New Year Retreat Day
Rest, recover and reset - get ready for 2025!
Saturday 11th January 2025
Recover from the strains of Christmas, and surrender to the need for deep rest on this winter’s retreat day. The day will include nourishing and gentle yoga techniques including restorative yoga and yoga nidra, as well as time to contemplate the rhythm of winter, and connect with a quieter, intuitive heart-felt part of ourselves. All are welcome.
At a glance
Practice restorative yoga to soften the body and create space for the breath
Rest deeply with soothing yoga nidra
Feel inspired, rested and nourished by poetry, nature and a a sense of connection
Gain understanding of how to use your breath to regulate your nervous system
Explore how yoga can be used as a tool of self-inquiry
Deepen your connection to the season of winter, and explore the idea of having an “inner winter”
Develop a more contemplative mindset bring greater perspective and understanding
The day
You are warmly invited to start 2025 from a more rested, peaceful place. The retreat day will help you become more aware of your body, breath, mind and heart, and to help you connect more wholly with the metaphysical symbolism of winter.
Hosted by experienced yoga teacher and retreat leader Mel Skinner, the day will begin with restorative yoga. Restorative yoga is a slow, soft and accessible form of yoga postures which are designed to take the body out of fight-flight-freeze and into a more restful place of being. Using props to support the body, we remove as much effort as possible so that we feel safe and held, and able to breathe once again.
This session is followed by morning tea and homemade goodies, and then we will spend the late morning in an outdoor creativity meditation. This will be weather dependent, but is likely to include spending time in the beautiful grounds and woodlands of Hawkwood, contemplating the light, colour and feel of ‘outer winter’, before returning to the warmth and comfort of the indoors to experience yoga nidra designed to help you journey deeply into the depths of your own ‘inner winter’, honouring your need to retreat and go inward.
After this follows lunch, then in the afternoon you are invited to bring a source of inspiration, or something which represents winter to you. This could be a poem, prose, piece of art, song, or an object. This session is collaborative, and a wonderful way to create a feeling of community and connection in a safe, supportive space. After this session we enter into a final yoga nidra practice, and end with afternoon tea.
“Mel is a wonderful , empathetic and skilled yoga teacher. She also sets an inclusive and non-judgemental, non-competitive environment, which is not always the case in the world of yoga.”
The food
With morning and afternoon tea breaks includiong home-made biscuits, cakes and fruit, as well as a nourishing two-course lunch, your body will be restored and nourished.
Located within an enchanting 19th Century Grade II listed building surrounded by 42 acres of beautiful grounds, Hawkwood College is based just outside of Stroud, within easy reach from both the M4 and M5 motorways. A relaxed, quirky venue hosting a wide range of educational and nourishing courses and retreats and surrounded by woodlands, with simple accommodation, a generous kitchen, and a strong ethics at their core. I am always very honoured to be part of the vast and wonderful range of offerings here.
The venue
The Schedule
Please note timings of sessions and breaks may vary slightly.
9.30am - First session begins - welcome circle and restorative yoga
11am - tea break
11.30am - Nature meditation (outdoors)
1pm - Lunch
2pm - Poetry sharing
3pm - tea break
3.30pm - More yoga
4pm - close
Price
£105 including all food and drink
Please note travel, insurance and treatments (where relevant) are not included in these prices.
Booking is made directly through Hawkwood College for this retreat - click here to book.
This booking is handled by Hawkwood College. Please contact them directly for further information.
Terms and conditions
Participants to bring yoga equipment if possible*, plus a journal/notebook, and at least one poetry/inspirational quote they would like to share with the group.
*yoga mat
*yoga bolster
*yoga bricks
*yoga blocks x2
*blankets
*cushion for head
Note: Mel will be providing some equipment, so if you are unable to bring your own please email her directly at mel@melskinneryoga.com. Mel will also have authentic Tibetan blankets to sell.
Prepare for your retreat
A note on self-care
A retreat can be wonderfully relaxing, allowing you time to focus on yourself and taking away the every day stresses of life. However retreats can also be times of emotional release, as slowing down often offers the chance for reflection and contemplation. It is recommended that you slow down before your retreat if possible, and also allow yourself time to return to the everyday world, perhaps taking an extra day off work if you can, and avoiding making any unnecessary social engagements or obligation.
It is good to prepare for all weathers, especially when retreating in the UK! For this reason, I recommend wellies and/or walking boots, waterproof clothes, comfy warm socks and slippers, a warm jumper or two, hat and gloves, sunscreen, and swimming clothes (when relevant).