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Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire, UK

Learning to breathe again when you're stuck
in the spin cycle of life

5-night retreat with Ruby Wax
Dates for 2026 TBC
REGISTER INTEREST
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Broughton Sanctuary
Yorkshire, UK

Learning to breathe again when you're stuck in the spin cycle of life

5-night retreat with Ruby Wax
10 - 15 December 2025
BOOK NOW

Broughton Sanctuary presents a five-night retreat with Ruby Wax

We know that when we feel connected to our bodies and minds, it’s as if we’ve found home. I will offer workshops and tools to help you stop negative thinking patterns and teach you to understand that who we are is enough. If we can create a calmer environment inside us, it affects everyone around us. We humans work like neural WiFi - if we change ourselves, we change the world.
Held at Broughton Sanctuary - described by Ruby as ‘the coolest place I’ve ever been’ - this five-night immersive retreat takes place at the UK’s leading luxury retreat centre. Blending brain science, ancient wisdom, and creative self-inquiry, designed to help you rewire your thinking, calm your nervous system, and rediscover a sense of peace and purpose.
Ruby has run workshops for groups and corporations such as: Google, The Football Association, MI5, BUPA, The Senior Civil Service, KPMG, Bank of America, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Facebook , Deutsch Bank, Pepsi, Legal and General, Astra Zeneca, Facebook, Microsoft, Pfizer, GCHQ, BAE Systems

Broughton Sanctuary presents a five-night retreat with Ruby Wax

We know that when we feel connected to our bodies and minds, it’s as if we’ve found home. I will offer workshops and tools to help you stop negative thinking patterns and teach you to understand that who we are is enough. If we can create a calmer environment inside us, it affects everyone around us. We humans work like neural WiFi - if we change ourselves, we change the world.
Held at Broughton Sanctuary - described by Ruby as ‘the coolest place I’ve ever been’ - this five-night immersive retreat takes place at the UK’s leading luxury retreat centre. Blending brain science, ancient wisdom, and creative self-inquiry, designed to help you rewire your thinking, calm your nervous system, and rediscover a sense of peace and purpose. 
Ruby has run workshops for groups and corporations such as: Google, The Football Association, MI5, BUPA, The Senior Civil Service, KPMG, Bank of America, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Facebook , Deutsch Bank, Pepsi, Legal and General, Astra Zeneca, Facebook, Microsoft, Pfizer, GCHQ, BAE Systems

"Ruby and Thubten have nailed it”

Helen Kirwan-Taylor, The Times

“By the end of our six days, we’re transformed”

Christine Fieldhouse, The Ethicalist

The teacher

Ruby sets the scene. Drawing on her Oxford training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy - and her own lived experience - she unpacks why your mind behaves the way it does, why thoughts are so often negative and why modern life makes it worse. How to stop being driven by your thoughts; become the driver, not the driven.

The results

The retreat acts as a powerful container for renewal - emotionally, mentally, and physically. Whether you're navigating big life changes, burnout, muddled thinking or a lack of self-worth, you’ll leave feeling grounded, supported, with both new friends and practical reset tools to carry into everyday life. How to stay sane in an insane world. Join us.

The teacher

Ruby sets the scene. Drawing on her Oxford training in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy - and her own lived experience - she unpacks why your mind behaves the way it does, why thoughts are so often negative and why modern life makes it worse. How to stop being driven by your thoughts; become the driver, not the driven.

The results

The retreat acts as a powerful container for renewal - emotionally, mentally, and physically. Whether you're navigating big life changes, burnout, muddled thinking or a lack of self-worth, you’ll leave feeling grounded, supported, with both new friends and practical reset tools to carry into everyday life. How to stay sane in an insane world. Join us.
BOOK NOW
During this programme you will experience...
  • Five nights’ accommodation at Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire
  • Programme designed by Ruby Wax
  • Group sessions, reflective writing workshops, guided meditations and live Q&As
  • Mindfulness practices to reduce stress and stay present
  • Cognitive strategies to manage negative thoughts and emotions
  • Time in nature, space for reflection, and restorative downtime
  • Access to the Avalon Pool Suite, woodland sauna, hydro-massage pool and wild swimming
  • Nourishing, plant-based meals prepared by Broughton’s retreat chefs
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Avalon Pool Suite
Swim in a 20m clear swimming pool looking out onto the adjacent woodland. Nourish and relax the body in a hydro-massage pool and cleanse the body in our organic shaped sauna and steam room. Allow our floatation tank to infuse your being with tranquillity and peace.
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Woodland Sauna, Ice Bathing and Wild Swimming
Enjoy a rejuvenating experience in the wood fired sauna, set amongst the trees in a magical woodland. The heat will slow your mind, gently washing away stress and toxins. Combined with ice bathing in converted barrels and wild swimming, this is a most invigorating experience. to soothe mind, body and soul. Connect with nature, nourish creativity, and have some great fun!
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Fire Temple Celebration
Set within a picturesque woodland, this sheltered wooden structure is perfect for an evening of drumming and celebration.
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The Wider Sanctuary
Broughton is home to an innovative Nature Recovery Project, our 3,000 acres offer an abundance of opportunities to invigorate your mind, body and spirit. Connect to yourself, to nature and to each other with meaningful activities and experiences.
During the retreat you will experience...
What's Included
  • Five nights’ accommodation at Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire
  • Programme designed by Ruby Wax
  • Group sessions, reflective writing workshops, guided meditations and live Q&As
  • Mindfulness practices to reduce stress and stay present
  • Cognitive strategies to manage negative thoughts and emotions
  • Time in nature, space for reflection, and restorative downtime
  • Access to the Avalon Pool Suite, woodland sauna, hydro-massage pool and wild swimming
  • Nourishing, plant-based meals prepared by Broughton’s retreat chefs
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Avalon Pool Suite
Swim in a 20m clear swimming pool looking out onto the adjacent woodland. Nourish and relax the body in a Hydro-Massage Pool. Cleanse the body in an Organic Shaped Sauna and Steam Room. Allow our Floatation Tank to infuse your being with tranquillity and peace.
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Woodland Sauna, Ice Bathing and Wild Swimming Experience
Enjoy a rejuvenating experience in the wood fired sauna, set amongst the trees in a magical woodland. The heat will slow your mind, gently washing away stress and toxins. Combined with ice bathing in converted barrels and wild swimming, this is a most invigorating experience. to soothe mind, body and soul. Connect with nature, nourish creativity, and have some great fun!
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Fire Temple Celebration
Set within a picturesque woodland, this sheltered wooden structure is perfect for an evening of drumming and celebration!

Go deep, go far

Having explored Wyrd Time and Space over the last two years, 2025 will focus on Wyrd People. What are the traits and characteristics of people who can most naturally access the field of consciousness? What are the qualities and skills we can all develop to engage our consciousness-interactive capabilities? What practices seem to be most effective at developing those capacities? How do we measure our development and effectiveness in honest ways that take into account the holistic nature of who we are?

Featuring talks and discussions with the world’s top scientists, academics and practitioners in the field of consciousness studies and real-time experiments that everyone is invited to take part in, participants come away with a real sense of what in Anglo-Saxon terms was referred to as ‘wyrd’; an inherent understanding of our deep interconnection with the world about us.

The conference builds on the work of Professor Robert Jahn and Brenda Dunne, Princeton scientists who dedicated almost thirty years to exploring our ability to affect the world around us with our consciousness. Their findings statistically demonstrated that we are indeed interconnected at the informational energetic level, and can interact outside of the standard parameters of time and space.

In other words, they empirically proved what ancient wisdom traditions have long stated; that interconnectedness with the world around us is a fact. The survival of humankind depends on our ability to learn this for ourselves.

The beautiful Broughton Sanctuary, where the event takes place, is now home to the equipment used in these experiments. You can explore this equipment for yourself, as well as taking the time to experience deep nature-connection through the use of Broughton’s facilities.

The 3,000-acre Estate contains wildflower meadows, woodland, a vast nature-recovery program, a labyrinth, fire temple, Wellbeing Centre and much more! Available to the public or for Academic Credit.

"This was my first experience of a retreat and couldn’t have wished for a better experience. We all walked in as strangers and we have left with a new community of compassionate, kind, caring, friends."

Amanda, previous guest

"This was my first experience of a retreat and couldn’t have wished for a better experience. We all walked in as strangers and we have left with a new community of compassionate, kind, caring, friends."

Amanda
previous guest

Meet Ruby, Gelong and Rahla

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Ruby Wax

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Gelong Thubten

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Rahla Xenopoulos

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Avalon Wellbeing Centre
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Welcome to Broughton Sanctuary

The retreat will be held here at the 3000-acre Broughton Sanctuary, just outside Skipton, at the foothills of The Yorkshire Dales, one of the most picturesque parts of the country. Established in 1097, Broughton Hall is a house of transformation, home to the Tempest family for over 900 years, and enjoys a rich history stretching back over the millennium.

The Sanctuary is also home to one of Britain’s most exciting nature recovery projects, a heartfelt commitment to address one of our deepest contemporary crises, based upon an extensive tree-planting and rewilding programme. This year in 2025, we welcome beavers to the Sanctuary alongside our native cattle and Iron Age pigs. Subscribe to our Rewilding Broughton Youtube channel to learn more.

Avalon, our state-of-the-art wellbeing retreat centre is the beating heart of the Sanctuary. With extensive indoor and outdoor resources the building exists to serve the inner voyage of mind, body, spirit. During your stay you may unwind in the state-of-the-art biophilic designed Pool Suite; including a clear 20-metre pool, steam room and sauna, plus hydromassage pool. Beyond the building itself, the Sanctuary grounds offer a chance to return to source, from meditation labyrinths, wild swimming reservoirs, a cosmic garden and much more.

We have a large variety of rooms available, whether in Broughton Hall itself, or throughout our eclectic collection of 20 stunning Retreat Houses, including converted barns, former coachhouses and gatehouses.

The group eats together and meals are served at Utopia, our contemporary walled garden bistro, designed by Sir Michael Hopkins with gardens by Dan Pearson. The food is delicious - a true highlight of the retreat. Seasonal, locally sourced and plant-based – everything is thoughtfully prepared to nourish body and mind.

Broughton Sanctuary is easily accessible by plane, car and public transport. View location.

  • 3 miles from Skipton Railway Station
  • 24 miles from Leeds Bradford Airport
  • 55 miles from Manchester Airport
Rooming

Tickets range from £1800 to £3900 across our collection of Retreat Houses and our stunning historic home, Broughton Hall.

Please note: the images below are examples of the type of room you will be booking, all rooms are subject to availability.

Rooms in Broughton Hall

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Broughton Hall, our Historic Home.

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Broughton Hall Deluxe, Ensuite. Super King Bed.

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Broughton Hall Deluxe, Ensuite. Super King Bed.

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Broughton Hall Deluxe, Ensuite. Super King Bed.

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Broughton Hall Superior, Ensuite. Super King Bed.

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Broughton Hall Superior, Ensuite.

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Broughton Hall Standard, Shared Bathroom.

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Broughton Hall Deluxe, Ensuite.

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Broughton Hall Deluxe, Ensuite.

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Broughton Hall Deluxe, Ensuite.

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Broughton Hall Superior, Ensuite.

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Broughton Hall Superior, Ensuite.

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Broughton Hall Premium, Shared Bathroom.

Rooms in Retreat Houses
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The Manse, Retreat House Deluxe.

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The Manse, Retreat House Deluxe.

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Top Lodge, Retreat House Superior.

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Redberry, Retreat House Superior.

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Poverty Hill, Retreat House Superior.

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The Farm House, Retreat House Superior.

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Stable Cottage, Retreat House Standard.

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The Manse, Retreat House Deluxe, Ensuite.

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The Manse, Retreat House Deluxe, Ensuite.

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The Manse, Retreat House Deluxe, Ensuite.

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Top Lodge, Retreat House Superior, Private Bathroom.

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Redberry, Retreat House Superior, Ensuite with Private Shower/Bathroom.

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Redberry, Retreat House Superior, Shared Bathroom.

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Redberry, Retreat House Deluxe, Shared Bathroom.

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Poverty Hill, Retreat House Superior, Ensuite with Private Shower/Bathroom.

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Stable Cottage, Retreat House Standard, Ensuite.

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Stable Cottage, Retreat House Standard, Shared Bathroom.

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Eden, Retreat House Superior, Single Bedroom.

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Eden, Retreat House Superior, Shared Bathroom.

Register Interest

Dates are being finalised for 2026, contact us to register your interest.

Broughton Sanctuary, Skipton, Yorkshire
BD23 3AE

For information regarding daily activities, rooming and pricing, and for any other questions you may have, please email our team or call our us on +44(0)1756 799608.

REGISTER INTEREST
National Location
Road and Rail