28 - 30 January 2026

Soft Landings - HWYL Studio

A midwinter retreat designed to soften the edges, create space & reconnect with yourself & others. 

COMING SOON
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Join Lydia Buckler & Kelly Thomas for the second edition of Soft Landings — a midwinter retreat designed to soften the edges, create space, and reconnect with yourself and others. This year, we gather in the newly opened ARC Thorpeness, a breathtaking architectural sanctuary on the Suffolk coast. Situated between lake & sea & curated within the framework of a former water tower designed by architect William Gilmour Wilson. This Grade II listed home is one of light, elevation, and panoramic sea views. This retreat is your invitation to resist the pressure of a ‘new year, new you’ and instead begin 2026 gently, spaciously, and with care.

Highlights

5th floor yoga studio

5th floor yoga studio

Practice on the 5th floor of this former water-tower with panoramic views on all sides

Wood-fired hot tub and fire pit

Wood-fired hot tub and fire pit

Soothe your body in the hot tub or relax by the fire and make memories under the stars

Share great food and great stories

Share great food and great stories

Expect seasonal, nourishing, plant-based meals shared in a family-style setting

Daily yoga led by experts

Daily yoga led by experts

Four extended 90-minute practices (Vinyasa in the mornings, Restorative & Nidra in the evenings)

Two nights / three days in one of the UK’s most inspiring new retreat spaces

Two nights / three days in one of the UK’s most inspiring new retreat spaces

All ARC houses are newly renovated and designed to offer comfort worthy of a boutique hotel with ensuite bedrooms, Superking beds, Egyptian cotton sheets and La Eva toiletries.

Time to rest and reconnect

Time to rest and reconnect

Long winter walks along the coast, conversation, or bumbling into a local pub for a pint

Hosts

Kelly

Kelly

Teaching from the heart, Kelly believes in the practice of yoga as a creative space to heal, reconnect and restore both body and mind.


Practicing yoga for over a decade, Kelly has teaching experience in trauma-informed approaches to dynamic flow and restorative yoga. Influenced by playful, embodied and functional movement, classes focus on how your body feels over how your body looks, exploring rich sensation through soft awareness of breath. 


In Flow classes, you can expect a creative, strong but inclusive practice, with space to rest and play. Options are offered for all levels of experience and energy, encouraging curiosity and self-agency throughout. Restorative classes focus on nourishing our nervous systems and using rest as a catalyst for reconnecting with our innate creativity and calm.

Lydia

Lydia

Lydia has been passionate about movement from a child, be it countless hours of dance classes or attempting back flips off the living room sofa- it made her feel alive. Her initial discovery of Yoga was in her later teenage years, the curiosity in the practice continually grew from this point. 


Almost ten years on from then Lydia trained to be a yoga teacher and immersed herself in the wider practice. Training & working as a contemporary dancer, Lydia was curious to learn people’s yogic journeys from all different walks of life, ages, physicality's & capabilities, consequently learning what it really means to teach yoga, share and encourage experiences. Lydia furthered her studies with dynamic practices of The Rocket and Mandala Vinyasa & Shamanism with The Yoga People in 2017 and later went on to train in Pregnancy Yoga. 


Lydia teaches a vitalising & powerful practice that is dappled with functional movement and explorative sequencing. Believing, that the practice of yoga should not be about embodying an idealistic view of how it should look but rather connecting our conscious mind to a feeling. Additionally, and possibly most importantly, representing the ethos that yoga is a full-bodied experience that lingers long after the physical practice. Lydia gives huge thanks to all of her teachers that inspired her curiosity in this practice.

Sophia

Sophia

Sophie is a chef, caterer and author of ‘The Whole Vegetable’. With a huge love and passion for cooking she works with simple seasonal ingredients to create a variety of vegetarian and vegan based dishes for all occasions. ‘Working with seasonal ingredients allows each dish to be refined, full of flavour and vibrant’. She creates recipes that are dedicated to a veg-centric table, from the earth, fresh, to the table, aiming to create a spread that is not only environmentally friendly but a joyous experience. Keeping with the seasonal theme, Sophie encourages people to be mindful of their waste along the way, again, using the whole vegetable to create meals, using leftovers and getting creative in the kitchen. 


Sophie has been working as a chef for the last 10 years hosting regular supper clubs, catering for retreats and weddings across the globe, as well as organising local events - private, corporate and public. In 2020 she founded her catering business Florence Road Events to enable a broader range of catering. She aims to bring people together and encourage the idea of dining communally and enjoying those all important vegetables.


On retreat you can expect to see lots of vibrant autumnal dishes, working with some of the best local produce. Homemade granola, nut butters and scrambled eggs for breakfast, sweet and savoury snacks; think luscious confit garlic hummus and crudities or zesty date and nut balls. Homemade breads and Sophie’s all time favourite autumn vegetables; pumpkin, beetroot and dark leafy greens.

Her debut cook book ’The Whole Vegetable’ is now available to buy from all major book retailers, as well as the all important independents that feel extra special.

Schedule

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What to Expect

  • Four extended 90-minute practices (Vinyasa in the mornings, Restorative & Nidra in the evenings) 
  • Optional bonus fifth practice if time allows 
  • Meditation, journaling & space to reflect 
  • Long winter walks along the coast, conversation, or quiet time by the fire, bumbling into a local pub for a pint 
  • Shared meals & snacks curated by Sophie 

Reviews

THE ULTIMATE RESET. A WHOLESOME ESCAPE FROM THE EVERYDAY. GORGEOUS FOOD. UPLIFTING COMPANY. AND GENTLE. GIRLY ACTIVITIES. I WENT SOLO AND NEVER ONCE FELT ALONE. SURROUNDED BY INSPIRING WOMEN OF ALL AGES. SAME ENERGY. SAME MINDSET. IT FELT LIKE COMING HOME.

Rose

Your Venue

With a collection of purposefully restored homes across the UK, ARC promises guests the luxury of a boutique hotel without compromise.

Newly opened in Autumn 2025 and converted from a Grade II listed former water tower, ARC Thorpeness is a bold reimagining of one of Suffolk’s most distinctive coastal buildings.Enjoy panoramic views from all sides of the astonishing 5th floor living room or relax in the Mediterranean garden with outdoor pool, wood-fired hot tub and alfresco kitchen


Every ARC is newly renovated and designed for large groups - combining stunning architecture and interiors with state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor kitchens, spacious communal areas and extensive amenities.


Expect modern ensuites, 1,000 pocket spring luxury mattresses, Egyptian cotton bedding, bespoke ARC welcome jumpers and LA-EVA organic toiletries as standard, whilst enjoying facilities such as hot tubs, swimming pools, cinema rooms and fire pits.


Find out more about ARC here.

Your Venue
Soft Landings - HWYL Studio

United Kingdom · 28 - 30 January 2026 · 2 nights

COMING SOON