It was really lovely to be a part of the Dorset Leading Ladies feature in Dorset Magazine,that was apart of their honouring of women for International Women’s Day on 8th March 2023.
We currently come 2nd in Dorset on Trip Advisor for Spas and Wellness Centres, here’s a lovely review of us in our local Dorset Live online news website. Perfect!
So proud and honoured to have won the Muddy Stiletto Award for Best Yoga Studio in Dorset and Somerset for 2021! Thanks so much to all of you for voting for us!
Delighted once again to win BRONZE again at the South West Tourism Awards, absolutely amazed to be there at the finals with the top Spa’s in the south west of england and to come away with another prize!
We’ve decided we are taking a break from awards now, 3 years running is more than we could ever have wished for, so now its time to chill and enjoy.
Gold for the THIRD YEAR RUNNING! At the Dorset Tourism Awards, Spa & Wellbeing Experience of the Year and we made it through to the FINALS for the South West again for the THIRD YEAR RUNNING! WOOHOO!!!
Join us at Dorsets Top Yoga Retreat
March 2019
We were recently featured on ITV’s This Morning with their fertility expert Dr Larissa Corda. Larissa brought three couples to Middle Piccadilly Rural Retreat where they enjoyed Fertility Yoga with Saira, ate delicious nutritious food and felt transformation through the retreat centres amazing array of Spiritual Therapies.
We had a lovely surprise when Round the World Magazine contacted us to say they had included us in their round up of Top Spiritual Retreats in the World! We are so pleased to have been included amongst some amazing global retreats and one right here in Dorset!
March 2019
We had a visit from a lovely lady Claire who writes the amazing blog Weekend Candy in December 2018. She loved her retreat day with us, read her review for more and heres a little snippet:
“Saira has been running affordable yoga retreats since 2011 after Vinyasa yoga helped her overcome her own personal challenges – and it’s this deep sense of respect and love of the practice that shines through in her tuition. In fact, Saira’s natural charm and magnetism, coupled with her gentle teaching style, has brought her a healthy clutch of recognition: she has a loyal fan base and, for the second year running, Mellulah has won gold in the Dorset Tourism Awards.”
Now we have the complete set! 2 Golds, a Silver and now a Bronze award at the South West Tourism Awards. Saira and her husband Stoo spent a lovely evening at the glittery awards night in February at Bristol Aerospace and the night did not disappoint as Saira was handed yet another award for Mellulah Excellence in the Spa & Wellbeing Category for 5 counties in the South West, it has to be said we were beaming for days!
December 2018
Wow! We’ve been included in The Guardian Christmas Gift Guide! They’ve created a Advent Calendar 24 day countdown with lots of amazing gift ideas and guess who comes in on day 24! A perfect gift idea for you and not just for Christmas!
For the second year running Mellulah won Gold at the Dorset Tourism Awards, we are simply delighted and honoured to have won again in the Spa & Wellbeing Experience Category once again!
September 2018
We are very proud to have been reviewed by Queen of Retreats and listed on their website. Take a look and read about Sally Kirby’s experience on our Deep Transformational Residential Yoga Retreat at Middle Piccadilly in September.
A feature in Dorset Magazine included a piece about Mindfulness and Saira’s own use of the practice both personally and in her classes: ‘ Saira Francis runs the award winning Mellulah and teaches mindfulness in all her classes. “Mindfulness helped me to overcome serious anxiety and panic attacks back in my twenties” says Saira who is based in Milton Abbas. “I went on to use it when my children were young and life was complicated and stressful, I now include the techniques in all my teaching”. Saira runs weekly yoga classes, incorporating mindfulness at a number of Dorset venues.’
February 2018
The Mellulah Team were delighted to be awarded Silver at the South West Tourism Awards in Torquay this February. Alongside some major business from Cornwall & Devon, Saira was over the moon to be there and collect this prestigious accolade.
‘We find inner peace at healthy house party of Mellulah Retreats in Dorset. Huddled around a countryside kitchen table with my fellow retreaters, I’m cooing over a mug of infused stickyweed. I found this hedgerow herb, reputed to remove toxins from the blood and ease skin irritations like eczema, in the sprawling garden just minutes ago. I do wonder, though, if I’m only enjoying this bitter herbal elixir because it’s the last morning of our retreat and I am marvelling at the beauty of everything.
Mellulah Retreats, near Blandford Forum, is the work of yoga teacher and holistic therapist Saira Francis and I’ve joined her retreat at the delightful seven-bed Springfield cottage, surrounded by green hills that roll through to the Dorset Gap, a track crossing dating from the Middle Ages…..’
Visit Britain Industry Magazine Issue 24 January 2017
‘Peace, calm and tranquillity are all words that holiday-make use to describe their aspirations for that mini break or week away. But have you noticed the growth in tourism circles of a very 21st century buzzword: wellness?
‘It’s nice to be able to say that this bread is from down the road, and the stew was made from veg in the farm shop,’ says Saira Francis, who organises the retreats. ‘People enjoy that, especially when they come down from London. They really like that everything’s local and healthy.
Guests can take part in on-site therapies and yoga retreats, and enjoy superb vegetarian food. Working with a local caterer and farm shop owner enhances the experience.’
November 2012
‘Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been standing on your head for years, this is amazing…’
We currently come 2nd in Dorset on Trip Advisor for Spas and Wellness Centres, here’s a lovely review of us in our local Dorset Live online news website. Perfect!
Gold for the THIRD YEAR RUNNING! At the Dorset Tourism Awards, Spa & Wellbeing Experience of the Year and we made it through to the FINALS for the South West again for the THIRD YEAR RUNNING! WOOHOO!!!
