Winter Solstice

A Half-Day Nature, Cacao & Yoga Retreat

Join us at the beautiful SoEarth Projects in Kill, Co. Kildare for a special half-day retreat marking the Winter Solstice - the darkest point of the year and a chance to pause just before Christmas arrives.

Held in those final few days before Christmas, this retreat is deliberately placed at a time when many of us need it most. By this point in December, the shopping, organising, school events, work, social plans, wrapping, travelling and seemingly endless lists can leave very little space to actually enjoy the season. So before Christmas begins properly, take three hours for yourself.

We'll step away from the Christmas rush and into the winter landscape at SoEarth. Spending time in nature, drinking warm ceremonial cacao, moving slowly, breathing deeply and allowing the body and mind to properly settle.

We'll begin outdoors with a slow, mindful walk through the woodland and gardens, taking time to notice the landscape at its quietest point of the year. Winter in nature is not about constantly doing or producing. It is a season of slowing down, conserving energy and rest - something we often forget to allow ourselves to do too.

Back inside, we'll warm up with ceremonial cacao and take some time for reflection as we approach both Christmas and the end of another year. From here, we'll move into a slow, breath-led yoga practice, beginning with gentle movement to warm the body before gradually moving towards longer, quieter and more restorative poses.

We'll finish in stillness with a deeply restorative guided meditation and a simple Winter Solstice candlelight reflection - marking the longest night of the year and the slow return of the light.

For our time together - there will be no rushing, no Christmas hustle & bustle, just time to breathe, move, rest and reconnect before stepping back into Christmas and the people you love.

Event Details

Location - SoEarth Projects, Kill, Co. Kildare

Date - Saturday 19th December

Two sessions are available to book:

Morning Gathering: 10:00am - 1:00pm

Afternoon Gathering: 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Both gatherings follow the same Winter Solstice experience, with the changing winter light creating a slightly different atmosphere for each.

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Choosing Your Session

Morning Gathering - Winter Morning

Begin your day slowly. We'll experience SoEarth in the quiet winter morning before returning indoors for warm cacao, yoga, reflection and deep rest. You'll leave at 1pm with the rest of your Saturday ahead of you - hopefully carrying a little of that calm with you.

Afternoon Gathering - Daylight into Candlelight

The afternoon gathering has something particularly special about it at this time of year. We'll begin while there is still daylight outside, spending time in the winter landscape before returning to the warmth of the studio. As the afternoon progresses and daylight begins to fade, our practice will gradually become slower and quieter, finishing in candlelight with meditation and our Winter Solstice reflection. A beautiful way to experience one of the darkest afternoons of the year.

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What to Expect

• A slow, mindful winter walk through the beautiful grounds of SoEarth Projects

• Ceremonial cacao

• Winter reflection and gentle journaling

• Slow, breath-led yoga suitable for all abilities

• Breathwork to support relaxation and nervous system regulation

• Restorative yoga and deep rest

• A guided meditation

• A candlelit Winter Solstice reflection

• Time to slow down, reconnect with nature and simply be

How You'll Leave Feeling

This experience is designed to help you leave feeling...

• Rested during one of the busiest times of the year

• Lighter in body and mind

• Calm and grounded

• More present and connected

• Physically rested and gently stretched

• Ready to move into Christmas feeling a little less rushed

• Reconnected with yourself after spending so much of December thinking about everyone else

Why the Winter Solstice?

The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. For generations, it has been a significant point in the seasonal calendar - the depth of winter, followed by the gradual return of longer days. Nature has already slowed down. Trees are bare, growth has quietened and much of the natural world is conserving its energy until spring.

Yet for us, December often asks the exact opposite. We rush. We organise. We shop. We socialise. We try to finish everything before Christmas.

This retreat is an opportunity to follow nature's lead for a few hours instead.

To slow down and to rest.

The Benefits

• Combining time in nature with gentle yoga, conscious breathing, meditation and intentional rest gives both the body and mind an opportunity to slow down.

• Gentle movement can help release physical tension built up through busy or stressful periods, while slower breathing and restorative practices encourage the body to move away from a heightened state of alertness towards rest.

• Time outdoors provides another opportunity to step away from screens, noise and constant stimulation and reconnect with the natural rhythms happening around us.

You don't need to be experienced in yoga or meditation to take part.

You don't need to be flexible.

And you don't need to arrive feeling calm.

Come exactly as you are.