SoulSimple is open all year just outside Stroud, and the setting is a large part of the appeal. The self-catering accommodation sits within a 600-acre landscaped valley with woodland, lakes and a gothic mansion, and the Cotswold Way is within walking distance. Founder Vittoria Immortelle lives at SoulSimple Golden Retreat, in a Cotswolds valley, where there's a Nature Spa with spring-fed pools, wild saunas, a sculpture park and rose gardens.

On a self-catering stay, nothing is scheduled unless you ask for it. You cook in your own kitchen, sit in your own hot tub and walk the valley. If you want a session, you arrange it as part of your stay. A massage with SoulSimple's masseuse, Dominique, or a one-to-one healing session are the kinds of things you can add. Couples and friends have stayed for a few days simply to get away, and one pair described their visit as a child-free break.

The all-inclusive residential retreats run differently. They take place on set dates at Matara, with a group of up to 16. Your accommodation, a full programme and three meals a day are all covered, so there's nothing to organise once you arrive. SoulWoman focuses on women's empowerment, SoulTime is about letting go of time and truly relaxing, and SoulPainting uses art to spark creativity. Couples' retreats are also offered.

The main difference from a typical yoga week is how far the programme goes beyond yoga. Depending on the retreat, you might also come across breathwork, fasting, dance, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, Reiki, plant wisdom, devotionals or a cacao ceremony around a fire. Some of this is firmly spiritual, so it's worth checking which practices are on the programme of the retreat you're considering.

The team is a mix of practitioners. Lisa teaches yoga and meditation and gives massage. Holly is a trauma-informed psychotherapist. Herry combines nature, painting, tarot, crystals and movement. Sion is a life coach, mindfulness expert, yoga teacher and Kirtan leader from Wales. Annabel brings wide experience in the health and wellbeing field, and Tom works with people on feeling calmer and more in touch with their body and emotions.

The location works for anyone who wants countryside without a long trip abroad. You're in the Gloucestershire countryside near Stroud, with lakes and woods around you and long-distance walking close by. SoulSimple also runs retreats at locations worldwide, though this listing focuses on its Cotswolds base.

What's included

- Self-catering stays: private accommodation with kitchen and private hot tub - All-inclusive retreats: luxury accommodation at Matara - All-inclusive retreats: full retreat programme - All-inclusive retreats: breakfast, lunch and dinner

What's not included

- Meals on self-catering stays - Massages, healing and retreats on self-catering stays, unless arranged as an extra - Travel to and from the retreat - Travel insurance - Personal expenses

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