About this Event
Yuletide & Unwind: A Christmas Retreat for Radical Acceptance, Reflection & Renewal
Step away from the festive chaos and join us for an evening of rest, reflection, creativity, and connection.
As the Yuletide season approaches, many of us find ourselves caught up in expectations, obligations, and festive stress. Yuletide & Unwind offers a gentle alternative: a chance to pause, reconnect with yourself, honour the wisdom of the season, and embrace Christmas with greater ease and intention.
Throughout the evening, we'll explore the ancient traditions and symbolism behind Yuletide, discover the healing qualities of colour therapy, experience a heart-opening cacao ceremony, and create a beautiful sustainable wreath to take home.
Together we'll reflect on the lessons and blessings of the past year, release tension and overwhelm, and cultivate radical acceptance for the season ahead.
What to Expect
✨ Introduction to Yuletide Wisdom Discover why our ancestors embraced the darker months as a time for rest, reflection, and renewal. Explore the significance of green during Yuletide, the origins of Christmas traditions, and the role of colour therapy in restoring balance and wellbeing.
✨ Cacao Ceremony & Intention Setting Enjoy a nourishing ceremonial cacao experience as we express gratitude for the lessons of the year and set meaningful intentions for the festive season.
✨ Managing Christmas Stress Learn practical ways to navigate the pressures of Christmas, release unrealistic expectations, and embrace a more peaceful approach through the practice of radical acceptance.
✨ Colour Therapy Meditation with Reiki Take time to deeply relax with a guided colour therapy meditation incorporating Reiki energy and gentle tension release techniques.
✨ Sustainable Wreath Making Workshop Create your own unique, eco-friendly wreath using sweet potatoes and seasonal evergreens, bringing the beauty and symbolism of winter into your home.
✨ Guided Winter Journey Meditation Visualise a peaceful winter retreat where your handmade wreath becomes a symbol of rest, sanctuary, and self-care that you can return to whenever needed.
✨ Radical Acceptance Reflection Celebrate the abundance, growth, and positive lessons from the past year as you prepare to move mindfully through the winter season.
✨ Questions, Sharing & Closing Circle End the evening with reflection, connection, and one meaningful takeaway to support you through Christmas and beyond.
This Retreat Is Perfect For You If:
- Christmas often feels overwhelming or stressful
- You're seeking a calmer, more meaningful festive season
- You want to find ways to find calm through practical focussed mindfulness through sensory aids such as cacao drinking and crafting.
- You are seeking healing and rebalance with reiki healing
- You would like time to reflect on the year that's passed
- You love creative workshops and seasonal crafting
- You're ready to embrace rest, acceptance, and self-care
What You'll Leave With
🌿 A beautiful handmade sustainable wreath
🍫 A deeper connection to the meaning of Yuletide
🎨 Practical wellbeing advice as well as healing and meditation to support wellbeing
💚 Greater acceptance and peace around the Christmas season
✨ Renewed clarity and intention for the months ahead
Give yourself permission to slow down, breathe deeply, and enter the festive season with calm, gratitude, and grace.
Spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended.
About your host
Rachel is an experienced social worker and mental health practitioner with over 26 years or work experience as well as a qualified mindfulness instructor, coach, colour therapist and reiki master devoted to helping people find ways to relax and ease stress and tension, especially people with busy and inattentive minds who struggle with traditional meditation. Expect warmth, compassion and lots of good wellbeing advice and an evening that feels like an evening with close friends on this retreat where nobody leaves without a smile and good memories of the fun and relaxation enjoyed.
FAQs
Do I need to have prior experience of meditation, colour therapy or reiki before attending the session?
You don’t need any prior experience of meditation, just a will to sit quietly and focus upon the instruction given to you which will use lots of visual and physical stimuli to help engage wandering minds! Even if your mind wanders, you will get something from these meditation practices which incorporate colour breathing- a technique used in colour therapy, mindfulness and reiki healing.
You also need no former experience of attending a cacao ceremony. An ancient chocolate drinking ceremony performed by our Mesoamerican ancestors to enhance spiritual events and celebrations.
All you need do is sit back and relax!
Do I need to be a good artist or be a ‘creative type’?
Absolutely not! The fun and relaxation is to be had in the process of creating and not in the end result. Although- if you’ve sparkly bits, baubles or anything you would like to add to your wreath, then by all means bring it in and add it to your creation!
Is the building accessible?
There is a small car park outside available for disabled parking and accessible downstairs toilets but unfortunately, the room is an upstairs room accessed by a stair case. To aid accessibility, there will be two chairs placed either side of the stair case and a friendly guide to stand besides you as you get up the steps but unfortunately, there is no lift as yet.
Is there parking?
There is a small car park at the front of the community centre prioritised for people with disabilities although it may be full if there are other sessions happening. You find free parking spaces after 6pm down the side of the old bus depot on Melrose Street, down the side of Samuel Hall (Weatherspoon’s) on Daybrook street and also on St Albans Street NG5 2HA
You may also wish to park at the nearest public car park- Hall Street NG5 4BB or Winchester Street NG5 4BD. Both local Car Parks are a short walk away from the venue. Just walk down Mansfield Road, look out for the Samuel Hall (Weatherspoon’s), the bus depot and Kazi Off Licence and you will find Melrose Street. Walk down this street and you will find the gates of The Place Activity Centre and see tea lights and you have arrived!
Getting there by bus or train
If you are coming via train, you will need to walk through Nottingham up to Parliament Street so you can catch the 88 Purple Line Bus from stop P4 which is the closest bus stop to the Victoria centre shopping complex.
Ask the bus driver to drop you off at ‘Sherwood Shops’ and when you get off the bus, you need to walk down the hill, past the PDSA shop, Bronte and co, then cross the road and keep walking down past the Pudding Pantry, The Samuel Hall , then turn right after the bus depot and you will find Melrose Street. Keep to the side of the road where the bus depot is and you will soon see the white and painted up gates of the Place’
Do I need to wear active wear/yoga clothing
Absolutely not! Do wear something comfortable though and you might even want to bring a blanket if this aids your comfort or relaxation, but we won’t be sitting crossed legged or doing anything remotely active! This is your time to relax!
How will the cacao be made?
Your cacao will be prepared from high grade ceremonial cacao, oat milk and brown sugar meaning it will be completely accessible for vegan and lactose free diets.
Can young people come?
If you are thinking of bringing someone under 16, please only do so if they are comfortable with the idea of reiki healing. If this isn’t for them, get in touch as I will be running some young persons events in 2027!
How does group reiki healing happen?
Everyone attending will sit in a circle of chairs and I shall sit in the circle and ‘send healing’ through my hands around the group enabled by people either holding hands or hovering hands over the next persons hands or holding a stick or selenite crystal infused with healing prior to the session to ensure that the healing moves around the group. Prior to the session, the reiki healing will also be undertaken in the room which will be cleansed with white sage and enhanced by the use of Santo Palo incense. Together with these crystals and scents, alongside the cacao ceremony, the energy vibration within the room should be experienced as soothing, healing and optimistic.
Need any other information?
For any further information about the event or indeed coaching or other training events run by MindAlive limited, please contact Rachel on 0758300903 or at [email protected]
Event venue & nearby stays
The Place, 2a Melrose Street, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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