Retreat Day : The Autumn Art of Letting Go

The Autumn Equinox is a brief time where night and day are perfectly balanced. There is a shift of emphasis from: sun to moon, light to dark, action to contemplation, growth to dormancy, building up to letting go, and movement to stillness. Now is a good time to pause after the frenetic activity of the growing season and consider how best to recuperate, regenerate, and replenish your energy this autumn. It's also a time for reflection and letting go.

There is wisdom to be found in observing and responding to the changing seasons. The Autumn Equinox is a time where we begin the process of slowing down towards the darker months of winter.

This retreat day allows you to meet with likeminded people and to immerse yourself in the various Autumn Equinox related activities including Yoga.

Yoga is an ancient practice that encompasses physical postures, breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness. It is often described as a way to unite the body, mind, and spirit, and its teachings align with the cycles of nature. As such, the Autumn Equinox offers a unique opportunity for us to connect with the changing season and harness its energy for  practice and beyond.

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

George Eliot

"And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and Autumn was awakened." _Victoria Erickson

Please note the external therapist taster session to be offered at this event is still to be confirmed.

Itinerary

10-10.30am Welcome cold/hot drink & nibbles

Healthy juices, energy balls, few other sweet nibbles and hot/cold

10.30 - 11.45am Yoga and Meditation Class

In Yoga, Aparigraha ( Yoga Sutras of Patanjali & The Bhagavad Gita) ) is the practice of non-attachment. Most often this is discussed and practised as pertaining to non-attachment or non-hoarding of physical/material objects. It can however also be the practice of non-attachment to feelings, behaviours, patterns, and people. It is the practice of letting go of both physical and non-physical things that are old, unnecessary, and standing in the way of us experiencing deep freedom and profound peace.

This Yoga practice and meditation focuses on the joy of the movement and how it feels good to our bodies, rather than the push to attain that super impressive pose. Incorporating hip opening poses, this is a great class to detach from the outer self, connect with your inner self and release what no longer serves you.

11.45am- 12.30pm List & Release

This session will continue the process of allowing you to release stress, anxiety, negativity, negative emotions, anything thoughts or feelings stuck inside your mind, body and soul.

Weather dependant, we will either be outside using the fire pit or inside using our hands( not involving fire). Come along to find out more!

12.30-1.15pm Graze table Lunch

With yummy, nutritious vegan food ( gf available on request) and lots of choice

1.15-2.15pm Introduction to Shadow Work

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”Carl Jung

We all have one. Often times, we aren’t even aware of it - our shadow.

We naturally prefer to avoid uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and memories but that doesn’t mean they disappear. Instead, they keep living a secret life in our unconscious.

In order to have self-love and acceptance, we have to learn to embrace not just our light but also our shadow. The Autumn Equinox is an excellent time to seek the balance of light and dark not only externally but also within ourselves. The intention of shadow work is to connect the shadows back into our consciousness and learn to accept and love them.

This worksheet assisted workshop does not ask you to delve deep during the session. Instead, it suggests some ways to acknowledge and embrace your shadow. The work here does not have to be shared with anyone unless that’s what you choose and you may even decide to listen but complete the worksheet alone at a later time.

2.15-3.15pm Yoga and Meditation Class

Autumn truly is a time of splendour. The crimson, copper earth captivates with its beauty and as summer fades, we await the smell of autumn in the breeze and the sound of rustling leaves. Evenings become noticeably cooler and the days shorten - all a natural process of the seasonal cycles.

As this dramatic display of change and transition takes place around us, we also may feel the shift within. We are, after all, comprised of the elements that make up the natural world. As nature prepares for the darker, colder phase of the year, if we listen closely, we will hear whisperings from our body to do the same.

Vata dosha is one of the three main Ayurvedic mind-body types, comprised of the elements of air and ether. Responsible for movement and impulse, creativity and connection, everyone experiences the energy of Vata to some degree and this can be especially true during the busy warmth and increased activity of the summer months.

This grounding, steadying, calming, yoga and meditation practice aims to reduce Vata and keep the Doshas in balance.

3.15-4.15pm Sound Bath

Our last session  of the day is completely passive.

Sound Bath is a deeply immersive, full body listening experience that intentionally uses sound to invite gentle yet powerful therapeutic and restorative processes to nurture your mind and body. Lie back, get comfortable and let the sounds wash over and through. Please read contraindications to this session before finalising your booking.

4.15-5pm Close, cake, chat and hot drink ( or cake to go if you’d prefer)

 Gift Bag : A small gift bag is also offered at every LVC Yoga retreat day – this one will include a reminder charm (Come along to find out more)