Awakening Alchemy Retreat Centre · Aberdeenshire
Rest & Restore
A private one-to-one burnout recovery retreat in rural Aberdeenshire for people who need more than a holiday
A calm, one-to-one retreat where your meals are prepared, your days are gently held, and the focus is on deep rest and recovery — not another packed schedule.
Your enquiry is private, gentle and there is no pressure to book.
At a glance
Rest & Restore at a glance
Location
Rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Format
Private one-to-one retreat
Best for
Exhausted professionals, leaders, carers, founders, therapists and responsible people
Core focus
Burnout recovery, nervous-system support, deep rest and emotional restoration
Typical stay
4–7 nights
Includes
Accommodation, meals, daily one-to-one sessions and treatments, quiet space and integration time
Deeper support
Healing Pathway and Soul Alchemy elements can be woven in where appropriate
Investment
From £2,650 for a four-night programme
Group sessions? No. Rest & Restore is entirely private and one-to-one.
A quiet place to stop carrying everything alone
“I arrived frazzled and left feeling renewed, peaceful, and more myself.”
— Louise, 3-day Rest & Restore guest
Guests often come to Rest & Restore when ordinary time off no longer feels enough. They are not looking for entertainment, intensity or a packed retreat schedule — they are looking for a place to set things down.
When a normal break is no longer enough
Burnout does not always look dramatic
You may still be working, replying, caring, organising, leading and keeping things moving. You may still be the person other people rely on.
But inside, things may feel very different. You may feel tired but unable to rest. Wired but flat. Emotional but numb. Easily overstimulated. Short on patience. Unable to make simple decisions.
If you return to the same pressure still feeling depleted, a normal break may not be enough. Rest & Restore was created for people who need a deeper pause — not more stimulation, and not another thing to achieve.
More than tiredness
Burnout is not always just tiredness
For many people, burnout is not only the result of working too hard. It can also be connected to years of responsibility, emotional suppression, unresolved stress, grief, shock, people-pleasing, perfectionism and over-functioning.
You may have spent years overriding your own signals. One part of you may know you need to stop, while another still feels responsible for carrying everything.
This is why Rest & Restore works with more than rest alone. The retreat can include nervous-system support, body-based work and restorative therapies. You do not need to know exactly what you need before you enquire — part of the process is helping you understand what kind of support may be most appropriate.
Nervous-system support
What nervous-system support means
When you have been under prolonged stress, your body may become used to operating in overdrive, vigilance, shutdown or emotional overwhelm. At Rest & Restore, nervous-system support means creating conditions where your body and mind can begin to feel less under demand.
This may include:
- A quiet retreat rhythm and reduced stimulation
- One-to-one support and reflective coaching
- Gentle breath and meditation practices
- Body-based awareness and restorative treatments
- Bioelectric wellbeing therapies where appropriate
- Nature, stillness and spacious integration time
The aim is not to force relaxation. It is to support your system to settle gradually, safely and at a pace that respects your current capacity.
Is this you?
This retreat may be right for you if…
You are functioning, but depleted
You can still get through the day, but it takes more effort than it used to.
You cannot properly switch off
Your body is tired, but your mind keeps running.
Your nervous system feels overloaded
You may feel wired, tense, vigilant, emotionally reactive, numb, restless or unable to settle.
You are always responsible
You are used to being needed, capable and reliable. Rest can feel unfamiliar or even unsafe.
You recognise deeper patterns
Your burnout may be connected to perfectionism, people-pleasing, over-giving, grief or old survival strategies.
You want support, but not pressure
You want to be met gently, without being pushed, exposed, pathologised or expected to perform.
The approach
How Rest & Restore supports burnout recovery
Rest & Restore is designed to reduce demand and support your system on several levels.
Rest and retreat
Time away from work, responsibility, noise, decisions and daily pressure.
Nervous-system support
Gentle practices, treatments and one-to-one work to support grounding and regulation, and the capacity to move out of prolonged stress.
Body-based support
Somatic awareness, relaxation-based practices, Alexander Technique-informed support and gentle movement where appropriate.
Restorative therapies
Wellbeing treatments and bioelectric approaches where appropriate, offered as part of a wider retreat programme.
Reflective coaching
One-to-one space to explore what has brought you to this point, what you are carrying, and what may need to change.
Integration time
Quiet space between sessions and in the evenings so your body and mind can absorb the work without constant input.
The pathways
How the pathways can be woven together
Rest & Restore is the core pathway for burnout, exhaustion, stress and overwhelm. For some guests the retreat is mostly about rest and nourishment; for others, deeper elements can be woven in.
Rest & Restore Pathway
Core pathway. For burnout recovery, nervous-system support, deep rest, nourishment and restoration.
Healing Pathway
For guests whose burnout is connected to unresolved emotional pain, grief, trauma-related patterns or protective strategies.
Soul Alchemy Coaching
Tomaz’s one-to-one inner coaching process, informed by parts work and Internal Family Systems principles.
These pathways are not rigid boxes. They can be woven together to meet the person who arrives. You do not have to choose the right pathway before enquiring — the enquiry process will help clarify what may be most supportive.
What if I do not know which pathway I need?
You do not need to choose perfectly before enquiring. You may simply know that you are tired, overwhelmed, emotionally stretched or unable to continue as you are.
During the enquiry process we will help you explore whether Rest & Restore as a simple restorative retreat is most appropriate, or whether your stay would benefit from deeper support. Some guests need quiet, food, sleep and very little processing. Others need space to gently explore the deeper patterns that have contributed to burnout.
Your enquiry is private, gentle and there is no pressure to book.
What makes it different
Why Rest & Restore is different
A holiday may give you distance. A spa break may give you comfort. A yoga retreat may give you structure. A clinical programme may give you treatment.
Rest & Restore offers something different: a private, supportive burnout recovery retreat for people who need meaningful rest, nervous-system support and gentle, personal care. It is more than a break, but it is not a medical or psychiatric programme — it sits in the middle: private, personal, restorative and body-aware.
A typical day
What your days feel like
Your days are intentionally simple. You do not need to rush from one activity to another, socialise with a group, or fill every hour.
Morning
Breakfast and a slow start
Late morning
One-to-one session, nervous-system support, coaching or gentle practice
Midday
Lunch and quiet time
Afternoon
Treatment, body-based session, meditation, breath practice, Soul Alchemy work or nature time
Early evening
Dinner
Evening
Private rest, reflection, journaling, reading, self-study or sleep
The exact rhythm can be adapted to your energy and capacity. If you are very tired, the retreat can be quieter. The aim is not to fill your time.
Your hosts
Who holds the retreat
Rest & Restore is held by Dan and Tomaz at Awakening Alchemy Retreat Centre. Together, they bring decades of experience in holistic health, body-based work and transformational coaching.
Dan
Dan brings experience in body-based support, meditation, Alexander Technique-informed work, retreat holding and restorative practice. His work supports grounding, settling and a return to the body.
Tomaz
Tomaz brings Soul Alchemy coaching, parts-informed inner work, trauma-aware coaching and deep transformational support. His work supports compassionate, gentle exploration of what lies beneath burnout.
Together, Dan and Tomaz offer a retreat that can meet both the body’s need for rest and the deeper emotional patterns that may be driving exhaustion.
The setting
A quiet retreat centre in rural Scotland
Awakening Alchemy Retreat Centre is located in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland, surrounded by quiet land, open air and natural stillness.
The setting matters. When you are burnt out, overstimulated or carrying unresolved emotional stress, your environment can either add to the load or help it begin to lift.
Getting here: The nearest airport is Aberdeen. Rail travel is available to Aberdeen or Inverurie. Taxis and transfers can be arranged.
Included
What is included
Your Rest & Restore retreat includes:
Accommodation & nourishment
- Private accommodation
- Meals during your stay
- Quiet indoor and outdoor spaces
- High-speed internet
- Optional self-study resources
Daily support & sessions
- Daily one-to-one sessions and treatments
- Nervous-system support
- Gentle meditation and breath practices
- Body-based or Alexander Technique-informed support where appropriate
- Restorative wellbeing therapies
- Soul Alchemy coaching where appropriate
- A personalised retreat rhythm
Before booking, we will discuss your needs, dietary requirements, access needs, current support and whether the retreat feels appropriate for you.
Investment
From £2,650
For a four-night programme, including accommodation, meals, one-to-one sessions, treatments and daily support.
Typical stay: Most guests stay between 4 and 7 nights. Your final investment depends on the length and shape of your retreat, including whether deeper Healing Pathway or Soul Alchemy elements are woven in.
This is not a low-cost wellness holiday or a surface-level break. It is a private retreat for people who need meaningful rest, nervous-system support and personal care.
Why the investment reflects the private format
- Private accommodation and meals
- Daily individual sessions and treatments
- Personalised retreat design before you arrive
- Nervous-system and body-based support throughout
- Careful holding and quiet integration time
- The option to weave in deeper support where appropriate
The enquiry process
What happens before you book
The enquiry process is gentle and private.
You send an enquiry
You do not need to know exactly what you need. You can simply tell us what has been happening and why you are considering Rest & Restore.
We ask a few thoughtful questions
This helps us understand your energy levels, hopes, needs, dietary and access needs, current support and whether deeper work may be relevant.
We explore suitability
Rest & Restore is supportive and can include deeper inner work, but it is not suitable for every situation. We will be honest if another form of support would serve you better.
We suggest a retreat shape
If it feels like a good fit, we will discuss dates, length of stay, practicalities, investment and which elements of the pathways may be most supportive.
You decide
There is no pressure to book. The aim is to help you make a clear and grounded decision.
Suitability
Is this the right level of support?
Rest & Restore may be suitable if you are experiencing:
- Burnout or early signs of burnout
- Emotional depletion
- Stress and overwhelm
- Nervous-system overload
- Difficulty switching off
- Exhaustion from work, caregiving, leadership or responsibility
- Trauma-related patterns that are contributing to burnout
- People-pleasing, over-functioning or perfectionism
- A sense that a normal holiday will not be enough
- A need for privacy, quiet and one-to-one support
It may not be suitable if you are looking for:
- A group retreat or social programme
- A luxury hotel or spa break
- A yoga retreat with a full activity schedule
- Medical or psychiatric treatment
- 24-hour support or acute crisis care
- Detox support
- Evening entertainment
- Continuous staff availability throughout the evening
Rest & Restore is a private holistic retreat. It is not psychotherapy, medical treatment, psychiatric care, crisis support, detox, or a clinical burnout programme.
Guest experiences
What our guests say
Across different private retreats and stays at Awakening Alchemy Retreat Centre, guests often describe the same qualities: warmth, safety, personal care and a space where the nervous system can finally relax.
“I left feeling lighter and clearer.”
What stood out most wasn’t just the therapies, but the space that allowed me to feel more connected to myself than I had in years.
— Julia Hovanskaya
Google review
“The best investment I’ve ever made in myself.”
Dan and Tomaz are incredible people — attentive, understanding and full of knowledge. This place allowed me to find who I am again.
— Ben
Google review
“A rare gem in today’s fast-paced world.”
The level of care, attention to detail and genuine passion for restoring wellbeing is truly exceptional.
— Jelena Isacenkova
Google review
“So nurtured and safe.”
Tomaz and Dan are so warm and welcoming. The food is delicious, the house is beautiful, and you can only feel totally relaxed here.
— Leeann Lok
Google review
“The perfect place to escape and recharge.”
The tranquility and beautiful natural surroundings made it easy to completely switch off and focus on myself. Dan and Tomaz took care of everything.
— Armin Müller
Google review
“A place of safety and nurturing.”
We were warmly welcomed by Dan and Tomaz into their stunning retreat centre. Attention to detail was absolutely on point and we felt very looked after.
— Kirsty Hubbard
Google review
Rest & Restore has been created from this same foundation of warmth, safety, personal attention and deep care — with a programme designed specifically for burnout recovery.
A gentle enquiry is the first step. We’ll help you understand whether this retreat feels like the right fit for you.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Rest & Restore a burnout recovery retreat?
Is this therapy?
What is nervous-system support?
Do you work with trauma?
Will I have to talk about trauma?
What if I only want rest and not deeper emotional work?
What if I do not know which pathway I need?
Is Soul Alchemy the same as IFS therapy?
Can I come if I am already in therapy?
What if I am too exhausted to do much?
What happens in the evenings?
How long should I stay?
How much does it cost?
Where in Scotland are you?
Is there support after the retreat?
How do I book?
Begin with a gentle, private enquiry
There is no pressure to book. The first step is simply to tell us what has been happening.