Wellness Retreat UK: The Art of Letting Go, a Small Retreat by the Sea

The Art of Letting Go was a small residential wellness retreat at The Fig Tree in Shanklin, held from 1 to 5 October 2026 for just ten guests. Led by Marion Bevington, it combined yoga therapy, kinesiology and daily NADA ear acupuncture. Places started from £847 per person.

Quick facts: The Art of Letting Go

• Dates: 1 to 5 October 2026, five days and four nights
• Group size: limited to ten guests
• Led by Marion Bevington, with daily NADA ear acupuncture from Wendy Sneddon and guest sessions with Anita
• Places started from £847 per person
• Held at The Fig Tree, 10 Queen's Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight
• Breakfast included every morning, served 8am to 10am

What was The Art of Letting Go?

Most wellness retreats in the UK are big. A lodge, thirty or forty guests, a timetable you follow from the moment the bell goes. This one was not. We opened The Fig Tree to just ten guests for a residential retreat of five days and four nights, led by Marion Bevington, with daily NADA ear acupuncture from me, Wendy, and guest sessions with Anita.

Marion describes the idea as learning to let an emotion be present without being run by it. Her view is that feelings we never fully process tend to settle in the body: in posture, in breathing, in digestion, in the way we hold our jaw. They also show up as the rant that will not stop in your head, and as broken sleep.

The retreat teaches ways to notice those feelings, honour them and move them through, so that you can hold your boundaries without either swallowing everything down or exploding. Marion is clear that it is an art, not a programme. In her words, "there's no pressure, there's lots of support, lots of skills, lots of tools." What you do with it afterwards is yours.

Who led the retreat?

Marion Bevington led the five days. She works with yoga therapy, energy psychology and kinesiology, with a particular focus on posture and what the body is telling you. Her sessions are trauma-informed.

Wendy Sneddon (that is me). Together with my sister Karen I run The Fig Tree, and I am also a practising NADA ear acupuncturist. I gave the daily acupuncture sessions.

Anita joined as guest facilitator. She offers Akashic record readings, both individually and as a group, works with Chinese horoscope and human design, and practises energy healing. Her sessions were optional and offered gently; you take what is useful to you.

What happened each day?

Every day included yoga and a NADA ear acupuncture session. Around those two anchors, the days mixed Marion's group teaching on posture, breath and boundaries, individual time with each facilitator, Anita's readings and chart work, and a few outings around the island. Nothing was compulsory. If what you need on Tuesday afternoon is to sit on the terrace and watch the sea, that is allowed.

Because ten is a small number, the group tends to settle quickly. There is time to be worked with individually as well as together, which is difficult to offer on a larger retreat.

Across the five days the programme took in yoga, breathwork, daily NADA ear acupuncture, kinesiology and an Akashic Records group reading, alongside the outings.

What are NADA ear acupuncture and kinesiology?

NADA ear acupuncture is a simple protocol: a few fine needles placed at set points in the outer ear, while you sit quietly for a while, usually in a group. It was developed as a supportive treatment and is used widely in wellbeing settings. Many people find it settling and say they sleep more easily afterwards. It is not a diagnosis or a cure for anything, and you are never pressed to have it.

Kinesiology, as Marion practises it, uses gentle muscle testing and attention to posture to explore how the body is holding stress. It is hands-on but unhurried, and you stay fully clothed.

Yoga here is yoga therapy rather than a workout: slow, breath-led and adapted to whoever is in the room.

Who is a retreat like this for?

Marion puts it plainly. "We've become mums or grands or aunties or career women... and we forget who I am." The retreat was designed for people, mostly women, who have spent years being what others needed and have lost the thread of themselves along the way. Burnt out, finding it hard to say no, carrying feelings they never got round to feeling, sleeping badly.

You do not need any yoga experience, any flexibility or any belief system. You do need to be willing to slow down for five days. If you are currently in crisis or under active treatment for a mental health condition, please speak to your GP first and then to us. We will tell you honestly whether this is the right setting.

Where did guests stay?

The Fig Tree is a boutique hotel on Queen's Road in Shanklin. The beach is about a 10-minute walk away. See our rooms for the full range. Marion, who has stayed with us, calls it "a gorgeous hotel... near the beach" and says "the people who work at the hotel are really fantastic." We would rather you judged that for yourself.

Practical things: there is a lift to every floor, the hotel has step-free access and dedicated accessible rooms, parking on site is free, and there is free Wi-Fi throughout. Breakfast is included in every room rate and served from 8am to 10am. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out by 11am, and our suites are sea-facing, with private balconies. Small, well-behaved dogs are welcome in selected rooms for £30 per stay, though do let us know if you are planning to bring one. Our motto is "Arrive as guests, leave as friends," and retreats are where that tends to come true.

What did it include and what did it cost?

Places started from £847 per person for the five days, and the retreat was limited to ten guests.

Marion describes it as all-inclusive: accommodation, daily yoga, daily NADA ear acupuncture, the group and individual sessions, Anita's readings, and the outings.

On food, one thing is worth saying plainly. Breakfast is included in your room rate every morning. The hotel itself serves breakfast only and does not run a dinner service for individual guests, so any meals beyond breakfast were arranged as part of the retreat rather than ordered from a hotel menu.

How do you ask about the next retreat?

This retreat has now taken place. If you would like to hear about future retreats and events, see our events page or contact us directly. Email events@thefigtreehotel.co.uk, call 01983 241 010, or use the chat. Tell us a little about yourself and we will come back to you with details.

If you would like to know more about the hotel first, read about us, or find us on the contact page. If you are looking for a different kind of quiet week, our small residential writing retreat by the sea is another way to use the hotel. We also offer exclusive hire for groups who want the whole building to themselves.

How do you get to the island?

Shanklin is on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, and there are three main ferry routes. Our getting here guide has the full detail.

• Red Funnel, Southampton to East Cowes: 60 minutes by car ferry, then about 35 minutes' drive to Shanklin.
• Red Jet, Southampton to West Cowes (foot passengers): 23 minutes, then about 35 minutes to Shanklin.
• Wightlink, Portsmouth to Fishbourne: 45 minutes, with about 22 sailings a day, then about 25 minutes' drive.
• Wightlink, Lymington to Yarmouth: 40 minutes on the scenic New Forest route, then about 40 minutes' drive.

If you book your stay direct with us, our team can arrange a discounted crossing. We have free parking at the hotel. Many guests find the crossing itself is the moment the letting go begins. When you are ready to stay, Book Now.