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Activate & Hibernate
An afternoon retreat to prepare for winter
Saturday 21st November | 12.00–5.30pm
Cucumber Fields, Essendon
There comes a point in autumn when the light changes, the evenings draw in and our instinct is to retreat a little.
Yet life doesn't always follow the seasons.
We keep working, training, caring, planning and doing, often at much the same pace we have all year.
Activate & Hibernate is an invitation to do things differently.
Yoga Informed Mobility - Restorative Yin Yoga - Sound Bath with Maiwenn
We've designed the day around the natural shift into winter: beginning with movement and activation before gradually moving towards nourishment, grounding and deep rest.
And, for five and a half hours, you don't need to think about what's next.
We'll guide you through the afternoon, feed you a beautiful hot lunch, make you comfortable and create the space for you to experience the day in whatever way you are called to.
The Day
Activate
We begin together with lymphatic movement and yoga-informed mobility exploring the body through gentle, purposeful movement before moving into guided meditation and visualisation.
This first part of the afternoon is about waking things up.
Moving joints, encouraging circulation, breathing, creating space and connecting with your body before we begin to slow things down.
You don't need to be particularly flexible or experienced in yoga. Everything will be guided, with space to adapt the practice to your own body.
Nourish
After moving, we'll gather around the table for a warm, seasonal buffet lunch prepared by Joanna at Yetz Kitchen.
Good food is an important part of the day.
Expect something nourishing and satisfying, with high-protein options alongside vegetarian dishes and a menu designed around the season.
After lunch, there's time to digest.
Have a natter. Find somewhere quiet. Step outside for a light walk through the grounds. Have another cup of tea.
There's nowhere else you need to be.
Hibernate
As we move into the afternoon, the pace changes.
We'll return to the studio for a grounding Yin practice, using longer-held postures, breath and stillness to begin shifting away from activity and towards rest.
This isn't about achieving a pose.
It's an opportunity to get comfortable, allow the body to become quieter and give yourself permission to do considerably less.
Sound & Stillness
From Yin, we'll transition directly into our final practice.
Florence will help everyone settle into a fully supported savasana, offering individual adjustments.
And then, you don't need to do anything at all.
Without needing to move again, Maiwenn will lead an immersive sound bath, allowing the final part of the retreat to unfold from the comfort of your mat.
Maiwenn is an experienced sound practitioner, and we're so pleased to have her creating this final part of the afternoon.
When the sound bath comes to an end at 5.00pm, there is no rush to get up and disappear back into the world.
We'll have another half an hour together to slowly return, have something warm to drink, chat and say our goodbyes before heading home.
Space for you
Activate & Hibernate isn't about becoming a better version of yourself in an afternoon.
It's about creating space.
Space to move without training.
To eat without rushing.
To talk, or be quiet.
To spend time outside.
To be looked after.
To lie down under a blanket and simply rest.
We want you to leave having had an afternoon where very little was required of you
Where the details were taken care of so you could simply be part of it.
Perhaps you leave feeling rested. Perhaps energised. Perhaps you simply enjoy spending a November afternoon moving, eating and being somewhere beautiful.
There's no particular way you're supposed to feel.
Practical Details
Cucumber Fields
The retreat takes place at Cucumber Fields in Essendon, surrounded by the Hertfordshire countryside.
It's a space Florence knows well through teaching weekly yoga classes and offering massage, and one that already feels like home to many of the people joining us.
With its beautiful studio, welcoming spaces and grounds to explore between practices, Cucumber Fields feels particularly suited to a day built around movement, nourishment and slowing down.
For those who already know it, you'll know.
And if you've never been before, we're looking forward to welcoming you there.
Approximately 35 minutes from Letchworth
Little Details
Your place includes the full five-and-a-half-hour retreat experience, all guided movement and practices, meditation and visualisation, Yin Yoga, Maiwenn's immersive sound bath, a seasonal hot buffet lunch, refreshments throughout the afternoon and a curated goodie bag filled with seasonal treats to take home.
Yoga mats and props will be waiting for you.
Come in loose, comfortable clothing that you can move and rest in. Matching sets absolutely not required.
Please Bring:
A warm jumper or cosy layers
Your favourite blanket for the final part of the afternoon.
The retreat is limited to 24 guests, allowing us to create a warm, considered experience and look after everyone throughout the day.
Early Bird | £135
Book before 1st September.
Standard | £155
From 1st September.
Full payment secures your place.
If your plans change, bookings are refundable up to seven days before the retreat. After this point, your booking can be transferred to another retreat.
Activate & Hibernate is the first in our series of seasonal retreats - a chance to step out of your usual rhythm for an afternoon and make space for what the season is asking of us.
We'll activate the body.
We'll feed you well.
And then we'll help you get very, very comfortable.
Saturday 21st November
12.00 – 5.30pm
Cucumber Fields, Essendon
We'd love to look after you for the afternoon.
Ready to slow down?
