Course Overview
This 5-week series guides participants from the quiet stillness of winter toward the first signs of spring. Each session blends:
- A theme grounded in seasonal nature
- A guided meditation (20 mins approx)
- Gentle movement or breathwork
- Joy-building reflections
The tone is warm, inclusive, and suitable for beginners as well as those with experience of meditation. Sessions are recorded for rewatching or catch up on replay.
Course Cost
This is a paid event for NWR members only. The total cost is £15, working out at just £3 a session!
Scroll to end of page to book. To join NWR, please visit https://nwr.org.uk/join-nwr/apply/
Course Content
Week 1, 6 Jan: Winter Stillness & The Ground of Resilience
Nature image: Resting winter forest floor.
Gentle Movement:
Hand-warming, shoulder circles, joint-friendly stretching.
Teaching Points:
- Winter as a time of “root work.”
- Resilience begins with rest and gentle inner warmth.
- Joy in comfort, quiet, and slowness.
Guided Meditation:
“The Warm Hearth Within”
A soothing body-based meditation that builds warmth from an inner fire and cultivates steadiness.
Group Reflection & Closing Thoughts:
Cultivate feelings of warmth, grounding, ease.
Week 2, 13 Jan: Light Returning – Reawakening Hope
Nature image: Lengthening days.
Gentle Movement:
Heart-centred breathing; “sunrise breath.”
Teaching Points:
- Small increases in light affect mood.
- Hope as soft re-emerging brightness.
- Micro-joys as uplifting touchpoints.
Guided Meditation:
“Candlelight in the Dark”
Visualising a gently brightening flame, filling the body with warmth and optimism.
Group Reflection & Closing Thoughts:
What forms of light or brightness feel present?
Week 3, 20 Jan: Hidden Growth – Trusting the Unseen
Nature image: Seeds beneath the soil.
Gentle Movement:
Feet grounding and supported balance work.
Teaching Points:
- Slow, invisible progress is real progress.
- Seeds gathering strength as a metaphor.
- Patience as resilience.
Guided Meditation:
“The Seed Beneath the Earth”
A grounding visualisation of being held like a warm seed preparing for growth.
Group Reflection & Closing Thoughts:
What quiet forms of inner growth feel alive?
Week 4 – 27 Jan: Weathering Winter Storms – Soft Strength
Nature image: Trees bending with winter winds.
Gentle Movement:
Side-body stretches and gentle swaying.
Teaching Points:
- Resilience as flexibility rather than rigidity.
- Emotional “weather” constantly shifts.
- Joy as stabilising anchor.
Guided Meditation:
“The Flexible Branch”
Participants imagine themselves as a rooted yet flexible tree, swaying with winter winds.
Group Reflection & Closing Thoughts:
Where does softness support strength in daily life?
Week 5, 3 Feb: First Signs of Spring – Joy Rising Naturally
Nature image: Snowdrops, early buds, birdsong.
Gentle Movement:
Chest-opening movement: “opening the window to spring.”
Teaching Points:
- Early spring uplift is subtle.
- Joy arises naturally with openness.
- Sensory delight supports wellbeing.
Guided Meditation:
“Snowdrops and Early Birds”
An immersive sensory meditation focusing on early colours, textures, sounds, and gentle aliveness.
Group Reflection & Closing Thoughts:
Which spring qualities feel most uplifting?
About Joanne Sumner
Joanne Sumner is a dedicated therapist, practitioner, coach, and trainer, specialising in wellbeing for women, people involved in caring professions or with personal caring responsibilities, and for entrepreneurs. With over 19 years of experience, she offers a holistic approach to wellbeing, providing services that include online yoga and meditation classes, personalised coaching, and training in energy healing from her base in Winchester.
Joanne has led 100 retreats aimed at helping individuals release what no longer serves them and to reconnect with their intuition and purpose. Her serene approach brings purpose, passion, and peace to clients and students alike.
Connect with Joanne on Instagram @joannesumnerwellbeing or visit her website at www.joannesumner.com for more information.