The pain keeps coming back

Maybe it's not where you're looking.

Do you get recurring neck pain, tight shoulders, headaches, an aching jaw, a low back that never quite settles? Have you started to suspect it's not just how you sit, but how you live?

You've probably tried the massage, the odd physio session, maybe the painkillers. It eases for a week, then it's back. That's the clue.

When pain keeps returning, it usually isn't only mechanical - it's mechanical and wired to a nervous system that's been running too hot for too long.

That's the bit most people miss, and it's the bit I've spent twenty years working with.

I'm an osteopath, so I understand the body - the neck, the back, the jaw, the mechanics of your pain. But I'm also a teacher and coach who works with the whole person, because your body doesn't hurt in isolation from your life.

Everyone's busy chasing longevity - the peptides, the supplements, the wearables measuring things you've never heard of before - but it's looking in the wrong place. The thing that actually changes how you feel is unglamorous: learning. Learn how your body works, learn to settle your own system, and learn to look after the one you're in. I call it Simple Wisdom for Better Health - and whilst it's simple, it's still grounded in science.

Over five days we can explore the causes for your pain - and I will give you the skills you need to manage it yourself. Not a fix you have to keep coming back for. A fix that's yours to keep.

Bring your Oura ring, your Whoop, your smartwatch if you like. Let's test them!

You'll feel the difference - your breathing, your shoulders, the way you stand. See what your body tells you once the noise is turned down.

What we will work on

Three things, woven together - because lasting relief needs all three, not just the first.

The body you stand up in. Posture, back, neck, shoulders, balance. The hunch we associate with ageing isn't inevitable, it's mechanical, and mechanical things can change. We'll work on standing tall, getting up and down off the floor with ease, and feeling strong and grounded in the frame you have. This is the BackCare work at the heart of everything I teach.

The system underneath. The nervous system - the thing everyone's just discovered and given a clever name. We'll use breath, gentle movement and deep rest to shift you out of constant tension and into calm, steady alertness. Not switching stress off. Learning to meet it.

Rest as a skill. Including Yoga Nidra, the deliberate practice of deep rest. Sleep is one of the few genuine longevity levers we have, and most of us are terrible at it. We'll practise.

None of this is esoteric. It's practical, it's researched, it's been tested for centuries, and you can take it home.

Your retreat includes:

• An initial 1:1 with Anji before you arrive, online, so we start knowing where you are
  
• Two movement sessions a day - active in the morning, restorative later
• Yoga for BackCare, breathwork, and Yoga Nidra for deep rest
• The yoga wall, ropes, resistance bands and props - all provided
• Two treatments with our hand-picked therapists
• Simple techniques and practices to take home
• A small group, for proper individual attention
• A closing 1:1 after you're home, so you know what to keep doing

You'll leave calmer, steadier and stronger, with a clearer sense of how your body actually works and simple tools you'll still be using long after you're home.

This is simple wisdom for better health, with the time and space to truly learn it.

 VENUE

Our home will be the Santillan Yoga Retreat - regularly voted as one of Europe's top 10 retreat centres. We will have sole use of the whole venue. 

Santillan is an Andalusian paradise, surrounded by the silence of the mountain and with wonderful sea views, yet only 25 minutes from Malaga airport. Malaga enjoys the most annual sunshine of any European city. 

There are 22 rooms, all with air-conditioning and en-suite and each with a private outdoor space, with views of the gardens, hills or sea.

There is a heated freshwater pool, a padel tennis court and beautiful gardens. There is space - space to walk, to sit, to lie, to look at the stars. 

MOVEMENT

Anji's methods draw from both the clinic and the yoga world. Our practice is a mix of active asana, restorative postures, breathwork and deep relaxation. Sessions build day by day - stretching, strengthening, moving, hanging, breathing, resting.

Anji's Yoga for BackCare sits at the centre: a gentle, practical, powerful approach to spinal health and posture. Around it we work the whole system - strength with resistance bands, breath and stillness for the nervous system, and Yoga Nidra for genuine rest.

Expect two movement sessions a day, morning and afternoon, around two hours each. All equipment is provided - props, the yoga wall, bands, and the outdoor space when the weather allows. There's an assistant teacher throughout, so you're well supported.

The teaching is clear, kind, sometimes challenging, always inclusive. Retreaters come at all ages and stages, and most practices suit mixed ability. But we do practise for several hours a day, so this isn't for absolute beginners or anyone with serious health concerns. We'll always have a chat before you book.

 MEALS

Food is health, so we eat well - from dinner on the first night to brunch on the last, all prepared by the wonderful chef Javier & his team. Mostly vegetarian, with some fish and a special paella night. Lunches are simple and fresh, dinners are three courses.

We'll tell you what's on your plate and why it helps - the protein, the good stuff - without turning dinner into a lecture. All meals are buffet-style at communal tables, inside or out. Hot drinks and fresh water available throughout, and an honesty bar for everything else. Fruit, bread and hot drinks are always available, including before morning practice.

Good company

We eat together, practise together, and share the whole of Santillan between us. Connection turns out to be one of the quieter longevity levers - the people who age best tend to be the ones who stay well connected.

But none of it is compulsory. There's no forced bonding, no sitting in a circle sharing your feelings unless you want to. Join in as much or as little as suits you. Some of the best moments happen over dinner, or on a walk, or saying nothing much at all in the sun.

A TYPICAL DAY

The programme builds day by day as we explore how the body works, and how to help it work better.

Morning practice begins around 8am, followed by a late breakfast around 10.30. The rest of the day is yours - swim, walk in the hills, read, sleep, gaze at the sea, or simply do nothing. A hand-picked team of therapists offers daily treatments: massage, sound, and more.

Optional extras might include a session at the yoga wall, a cookery lesson, or an afternoon excursion, depending on weather and group. But a retreat is a retreat. We won't overfill your day.

Evening practice begins around 5pm: slower, quieter, focused on rest and depth, and often finishing with Yoga Nidra. Breathing and stillness feature morning and evening.

TRAVEL

Centro Santillan is 36km east of Málaga. The closest international airport is Málaga (AGP), served by a wide range of airlines.

We'll arrange a taxi transfer for you: roughly €70 each way for a car taking up to four people, paid in cash directly to the driver. We'll group guests into shared taxis closer to the time.

Arrive Sunday 7th March from 3.30pm. Depart Friday 12th March by midday. First practice is Sunday evening, around 5pm.

Please don't book your flights until we've confirmed your place.

TREATMENTS & EXCURSIONS

A range of hand-picked therapists are on site daily, and we'll help you choose what's right for you. A treatment on retreat adds to the sense of renewal in body and mind. Two treatments are included, and you're welcome to book more.

Málaga itself is a beautiful port city - the Picasso Museum, good food, easy reach of other southern Spanish towns. Some guests choose to add a night in the city before or after. We'll share more on excursions once you've booked.

ROOMS

Santillan is a traditional Spanish-style hotel, lovingly refurbished by its family owners with care and character. All rooms are ensuite, air-conditioned, and beautifully appointed in a warm, homely style - recently updated with new beds.

Sea-View Twin Suites

The best view at Santillan - and the most space. Recently refurbished with divided sleeping areas, new beds, and private outdoor terraces overlooking the sea. These rooms are genuinely beautiful, and sharing one costs less than you'd think.

Don't have a travel companion? No problem! Anji will match you with someone great.

From £1450pp

Garden Rooms - Single Occupancy

Intimate, peaceful, yours alone. Garden views, en-suite, air-conditioned. Limited availability.

From £1800pp

Not travelling with anyone? Don't let that stop you. Anji knows her community well and is happy to help match you with a like-minded roommate. Just indicate this on the booking form and she'll be in touch personally.

Know someone who needs this as much as you do? The sea-view rooms are best enjoyed shared - and it's kinder on the wallet too.

PRICE

To secure your place, we will ask for £500 of the non-refundable booking fee at the time of booking & the remainder by 1st January 2027. Bookings after this date will require the booking fee upfront. The balance is payable in Euros via card or cash on arrival. 

Included: 5 nights accommodation, full daily programme, 2 treaments, 3 meals a day, use of studio, equipment and other facilities, wifi, tea, coffee and drinking water.

Bonus: After retreat you are offered a 1:1 online consultation with Anji worth £185.

Not included: flights, transfers to/from the venue (approx. €70 each way, shared per vehicle), excursions or travel insurance.

Travel insurance is required for this activity holiday. Please ensure you are covered before booking.

BOOKING

If you would like to attend, don’t delay. There are just 16 places available at this retreat. 

PLEASE complete the booking form below. BUT PLEASE DO NOT BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS until we have confirmed you have a room. 

Email [email protected] to ask any questions. You can copy Anji if you wish: [email protected]

Please note that your place is not finally confirmed until we have received your booking fee. 

FAQ

What actually is this retreat?

It's a Finding Health retreat with a strong BackCare core, held through a wider lens: posture, strength and balance for the body, breath and rest for the nervous system. Everyone's talking about longevity. This is the unglamorous, genuinely useful version - simple wisdom for better health, with the time and space to learn it properly.

Do I need to be fit or flexible? Will everyone be a yoga expert?

Not at all. Anji's teaching attracts a real range of normal people, at all ages and stages, and it's focused on what each person can do. Whether you're new to Anji or have practised for decades, we're all students here. You don't need special gear or any prior expertise. Just bring yourself.

I keep hearing about longevity. Is this one of those biohacking things?

The opposite. No peptides, no protocols, no gadgets required. Bring your Oura ring, your Whoop or your smartwatch if you like - we'll happily let you test what a week of breath, movement and proper rest does to your numbers. But the point is what you'll feel, not what you'll measure.

I might be on my own. Will that be strange?

Not at all - plenty of people come solo, and retreat groups are warm and welcoming. Time to yourself is part of the point, too. You decide how much you join in.

How physical is it?

Expect around two movement sessions a day. Some of it is active, some restorative, and there's real rest built in. It's not a bootcamp, but we do practise for several hours daily, so it isn't suitable for absolute beginners or anyone with serious health concerns. If you're unsure, call us and we'll talk it through before you book.

I have some health concerns. Can I keep up?

You'll complete a health questionnaire before arriving, and we always encourage a chat first if anything's on your mind. Anji's teaching is inclusive, with modifications where needed, and you're always encouraged to rest. Listening to your own body is part of the practice.

Anji is a registered osteopath. Will I get treatment or health advice?

Anji's teaching is about finding health through movement, breath and rest. It draws on her clinical knowledge, but nothing on the retreat constitutes individual treatment or medical advice, and Anji doesn't run private consultations during the week. Do complete the health questionnaire on booking, or call us with any questions.

How big is the group?

Small, by design, so everyone gets proper attention. We have the whole of Santillan to ourselves, so there's plenty of space, but we keep numbers low on purpose.

Is there chanting?

Possibly a little. Here's the thing everyone's rediscovering: a simple hum or sound is one of the fastest ways to settle the nervous system - slow the breath, calm the system down. Yoga worked this out a long time ago. So we might use a little, when it helps. Nothing you'll be made to do, and nothing weird. You're always free to sit quietly and let it wash over you.

What do I need to bring?

Just yourself. All equipment is provided - the centre is fully kitted out, and we bring bands and props too. We'll send a packing list when you book.

YOURS TO KEEP

You came because something hurts. You'll leave understanding why - and knowing what to do about it.

The body is where we start. But the quiet that comes with a week like this reaches further - into how you rest, how you think, and how you feel in yourself once everything slows down.

The aim isn't to keep you coming back. It's to teach you what your body needs, so you can look after it yourself. That's the whole point. You leave knowing how.

This is simple wisdom for better health. Yours to keep.