om travel
consultation as your bags are whisked off to
your room. There, you’ll find complimentary
robes and flip flops, as well as a wonderfully
soft bed to sink into, plus an activity planner
and timetable so you know what you’re
doing the next day.
Ragdale Hall now hosts regular yoga
breaks, which are ideal if you want to
combine your downward dogs with some out-
of-this-world pampering, but there are plenty
of other things going on too, like Nordic
Walking, Zumba, running, archery, tennis and
dance. If you are feeling energetic, there are
two indoor fitness studios packed with a full
roster of classes: you’ll find everything from
Hatha and Pilates through to Bollywood,
bootcamp, Tai Chi, and a blissful evening
candlelit stretch. The same goes for the pool
too, where you’ll find classes with intriguing
names such as Wild Woggles.
The main emphasis at Ragdale Hall is
always on rest and relaxation, however. The
award-winning Thermal Spa itself features
12 luxurious heat and water experiences, all
unique and therapeutic in their own way. Our
favourite was The Candle Pool heated to
34ºC, a mosaic cavern with lapping water lit
by the flicker of candles and a starlit ceiling
(pure heaven!), but there are plenty of others
to explore (the Volcanic Salt Bath, Rose
Sauna and Colour Flow Zone are all equally
wonderful). Then choose from an extensive
list of personal treatments from a simple full
body massage to more esoteric offers like
Hypno-Reiki, a combination of two of the
most wonderfully relaxing therapies; deeply
soothing and calming to release tension and
anxiety on a deeper level.
Rest up
Afterwards, take time out in one of the many
tranquil rest areas, where you can put your
feet up with a good book, or shut your eyes
for a short snooze. There’s even a silent
room if you really want to sink deep into
those thoughts for a while. The Thought
Zone - a mosaic room dry heated to 60ºC
in the spa - is another place for those
inspirational thoughts. Or for a workout of a
different kind, visit the Mind Gym. Handheld
computers, space age toys, puzzles and a
library of books will test your logic, challenge
your problem solving skills and boost your
brain power.
At mealtimes, the emphasis is again
healthy, with vegan and other options
available, although wine is served in
the evenings if required, in keeping with
Ragdale’s holistic and ‘real life’ approach
to wellbeing. Evening meals are table
service, while lunch is served buffet style
and breakfast is delivered to your room ata requested time. There are a number of
cafes and bars dotted around the venue as
well, where you can choose anything from
healthy teas, juices and coffee, to Pimms
for those lazy summer days out on the
manicured lawn. It’s a lovely venue to lose
yourself in, with so many spaces to find
a bit of solitude, and where the staff are
all too keen to cater for every whim. Just
make sure that if you do visit on one of the
yoga breaks, you actually make it to class- it’s all too easy to sink into an inviting
hammock or pool lounger. Not that anyone
will mind really if you do take the snoozy
option. We certainly won’t blame you!
Find out more at: ragdalehall.co.ukYOGA AT RAGDALE HALL
Meg Jackson’s Real Life Yoga
breaks take place from Thursday to
Saturday and include yoga sessions,
all meals (including breakfast served
to your room, three-course lunch and
three-course dinner), plus a choice of
two 25-minute treatments. Two night
breaks available from £364.NEXT DATES:
February 9-11, 2017
June 15-17, 2017
September 7-9, 2017