Mindfulness Retreat Day "Wintering"
** We're still confirming our location - bookings not open **
Sunday 7th September,
Meols, Wirral
In our world of constant doing and always being on the go, taking time out can be a challenge. What we often find is that our bodies make us slow down eventually.
In this beautifully written book, Katherine May has no choice but to embrace the need to slow down. This book is a true reminder that we come from nature and need to take stock and renew during these Autumnal months.
"Part memoir, part exploration of a human condition, Wintering explores the healing nature of the great outdoors so we can learn to appreciate these low periods, and what they have to teach us, before the ushering in of a new season."
What to expect....
Ahead of the retreat, you'll receive your copy of the book delivered to your home address.
The retreat runs for the full day and includes refreshments on arrival, mid morning and afternoon. A light lunch is also provided.
Morning
We'll gather at around 10.00 am in the rustic kitchen of this beautiful cottage overlooking the woodlands. As we introduce ourselves over pastries, I'll provide a full outline of the day before we start with our first book discussion.
Not everyone gets a chance to finish the book so I'll provide printed quotes. Choose a quote or discuss your own points, it's all very relaxed and the group is small so everyone get's a chance to join the discussions.
After a short break we'll move into the living area overlooking the lake. The area will be set up with comfortable mats, cushions and blankets. I'll provide an overview of mindfulness before guiding you through a restorative practice.
Lunch - 45 - 60 minutes - A light lunch of soup, salad, sandwiches and fruit.
Afternoon
In the afternoon we'll return to the relaxation area for another mindfulness session where I'll cover the benefits of compassion before guiding you through another practice.
Over refreshments we'll have a second session discussing the book and we'll end with a reflection of the day.
There'll be some time to enjoy the space in the gardens by the lake, before returning back to the outside world.
"A little bit of space in our busy worlds."
What our customers are saying..
Lou Poyser
"The whole day was just incredible it exceeded all my expectations. The welcome, location, food, content, pace and overall experience was just incredible. Julie’s pace led the group along seamlessly and the tasks were perfect. The mindfulness sessions were embedded into the day for maximum effect and I left with a just had a massage feeling of chillness and contentment. Looking forward to the next retreat so much. Started my Easter holidays off perfectly. Thank you Julie.🙏"
Jacqui Woods
"Thoroughly enjoyed my mindful day retreat with Julie.
To take time out for me alongside like minded people and discover I'm not alone with my experiences was reassuring.
Julie's guided meditations left me feeling refreshed and renewed.
If you need an introduction to mindfulness then seek out Julie whose experienced, empathetic, connected and caring nature will support you into your mindfulness journey."
Laura Seymour
"I had the pleasure of attending one of these incredible retreats. I was delighted to meet some beautiful like-minded souls. The practises throughout the day were truly lovely and I came away feeling so relaxed and refreshed. Great food, amazing teacher and I look forward to many more. Laura, Editor Wirral Well Being Magazine."
What's Included
The experience is limited to 7 people. When you reserve your spot, you'll receive your personal copy of this inspirational book to read in advance. Just to help us out with those discussions, I create printed quotations from the book and each person chooses a couple to discuss. You're welcome to choose your own topics as well.
The week of the event
We'll send you detailed instructions of how to get to the venue in Meols, Wirral.
On the Day
We'll greet you on the private road approaching the cottage and assist you with crossing the railway and parking on site.
We have this gorgeous lakeside cottage to ourselves which is why we are limiting spaces to just 7 people. It's our space for the day, so we can really make ourselves comfortable.
-
We provide blankets and cushions but feel free to bring anything you need to make yourself at home
-
Welcome refreshments on arrival, mid morning refreshments, a light lunch and afternoon refreshments are included
-
A morning and afternoon book discussion using pre-printed themes or freestyle
-
An introduction to mindfulness and meditation
-
Two guided mindfulness sessions
-
A guided reflection session
-
Optional time in the garden
What You'll Learn:
- What mindfulness is and the difference between this and meditation.
- How to tune into the wisdom of the body and why it's important to understand how the mind and body interact
- To understand our emotional system and how it needs to be balanced
- How to follow guided practices that cultivate awareness and self compassion
You'll come away with an understanding of how mindfulness can support our resilience and well being even through the toughest of times, learning techniques that you can explore at home.
In mindfulness we have a saying that "in just turning up for yourself, you are doing something in your own greatest interest".
As the venue requires payment in advance, cancellations on or after 15th August will only be refunded, if we are able to resell your place.
More Details
Why mindfulness?
Mindfulness has been a feature of Eastern culture for thousands of years. We are all born with the capacity to be mindful but somewhere along the way our busy minds take over.
Mindfulness is a gentle way of approaching our experience which unfolds uniquely for each of us. It allows us to start where we are, and go at our own pace simply working with the edges.
Join the Community
Once you're signed up to Just Breathe you are part of a conscious community. We are dedicated to using a percentage of our profits to provide education and mindfulness support to communities that don't have access.
You'll also be invited along to our Monday class where you can continue with your practice.
Typical benefits
- Learning to take time out can have an immediate impact on our well being and sleep patterns.
- We can learn to balance our emotions and experience more happiness in our lives.
- Getting less caught up in stress impacts our immune system, our well being and can even influence our sleep patterns.
- You are guided in a safe and supported environment that encourages compassion around all experiences. This brings benefits to ourselves and those we interact with.
- Mindfulness practice can rewire the connections between the threat system and the executive function giving us greater control over our reactions.
The Experience
- The experience will last for 1 day
- You will learn the basics of mindfulness, the importance of tuning into our body and the science of emotional balance and kindness.
- There will be a guided body scan practice and a guided compassion practice.
- The experience includes an opportunity to talk through your experience and enjoy light refreshments with like minded people.
- Practices are usually done lying down, contact us if you have any special requirements.
Meet your guide
Mindfulness has changed my life in so many ways. It's helped me to work with stress, deal with narcissism and to live each day in colour.
What I love about this course is the information it provides around how our mind and body works. These little insights really encourage us to take a step back and reflect on our inner world.
The language of the guidance also delivers a sense of safety and curiousity.
I work better with small groups and believe this creates space to talk and learn from each other without the awkwardness that might arise in larger gatherings.
Qualifications
Julie has a masters degree in mindfulness from Aberdeen University and specialises in mindfulness based stress interruption and qualified to teach with the British Mindfulness Association. Julie also has diplomas in life coaching, NLP and a masters in I.T.
