Mindfulness Retreat Day - "The Alchemist"

Sunday 6th October,

Leasowe Castle

On this Autumn retreat, we gather in these gorgeous surroundings to discuss the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of worldly treasure.

An international best seller that's sold millions of copies world wide.

Paulo Coelho beautifully weaves the mystical journey of Santiago as he travels the world exploring riches far and wide. As we join in his adventures we discover a story that has transformed people's lives. It gently illustrates the power of listening to our hearts, our inner wisdom and most importantly of all recognising the joy of following our dreams.

If you enjoy engaging conversation and need some time out, this day will be like a spa for the mind and soul.

An outline of the day

The retreat runs for the full day and includes all refreshments.

Morning

We'll gather in the turret suite around 9.15 and have refreshments and introduce ourselves. There'll be place cards with the key themes from the book and we'll each select the one that resonates most. Over coffee and pastries we'll talk through the themes in a relaxed and explorative way. We'll work in small groups of 5 or 6 so everyone has a chance to contribute.

After a short break we'll move into the relaxation area where there'll be an overview of a mindfulness theme followed by a guided practice.

Lunch - 45 minutes - A light lunch of soup, salad, sandwiches and fries

Afternoon

In the afternoon we'll return to the relaxation area for another mindfulness session where we'll explore the concepts and benefits of compassion and follow another guided practice.

We'll follow this up with a second book session and end the retreat with a mindful reflection and parting ceremony.

Optional Walk

As we are right on the sea front, there's an option to take a walk along Leasowe Bay.

"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 12 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.

On the Day

We have a dedicated space in the Turret Suite of the Leasowe Castle overlooking the sea and the gardens. 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 walk along the beach

Overnight accommodation is available for an additional cost and should be booked separately if required.

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".

*Limited places - book by 28th July to get your 15% discount with code: EARLYMR24O.

As the venue requires payment in advance, cancellations on or after 15th September will only be refunded, if we are able to resell your place.

Book my 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.