Personalised Yoga and Ayurveda Wellness Retreat in Hereford, UK

Days start early. A session of Buddhist chanting opens the morning before breakfast, then a yoga class led by one of the resident teachers. The teaching here follows the Krishnamacharya tradition — the sequence is personal and careful rather than flashy, and the instructors have trained across the Vinyasa Krama tradition and spent time in ashrams. The second yoga class of the day happens later, and most days finish with yoga nidra or a sound bath in the evening.

Afternoons are not empty. You pick from workshops that rotate daily — cookery classes showing you the Ayurvedic kitchen, walking meditation through the grounds, talks on Ayurveda and Buddhist themes, and asana clinics that break down individual postures. There is also a private consultation slot with the Master Yoga Teacher early in the stay, so the take-home plan you get at the end is actually about you, not a generic sequence.

The instructors work as a team, and each has a different emphasis. Laura has a music degree from Huddersfield and did her 200-hour training in Bali before spending time at the Govinda Valley ashram south of Sydney, then taught at the sister villa in Sri Lanka. Liz has practised for over twenty years in the Krishnamacharya lineage and also works as an Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant. Kirti trained at the Himalayan Institute and is registered with Yoga Alliance, with over a decade of teaching across Asia and the Caribbean. The retreat is run by Ishara, a long-term meditation practitioner and founder of both the Sri Lankan and U.K. villas.

The venue itself is part of the experience. Ruxton Farm sits in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the banks of the River Wye. It is a working farm that has been converted into a retreat center, with en-suite rooms in the main farmhouse and cottages across the grounds. The property also hosts a resident cat named Mr Percy and a well-behaved dog called Mr Buttons — worth noting if you have allergies or just like dogs.

The whole place runs as a social enterprise. Plantation Villa funnels profits to The Metta Trust, which funds education, healthcare, Ayurvedic medical care, and community projects in Sri Lanka, plus reforestation and wildlife work. That giving-back angle is not a footnote — it is part of how the retreat is structured and paid for.

What's included

- 2 nights accommodation in a countryside farmhouse - 3 daily Ayurvedic meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Daily Buddhist chanting in the Buddha Hall - Two daily therapeutic yoga classes with experienced teachers - Daily meditation classes (breath, loving-kindness, guided practices) - Personalised yoga guidance and take-home practice plan - Daily afternoon workshops (cookery, walking meditation, Ayurveda talks) - Daily evening relaxation activities (yoga nidra, sound baths) - Access to 14 acres of gardens, orchard, and meadow - Free bike rental - Free parking and wifi - Access to lounge and library - Online post-retreat support from expert practitioners

What's not included

- Airport transfers - Additional spa treatments - Flights and travel costs - Travel insurance