About
Jules, a mum of four, lives with her family in Oxfordshire. Following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2019 she decided to make some significant life changes including selling her business, moving to the countryside and slowing life down. Post covid times and ready for a new venture she found Villa Rosmarino and felt immediately it was a perfect place to host retreats. Combining her love of yoga and the peaceful remoteness of Rosmarino in the Apuan Alps, Rosmarino Retreats was created.
“Taking time out from our busy lives, not to escape but to pause and take time to reconnect not only to yourself but to others is so important. I think we’re all becoming more aware of lifestyle choices and the importance of living as genuine a life we can. Our retreats have at the core of them the intention to provide a nurturing space to enable guests to reconnect with themselves and others, nourish their bodies with the most delicious plant based food, be immersed in nature, to leave with a profound sense of wellness.”
the Rosmarino team
Jules Matthews
Jules is the founder of Rosmarino Retreats, having opened her Italian home in the hills to host retreats since 2024. Now a Vinyasa yoga teacher with a deep love for mindful movement and meaningful connection. Trained through the Yoga Alliance, with specialist training in Yoga for Cancer, her teaching is rooted in compassion, strength, and care.
In 2025, Jules opened Jules Yoga Studio in her home village of Great Milton, Oxfordshire — a welcoming space where her local community comes together to move, breathe, and reconnect. She is passionate about creating a nurturing environment where students feel supported to build strength, balance, and a sense of inner calm.
Beyond the mat, Jules draws inspiration from travel, interior design and food, influences that subtly weave into her holistic approach to wellbeing and the offering at Rosmarino.
Julie Dixon
Julie lives in Hong Kong. She’s a keen runner (with 10 half marathons under her belt), mum to 2 (now adult) children and an all-round gorgeous human. Her yoga journey began with a 250hr Yoga Teacher Training course via the world accredited Yoga Alliance over 15 years ago. Since then, she’s further developed her teaching skills completing 300hrs in YIN/TCM training in India.
Recognising the ever-increasing demand for a more holistic approach to wellness, Julie recently completed an MBSR (Mindful based Stress Reduction) and a CEMB (Cultivating Mental and Emotional Balance) course. Continuously learning, she is currently studying Women’s Health using Yoga to maintain Hormonal Balance and Lymphatics.
She runs regular classes as well as day retreats in Hong Kong and we can’t wait to welcome her back to Italy for the third consecutive year to run a very special retreat for us in 2026
Kirsten Huesch
Kirsten of Eat Nourish Go has been the heart of the Rosmarino kitchen since day one. A former fitness instructor and lifestyle nutrition coach, she is an associate member of the Royal Society for Public Health and is currently training to become an RSPH health coach.
Kirsten’s love of food began early, growing up alongside her mum in the kitchen, and it has been a constant thread throughout her life. Passionate about plant-based eating and gut health, she has honed her skills through extensive training, including a vegan diploma at Demuth’s in Bath, retreat chef training with Bettina’s Kitchen in London, and short courses at Le Cordon Bleu. Alongside her retreat work, she runs occasional supper clubs and workshops.
Her cooking at Rosmarino is vibrant, seasonal, and inspired by the flavours and rhythms of Italian living — generous, colourful plates designed to nourish, energise, and delight. Created with care and an intuitive understanding of how food supports both body and mind, Kirsten’s meals are an integral part of the Rosmarino retreat experience, with connection and service at the heart of everything she does.
Lorna Sparks
Lorna brings a deep love of nature, water, and the grounding power of the outdoors to the Rosmarino retreat experience. After a 20-year career in engineering and a decade as a secondary school teacher, she now offers a calm, warm, and deeply supportive presence within retreat spaces.
An avid open water swimmer, Lorna regularly immerses herself in lakes, seas, and mountain waters, and in 2024 she swam the English Channel as part of a relay team. Through Brrreathe.with.Lorna, she shares cold exposure and breathwork practices that are both exhilarating and grounding, inviting reconnection through breath, presence, and nature.
A decades long friend of Jules, Lorna has been part of the Rosmarino world for the last few years, joining previous retreats and spending special family time at the villa. We can’t wait to welcome her into the Rosmarino team in September to expand our holistic wellness offering with cold water and breathwork sessions while also supporting the flow of each day including guided walks, poolside chats & stargazing evenings.