Nordic Winter Wellness Escape: Breathwork, Yoga & Contrast Therapy at Kurhotel Skodsborg

Rob da Bank runs the breathwork and yoga nidra sessions. He's been teaching meditation for years and founded Slomo specifically to run this kind of slow, sound-based practice. The morning meditation on day three is his. The rest of the programme is led by Kurhotel Skodsborg's own team — Tania Biil Petersen, a spa instructor and yoga teacher at the hotel, handles the Skodsborg Steam workshop, and the hotel's resident contrast therapy experts run the SaunaGus and hot-cold sessions. This isn't a retreat where one teacher does everything; you get a mix of visiting and in-house specialists.

The schedule has four wellness sessions across the three days. Day one starts with a welcome session at 15:30 and the first wellness session at 16:00. Day two has three sessions — 9:00, 14:30, and then the Q&A at 19:00. Day three has the fourth wellness session at 9:30 and a closing session at 11:30 before checkout at noon. In between, the spa is open to you for free, and you can book extra treatments if you want them.

What sets this apart from a standard spa break is the structure. The SaunaGus is a private workshop with a spa host, not just access to a sauna. The Hot Stretch class combines heat and yoga, and it's new to the hotel. The Baltic dips aren't optional add-ons — they're built into the contrast therapy sessions. And the whole retreat is limited to 20 people, so the workshops stay small enough that the spa host can actually work with you.

Kurhotel Skodsborg itself is a historic spa hotel on the coast of North Zealand, about 20 minutes north of Copenhagen. The spa is the centre of the property — it's where the SaunaGus, steam room, and sound bath take place. Brasserie Carl is the main restaurant, where all meals are served. The hotel has a pillow menu, hypoallergenic bedding, and rooms come with bathrobes and slippers, which you'll want for walking between your room and the spa.

The optional floating sound bath on day one is worth mentioning. It's 90 minutes, it happens in the spa after dinner, and it's billed separately. You have to book it in advance, and it's first-come, first-served. If you're interested, book it when you book the retreat — it's the kind of thing that fills up.

The price includes two nights in a standard double room, all meals from dinner on day one through breakfast on day three, mocktails before dinner each night, and the full programme of workshops and sessions. If you're travelling solo, you can book the double room for one person; if you're coming with someone, there's a two-person rate. The booking fee is £18 and is handled by email or phone.

What's included

- 2 nights in a standard double room - Welcome coffee/tea/water and snacks - 2-course dinner incl. juice menu daily - Mocktails in The Lobby before dinner daily - Lunch incl. beverages on day 2 - Breakfast in the morning - Q&A session with retreat experts - 60 min. Slomo Breathwork including yoga nidra by Rob da Bank - Private SaunaGus workshop with spa host - Skodsborg Steam workshop with spa host - Hot Stretch with yoga teacher - Morning meditation by Rob da Bank - Free access to the spa and all fitness classes throughout the retreat (booking required) - Optional late-night 90 minute floating soundbath (booking required; spaces limited) - Bathrobe and slippers - Free wifi and Chromecast - Free parking (v. registration) - 24-hour reception - Pillow menu - Hypoallergenic duvets and pillows - Safety box - Coffee and tea (kettle) - Hair dryer

What's not included

- Travel to and from Kurhotel Skodsborg - Booking fee via email or phone (GBP 18) - Optional late-night floating sound bath (billed separately) - Extra spa treatments - 24-hour room service - Cots and extra beds - Dog-friendly room surcharge (if applicable) - Travel insurance - Personal expenses