Thrive in Transition - a week of stillness, strength and sisterhood at Ashiyana, Spain..

There are retreats that nourish the body, and there are retreats that gently shift something deep within us. Our recent week together at Ashiyana somehow became both.

Set against the wild beauty of the Pyrenees mountains in Northern Spain, we gathered as women from many different stages of life and many different walks of life — from younger women wanting to understand and prepare for menopause before it arrives, to those who are already post-menopausal and living proof that there is strength, vitality and freedom waiting on the other side. What unfolded over the week was far more than a wellness retreat. It became a story of sisterhood.

Our days were filled with movement, exploration and deep restoration. We flowed through yoga practices, breathed deeply through powerful breathwork and sound healing sessions, challenged ourselves with strength work and playful animal flow, and immersed ourselves in nature through hiking and paddle boarding. There were moments of stillness during sound baths, nourishing conversations around nutrition, and profound inner wisdom journeying that invited each woman to reconnect with herself in a deeper way.

Alongside the group activities, there was also space for more personal support through one-to-one sessions with some of the ladies, allowing us to meet individual needs on a deeper level. These sessions included personalised breathwork, strength planning, emotional management support and goal setting — creating opportunities for each woman to feel seen, heard and supported in her own unique journey.

Although there was a gentle daily schedule to guide the week, everything remained completely optional. This felt deeply important to both Charlotte and myself. We didn’t want anyone to leave feeling exhausted by an overly packed itinerary or pressured to constantly “do.” Instead, we wanted to create an environment where rest was honoured just as much as movement, where women could truly listen to their bodies and choose what they needed in each moment. Whether that meant joining every activity, taking quiet time alone, sitting with a cup of tea overlooking the mountains, or simply slowing down for the first time in a long while, every choice was welcomed.

This retreat was especially meaningful to co-host alongside my childhood friend, Charlotte. We have known each other since we were just nine years old, and now, at 47, we realise we have spent a lifetime walking beside one another through all of life’s seasons. This was the first time we had ever worked together in this way, yet it never felt like work or even simply collaboration. We held space together instinctively, each bringing our own gifts, wisdom and intuition, which seemed to intertwine effortlessly throughout the week.

There was a beautiful synergy between us that felt both grounding and deeply natural, and I truly believe the group could feel that too. In many ways, the retreat became a reflection of the very thing we hoped to create — connection, trust, authenticity and support between women.

But perhaps the most transformative part of the week was not found in any single activity. It was found in the spaces in between.

In the shared laughter around the table. In the tears that were finally allowed to fall. In the courage it took to be vulnerable. In the stories exchanged between women who, only days before, had been strangers. Friendships were forged, perspectives shifted, and quiet revelations unfolded gently throughout the week.

There was something deeply healing about witnessing women support one another so openly — without judgement, without comparison, simply with compassion and understanding. Each woman brought her own wisdom, her own challenges and her own light to the circle, and together we created something truly special.

As the retreat came to a close, it was clear that everyone was leaving differently to how they arrived. A little lighter perhaps. A little stronger. A little more connected to themselves and to one another.

And maybe that is the real magic of these gatherings.

Not perfection. Not transformation overnight. But remembering that we were never meant to walk these chapters of life alone.

We’re still on a high from the success of this retreat and already securing dates for next year, so keep your eyes peeled for updates on my website and also Ashiyana. In the meantime, it might not be sunny Spain but I do run menopause courses here in Warwick (more info on Power Pause here) , the next one starts 3rd June 2026, so if you’re thinking about how you can support your body in this season then take this as your nudge to get in touch.