Mid Spring, equal days and nights tipping over into British Summer Time. The vital force is gathering with the first flowers and brave bees. It’s a threshold moment and a chance to take stock: where are we up to and what is our heart’s prayer for the next stage?

With restorative yoga, yoga nidra, journalling, circle and meditation walk and maybe a small gardening activity in the kitchen garden we’ll rest, reflect and ground ourselves.

And vegan lunch made from produce in the garden.

For the day you will need:

notebook and pen
eye pillow or scarf to cover your eyes (optional)
sturdy shoes/boots for walking over rough fields
rainwear/sunhat

Fiona is a trained and experienced facilitator of restorative and nidra. Based at her Viveka Gardens Retreat Place in Mid Devon, she brings nature and season-based visualisations to nidra.

here’s to opening and upward, to leaf and to sap

and to your (in my arms flowering so new)

self whose eyes smell of the sound of rain

ee cummings

Feedback from previous Retreat days

I loved the Gentle Retreat Day, linked with a grounded connection with nature. I particularly enjoyed the meditation walk and guided yoga nidra session where I felt light, centred and peaceful – can’t wait to practise more! Elizabeth, Chulmleigh

I found the Gentle Yoga Day Retreat at Viveka Gardens a really inspiring and enjoyable day. As I had hoped, it was a great introduction/reminder of the benefits of practising yoga but also provided a fascinating historical context which will definitely enhance my practice. The meditation walk around the fields at Viveka Farm on such a beautifully sunny day was truly enchanting and the Yoga Nidra was relaxing beyond description! As well as being an inspiring and encouraging teacher, Fiona’s extensive knowledge and experience of yoga provided many valuable insights into both theory and practice.

And the food was amazing! Lesley, Morchard Bishop

A day might not seem like a long time but it only takes a moment for things change in your life. At Viveka Gardens Fiona cultivates in some magical a way a quiet day where these moments of importance and change seem to be pulled out of your heart and gently presented to you. It was a peacefully emotional day, a day which I feel will be very important to me. Also, the food was an unbelievably delicious, healthy vegan feast. Helen, Manchester

Viveka Gardens provides the perfect sanctuary. It is brimming with the sights and sounds of nature which you can soak up helping in Fiona’s garden or going for a scenic stroll in the woods. I have been truly spoint by the tasty vegan dishes daily which luckily include fresh fruit and veg from her garden! I wholeheartedly recommend the Quiet Day Retreat. Fiona has a gift for holding a safe, warm and supportive space in which to delve into some inner work. Her yin yoga and yoga nidra practices are beautifully guided and held, and have given me clarity and healing. Abbi, London