Nourishing the Nervous System - Mindful Awareness & Creative Expression

An online retreat day for mindful and creative enquiry - exploring how overwhelm affects us, what restores us and how we move forward

About the Retreat

We've previously run this beautiful retreat as an in-person offering and are now bringing it online so it can reach further.

A gentle, guided exploration of how we each respond to the experiences of our everyday lives, and how we might support ourselves more kindly when things feel overwhelming.

The day is informed by Polyvagal Theory — a way of understanding the nervous system that helps make sense of why we sometimes feel calm and connected, sometimes mobilised or on edge, and sometimes withdrawn or shut down. Rather than getting lost in theory, we’ll explore these patterns through direct experience, reflection and creative practice.

Co-hosted by somatic practitioners Grace Loveday and Henny Flynn, the retreat is fully guided and gently paced. There’s nothing to prepare, analyse or get right. You’re invited to arrive as you are and let the day unfold.

What to Expect

A calm, spacious day that weaves together clear teaching, guided practices, creativity and time to pause.

You can expect:

• Accessible, everyday language to help you understand what’s happening in your nervous system
• Guided practices exploring the different states we all move through - including fight / flight, freeze / shutdown and grounded / connected
• Relaxed creative activities that support awareness without pressure or performance
• Time to reflect quietly, with opportunities to share if you wish
• A sense of being held and guided through the whole day

Breaks are woven naturally into the rhythm of the retreat.

Who It’s For

This retreat is for anyone curious about their inner world — how they respond to stress, how they become grounded, and what helps them feel more at ease in themselves.

No knowledge of Polyvagal Theory, mindfulness, or creative practice is needed. Everything is optional, and you’re welcome to take part in the way that feels right for you.

Practitioners, therapists, and coaches may also appreciate the opportunity to experience this work in an embodied, experiential way.

"To me, the body says what words cannot" Martha Graham

Practical Details

Location: Online, Zoom

Time: 10.30am – 3.00pm, with breaks woven into the day

Group size: The group is kept intentionally small to allow time and space for reflection

Cost: £50-£65

Shared reflections about previous events, held by Grace and Henny

"It was profound and so relaxing and nourishing. I appreciate all the attention to detail and the way you both held it so sensitively and with such attunement." Leya

"Generous, attuned and beautifully held" Kohra

"Thank you both for your gentle encouragement and support." Jo

"Throughout I felt accepted, nurtured and understood. It was as though every need had been anticipated. In life I always put the needs of others before my own, I always have and I am aware of it. Thank you for your kindness, wise words and humour (the day was such fun too)." Jane

Investment

We want this day to be as accessible as possible while also recognising the value and depth of support it offers. There are two pricing options: Standard Rate – £65 or Supported Rate – £50 (for those who need a little more financial flexibility)

Both options provide the same experience, and you are welcome to choose the price that best reflects your personal circumstances.

Grace Loveday is an interspiritual minister, somatic practitioner and mindfulness meditation teacher. Through 1:1 sessions, retreats, ceremony, and community-centred offerings, she supports people navigating death, grief, and life’s profound transitions. Her work honours both the sacred and the everyday, and is grounded in gentle presence, embodied enquiry, and a deep trust in the quiet intelligence within each person.

Henny Flynn is a trauma-informed therapeutic coach. She balances Parts Work, ImageWork, mindfulness, and Systemic & Constellation coaching with somatic practices to draw on the intelligence of the Head, Heart, and Hara — bringing these three sources of inner wisdom into alignment. All of her work is grounded in compassionate self-enquiry, offered through 1:1 and group coaching, courses, books, podcast reflections, and retreats.