Winter Compassion Retreat

Many of us use self-criticism as motivation, pushing ourselves relentlessly towards our goals and talking to ourselves in a way we wouldn’t talk to others. This inner battle can leave us exhausted and stuck in cycles of negative self-talk. This way of relating to ourselves often matches the societal messages and a culture focused on productivity and consumption.
Compassion offers another way.
It is beyond being kind to ourselves - it gives us the courage to turn towards our suffering and hold our difficult emotions so that we can heal. Compassion means acknowledging our imperfections and mistakes while choosing to be our own best ally rather than our worst enemy. It helps us answer the essential question: "What do I really need?". When we cultivate compassion, we don't just feel better, we connect more deeply with ourselves, with others, and with the living world around us.
January: The Season of Subtle Awakening
The deep winter of January can be a difficult time for many of us. While many animals still hibernate and the landscape remains muted in winter's palette, there is movement beneath the surface. Snowdrops, known as the flower of hope, push through frosty ground. Hazel catkins dangle from bare branches, releasing their pollen into cold air. Spring's buds are forming, invisible but present.
This is the season of slow transition, when we're called to honour our need for rest while nurturing the seeds of our intentions for the year ahead. It's an ideal time to ask ourselves what we truly need and to develop skills that help us become our most caring selves - connected to our inner wisdom and to the greater whole.
What We'll Explore Together

This retreat blends a science-based understanding with embodied, creative and playful practices. We'll explore compassion through yoga, movement, nature connection, art, storytelling, and conversations in held space. We will understand how compassion can deepen our connections, and how it can improve our communication and setting boundaries. You'll develop practical skills to grow your self-compassion while experiencing compassion as a felt reality, not just as a concept.
Day 1 Highlights:
• Restorative, heart-opening yoga to reconnect with your body and inner self
• Understanding compassion through stories, metaphors, and group exploration
• Mapping your personal flows of compassion and the blocks that prevent self-compassion
• Exploring compassion through art activities and embodied practices
• Partner and group sharing in a held space
Day 2 Highlights:
• Guided forest bathing practice in the nearby park to experience wellbeing from nature connection (weather dependent)
• Movement practice exploring the transition from winter's stillness toward spring
• Tara Brach's RAIN approach for recognizing and tending to suffering
• Building compassionate skills through creative activities & visualisation
• Continued sharing and integration in community
This Retreat May Be For You If:
• You can sometimes speak to yourself harshly
• You judge yourself for things you did or did not do and find self-forgiveness difficult
• You want a creative, playful approach to personal growth and problem solving
• You're ready to set healthy, respectful boundaries
• You want a deeper connection with yourself and others in a held space
• You may have worked with compassion before and want to expand your practice, or you may have no experience of using compassion but you’re open to try
Practical Information
Dates: 24th - 25th January 2026
Times: Saturday 1pm – 5:45pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm, lunch break 12:00 - 13:00
Attendance: You may attend one or both days, though we recommend both for the fullest experience and deeper integration.
What's Provided: Nourishing snacks and tea will be provided but no full meals. Yoga mats and cushions. All materials required for the workshop and exercises.
What to Bring: Your own lunch (there is plenty of shops and cafes on the street close to the venue). Waterproof clothes and shoes and raincoat for the nature session on day 2.
About the facilitators:
Nushka is a doctor of clinical psychology trained in the UK, certified yoga teacher and forest bathing guide. She sees individual and collective wellbeing as interconnected, and believes in the healing power of remembering that we are part of nature, both for ourselves and for our planet. Nushka is currently offering therapy in her private practice in the Netherlands, teaching yoga, and leading workshops.
Theresa is a UK based clinical psychologist who specialises in working with doctors and healthcare teams. She’s experienced in finding ways to creatively apply psychology to high pressure and strained systems. She works regularly with groups, and knows that being witnessed and fostering connection between people can be healing. She loves dancing, nature, breathwork, meditation and yoga and is eager to share practices she has found nourishing for herself and her clients.
Both Nushka and Theresa have used Compassion Focused Therapy and methods in diverse settings including trauma and physical health services, and they have found it helpful for anxiety, self-criticism, trauma, and improving team wellbeing.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions about the retreat and share with others who might benefit.
We would love to have you there.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Therapeutisch Activiteiten Centrum Amsterdam, 102 Borgerstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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