Finding a zest for life in the Lake District

Digital editor Abi Whyte unwinds and recharges on a spring yoga and swimming retreat on the shores of Windermere

“Whenever I first arrive here, I like to wander about the place and pretend it’s mine,” Laura Bell tells me as she shows me around Silverholme, a Georgian manor on the southwestern shore of Lake Windermere.

The house and surrounding acres of the Graithwaite estate is certainly a place to inspire fantasies of a bygone century; floating about the gardens in a silky gown, perhaps startled by a vision of Mr Darcy freshly damp from the lake. 

But enough of that. I’m here for yoga. Yoga and swimming, interwoven with meditation, nutritious food and new faces to get to know over five glorious days. The sun is shining, the bluebells are out and Lake Windermere is a calm, flat mirror reflecting the fells and cloudless sky. Can it get any better than this?

Zest Life founder and yoga instructor Laura Bell has been hosting yoga retreats in the Lake District and North Wales since 2000; weaving in a wild swimming element as she discovered her own passion for cold water over the years. 

“My vision for this retreat started in my 20s, not wanting to wake up with hangovers at the weekend and realising that yoga was a much more suitable way of life for me at the time,” Laura tells me. “I was overcoming depression and eating disorders and starting to think ‘What’s the way I want to spend my time?’ So I put all the things I love doing together – yoga, walking, good food, good people, beautiful places, nature – into a weekend and created these retreats. It was about creating an experience that allows people to feel restored and recharged once they leave. Feeling better about themselves, full of vitality.”

Laura then talks me through the daily flow of the retreat – five days of yoga and wild swimming, with ample time in the afternoons to rest or explore at our leisure. I’m giddy with excitement. This is going to be blissful.

Waking up and winding down

Laura’s yoga sessions take place twice a day in a beautiful, calming space in the estate’s converted chapel. The morning session, before breakfast, starts with a guided meditation followed by a dynamic and energizing yoga routine to set you up for the day. The evening practice, just before dinner, is a slower Yin session focusing on deep stretches and relaxation.  

While I practice yoga fairly regularly I still consider myself a beginner, but feel reassured by Laura’s clear and gentle guidance throughout the lessons. The other guests are a mixture of yoga abilities, yet Laura’s teaching manages to embrace the whole room, provide easier or more challenging alternatives to poses when needs arise. 

But what I love most about Laura’s practice is the nurturing touches she weaves in throughout, such as rubbing China Balm onto the backs of our necks while we’re in Downward-facing Dog, and massaging rose oil into our foreheads while in Shavasana. 

A swimmer’s playground

After morning yoga  and breakfast, it’s time to pack our kit for our swim adventure, whether it be just a stone’s throw away on our private beach in Windermere, or one of the many nearby lakes just a short trip in the car. 

On the first day, swim guide Makala Jones introduces us to Windermere – gently guiding first-time cold water dippers into the water while keeping a watchful eye on more experienced swimmers who aim for a buoy about 100 meters away. I swim a few lengths then dry on the beach in the sunshine, chatting to Makala about her upcoming challenges this year, including a North Channel solo, a relay swim in the English Channel and a record-breaking all-female relay swim from Ireland to Wales. She already has an English Channel solo under her belt. We’re in the right hands, it seems.

After lunch we head up to High Dam, a beautifully peaty lake with an island to aim for in the middle, and woodland trails to explore once you’re dry. 

On the second and third day we swim in Loughrigg Tarn (above) and Grasmere, both a short and scenic drive from Silverholme, and Laura ensures we have enough time to stop by Hawkshead on the way back for locally made ice cream and gingerbread. 

The afternoons back at Silverholme are free for us to do as we please. A massage therapist is on hand should guests fancy a treatment, or the Lakeside Spa Hotel is a five-minute drive down the road and is free for Silverholme guests to use its spa facilities.

I vary my afternoons up between going for lakeside runs, paddleboarding (I have my own board) on Windermere or lazing in the garden with the resident peacock, tucking into cake and fresh juice made by the retreat’s private chef Kelly Mason.

Food of the gods

“I want to take Kelly home with me.” This is a phrase I hear uttered by guests multiple times during our stay. I even catch myself thinking it while polishing off her orange almond cake, which astounds the palate with bursts of citrusy coriander seed on top.

Kelly’s imaginative dishes throughout our stay are all the colours and flavours, yet all plant-based, seasonal and utterly good for you. I watch Kelly pack away her collection of herbs and spices after dinner.  

“In my style of cuisine, the vegetable or main fruit of each dish is always the main attraction!” Kelly tells me. “I love using seasonal produce because fresh, in-season ingredients naturally taste their best this way, and philosophically you feel more connected to each meal.”

This connection is something I notice with the touches of wild garlic she infuses in the soups and salads, hand-picked from the woods surrounding the house. There’s even a dollop of freshly foraged wild garlic salsa verde on the smokey beans on toast for breakfast. Each dish is spring on a plate.  

Friends for life

Whenever you meet wild swimmers, you know you’re in the company of good people. People who will say yes to a sunrise swim or full moon dip, and laugh manically with you while cold water floods your nether regions. 

I’m happy to be in good company on this retreat. Some of them regulars who rebook every year, others who are completely new to the experience and say they’ll definitely be back. 

“Makala was so patient and encouraging as a swim guide,” one of the guests tells me. “I was so pleased to enjoy the swimming as much as I did.”

“This was my first ever yoga and swim retreat,” says another. “It exceeded all my wildest expectations. I loved it so much I’ve already rebooked for next year.”

As we depart on the final morning, many of us swap numbers and promise to keep in touch for future swims. Perhaps it will be in each other’s local swim spot, or perhaps at another Zest Life retreat. Wherever it is, we’ll feel bonded by our blissful time in the Lakes, where the sun perpetually shone for us. 

Zest Life is hosting a 4-day Yoga & Swimming retreat in the Lake District from 26 to 29 September and a 5-day retreat from 29 September to 3 October. They also have upcoming retreats in Anglesey and North Wales throughout the year. zestlife.co.uk