The Winter Pause · One-day retreat
A one-day retreat for people who haven't stopped in a long time.
Winter is the one season built for slowing down, and most of us ignore it completely. We keep the same pace through December that we kept in June, then wonder why we're running on empty by January. The Winter Pause is one full day set aside to do the opposite. No agenda to hit, nothing to prove, nowhere else to be. Just movement, breath, sound and space.
Who's holding the day
A day designed together, not stitched together.
This isn't two strangers running separate sessions under one roof. It's a day designed together, by two people who know exactly how the pieces fit.
Adele Smyth
Women's health & clinical movement specialist
A Registered Nurse with 25+ years' experience and a women's health and clinical movement specialist. Adele leads the yoga, the coaching session, the balance workshop and the breathwork — work built on safety and trust, never on pushing people past what their body can hold.
Zoe Venning-Pridham
Sound therapist & studio owner
Zoe closes the day with the sound bath. Both Adele and Zoe are part of Studio 366, winner of Best Wellness Break at the Muddy Stilettos Awards.
What the day holds
Not timed to the minute. It moves the way a good day should.
At its own pace, with room to breathe between one thing and the next. The breaks are as deliberate as everything else — built in to let things settle, not gaps to fill time.
Mindful movement
Gentle yoga and movement to reconnect with your body, and space to let your energy reset.
A coaching tool to keep
A simple practice that anchors a feeling of calm you can call on long after the day ends.
Breathwork
For a nervous system that rarely gets the chance to settle.
A tea ceremony
Unhurried. Taken properly, sitting down, with nowhere else to be.
A sound bath
To close things down gently, held by Zoe Venning-Pridham.
Nourishing food
Coffee on arrival and a proper lunch — eaten without rushing.
The balance workshop
Ever fancied being the person who does a handstand? This is your chance. We build arm balances up step by step — wobbles, giggles and all — at your own level, with Adele spotting you the whole way.
Somewhere in the middle of it all, a shift — from always being on the go, to finding stillness as you pause for winter.
Who this is for
You don't need to be “good at relaxing.”
You don't need to be flexible, experienced with yoga, or good at relaxing. You just need to have been going for a long time without a proper stop.
This is for you if you're tired in a way sleep doesn't fix, if you can't remember the last full day that was yours, or if you're craving stillness but don't know how to get there on your own. Maybe it's work, family, looking after someone else, or all three at once. The reason matters less than the fact that you haven't stopped.
You'll leave with a coaching tool to anchor a feeling of calm, a nervous system that has been given a proper chance to settle, and one full day that was yours.
This isn't for you if…
You want a workout, a bootcamp, or a day of being told to push harder. Everything here is guided, not pushed, and you work at your own level.
Everything here is guided, not pushed.
The investment
£125 per person.
Including yoga, the coaching session, the balance workshop, breathwork, a tea ceremony, sound bath, closing circle, coffee and lunch.
Payment options
- Pay in full — £125
- Or £45 deposit now, then two instalments of £40 — final payment due 14th November 2026
Spaces are limited to 12 people, so the day stays small and unhurried.
If the day is full, get in touch and Adele will add you to the waiting list.
A few practical things
- The Black Barn, Dye House Lane, Duncton, Petworth, GU28 0LF
- Please wear comfortable clothing you can move in
- Bring a journal if you'd like one — we'll have some things worth sitting with
- Free parking on site at The Barn · 10 minutes from Petworth, easy reach of Midhurst and Haslemere
Cancellation terms
All payments, including the £45 deposit, are non-refundable once booked. This reflects the cost of holding a place at a small, capped event where numbers are confirmed with the venue and caterer well in advance. If you can no longer attend, you're welcome to transfer your place to someone else at any time, free of charge, right up to the day itself. If we cancel the day, you'll be refunded in full or moved to a new date, whichever you'd prefer.
One full day that is yours
12th December · The Black Barn, Petworth.
9.30am – 5pm · £125 · twelve places, held small on purpose. Come as you are — we'll find what feels alive again.