A winter's sunset walk in the East Neuk of Scotland

Why 'wellness breaks' and not retreats?

When I was shaping my coaching business, Go Well Stay Well, I knew I wanted to include residential short-stays as a core part of my offering.

As someone on the nursery slopes of my own personal wellness journey, building up my strength and trying to improve my chances of a healthspan that matches my lifespan, I looked for short breaks to spend time with other midlife women who shared my goals. I looked for connection and inspiration, for shared experiences and camaraderie, for others who were going through the same or similar processes.

But I drew a blank.

What I kept finding were spa-style retreats that seemed designed for women who had already figured out their wellbeing. Women who could already do yoga, or meditate, or who felt comfortable in serene spaces and able to stay present for sound bathing and chanting. Everything from the images in pale shades of cream and beige to descriptions of gentle / soft / quiet stillness seemed too...performative, too 'fluffy'.

None of which felt like me.

My vision of wellness isn't performative or perfect. It's embodied, accessible and deeply personal.

I understand that yoga-led wellness retreats offer relaxation, for some, but I really don't enjoy yoga - especially not in a studio setting - and I am not looking to retreat from my life: I don't want to feel detached from life, rather I want to be prepared for it. After surviving breast cancer and rebuilding my life with intention, I am focused on achievable wellness goals that can change the future trajectory of my health. I want to learn how to feel and be really WELL. How to improve my mental and physical wellbeing so that I can live on my terms - be independent into old age, be vital, engaged, enthusiastic.

I couldn't find the wellness break I was looking for, so I created my own.

I created immersive wellness breaks that leave the fluff behind and focus on what truly matters: not retreating from life but, instead, taking a break to meet our well-being head-on and, holistically, reframing it for the future we want to see.

My wellness breaks are deliberately designed to be enriching stays and uplifting experiences for women who value facts over fads, who appreciate intelligence and substance and a bit of sparkle.

They are grounded, set in nature, restorative.

They include time to play, time to learn, and time to reflect and reset.

Wellness Breaks in Scotland and Mallorca

Hunkerdown in Scotland

Hunkerdown™ From HUNKER: Old Scots meaning to "crouch or squat low" | HUNKER DOWN: to "take shelter in a storm" or to "get to work"

Hunkerdown Wellness Breaks are designed to be transformative, powerful - elemental. Under big skies and by the restless North Sea, we will gather in rhythm with the elements of earth, air, fire, and water to rediscover a playful engagement with nature. We are seeking mindfulness, connection and relaxation. Over three restorative days on the glorious East Neuk coast, you’ll enjoy sea air, firelight, good food and thoughtful company on a wellness break that is designed to restore body and spirit.

A Hunkerdown is not a retreat. It's a purposeful reset: a weekend that offers you space to exhale and time return to yourself.

Spring Hunkerdown dates are available in March, April and May 2026

BOOK a Hunkerdown Wellness Break

Level Up in Mallorca

Mallorca has been a second home to me for more than 40 years and I'm keen to share the best of it with you.

Set high in the spectacular Serra de Tramuntana mountain range that forms the backbone of north-western Mallorca, Level Up Wellness Breaks are all about mindset, growth and new perspectives. Hiking on ancient trails that offer outstanding views of the Mediterranean coastline, it is impossible not to feel uplifted and inspired in this World Heritage Site.

Dizzying cliffs that fall into the sea, lush forests of oak and Mediterranean pine, peaks of more than 1000 meters, hidden pebble coves and sandbanks are just some of the images offered by this unique natural landscape. Alongside nature, discover cobbled paths, farm terraces, charcoal kilns, lime kilns, snow houses, and water channels; explore idyllic villages, picturesque towns and traditional fishing ports...

Level Up in Mallorca is a time to make space for what matters: less noise, more nature, more knowledge about your healthspan and how to protect it.

Level Up in Mallorca dates: Spring 2026

• Thurs 19 March to Tuesday 24 March 2026

Who are these Wellness Breaks for?

Go Well Stay Well breaks are for midlife women who are looking for a reset as they navigate life's transitions, whether that's in health, career or identity. They are for women who are so used to putting others first they aren't even sure how to show up for themselves anymore. Women who may be bruised by life, maybe feel jaded, are maybe even feeling broken, but who, as they look ahead to their next chapter, are increasingly curious about their wellness potential and wondering if it's not too late...

These wellness breaks are for you if you are craving space - both mental and physical. If you want to experience real talk, beauty and a bit of magic. If you love simplicity and understated elegance over staging and perfection. If you like the idea of moon phases but never know their timing, if you know your horoscope but not your Enneagram or your personality type, if you value nature but need a bit of nurture, if you loved playing outside or exploring as a kid but aren't sure you even know how to right now.

If any of this sounds like you, a Go Well Stay Well break is your invitation to come home to yourself.

Activities on the wellness breaks in Scotland and Mallorca are designed for women with low to medium fitness levels. The pace is unhurried and the days are carefully balanced so that there is a restorative mix of active and relaxing activities. The walks and hikes are rated easy and the effort required is not difficult, but walking boots or trail shoes would be sensible for Mallorca, where the paths can be uneven.

Three octogenarians hiking in Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana