Retreat to Rosyth

We have held four yoga and wellness retreats at Rosyth Estate House to date. Each retreat was individually crafted for re-winding and relaxation – with three hosted by Claire Latimir.

Days consist of yoga, meditation classes, craft afternoons, cookery classes, excursions, workshops and massages. The week long retreat at Rosyth is the perfect way to unwind and focus on your mental and physical well-being. If you are interested in our future retreats, please feel free to contact our team.

If you want to learn more about the day-to-day experience of our guests during our week long retreats, you can read a note written by Claire Latimir from our last retreat in 2021.

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A message from Claire – Sri Lanka was named in 2019 as one of the top global destinations to visit. – ‘Ceylon’ really is the jewel of the Indian Ocean. We are lucky enough to experience this vibrant and fascinating culture on our Holistic Heaven 2021 Yoga and Well being Retreat and would love you to join us in this inspirational week away …

We stay at the Rosyth Estate, which is an historic tea planters estate set in 64 acres in the jungle and hills around Kegalle in the Central Highlands, approximately 2 hours east of Colombo. Now a luxury boutique hotel owned by welcoming hosts Neil and Farzana Dobbs, it opens its arms to us for a truly magical week. Whether you are a regular practitioner of yoga and have done classes and retreats before or are new to it all, this week revives and rejuvenates the mind, body and spirit and allows us to relax and recharge in truly blissful surroundings.

Fresh lime and ginger juice, before yoga, really sets us up for the day. As we stretch out for our morning yoga you can hear the sounds of nature all around us – the monkeys, birds and wildlife. The yoga sala is open on 3 sides and is surrounded by the lush jungle and beautiful flower filled gardens. Yoga mats are all provided, and classes welcome all ages, yoga experience and abilities.

Food is a real highlight of the week – cooked and prepared by professional chefs. One morning we enjoy a cookery course which is fun and educational – the cookery books we are given to take home inspires our taste buds and remind us of the delicious cuisine we indulge in over the week! The retreat food is vegetarian and any dietary requirements can be catered for including, of course, vegan. Breakfast is no exception to our culinary delights – you might decide on a western style breakfast or try a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast (egg hoppers, pol roti etc.). With every breakfast there are also healthy herbal vegetable shots and fresh juices picked from the garden. Delicious local yoghurts and fresh fruit are also sampled, and no breakfast is complete without the delicious Rosyth Estate tea – literally grown and harvested within the property!

We visit the local tea factory one morning where you can buy the tea and see the whole fascinating process of it being picked, dried, separated, and packed. It is a really involved process and amazing to see the original items from the 1930s being used alongside some cutting edge hi-tech equipment. Other morning trips include a walk down to the local Buddhist temple, passing the local school children and paddy fields. We also enjoy a guided walk through the estate grounds – seeing how rubber is tapped from the trees, and noticing the wide variety of flora and fauna all around. We also enjoy a shopping trip to the local shops and markets – I particularly love this! Beautiful sarees, jewellery, herbs and spices all very reasonably priced and make wonderful presents to take home!

Lunch is around 1pm and a delicious healthy salad and soup. Last time we really loved the fabulous homemade sorbets for dessert! I am very excited that this year Farzana is organising a very special creative afternoon bringing a local craftsman to show us local crafts such as batik or painting pottery which we can join in with. There will be optional afternoon holistic workshops for anyone who is interested – one afternoon we enjoy picking flowers from the garden and mindfully making flower arrangements in the earthenware pots, one afternoon we might enjoy learning about the chakra system or reflexology or the benefits of meditation. It is all very relaxed. For these guests who are joining us again, there will be new and interesting excursions and afternoon experiences to enjoy.

And of course, there is plenty of time to recharge and just do nothing! You can do as little or as much as you like during the week. Read a favourite book or borrow from the Rosyth library, enjoy a swim in the pool and sunbathe. Each participant also has two holistic treatments included in the retreat (with options to purchase more if wanted). The Massage sala is peaceful and a perfect place for drifting off enjoying a massage. The resident massage therapists are highly skilled, intuitive and have a truly healing, magical touch!

There is another Yoga class around 5.15pm which is a perfect time to enjoy the energy as the sun sets and dusk falls. The sounds and smells of nature all around us is heightened and we can really deepen our practise and immerse ourselves into the Yoga. By the end of the week we feel really calm, peaceful and flexible! We are restored and energised on the inside and out, full of positive energy and many wonderful memories to take home.

In the evenings, drinks and canapés are served in the lounge at 7pm for anyone who would like to come along, it’s a great way to socialise and meet and make new friends on the retreat. This retreat is warmly welcoming to the solo traveller or anyone who would like to bring any friends or family members with them. Supper is a feast for the eyes and stomach! Delicious different curries and authentic Sri Lankan meals each night followed by traditional desserts. And finally, to finish off a blissful day there is an optional candle lit meditation session down in the yoga sala before bed.

Not included: Alcoholic drinks. Flights and transfers.