Inside C&TH’s First Balance Retreat

Earlier this month, we hosted our very first Balance Retreat at Lime Wood, the five-star country house hotel in the heart of the New Forest. Our theme for the day was JOY. While longevity has become a buzzword in the wellness world, we wanted to highlight that living a long, healthy life also means truly enjoying that time. Throughout the retreat, guests participated in a series of workshops and holistic practices designed to leave them with a renewed sense of joy and the tools to nurture it.

What Happened At Our Inaugural Balance Retreat?

Camilla Hewitt In Conversation With Adrienne Adhami

The day began with Camilla Hewitt, Country & Town House Wellness Editor, in conversation with Adrienne Adhami, motivational speaker and author of Decisions That Matter. Their discussion explored the art of cultivating joy, offering practical guidance on how to create space for happiness amid the busyness of modern life. Adrienne led a game called ‘Favourites’ – a simple tool she uses to help people reconnect with what brings them joy. Whether it’s a favourite book, a scent, or time spent with a certain person, the exercise encourages you to revisit your list whenever you feel disconnected from joy.

Adrienne Adhami

Jasmine Hemsley

Adrienne’s session was followed by an Ayurvedic workshop led by Jasmine Hemsley, author of East by West. Ayurveda, the ancient holistic health system, helps us understand our unique mind-body type and individual needs. Jasmine explored some of its core principles – sleep, rest, and digestion – emphasising how the health of our gut influences all aspects of our wellbeing, from digestion and immunity to mood, hormonal balance, and energy levels. Using the analogy of a garden, Jasmine explained that our internal ‘terrain’ is like soil: when it’s nourished, life flourishes; when it’s depleted, nothing can thrive, no matter how many seeds we plant. To support gut health, she recommended Ancient + Brave’s True Biome, a powdered supplement designed to create a gut environment where good bacteria can thrive.

One of Jasmine’s key takeaways was that, ‘We are not what we eat, but what we can digest.’ She explained that how and when we eat often matters more than what we eat. Her practical tips included enjoying slow-cooked, one-pot meals that mimic our body’s warm internal environment, leaving time between meals for proper digestion, and making lunch the largest meal of the day, as our digestive fire follows the sun and peaks at midday. She also encouraged mindful eating – connecting with our food and appreciating where it has come from. Jasmine closed her session with a gentle reminder about the importance of rest. While we may think we’re resting during sleep, if we don’t pause and process our thoughts throughout the day, through practices like meditation, our minds remain active, often waking us during the night.

Jasmine Hemsley

Renee Stewart

Before lunch, guests gathered in The Hideout, a serene space within Lime Wood’s grounds, for a free movement session led by yoga instructor and dancer Renee Stewart. Designed to help the body unfold and the mind to clear, the class encouraged guests to move intuitively – flowing, improvising, and tuning into their feelings and sensations. The focus was on getting out of the mind and into the body’s natural rhythm and expression. As Renee reminded guests, ‘The body tells the story – shake it off, release, and let go.’

Jessica Shand

After a seasonal, locally sourced lunch prepared by Lime Wood’s celebrated chefs, guests joined Jessica Shand, Registered Naturopathic Nutritionist and Expert at W-Wellness, for a conversation on finding balance between enjoying food and eating for optimal health. Jessica spoke about tuning into the body’s signals and suggested keeping a food, mood, and symptom diary to identify what supports or disrupts wellbeing. 

Returning to our theme of joy, Jessica highlighted that 90–95 percent of the body’s serotonin and around 50 percent of its dopamine are produced in the gut – an incentive to nurture gut health through a nutritious diet. When it comes to supplements, she advised consulting a qualified nutritionist rather than relying on social media trends, emphasising the importance of quality and personalisation. At W-Wellness, their team of practitioners, including Jessica herself, offer consultations to identify the right supplements for each individual’s unique needs.

Jessica also touched on other pieces of the gut health puzzle, from stress and anxiety to environmental toxins found in everyday products. With talk of reducing stress levels, guests returned to The Hideout for one final restorative session with Jasmine. She began with a body tapping tutorial – an ancient technique used to improve circulation, release tension, boost energy, and support lymphatic flow. With every part of the body gently awakened, guests then reclined onto their mats for a soothing sound bath – a meditative experience designed to shift the body from ‘fight or flight’ into a state of ‘rest and digest’.

As the day came to a close, we felt inspired and energised for our next Balance Retreat – dates will be announced soon. We would like to extend our thanks to W-Wellness, Bamford, Ancient + Brave, Vital Proteins, Ainslie + Ainslie, Ombar, BetterYou, BAM Clothing, and Aroma-Zone for their generous support of our gift bags.

Photography by Trish Ward