A Sense of Enormous Well-Being
Contrary to popular belief, winter and a new year are not the time for new beginnings but an opportunity for rest, contemplation, reflection and finding magic in the moment. Filling our days with little joys can make the season pass and nourish the spirit – and the Island is the perfect place to do just that.
With cobweb-busting walks, fresh sea air and a feeling of tranquillity, the Isle of Wight in the winter months is one of the UK’s hidden gems to rejuvenate and shake off those post-festive blues. If forest bathing sounds wonderful, yoga is your thing or if you’d like to take a little bit of the Island home with you to boost your well-being, we have some suggestions.
Forest bathing, or ‘shinrin-yoku’ in Japanese, emerged in the 1980s as a unique practice inviting participants to immerse themselves in the tranquil, revitalising atmosphere of forests, offering a chance for reflection, an uplift in positive energy and a renewed sense of well-being. For access to a variety of public and private forest and woodland locations on the Island to practice your bathing, Forest Bathing Isle of Wight will tailor experiences to suit you.
Look no further than Balance + Glo for yoga and holistic pick-me-ups. With events, retreats and online classes so that you can continue even if you’re off-island, the ethos behind this company is The Balance Method, using MOVE, NOURISH, CARE and NATURE, to live healthy and fulfilling lives in a sustainable holistic way. The team can also organise bespoke well-being experiences for those visiting the Island.
Sometimes nothing beats a hotel spa stay. There’s something about just moving from room to spa and back that makes it irresistible. Lakeside in Wootton has four beauty treatment rooms, a relaxation room and a bubble lounge offering a wide range of body treatments and beauty therapies. In addition, being in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty means that the walks around the hotel and creek are simply beautiful, whatever the weather. Add in the brasserie for dining or afternoon tea and you’re in spa heaven.
If you are bringing smaller folk with you, Luccombe Hall in Shanklin has loads to keep them entertained, allowing you to do a few leisurely laps in the pool. From an indoor play area for toddlers to a climbing frame, swings, slide and giant outdoor chess and draughts, as well as putting and Pétanque for older kids, there’s plenty for them to do while you relax in the sauna with a Margarita. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, you can book a Winter Leisure 1-Day Pass.
Wildlife spotting, walks by the sea and yoga are all on the menu at Nettlecombe Farm. This working farm, which has been in the same family for generations, offers comfortable cottage accommodation, daily feeding tours of the many and various animals and birds (think emu, reindeer and rare breed sheep amongst others), and any number of wonderful walks through stunning countryside and along the beaches. There’s also a chance to book one-to-one yoga, holistic treatments and even a private chef for the ultimate time off effect…
When he’s not DJing in far-flung places, Rob da Bank is a sauna supremo extraordinaire with his mobile saunas that pop up all over the Island for guest appearances. The Slow Motion Sauna method is simple: relax, rejuvenate and reconnect, away from the pressures of daily life. The Scandinavian sauna has two beautiful hand-made wood-fired saunas, three cold plunges and an exfoliating salt scrub. Get ready to get steamy!
Of course, having a treatment, a yoga session or indulging in some forest bathing is great, but what happens when you get home? There’s nothing nicer than taking a little bit of the Island back with you and here are a few things that will make your home and your skin smell wonderful, as well as lift your spirits.
At Duxmore Botanics, the team takes pride in delivering personalised, first-class service and high-quality products crafted from ethically and responsibly sourced ingredients. Whether it’s a scent to uplift, comfort or ground, sometimes a moment to breathe in a soothing fragrance is all it takes. Through candles, reed diffusers, room sprays or essential oil blends, each fragrance is thoughtfully curated and handcrafted in-house using pure essential oils. The body care collection contains a therapeutic blend of essential oils to soothe, nourish, and soften your skin. Perfect as a little gift to yourself.
Run by mother and daughter Olga and Yuliya, Mindfully Lit are a wellness and aesthetic candle company based on the Isle of Wight but originally from Ukraine. Their hand-poured candles come with meditations and guides to help you on your path to wellness and are poured into the shapes of shells, flowers, leaves and moons. With names like Hope, Breath, and Cosy Night In, and in beautiful sustainable packaging, they are a mindful way to bring some light into your life.
Blue Labelle Skincare was founded by Pascale Edwards-Labelle in 2011, inspired by her passion for natural skincare. After discovering the benefits of botanical oils in 2006, Pascale began creating oil blends for her own use and later for family and friends. She now makes all her products in the workroom of Blue Labelle Boutique in Ventnor, which opened in October 2017. If you’re struggling to make up your mind about what to try, why not begin your journey with one of her Blue Labelle Discover Boxes?
Although we may be in the depth of midwinter, spring is around the corner, and with that comes the possibility of new life and longer days ahead. But in the meantime, treat yourself to some winter rejuvenation and relaxation, Island style.
ℹ️ A version of this article first appeared in Wightlife magazine in Winter 2025