Tuning into the here and now with Iberian Wellness Retreats in Spain

Suzanne Duckett eases off her phone and into relaxation on a Yoga and Nature Retreat, held at The Olive Mill in a private forest in Andalucia

Despite good intentions and careful planning, I arrived at my much-anticipated Yoga and Nature Retreat with a mind full of deadlines and phone clamped in hand. Running my own business means that the desk is never truly clear, and I had a deadline smack in the middle of my week with Iberian Wellness Retreats, despite being there to de-digitise.

The location, The Olive Mill, nestled in a private forest outside the town of Higuera de la Sierra, ticked all the boxes for a digital detox: yoga, meditation, holistic healing, and nature. Yet, on arrival, rather than settling in, I was scouting for the best corner to work.

That’s when the goats, llamas, and Saint Bernard puppies greeted my friend and fellow retreater Emma and me at the fence of the gorgeous meadow next to the house - all wet noses, furry faces and paws pressing against the gaps for hellos and tickles. They were joyful, curious and present. I smiled. I was back in the now.

“We hiked together through fields blooming with wildflowers, to white-washed villages and a local restaurant where we were treated like family. We picnicked in olive groves, to the sounds of a flamenco guitarist, after taking Simone’s rescued donkeys for a walk”

Our next warm welcome was by equally joyful and in-the-moment humans. Linne Melinkat, the in-house holistic teacher and therapist, all smiley, generous-spirited, and shiny auburn hair. Then Danielle Riegel, a tall, radiant Dutch harpist and wellness practitioner. Homemade soup and snacks were prepared while we settled into our charming twin room: light-filled, garden-facing, and with organic, full-sized amenities and bedside wildflowers arranged just-so.

It felt like a proper home, not an over-styled hotel. Owner Simone A Marca has lovingly restored the 400-year-old mill, filling it with flea market finds, rescued furniture and original Spanish tiles and shutters. You could feel the care in every room. I eyed up the little navy two-seater by the window with a little table and plug socket – a perfect little corner office.

The third warm welcome was unique, and via Danielle’s harp. I wandered past the drawing room on the way to get our soup and snacks to be greeted by the most wonderful gentle cascade of notes. It stopped me in my tracks and had an instantly hypnotic effect on my busy brain, helping my deadline worries float away. An audio amuse-bouche, as it turns out.

The first night, we gathered for a group cacao ceremony and sharing circle, offering our intentions to a firepit under the stars. At first, it felt awkward sharing with strangers, but as the days passed, we opened up. The group was mostly women, ranging in age from mid-30s to mid-50s, with one husband. I suspect he was brought along on his wife’s insistence, but he ended up a total yoga bro! Professions varied wildly – they included a marketeer, wine merchant, nutritionist, mortgage broker, charity worker; all different but all seeking the same thing: peace of mind and body.

Each day began with a bell summoning us to morning yoga and meditation with Linne, practised in the vast and stunning yoga hall, once the olive pressing room, now with vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, terracotta floors and an antique Buddha watching over us. Sage was smudged at the door to clear lingering energies. Evenings closed with Danielle’s qigong and harp playing – her lap harp was plucked with perfection as she walked among us. Blissful.

Later in the week, I experienced Danielle’s Harp Therapy on an even deeper level, for a unique one-to-one sound healing, while Linne’s Quantum Shiatsu treatment was also a masterpiece, performed in one of the cosiest bedrooms turned into a sanctuary. Her intuitive hands moved with precision along my meridian lines, finding energetic blockages and melting them away. At one point, Linne's hands generated so much warmth she had to turn off the heated blanket beneath me! The treatment left me grounded, reconnected, and moving with ease in the following day’s yoga class.

We all hiked together through fields blooming with wildflowers, to white-washed villages and a local restaurant where we were treated like family. We picnicked in olive groves to the sounds of a flamenco guitarist after taking Simone’s rescued donkeys for a walk — mine refused to budge and with a tap of the rear by the donkey handler it sprang into action, prompting much laughter from the group and a mini life lesson in letting go. Meals were regional, wholesome and utterly delicious: lentil salads, aubergine parmigiana, chicken and herb-filled albóndigas and gravlax with homemade yoghurt dip. The legendary tortilla, made with garden potatoes. And coffee!

Downtime meant dips in the bracing spring pool, lounging on the sunshine-bathed loungers, reading, napping, chatting or simply listening to birdsong and distant donkey brays. We danced on the last night and stood in a circle, holding hands and dewy-eyed, sharing thanks and some serious stuff long held for some, now set free by the music, the movement and the magic of the place.
 
I left, humming with mother nature vibes and musical notes rather than EMFs from my devices, my being less staccato and more legato, and my heart more in tune with love. And miraculously, I met that work deadline too - eventually.