Andrea Hanagarth is a yin (restorative) yoga teacher who lives in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex. ‘We’re all drawn to the sea instinctively – I find it fascinating that the first thing every person does when they come to my yoga studio is walk to the window to look at the sea in the distance! There is a sense of infinity about the sea and sky, and in yoga, we’re very much trying to create inner “space”. Another key part of yoga is becoming attuned to nature. The natural rhythms of the body work with the rhythms of the moon, just like the tides.’

Here's where to try for a yoga break in the UK...

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You can see the English Channel from the top of the Downs that surround this Georgian house, a short drive from Brighton. Tilton House was used as a retreat for the Bloomsbury Group in the 1920s, when it was owned by the economist John Maynard Keynes and his Russian ballerina wife, Lydia Lopokova. Now lovingly restored by filmmakers Polly Moore and Shaun Treloar, it attracts some of the UK’s top yoga teachers. ‘There’s a quality about the air here – clean and crisp – that makes it perfect for yoga,’ says A-list tutor Jean Hall from London’s Triyoga, who is hosting a retreat on April 27-29 (www.yogajeannie.com). Classes are held in a large yurt in the garden. From £345pp for two nights in a twin or a double room, four classes and seasonal vegan and raw-food meals based on home-grown produce (01323 811570, www.tiltonhouse.co.uk).

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Top teacher Phil Ashton describes his retreats as ‘holidays with yoga thrown in’. ‘I wanted to get away from the “shared room and mung beans” approach to yoga retreats,’ he says. St Moritz Hotel sits between Rock and Polzeath on a clifftop path overlooking the rugged North Cornwall coastline. An indulgent tone is set from your arrival, with a chilled bottle of Champagne to greet you in your room, and there’s lots of time for walks on the beach or relaxing by the hotel pool. Former advertising executive Phil is passionate about demystifying yoga, so you won’t be expected to chant, and he believes in explaining the purpose and benefits of every pose. ‘My aim is that everyone will leave with the ability to practise yoga at home,’ he says. From £390pp for two nights (twin, double or family room), includes four yoga classes, two breakfasts and two three-course dinners, plus 15 per cent off Cowshed spa treatments (01208 862242, www.stmoritzhotel.co.uk).

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For a girls’ weekend with a difference, hire the quirky Beach Sun Retreat. Owner Karl Emanuelsson will tailor a yoga programme to suit your group’s interests from a selection of nearby teachers. (It’s up to you whether you self-cater or book the local macrobiotic chef.) You can enhance the effects of the classes – or simply escape bad weather – with a session in the ‘Real Sunlight’ room, kitted out with therapeutic sunlight simulators, sun loungers and beach-themed murals. A popular mood-boosting therapy in Emanuelsson’s native Sweden, the room is one of only three in the UK. In the evenings, you can watch movies in the cinema room. And you don’t have to go far to find a real beach – simply cross the private footbridge outside the house. From £780 per weekend for cottage hire (sleeps six) – bespoke classes, food and treatments extra (0783 018 2380, www.beachsunretreat.com).

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After focusing on your breathing and body alignment, you’re in the ideal frame of mind to learn to surf, says yoga teacher and surf enthusiast Michelle Riordan. She runs weekend retreats with her partner Michael Moroney at their cottage on the west coast of Ireland. Her style is a mix of Iyengar, Ashtanga and classical Hatha, and there’s plenty of one-on-one attention. From €290 (around £253) for two nights, eight hours of teaching and vegetarian meals (00 353 868517710, www.yogatraveller.com).

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There’s half an hour’s silence after every meal at Aruna, to allow time for reflection – just one of many thoughtful details at the retreats based at a four-star B&B in the Pembrokeshire National Park. Classes are held in a purpose-built, light-filled studio that overlooks the sea, by British Wheel of Yoga-accredited teacher Karen Saunders. One of the most useful things you’ll learn is a breathing technique that can calm and rebalance you in a few minutes. ‘It’s great for dealing with stress at work,’ she says. From £215pp for two nights, nine hours of yoga and meals (01348 837858, www.pembrokeshire online.co.uk).

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