4-Day Yoga & Meditation Spa Retreat at Lake Schwarzsee, Switzerland

Lake Schwarzsee sits near Fribourg in Switzerland, and the retreat takes place right by the water. The lake itself is small, with only a few houses around it and an almost unbroken view across the water to the trees and mountains that circle it. That quiet is a big part of why this retreat works: there's not much to distract you, and the schedule is built around yoga, meditation and spending time in the spa rather than filling every hour. Most days follow a similar shape. There's a yoga session in the morning and meditation in the evening, with a gentle mindful movement session after dinner before the final meditation of the day. The spa has three saunas, a hamam (steam room), an indoor pool and a relaxation area, and massage treatments are available. You can also walk around Lake Schwarzsee and out to the nearby waterfall, which is one of the more popular things to do between sessions. Charlie Stewart-Brown leads the retreat. She started practising yoga and meditation over 27 years ago to help with severe anxiety, and has been teaching for more than 15 years. She has over 1,300 hours of training and around 22,500 hours of teaching behind her, and she's the lead trainer on Yoga Alliance 200-hour teacher training, kids yoga teacher training and a 30-hour meditation and mindfulness teacher training. She's also the voice of the Yoga and Mindfulness programme on British Airways long-haul flights. What separates this from a lot of four-day yoga breaks is that Charlie is an ERYT500 with additional certifications in Hatha, Sivananda and Ashtanga yoga, children's and family yoga, yoga for the special child, and as a certified breath coach. She has a particular focus on yoga therapy for autism, ADHD and other behavioural and developmental conditions, and has spoken at companies in Switzerland and at the annual SGIS conference about bringing mindfulness into workplaces and schools. The bedrooms are large with what guests consistently describe as very comfortable beds, and the quietness of the lake means people often comment on how well they sleep here. Between the yoga, the walking, the spa and the food, the four days are set up so you leave having actually rested rather than just having been away.

What's included

- 4-day yoga and meditation retreat at Lake Schwarzsee - Daily yoga sessions - Daily meditation sessions - Evening gentle mindful movement session - Use of spa with three saunas, hamam, indoor pool and relaxation area - Meals (details to be confirmed with operator) - Accommodation in large bedrooms with luxury beds

What's not included

- Travel to and from Lake Schwarzsee - Travel insurance - Massage treatments (available at extra cost) - Personal expenses - Optional excursions