The Art of Letting Go: a small wellness retreat by the sea

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 is not. From 1 to 5 October 2026 we are opening The Fig Tree to just ten guests for The Art of Letting Go, 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.

If you have been comparing wellness retreats in the UK, or searching for a retreat on the Isle of Wight, or simply looking for somewhere quiet to put yourself back together, here is what the five days actually involve, who they suit, and what they cost.

What is The Art of Letting Go?

Marion describes it 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 leads the retreat?

Marion Bevington leads 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, and she has a wide following online for her frank, funny way of talking about the body.

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

Anita joins 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 are optional and offered gently; you take what is useful to you. If you would like to know more about how she works, ask us.

What happens each day?

Every day includes yoga and a NADA ear acupuncture session. Around those two anchors, the days mix 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 is 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 takes in yoga, breathwork, daily NADA ear acupuncture, kinesiology and an Akashic Records group reading, alongside the outings. The shape of the week is settled well before you arrive, so if you would like the timings of a particular day, or to know where the outings go, ask us when you enquire and we will talk you through it.

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 will never be 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 it for?

Marion puts it plainly. “We’ve become mums or grands or aunties or career women… and we forget who I am.” The retreat is 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 do you stay?

The Fig Tree is a 23-room boutique hotel on Queen’s Road in Shanklin, five minutes’ walk from the beach. Marion, who has stayed with us, calls it “a gorgeous hotel… near the beach… the food is delicious… the people who work at the hotel are really fantastic.” We would rather you judged that for yourself, but we will admit the terrace on a clear October morning takes some beating.

Practical things: there is a lift to every floor, the hotel is step-free and we have dedicated accessible rooms, parking on site is free, there is free Wi-Fi throughout, and breakfast is included in every room rate and served from 8 to 10. Check in is from 3pm and check out by 11am, and our suites have private balconies and sea views. Small, well-behaved dogs are welcome in selected rooms at £30 per stay, though do let us know if you are planning to bring one, as we will want to make sure it suits the group. Our motto is “Arrive as guests, leave as friends,” and retreats are where that tends to come true.

What is included and what does it cost?

Places start from £847 per person for the five days, and the retreat is 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, so any meals beyond breakfast are arranged as part of the retreat rather than ordered from a hotel menu. Because there is more than one rate, email or phone us and we will set out exactly which room and which meals your place covers before you pay anything.

How do you book?

For now, the simplest way is to contact us directly. Email [email protected], phone 01983 241 010, or book direct on our website. Tell us a little about yourself and we will come back to you with the details and answer any questions before you commit.

If you would like the deposit and cancellation terms in writing, just ask and we will send them over.

Getting to the Island

Shanklin is on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, and there are three ways across.

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

If you book your stay direct with us we can arrange a discounted crossing. From the ferry ports it is a straightforward drive or train ride down to Shanklin, and we have free parking at the hotel. Many guests find the crossing itself is the moment the letting go begins.

The NADA practitioner training, same dates

If you are a practitioner rather than a guest, there is a second event in the building over the same five days: a residential NADA practitioner training led by Lynn. It runs alongside the retreat, which is one reason our retreat guests may be offered more than one acupuncture session a day. To enquire about the training, email [email protected]. Say that you are asking about the training rather than the retreat and we will come back to you with the details and the cost.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to have done yoga before? No. The yoga is slow, breath-led and adapted to the room. If you can lie on a mat and breathe, you can take part.

Is NADA ear acupuncture painful? The needles are very fine and most people describe a slight prick and then nothing. You sit quietly with them in for a while, then they are removed. You can decline it on any day.

Can I come on my own? Yes, and most guests do. With only ten places, the group is small enough that nobody stays a stranger for long.

Do I have to take part in everything? No. Marion’s approach is explicitly no-pressure. Rest is part of the retreat, not a break from it.

Is the hotel accessible? There is a lift to all floors and step-free access throughout. If you have specific needs, tell us when you enquire and we will make sure the room and the sessions work for you.

What if I need to cancel? Ask us for the cancellation and refund terms before you book and we will send them to you in writing, so that there are no surprises later on.

We look forward to welcoming you in October. If it is a different kind of quiet week you are after, our small residential writing retreat by the sea runs here in November.

Wendy Sneddon, The Fig Tree Hotel, Shanklin