My experience of The Wild Times in the Lake District: A Summer Retreat in 2025

I have just returned from the most magical weekend at Lake Coniston on a yoga retreat with The Wild Times and I must tell you all about it. From the moment I arrived I felt a sense of peace and that feeling continued throughout every morning yoga, swim and mealtime. 

I arrived on Friday afternoon to blazing sunshine and I was immediately overwhelmed by the beauty of the lake and some of the greenest mountain views I’ve ever seen. I mean come on, have you ever seen such an incredible view before! Our weekend began with an opening circle in the garden with Jenny, so we could all meet and find out what the weekend held. Then we went into a sound bath in the yoga studio by Bonnie Beth, followed by a delicious meal cooked by Beth the Free Range Chef. Chatting to all the other guests on the retreat during dinner I could tell we would all get along, and most of them had previously been on a Wild Times retreat, so it was lovely to hear that they liked it enough to come back!

We swapped stories around a fireplace in the evening with a glass of wine, and I fell into a deep sleep with the quiet sounds of nature in the background, quite the contrast from the usual sounds of busy London streets. 

On Saturday morning I woke up ready for meditation in the garden, followed by a yoga class led by Jenny. I worked up quite a sweat and definitely discovered new muscles I didn’t know were there! As soon as we walked out of the studio, a beautiful brunch was set up for us with fruit, homemade granola, porridge and more. 

I went with the first group to go paddleboarding for the first time! It didn’t end up being as difficult as I thought, once I got my balance. I might’ve fallen off once or twice but it was absolutely worth it and the water wasn’t even too cold - in fact in the sunshine it was very refreshing!

We paddled around the lake for about an hour and then we anchored down for some paddle-board yoga. If I thought the yoga this morning was difficult, try adding in the element of balancing on a paddleboard! We ended the yoga session in savasana, lying on our paddleboards floating around. Something about laying on the water, basking in the sunshine, left me incredibly relaxed and rejuvenated. After another delicious meal at lunchtime, I spent the afternoon reading out on the lawn and chatting with my new friends. I had just enough time for a quick snooze, a sauna and a dip in the cold plunge pool before a gentle, relaxing yin yoga class before dinner. I felt like a child on summer camp again as I ended my evening toasting marshmallows over the fire and laughing my head off with my friends. 

Sunday morning began the same as Saturday with a meditation out on the lawn, a challenging yoga class, and a delicious breakfast. Then our whole group went for a hike to Tarn Hows. We walked around the lake and found a beautiful waterfall just off the main trail. Everyone took a turn dunking their heads to cool off before hiking back to our retreat home. Another lovely afternoon was spent lounging outside before afternoon yin yoga. I was so relaxed I just about fell asleep by the end of it! We had blankets, cushions and eye pillows to help us relax further in the very relaxing class. 

That evening, we ate dinner outside on a beautifully decorated table with flowers and candles. Beth then brought out the yummiest chocolate-peanut butter lime cheesecake for pudding as we watched the sunset over the hills.

It is safe to say that this weekend filled with friendship, yoga, swimming, and delicious food has become something I will always remember. I am so appreciative to Jenny, Beth and The Wild Times for this experience and I cannot wait until I get to attend another retreat. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a break from their busy schedules or a treat to themselves or friends who could use some more yoga and time spent in nature in their lives.