Let go and firm up in the Malvern hills
OH, the joys of not getting on a plane for a thorough detox in uplifting countryside.
The Clover Mill is an Ayurvedic detox centre, housed in a restored 17th-century water mill near Malvern. It has a yoga studio and treatment rooms built around vintage grain bins and milling equipment.
You’re plugged straight in to nature, with accommodation in three starkly beautiful eco-lodges. The lodges, built with natural materials, are aligned East to West so you are woken by the rise of the sun.
It’s like staying at a healing house party; intimate and relaxing, with only six guests at a time.
Pottering to pre-breakfast yoga in pyjamas is de rigueur.
Owner Julie Dent, an ex-scientist convinced of the health benefits of Ayurveda, runs a tight ship. She oversees timetables and ensures your stay is hiccup-free. She cooks outstanding vegetarian food according to your Ayurvedic dosha type.
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of alternative medicine based on maintaining a balanced emotional and physical state. There are three main body types, or doshas; Vata, Pitta and kapha.
On the first night we filled out our dosha questionnaires. They were extraordinarily accurate in terms of personality types. Apparently, we were all prone to illness or emotional disharmony when out of alignment with our dominant dosha.
What gives The Clover Mill an unparalleled edge over most Uk spas is the quality of the treatments. You will have a holistic experience worthy of any top-notch Eastern destination spa — without the jet lag.
A real draw is therapist Amanda Phillips, who performs a technique called Conscious Breathing, which can release powerful emotions such as grief, anxiety and fury.
I released them. I sobbed through the Conscious Breathing sessions; I scraped my tongue to aid detox; I drank a foul herb called Triphala to unclog my intestines; and I luxuriated for hours, alone, in my lodge.
The atmosphere is nurturing and unpretentious. Perfect if you need a pause from daily life to let go of stress. I left feeling physically and psychologically lighter. My Pitta dosha in balance? Perhaps.