Writer and yogini Caroline Sylger-Jones road tests some of the best yoga retreats in Britain and Ireland for Yoga Abode. In her second column she reports on a luxurious In:Spa weekend tucked away in the Yorkshire Dales.
The Essence 
Each year between May and October dynamic wellbeing company In:Spa runs three and four-night walking and yoga breaks in the Yorkshire Dales.
A specially chosen chef, yoga teacher, two personal trainers and a retreat leader offer a carefully thought out programme of yoga, walks through spectacular scenery and optional fitness sessions.
Delicious cleansing meals are created without sugar, salt, wheat or dairy.
The Setting
The base is Middleton Lodge (pictured), a pale stone Georgian mansion set in 200 acres of private parkland, with flat lawns, wild flowers and huge trees to wander amongst.
There are no circular walks from the house, but each day you're driven in a mini bus to the start of a different, and very stunning, walk through the Yorkshire Dales.
You sleep in one of 16 individually decorated contemporary bedrooms with dark wood furniture, good quality linens and lots of natural light.
In:Spa has style, so expect boutique attention to detail including a selection of sulphate-free REN toiletries (renskincare.com), attractive bright orange soft blankets and yoga mats, and a complementary good quality white T-shirt for walking.
The Yoga
Yoga is done in a spacious reception room with large windows, a wooden-floor and an open fire place. Marvellously, this was lit for each yoga session when we were there.
In:Spa uses a range of different teachers on each weekend - see www.inspa-retreats.com/team.htm and scroll down for their backgrounds. We enjoyed sessions with London-based, British Wheel of Yoga accredited Jeff Phenix (yogajeff.co.uk), who mixes different styles in his teaching. A mellow, friendly laid-back teacher, he offered a gentle daily practice with lots of focus on the breath.
In:Spa weekends tend to attract quite a few people who have never tried yoga before, though classes aim to cater to all levels, and I found Jeff's sessions relaxing and helpful, especially as I was suffering from a sore back at the time.
He read us regular quotes from a favourite yoga book, Yoga Gems, and talked us through a highly effective Yoga Nidra on the last evening.
The Surprise
The flexibility of each In:Spa team is what makes these holidays work. Walks, yoga and the fitness sessions were tailored to the abilities of our group, and each day the options were tweaked to suit our needs.
Retreat leader and nutritionist, Amelia Freer, gave an impromptu talk on nutrition because of the group's interest, while the down to earth and friendly Doug Robertson (theperfectbum.com) offered a very effective one-to-one personal training session with me to help release my back.
I enjoyed a couple of cookery demos with chef, Charles Amos, who taught us how to make our own baked beans as well as a rather delicious Japanese dipping sauce. I was disappointed that we weren't offered massage - unlike In:Spa's week-long holidays abroad, the short time frame makes this difficult.
The Atmosphere
Warm, personable and sociable, with a mix of people all here for different reasons - from professional men and women looking to get fit or de-stress to busy mums desperately in need of me-time.
The Detail
A three-night In:Spa weekend in the Yorkshire Dales costs from £550 for a small double with a shared bathroom based on two sharing to £1150 for single occupancy in a superior ensuite double room.
In:Spa also runs weekends at Hurdlow Grange in Peak District, as well as their popular weeks abroad. A series of dedicated yoga weekends are planned for the future. For more details go to inspa-retreats.com.
Read Caroline's first column for Yoga Abode here.
Caroline Sylger-Jones is the author of travel resource book Body & Soul escapes. Her second book, Body & Soul Escapes: Britain & Ireland, will be published in November 2008 (and can be pre-ordered here).
