Rejuvenation – in:spa
‘No wheat, dairy, caffeine, and no salt or pepper. Oh, and obviously, no alcohol,’ says Vicki Edgson, the team nutritionist. I look around at my fellow retreat-ers: there’s a similar expression of mild fear and resignation on their faces. We’ve all signed up fro a week’s intensive overhaul, hosted by in:spa, the word in upmarket yoga retreat. I was expecting a bit of a detox. In fact, if I’m honest, I was expecting boot camp, with a bunch of puritanical Chelsea mummies suffering severe exercise addiction. I’m game for exploring my dodgy ‘downward dog’ (a yoga pose down on all fours with your bum in the air) to criticism. But I don’t see why it can’t be achieved in luxurious surroundings, with a gentle massage (rather than a kick) to the backside.
Mercifully, in:spa is on my wavelength. Its stylish retreats have an almost religious following among the well-heeled clients who travel across the world to visit them. I chose Morocco and was rewarded with enchantingly beautiful Jnane Tamsna, an oasis of style in the Palmerie district, the Beverly Hills of Marrakech. The house is home to Senegalese designer Maryanne Martin, and has a film-set-style decadence that’s both chic and earthy. Maryanne’s husband, Gary, has transformed a once arid patch of dusty desert into a rich, botanical garden, which feeds the kitchen with an impressive array of organic produce.
The in:spa team features a stellar list of practitioners, including author and columnist Jamie Baird, aka The Fitness Coach, who trains media moguls and models alike; yoga instructor Liz Lark and Pilates instructor Pete Roberts, who teach Madonna; and nutritionist and author Vicki Edgson one of the UK’s most visible and successful lifestyle nutritionists, who co-founded The Food Doctor’ clinic. They’re the most down-to-earth bunch of people you could meet, all superbly focussed and hell-bent on getting results. And, contrary to my cynicism, the other guests are a mixed bag of lively, friendly and fun people, all looking for a kick-start to a healthier way of living.
Individual schedules are packed with group and one-on-one yoga, Pilates, fitness training, nutrition talks and massages. My day is seamlessly coordinated, with time factored in for lying by the pool and marvelling at my newly formed triceps. There’s no punishment for skipping class: this is a finger-wagging-free zone. But, with such high-profile mentors on hand, you’d be crazy not to squeeze them dry. In my third session with Liz, I reached positions I’d struggled with for years: and within the first half hour of Vicki’s consultation, she’d unearthed food issues I’d harboured since childhood. A month on and I’m toned, my eating patterns are healthy but also easily maintained, and I’ve kept up the yoga with Liz back in London. The formula is simple: take a group of industry professionals to the desert throw in an inventive chef, trained at the Four Seasons, for gourmet cleansing diets; and mix in a group of willing guests. Suddenly, the punishing detox feels like a week of genuine indulgence. It’s a winner.