fatigue (CFS, ME, Fibromyalgia and more), offering all the benefits of a wellbeing retreat with the flexibility and support you need to be able to enjoy it.
Leave your worries at the door and let us take care of you…
- relax in a luxury home-from-home where you can stay in your PJs all day if you like
- breathe in the clear air, green hills and big skies that surround us
- savour freshly made food designed to accommodate your dietary needs (see FAQs below)
- enjoy a gentle programme of movement, self-care and nature connection
- choose how to participate in activities and meals, depending on your energy (see Everything in Spoonfuls below)
- rest whenever you need in cosy quiet spaces indoors and in the garden
- spend time with a small group of people who understand
- take as long as you need on day one to settle in and recover from your journey
- enjoy a late check out on day five and a packed lunch for your journey home
Join us
This is your time to leave the world behind and listen to what your body needs, whether that is gentle movement, connecting with nature or simply to rest.
Whatever your energy levels, you’ll enjoy a relaxing and uplifting break in the capable, caring hands of our Wellbeing in Spoonfuls team
- 4 days and nights of gentle nourishment for body and mind
- in a sumptuous 8-bedroom country home in the tranquil Cumbrian countryside
- fully catered with organic, plant-based meals, snacks and drinks, freshly prepared by our chef
- with gentle activities led by carefully selected practitioners
You’re welcome to arrive any time from 4pm on Sunday 2nd June and depart any time before 2pm on Thursday 6th June.
Everything in Spoonfuls
Every aspect of this retreat has been designed for the specific needs of people living with chronic fatigue.
We know that your energy comes and goes, so you get to decide whether and how you participate in each activity and mealtime, according to your energy level at that moment:
Feeling good? Enjoy it!
We’ll support you so you don’t overdo it.
Energy running low? That’s fine!
Get comfy and enjoy the activity from your chair or take your meal into the quiet lounge and eat with your feet up.
Need to be in bed? No problem!
All activities are live streamed so you won’t miss out and we’re happy to bring your meals up to your room.
Accommodation
St Marks Stays, Cautley, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5LZ (map)
St Marks is a stunning traditional country home in rural Cumbria. The interior is compact and beautifully designed with five en suite bedrooms on the first floor and two bedrooms with a shared bathroom on the second floor. The comfortable, spacious and airy feel of the house and the delightful outdoor spaces fit perfectly with our goal to gently nourish your body, mind and spirit.
If you travel by train, we’ll help you arrange transfers to and from St Marks. The nearest train stations are Oxenholme Lake District station: less than 2 hours direct from Manchester & Edinburgh and less than 3 hours direct from London Euston or Kirkby Stephen station: less than 2 hours from Leeds.
As you approach the house your day-to-day will slowly evaporate as you relax into the sheer beauty of our surroundings.
Food
All meals, snacks and drinks are included, from our evening meal on Sunday through to a packed lunch for your journey home on Thursday.
The original recipes for this retreat have been developed especially for us by our private chef Julia Savory, to delight your senses and nourish your body. Organic, seasonal and colourful whole foods, cooked from scratch, with spoonfuls of extra toppings and dressings with every meal.
Julia specialises in nutritious, delicious plant-based food and will happily share recipes and cooking tips if you wish during your stay.
The whole retreat menu is designed with food allergies and intolerances in mind. We’ll be in touch to discuss your exact requirements as soon as we receive your booking, to ensure we’ve covered all your needs. If you have any immediate questions, please contact us at hello@wellbeinginspoonfuls.org.uk.
Room options and prices
Enjoy Gentle Wellbeing from £695 per person
1st floor bedroom with ensuite (single occupancy): £845
1st floor bedroom with ensuite (for two people): £1390 per room / £695 per person
2nd floor bedroom with shared bathroom (single occupancy): £795
** We currently have a space available for a female guest in a shared first floor ensuite twin bedroom. If you’re interested, get in touch today!
Cancellation policy
- Reserve your place at Gentle Wellbeing with a 20% deposit.
- Free cancellation within 48 hours of booking.
- After that your deposit is non-refundable, unless we’re able to fill your space.
- The balance is due no later than 1st May 2024.
- If you have to cancel for any reason after 1st May 2024, unfortunately we cannot issue any refund, unless we’re able to fill your space.
- No refunds can be issued for no shows or early departures.
We strongly recommend you take out travel insurance in case of cancellation on your part.
If we have to cancel the retreat for any reason, then rest assured all payments you have already made will be refunded in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for here, please contact us at hello@wellbeing.org.uk.
We expect between 8 and 12 people. A deliberately small group so that everyone can have the space to rest, and the attention, they need.
Not at all - everything that is offered is an invitation, so it's up to you to choose whether or how you want to take part.
Early each evening guests will be invited to join a sharing circle - an informal, gentle session for listening to each other's experiences.
On Monday, Charlotte will lead a qi gong class, teaching movements that connect us with our energy pathways and allow greater energy flow throughout our bodies.
On Tuesday Hugo will share helpful perspectives on chronic fatigue from Traditional Chinese Medicine, teach us new ways to tune into our state of health, and demonstrate practical gentle self-care techniques.
On Wednesday Karen will lead our gentle nature connection activity, to calm the mind and engage the senses, with the nature on our doorstep as our focus.
These 3 activities will all be offered mid morning and mid afternoon and have been adapted so that you can participate according to your energy level.
Bring your slippers, PJs, a good book and comfortable clothes for gentle movement. Everything else you need to participate in our activities will be provided.
All indoor activities take place on the ground floor within 10m of the entrance hall. All outdoor activities take place within 10m of the patio doors.
In the house the staircase up to the 1st floor bedrooms has 18 gentle stairs with a small window seat half way where you can rest and a chair at the top. In the garden there are 7 steps down to the patio seating area and 5 steps down to the decking area.
Unfortunately, this retreat is not designed for wheelchair users. We fully intend to offer events in future for people with fatigue who also require wheelchair access. Please get in touch if you would like to help us scope out the design for these!
Yes, your carer is welcome to come along. They are invited to join in all activities and meals. We only ask that you share a twin or double room. This is priced at our lowest rate of £695 per person (£1390 in total).
No, this retreat is for over 18s only.
We cannot accept dogs unfortunately. We want you to leave all responsibilities behind and focus only on yourself without distractions.
We're offering a fully plant-based, vegan menu for this retreat. We do not believe that everyone should become a vegan. We do think that we could all benefit from eating a more diverse diet and giving our bodies a break now and again from highly processed foods. What better way to sample new plant-based foods when all the catering is being done for you!
Our chef is happy to accommodate any food allergies or intolerances. We’ll be in touch to discuss your exact requirements as soon as we receive your booking, to ensure we’ve covered all your needs.
Yes you can! And you can eat any meal in your bedroom if you need to. There's also the option to take your meal into the quiet lounge if you have the energy to come downstairs but you don't have the energy to sit at the dining table and talk while you eat.
St Marks Stays, Cautley, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5LZ (map)
Yes, there is plenty of free parking on site.
If you're travelling by train, the nearest mainline stations are either Oxenholme Lake District on the Arriva West Coast line (13 miles away) or Kirkby Stephen on the Leeds to Carlisle line (10 miles away).
We will help you arrange station transfers and put you in touch with other guests to arrange lift shares.
To reserve your place at Gentle Wellbeing we ask for a 20% deposit.
If you cancel within 48 hours of booking, we will refund your deposit.
After that your deposit is non-refundable, unless we're able to fill your space.
The balance is due no later than 1st May 2024.
If you have to cancel for any reason after 1st May 2024, unfortunately we cannot issue any refund, unless we're able to fill your space.
No refunds can be issued for no shows or early departures.
We strongly recommend you take out travel insurance in case of cancellation on your part.
If we have to cancel the retreat for any reason, then rest assured all payments you have already made will be refunded in full.
Check-in is at 4pm on Sunday. If you need a slightly earlier check-in, please get in touch and we'll do what we can to accommodate your request.
Check-out is flexible on Thursday: any time before 2pm. If you need a slightly later check-out, please get in touch and we'll do what we can to accommodate your request.