Own Your Time Florence Achery
Retreat Like It’s 1999: Digital Detox for Real Life with Florence from Yoga Retreats and More
What if your business grew because you put your phone down? In this conversation with Florence, founder of Yoga Retreats and More, we talk about digital detoxing without ditching your ambition. Florence runs “Retreat Like It’s 1999” weekends in Cumbria, where guests switch off, sink into nature and remember what it feels like to be fully present. No doomscrolling. No ping-induced panic. Just connection, breath and a proper night’s sleep.
We dig into my love-hate relationship with technology, what actually happens when you go off-grid for a couple of days and how to set healthier boundaries with your phone when you still need to run a business (and keep the kids alive).
In this episode you’ll hear:
Why social media is designed to keep you hooked and how to get your power back
What a digital detox retreat really looks like
Simple swaps that improve sleep tonight
How to work in focused sprints without your phone calling the shots
Marketing without social media: what’s working for Florence
A gentle starter plan for your first phone-free afternoon
Read the transcript:
Please note - this podcast episode was transcribed by an AI tool, there may be some typos or errors.
What if running your business didn't mean sacrificing your time, your health, or your weekends? Welcome to Own Your Time, the podcast where we trade hustle culture for mindful, sustainable success. I'm Sarah Stewart, and around here we're all about getting more time for the things that really matter.
Today, we're diving into a topic that is probably sitting in your pocket right now — your phone.
My guest is Florence, founder of Yoga Retreats and More. Florence is a big advocate for a digital detox, and she runs wellness retreats where people literally retreat like it’s 1999. No scrolling, no notifications. Space to breathe. Reset. And remember what it feels like to live fully in the present.
We talk about the messy love-hate relationship most of us have with technology, what really happens when you go off grid for a few days, and how you can start setting healthier boundaries with your tech — even if you’re running a business that seems to live on Instagram.
So if you’ve ever felt like your phone is running your life, this conversation is a wake-up call with a whole lot of wisdom.
Let’s get into it.
Hi Florence, thank you so much for joining me today for the podcast. I would love to start with your story and what led you to create your business, Yoga Retreats and More.
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for inviting me. I organize and host yoga and wellness retreats. I discovered yoga in 1998 when I was suffering from depression and insomnia. I went to see my GP thinking she’d give me sleeping tablets or some kind of medication, but instead she asked if I’d ever considered doing yoga.
In 1998, yoga studios weren’t as popular or as available as they are now, but it was great advice. I was a young woman, and starting medication probably wasn’t the best idea. So I joined a yoga course every Saturday morning near me — and it was love at first sight. I went every Saturday.
Then in 2000, I discovered retreats. I realized I could take time away, go somewhere exotic, do some yoga, meet new people — and I’ve been doing a retreat ever since.
I’ve experienced all sorts of retreats — some where there were just five of us and we were left to our own devices, others with 42 people where I barely met anyone because it was so large. Some had so many activities that I needed a holiday after the retreat! That wasn’t ideal.
So in 2010, 2011, I started thinking that I could create a retreat that I would love to book myself. I started talking about it in 2012, but I didn’t act on it because — life! I was an interior designer, a single mum. I was busy.
That was until 2020 and the first lockdown. Ironically, on March 17th, 2020, I returned from two weeks in India on an amazing yoga retreat. We went into lockdown on March 23rd in the UK, and I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands.
As a freelancer, I was getting very little help from the government, but I had time. And I thought, if I don’t do this now, I never will.
So the business was born during the first lockdown in 2020 — with £500 and very little support. Most people thought I was mad — who starts a travel-based, in-person business during a pandemic?
But I knew Covid would pass. Everything does eventually. And I knew people would crave meaningful human connection, travel, sharing what they’d been through. The lockdowns were so detrimental to people’s mental health.
I had to postpone my plans a few times because of ongoing restrictions, but the first retreat happened in November 2021 in the UK. I actually did two back-to-back — both fully booked.
That proved I was right. People wanted real-life connection.
Amazing. And I agree with you around that craving for connection. For me and my circle, that’s continued — we really value experiences over material things. The concept of retreat definitely sparks joy for me.
I love that you’ve now layered in the digital detox element. You told me about your “Retreat Like It’s 1999” — I just think that’s so clever. Tell me why you added that digital detox angle?
So my first retreat was in 2021. Because it was so successful, I’ve been running 8 to 10 retreats a year.
And naturally, I noticed people were leaving their phones in their rooms. They’d say things like, “I haven’t checked my phone all day and I feel amazing.”
That’s when the idea of a dedicated digital detox retreat came to me. I call them “Retreat Like It’s 1999” weekends — and I run about 3 or 4 of them each year in Cumbria.
It actually came from the guests. It wasn’t something I personally needed, but I could clearly see there was demand for it — and they’ve been really successful. They always book up quickly.
Covid accelerated this need. We spent so much time online. All meetings were moved to Zoom — I’d never even heard of Zoom before! I knew Skype, but not Zoom. And suddenly we were spending hours on screens.
So I really believe digital detoxes are more necessary now than they were pre-Covid.
I think there’s definitely this love-hate relationship. I’m on my phone and screens a lot. Even pre-lockdown, I was on Zoom regularly because of working with clients in America. But yes, there’s this expectation that, as a small business owner, you need to be on social media constantly.
For me, as a single parent, technology also provides connection. If I’m at home, sometimes it’s comforting to be on Instagram, see what friends are doing, or just message someone.
But yes, the torn feeling is real. What do you see as the dangers — maybe not quite the right word — but the side effects of always being switched on?
What you’ve said is important. There is a place for social media.
If we go back to the beginning: Facebook, when it was launched in 2004, was meant to connect students at Harvard. Then it grew into a platform for the wider world. It was built with good intentions, which is why billions of us now use it regularly.
But they quickly realized there was money to be made. In 2023 alone, Facebook earned about $153 billion in advertising. Over 97% of social media platform revenue comes from ads. So their goal is to keep us on the platform — as long and as often as possible.
And that’s why we struggle to break away. We’re not meant to.
There’s constant dopamine hits — new likes, comments, content. Most of us are consumers rather than creators. We’re watching others’ lives play out — but it’s a very curated version.
That can create anxiety, body image issues, even eating disorders. There’s been a sharp rise in anorexia, body dysmorphia, depression, and bullying — especially among teenagers. It can make you feel like you’re not good enough. That others are doing life better than you.
You see someone else’s holidays, their house, their achievements — and feel inadequate. But what you’re seeing is filtered.
In moderation, social media can be fine. Just like food, alcohol, or anything else — small amounts can be great. But bingeing becomes toxic.
Yes, and it’s a total time drain. You lose hours and feel worse after. I’m really intrigued by the retreats — what happens when people go fully off-grid for the first time?
It’s amazing — of course, I would say that!
My digital detox retreats happen in Cumbria, in a beautiful converted vicarage just outside Sedbergh. Small groups — eight people — because that allows for everyone to be seen and heard.
We do activities to help people reconnect with themselves, others, and nature — the antidote to social media.
We start with yoga and meditation, then breakfast. Mornings are free — people can read, nap, or chat with others. There’s nearby wild swimming too.
Lunch is communal — everyone sits around a big dining table. Then we go for a long walk in the Cumbrian hills. It’s beautiful, and being in nature is so restorative.
Before dinner, another yoga session. Then we might have a sound bath, or a talking circle around the fire pit (or indoors if the weather is bad).
People cope really well — they’ve signed up voluntarily. Some people keep their phone but switched off, others hand it to me for safekeeping. They tell their families they’ve arrived safely, then switch off.
And honestly, you can see the change in just a few hours. They relax. They realise they don’t need to be on all the time. They don’t miss the news — which is often negative and anxiety-inducing.
They realise the world doesn’t fall apart without them. Their family can cope. It’s freeing. And they’re surprised by how good they feel.
I give everyone a small alarm clock so they don’t have to use their phone to check the time or wake up in the morning. It’s one small change that makes a big difference.
That’s brilliant. I think I’d need my phone taken away! I’d be too tempted otherwise.
People are adults, so I trust them. They’ve signed up voluntarily — it’s up to them. If they don’t play the game, it’s their loss.
But yes, most people stick to it and really feel the benefit.
And how about when people get home? Have you had feedback from participants — do they manage to keep going with the digital detox in some way? How does it impact their relationship with technology once they’re back to normal life?
So I know that, yeah, many people do intend to make changes when they get home. I do give them some advice on what to do. They take away the little alarm clock — because my advice is always not to have any tech in the bedroom. It’s not healthy. It’s much better to spend a few minutes, 20 minutes, whatever you can, reading before bedtime.
The feedback I always get is that they get better sleep because they don’t have that blue light, they don’t have that screen until the moment they turn the lights off. Less anxiety.
I always ask them to, whenever they work, whenever they need to concentrate on a task, put the phone in a different room — and maybe do the Pomodoro method. So, you know, give yourself 15, 20, 25 minutes to work on a task, concentrate on the task, phone in a different room so you’re not tempted to check it.
Switch off, turn off social media notifications. You don’t need to be constantly told with a little ping that somebody has liked a post you yourself liked five hours ago, or somebody has commented on a post you’re following. You don’t really need to know that.
At any time of day, you can check social media, you know, two, three times a day — but you don’t need to be reminded. Whenever the phone pings with a notification and you jump and check, the phone is in charge. You’ve lost control. You’re not in charge anymore.
So — regain control. You check your phone when you’re good and ready, not when your phone calls you.
I love that. Yes, that’s so true — you are in control, not the phone. Yeah, that’s really great.
It’s quite interesting to think that something so little — and phones are smaller and smaller — something that you can hold in your hands has absolute power over you.
We talk about toxic relationships between humans. Yet this is probably the most toxic relationship you can have — with a small machine. I find it quite interesting.
Wow. Yeah, I mean, it is — when you put it like that and strip it back — yeah, it’s so true.
You know what’s a very interesting story? When people under 35 come on the retreats — now this is the generation that has always known mobile phones. Some of us, myself included, remember a time without mobile phones. I mean, I’ve had a mobile phone since the 1990s, but I do remember the time before that.
Younger people — they’ve always known a phone. So they’re always surprised to see that they can live without it, they can spend a few hours without the phone. And it’s freeing. It’s a really freeing sensation.
Yeah. I mean, there’s been the odd time, I think, for me — like, I pretty much always have my phone with me. And it’s because of the kids. But there’s been the odd time that I’ve maybe gone out to walk the dog or something and I don’t have it with me — and I love it.
I love not having it. But I think for me, there’s always that “what if?” — like, what if one of the kids needs to reach me? And so I do tend to carry it with me. But I’ve got all of my notifications — apart from the phone itself — switched off. Because you’re right, you don’t need to know if someone’s liking something or giving you a thumbs up or whatever. I don’t need to know that. I just need it in case one of the kids needs to call me.
Yes, no, I — as a parent, I totally understand. But I’m very much the same. I have three dogs. And something I really, really enjoy is to take them out for a walk. That’s a bit of me time. And I don’t take my phone with me. So I’ve only got my keys on a string around my neck, and I’ve got my dogs. I don’t have my phone.
What are some other things people can be doing to be a little more mindful of their time and practicing that presence — being in the here and now?
The here and now is — so it’s about not obsessing about the past and not constantly planning about the future. The here and now is great because it’s actually all we have. All we have is now. You know, the past is gone and the future is not here yet.
So being mindful. I practice mindfulness on a daily basis, and I recommend people do a bit of mindfulness. It can be something as simple as paying more attention to the vegetables you peel when you prepare dinner. Or, you know, instead of eating mindlessly in front of the TV, pay more attention to the food on your plate.
When you go and see a live gig, for instance, or an exhibition — you’ll often notice everybody has their phone out. They’re not paying attention. They’ve paid a lot of money. Let’s take the example of Taylor Swift or Coldplay — these are expensive concerts — and people don’t enjoy what’s happening on stage, right in front of them, in the moment.
They are recording it on their phone, and they’re living the experience through a small screen. Most people will never watch that recording again — yet it’s there on their phone for posterity, for eternity. And it’s… yeah. There’s something quite disturbing about it. Something a little bit sad about it.
So I don’t. Whenever I go and see a live event, I leave my phone in my bag. I just want to make the most of the experience here and now, and just absorb every second, every sensation — and just walk away knowing it was between me, the crowd in that room, and the artist on stage. It will be with me forever.
Yes, I will tell my friends, “Oh, it was wonderful, it was great.” And I’ll go and see them again next year if they come back. It was a great experience. But in any case, even if I was to show my friends a video I made — they’re not in the room. It’s meaningless to them.
I just want to absorb every minute of that experience as it happens. I don’t need to have my phone out for that.
Yeah, and I love being with. Yeah. And when you're with friends. So for instance, a good example is when you have people around the table, whether at home or in the restaurant. Most of the time we don't have our phones out because it's kind of rude to have your phone to the dining table and you're absorbed in in the conversation and you know, and you're having a laugh and and then you walk away thinking, wow, I really had a lovely evening with my friends, but your phone was not there.
Yeah. It's something you went through minute per minute as it was unfurling and it's just it's great. It's heartwarming and it's great. Yeah. Yeah, I love that.
Can we talk a little bit about—we chatted before we started recording this—around the fact that as a business owner, you're not on social media, and so what then?
You know, does marketing look like for you? And, you know, you were sort of sharing that you're the example that you can build a really successful business without social media. Do you want to share a little bit more on that for us?
Of course. No. So I do have an Instagram account and Facebook—that’s the only social platforms I have subscribed to.
And there is this myth that, you know, yeah, social media will help you grow your business. That's one of the first things you get told when you start looking into marketing. Whether for me, social media gives me anxiety, I'm going to be honest about it. So, I will post a little bit. And when I say a little bit, maybe two, three times a year on Facebook and my Instagram account is basically dormant because it's just too much for me.
So for me, marketing looks like a really good website. I think a good website is important as a small business. Very good SEO. So I pay attention to my SEO. Reviews on Google. Google reviews. So whatever we think about Google, you know, good or bad, they do dominate in the market. And it's important. Newsletters—I send about 2 or 3 newsletters a month to my subscribers because newsletters come from the heart.
I don't use it—I spend time writing my newsletters, and it's very personal. It drops into people's inboxes, and it feels personal. People can reply directly, you can have a conversation. It's for me. My business is all about meaningful human connections. So I do practice what I preach.
Word of mouth is very important. So my guests are happy. I make sure that my guests have a great experience on the retreats because they will come back. So I have a very high number of repeat guests. Good word of mouth. They will come back with friends, or they will recommend my retreats to friends.
So word of mouth really important for me. Doing things like what I'm doing right now with you, Sarah—being invited on podcasts and talking about subjects I'm passionate about—helps people get to know me a little and then maybe want to spend some time with me.
So, yeah, that's more or less what marketing looks like for me.
Yeah, I love all of that. And I think, you know, I agree with you on the website and the SEO. Certainly for my business, most of my clients and opportunities come from people finding me through Google, rather than social media. So even though I am active still on social media, most of it comes from Google.
And I did even a bit of an experiment earlier this year and I stepped away, like, you know, I wasn't posting or on social media for about three months. I think I kind of took a break. And what was really interesting was in that three months, I actually signed three new clients and some really great opportunities and pieces of work.
And I wasn't even on social media. So, you know, it does just sort of show that, you know, you're right. You don't need to be showing up on social media every day to be marketing your business.
No, no. So as I mentioned previously, social media can be a time drain. So it's for you. I mean, if you get a very good return on investment on social media, then by all means. Unfortunately it wasn't. I'm probably not very good at it because my heart is not in it. So the ROI just wasn't worth it. So I'd rather spend this time crafting a newsletter or doing something else with my time because we only have a certain number of hours in a day.
So yeah, I'd rather spend my time more… but yeah, that makes perfect sense. And you're right. You know, when particularly when you, you know, I, I like to time block my calendar. So I see exactly how much time I've got in a day and, and yeah, you do have to then prioritize and choose, you know, make decisions right where you're going to spend your time.
And I think the, you know, thinking about it in terms of return on investment as well is important. Like I quite like looking at the data. So, you know, I know with certainty it's not social media that's driving my revenue. It's coming from elsewhere.
Absolutely. Yes. Yeah I agree I really agree with. Yes. Yeah. So interesting. If there's someone that's listening, that's maybe thinking, you know, this all sounds great. I love the idea of a digital detox, but they're maybe just not totally sure. Or there's a bit of resistance there. What might you share with them to maybe shift their mindset or persuade them that it is worthwhile?
So I probably would mention again, I probably would say to them, think about the number of hours you spent doomscrolling and think about something you would love to do, but always say, oh, I don't have time to do that. So I don't have time to go to the gym. I don't have time to take up crochet.
I don't have time to bake my own cake. So, you know, something you'd like to do instead and invest the time you're spending on social media—the time you spend checking your phone—invest that in something that would really make you happy, something that would fulfill you. Do you feel when you've been, you know, when you've just spent an hour scrolling through what basically is other people's lives?
You know, does it make you feel good? If it makes you feel good, great. If it makes you feel anxious, inadequate, if it makes you feel that you're not enough, maybe you're not slim enough, maybe you're not healthy enough—if it has any kind of negative connotation for you, put it down.
Florence, I've got my time crunch, which is my sort of quickfire questions for you. So the first question is, what's one non-negotiable that you have in your daily routine?
Oh, my morning yoga. So I have a 20 minute practice that I do every morning.
So when I go on holiday, I've got a yoga mat with me. Basically, I have a yoga mat with me at all times, like at home, in the car, one in my suitcase. I do 20 minutes every morning, usually followed by a cold shower on summer days. I'm not so brave in the winter. And it just sets me up for the day and gets the blood pumping. So that's non-negotiable.
I love that. If you could only keep one tech tool for your business, what would it be?
My iPads. Okay, so, yeah. And a good iPad.
It's super useful because you can take great pictures. You can obviously do your emails. You can get WhatsApp on your iPad. You can do pretty much everything but phone calls. But you can do just about everything but phone calls on the iPads. So yeah, if I only had one, iPad. Yeah.
And what is your favorite way to spend time when you are fully unplugged and off grid?
A walk. A walk with the dogs, as we previously mentioned. When I see people walk their dogs—they’ve got a dog with one hand and they're on their phone—it makes… I know it. It's a special bonding time. I love my dogs dearly. It's a special time. So, yes, for me, going for a walk with my dogs, I don't have my phone with me.
I kind of daydream. And when you're unplugged, that's when good ideas come to you as well. So I have a lunchtime walk. That's non-negotiable. And that's when things pop into my mind. And then I get home, go to my desk, and write it all down. So that's a great way to be fully unplugged.
A nice meal with friends. Like I said, I wouldn't bring my phone to the dining table. I think it's a bit rude. So chatting, sharing, putting the world to rights with people you enjoy spending time with is a great way to forget your phone.
Yes. Yeah. Oh, I love that. What breeds of dog do you have?
You said you've got three.
They're all rescues. So I've got two little terriers from Dogs Trust in north London. I've got one from Thailand and one from Turkey. She's been with us six or seven weeks.
Wow. Mixed breeds. That's okay.
Oh, that's so lovely.
I've got a dog—just the one. She's curled up down at my feet right now. So yeah, there is something so special about dogs. You're right. And I will be out walking my dog, and I like you, I try not to be on my phone. And I also try not to be listening to music or podcasts or anything like that.
I will just be walking, paying attention to how my body is feeling, paying attention to the nature and the sounds and everything around me. But you're right, I see other people on their phones as they're walking. I mean, I would be tripping over if that was me. But you know, you're right, it is a shame because I'll be walking along and every so often my dog likes to turn around and check I'm still there and she'll be looking up at me. So I'm properly engaging with her as we walk. But you're right, there are so many people that walk with their heads in their phone.
Yes, I think it's a special time. It's a special time between your dog and yourself, and it's a special time for yourself where, yeah, you can do some thinking.
You can think, well, this afternoon I need to email this person, or I need to do this or that, and you're starting to draft something in your head. And some of my best ideas have come up as I'm walking my dog as I've just completely unplugged.
Yeah, I do recommend.
Yeah. Me too. Yeah, I really do.
Oh, amazing. So, Florence, where can the listeners find you? I’ll make sure that the website and so on is linked in the show notes. I'm guessing then the website is the best place to find you.
Yes it is. Yeah. It's yogaretreatsandmore.com.
Yes. There is a way for people to subscribe to my newsletters. I like WhatsApp. Ironically, WhatsApp is a great way to communicate with people. It's kind of personal and I think it's a nice way. So yeah, I prefer WhatsApp to any kind of social media. So yes, emails—I reply to emails.
Amazing. Is there anything else you would like to share that we haven't covered already?
Yes, I really hope that after listening to us, people will take the time to think about their relationship with their phone, and decide to regain control and not be a slave to notifications and social media. When you start regaining control, it really makes you feel good. I'm happy that I can spend a few hours a day without my phone, without feeling anxious.
Yeah. So this is what I wish for other people as well.
Yeah, I love that. Love it so much. And yeah, I guess an invitation for people to experiment and, you know, turn off the notifications and see how you get on. They can start with just a couple of hours.
They can start with two hours leaving their phone in another room, doing something else, and then maybe move on to an entire afternoon phone-free. Maybe weekends—people should not be replying to work emails or work messages in their off time or during the weekend if they don't work weekends. Yeah, again, they need to set boundaries and regain control of the situation and not be available 24/7. It's unreasonable to be expected to be available 24/7. That doesn't make sense for me.
Yeah, I agree, and I think for me, the other thing just on that is this expectation that we're supposed to reply straight away to these things. You know, I think there's also something to be said about giving some distance and not being so quick to reply. Because that shouldn't be the expectation.
No, it shouldn't. So it's kind of control as well. In other countries, I mean, just in Europe, we don't have to go far—shops will be closed between 12 and 4 p.m. People go for a nap, they go home and have lunch with their families. And yet the countries are not collapsing. There's still a good economy, but there's a different attitude towards work. And we need to think about that.
Yeah. So true. Oh, I love it. Thank you so much. What a great conversation.
And, yeah, it's been a real pleasure. Thank you so much, Sarah.
Thank you.
What a refreshing chat with Florence. If today's episode has you rethinking your own relationship with technology, consider starting small. Maybe one phone-free evening, or Sunday without Instagram, or maybe leaving your phone in another room while you eat. These tiny boundaries will all add up and give you back some time you didn’t even know that you were losing.
You can learn more about Florence and her retreats at yogaretreatsandmore.com. And don't forget, if you want some support in creating a business that gives you time for what matters most, you'll find resources linked in the show notes.
Until next time, thank you for listening. Bye for now.