Mastering Menopause programme for women with strength classes at The Retreat Costa Rica, Atenas

The Big M: Mastering Menopause is designed specifically for women in perimenopause, menopause or post-menopause. It aims to help you manage symptoms, rebuild strength, sleep better and feel confident at this stage of life. Strength, core and pelvic-floor classes written for mature bodies sit alongside Ayurvedic and spa therapies for sleep, mood and skin, a self-discovery workshop and meals planned to support hormone balance.

After a 30-minute welcome orientation you take three fitness classes: a 45-minute Kegel and pelvic-floor session, 60 minutes of resistance and strength training, and a 60-minute class targeting the belly and chest. Eight spa therapies and sessions follow: a 60-minute heart-opening deep tissue massage, 90-minute Ayurveda chakra balancing, a 90-minute Ayurvedic herbal Abhyanga with Shirodhara, a 30-minute Maharani milk bath ritual, a 60-minute Pink Goddess crystal scrub with Vichy shower, an 80-minute Ayurvedic Kansa facial with marma points, a 60-minute self-discovery workshop and a 30-minute deep pranayama session. There is a 45-minute hormone-balancing cooking class, and you go home with a healthy juice class, herbal digestive bitters, a hormone-balancing e-book and a self-guided Mastering Menopause workbook.

The hotel sits on top of a crystal-quartz mountain above the town of Atenas, with views across the rainforest towards the Nicoya Gulf and the Pacific. It is a small, adults-only property of 26 rooms, so the atmosphere stays quiet and personal. Treatments take place at Vida Mía, the hotel's 8,000 sq ft healing centre and spa, and the included meals are served at Sol Terrace, the open-air restaurant on a covered terrace. Between sessions there are three saltwater pools, organic gardens that supply part of the kitchen's produce, and trails across the mountain.

Every day there is a 7:00 yoga flow and a 4:00 pm restorative class, open to all levels with no need to book. Around these, the hotel runs a rotating calendar of activities such as sound healing, cooking classes, tea tastings, guided hikes and workshops, most of which are included (a few premium activities carry a charge).

There are no fixed group dates. You choose the day you arrive, check in from 3:00 pm, and stay for at least 7 nights; longer stays are welcome and the programme simply runs across the extra days. Your treatments are scheduled individually around your stay rather than to a set timetable.

What's included

- Accommodation in your chosen room type - Three hormone-balancing anti-inflammatory meals daily at Sol Terrace - Yoga twice a day (7:00 flow and 4:00 pm restorative) - Access to the scheduled daily wellness activities - Use of the pools, grounds and trails - 30-minute welcome orientation - Kegel / pelvic-floor class, 45 min (x1) - Resistance and strength training, 60 min (x1) - Menopause belly and chest class, 60 min (x1) - Heart-opening deep tissue massage, 60 min (x1) - Ayurveda chakra balancing, 90 min (x1) - Ayurvedic herbal Abhyanga and Shirodhara, 90 min (x1) - Maharani milk bath ritual, 30 min (x1) - Pink Goddess empowerment crystal scrub with Vichy shower, 60 min (x1) - Ayurvedic Kansa facial with marma points, 80 min (x1) - Self-discovery workshop, 60 min (x1) - Deep pranayama, 30 min (x1) - Hormone-balancing wellness cooking class, 45 min (x1) - Take-home tools: healthy juice class, herbal digestive bitters, Healthy Hormone Balancing e-book and self-guided Mastering Menopause workbook

What's not included

- International flights - Airport transfers (arranged by the hotel on request, at extra cost) - 13% Costa Rica tax (the prices shown exclude it) - Gratuities - Spa treatments and therapies outside the programme - Dinner at Mystique and food or drinks at La Diosa - Premium activities that carry a separate charge - Physician-guided hormone therapy (offered separately by the hotel)