Workshops 2026
Alternative Friday nights and weekends. Come and immerse yourself in Gong Baths, Retreat Days, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and more at the Centre.
Most workshops take place at Notley Yoga Centre, Slamseys Barn, Blackley Lane, Great Notley, Essex
The Sonic Sessions special Gong Baths take place at Old Park Meadow, North End, Chelmsford, Essex.
Gong Baths also take place at Chapel Arts Centre, Fressingfield, Suffolk
Please be aware that tickets are non-refundable; however, you have the option to transfer your ticket to a friend or family member if you are unable to attend. In the event that you cannot make it to the class, kindly inform us at least 48 hours in advance so we can try to resell your space. If the space is resold, a transfer will be provided; otherwise, refunds are not available. For transferring to another class, we require a minimum of 1 weeks' notice, and the transfer will be to the next available session within a 2-month period.
As a small business, we appreciate your understanding in this policy.
Seasonal Afternoon Retreat | Embrace the Dark...
Saturday 10th October
12 - 5pm
Afternoon Retreat | Embrace the Season
As we enter the colder, darker half of the year, it's an ideal time to reflect on the months behind us and gently step away from the busyness that summer holds. This season invites us to turn inward, to rest and digest, and to honour the rhythm of nature as we adjust to its quieter pace.
Join us for a calming and restorative afternoon designed to support this transition. We'll begin with a gentle, flowing practice to ease out the tension of the week. This will be followed by deeply relaxing Restorative yoga and a meditative Gong Bath, calming both body and mind.
This session falls on the New Moon which means we can tap into the qualities of the new luna cycle and new beginning.
The afternoon is dedicated to breath, movement, and stillness, offering space for self-inquiry and release. Together, we’ll welcome the changing year as an opportunity to shed old layers and begin the journey inwards.
This is an afternoon just for you which is reflective yet uplifting, leaving you feeling grounded and prepared for the days ahead.
The afternoon is set at the warm, cosy Notley Yoga Centre, all equipment is supplied and the underfloor heating will keep us toasty all day, unless we are in a Indian summer of course!
Open to all skill levels, including beginners.
Inc light refreshments
Please book below
Yin Yoga & Gong Bath | The Art of Surrender
29th Oct 6.45 - 9.15pm
Working seasonally with the five element path. Yin Yoga postures are held for longer (up to 3 -5 mins) with emphasis on connective tissues rather than muscles. When holding the posture for longer we work on the deep tissues/fascia allowing energy to be freed up in the body.
Mainly floor based postures are used in this style of Yoga. Yin Yoga is for you if you are tired, over-stimulated, when your energy is too erratic, your mind overactive, whether you are craving for energy or you feel you have too much of it.
We tend to live in a busy world on computers/phones/laptops etc, The mind gets used to that amount of information and starts to crave stimuli if it gets quiet. So you end up browsing, looking for stuff, it doesn’t matter what as long as you fill the gaps. Gaps we really should allow to stay empty to find some sort of down time for the mind to stop and for you to just be. So give yourself a couple of hours to just ‘be’ in the body.
Once the body & nervous system is prepped with the Yoga we are ready to receive the sounds and vibrations of the Gong Meditation. There is nothing more to do than just lay down and let go.
Your body is not merely hearing sound, it is receiving vibrations. Sound waves travel through the air and also impact us on a cellular level. Composed of about 70% water, your body serves as an excellent conduit for these vibrations.
The steady, repetitive frequencies encourage the brain to transition into slower brain wave states, specifically alpha and theta, which are renowned for their meditative and creative qualities.
Your body to shift from everyday alertness to a state of regulation and receptivity. As a result, your heart rate may decrease, and your breathing may adopt a more natural rhythm. This occurs not because you are "trying" to relax, but because you are responding to the frequency.
Hopefully your body, mind, emotions and energy will more integrated after this experience and you're ready to start your weekend in a more relaxed state.
Restorative Yoga and Gong Bath
Thurs 15th Oct, Fri 13th Nov
6.45 - 9.15pm
Seasonal practice 2 hour of restful bliss...
Gently letting go of late summer and dropping into the Mellow Vibes of Autumn. The leaves are beginning turn and we are ready to invite the darkness and restful qualities of the season in.
This practice is designed to soothe your nervous system and gently anchor you in the here and now. Allow your body to soften, to release, to surrender. Let yourself settle into a few hours of deep, nourishing bliss.
Slows Down the Pace of Life
Restorative yoga is an excellent opportunity to disconnect from the frenetic activity of daily life and let your speedometer return to 0 mph. It offers a welcome respite among all the turbulence of life and helps to prepare the mind and body for the inward stroke of meditation and deepened awareness. Moving slowly through the poses allows you to explore your mind and body at a steady and natural tempo. Using props eg Bolsters, blocks, blankets, and sandbags we will marinade each posture for at least five minutes, allowing the body and mind to surrender.
Soothing to the Nervous System
The slower pace and deep breathing that you get in a restorative yoga class trigger the parasympathetic nervous system from the very first pose. This activation helps to mitigate the effects of the regular fight-or-flight stress response that can be damaging to your physiology and well-being. The overall calming effect on the nervous system sets a deeply relaxing tone for the class that comforts your whole being
Once the body is open and receptive after the Yoga practice we are ready to receive the sounds of the Gong and other musical instruments. Led by Leigh we will embark on a deep meditative journey. The Gong bathes the entire body in powerful sound vibrations or tones, which can affect you at an energetic and cellular level. When the gong is played with intention profound healing can occur. A gong bath is a very relaxing experience and can be very effective in dealing with stress, creating a sense of well-being and peace. Participants often receive clarity about issues they are experiencing and the new wave of energy a gong bath produces can create positive change on all levels
Yoga & Gong | Winter Solstice inspired
Fri 11th Dec
6.45 - 8.45pm
Please join me for a 2 hour Yoga & Gong session to feel rested this winter BUT also acknowledging the Great Wheel has turned and celebrate the return of the Light!
The shortest day & longest night of the year. This Winter Solstice inspired practice will include some very slow and mindful sun salutations as we honour the sun and its journey back. Expect a balanced practice of Yoga & Gong of both resting and gentle uplifting.
We will take some time in the quiet darkness to think about the year gone by and step away from the chaos of xmas!
Even though we are in mid winter and there is no rush to awaken, the fact the suns path is changing gives us hope at the darkest time of the year.
Monthly Mindfulness & Meditation
Last Friday of the month
7 - 8.30pm
‘Meditation Relaxation’ ‘There is no end goal, only new beginnings.’ Meditation is an awareness of each present moment. Whether we are moving or in stillness. Following the natural, gentle rhythm of each breath, moment by moment, we are able to let go of trying, expectations, and goals, and just be.
As we journey with one breath, the next breath naturally flows, and we discover within us inner peace and calm. After taking a few moments to be still and connect with ourselves, we will move slowly and gently with the breath, to unravel, hidden stresses and tensions within the body, relaxing into restorative postures where we will pause for a few moments giving ourselves permission to let go and surrender.
Using blankets and pillows to support us we can enter a deeper relaxation which will prepare us for a guided meditation at the end. We will use different breath techniques to bring balance, clarity of mind, and calm the nervous system. These are techniques you can use in your daily life to help restore balance and feel peace and calm.
During the class, I will introduce you to a Buddhist Mantra. Mantra is another way of meditating. It is active, powerful, and uplifting and has a deep effect on shifting and transforming blocked energy. We always finish in Savasana with a guided meditation.
Join me for a journey of the heart 
Saturday Sanctuary | With Elaine
Being in harmony with the rhythms of nature
It’s November already, and as we embrace the darkness, perhaps you recognise that it’s time for you, like nature, to slow down.
Saturday Sanctuary.
Two hours of Yin and Restorative Yoga.
Of self love and connection, to leave you feeling deeply relaxed and nourished.
No yoga experience is needed to enjoy the benefits of this class.
Pause | with Amy
Monthly Saturday Sessions
Each Pause workshop is a seasonal invitation to step away from the busyness of everyday life and reconnect with a more natural, nourishing rhythm. Guided by the qualities of the season, each session includes thoughtfully chosen practices designed to both soothe and uplift — supporting rest when it’s needed and gently lifting energy, clarity, and vitality when it’s time to re-emerge. Through embodied movement, breath, sound and reflection we create space to slow down, re-centre, and reconnect — leaving you feeling grounded and gently renewed.
Each workshop is unique, but sessions will gently weave together somatic movement, longer-held yin or restorative shapes, sound, and other nourishing practices to support deep listening, release, and reconnection.
Please book through Ground & Flow Yoga
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Ground and Flow Yoga
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07445602622
EFT workshop with Nicola
Myofascial Release workshop with Nicola
This in-person Myofascial release and Myo-Yin workshop – Roll to release – is an evening to unwind, release and relax very deeply.
Many of us feel tension stored in our bodies; feel the mental and emotional weight of carrying so much and find slowing down, resting, very difficult.
Suitable for all.
Yoga & Gong | Fressingfield
Sat 25th July
6 - 8pm
Saturday Sangha | Seasonal Themes | With Sue
Book your space here, https://thehealingtreeinessex.co.uk/#prices scroll down to Saturday Sangha or contact here 07811 579209
Gong Meditation | Yoga Nidra | Conscious Relaxation
Thurs 24th July
7 ‐ 8.30pm
Seasonal intentions
Blending Gentle Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and seasonal visulisations with the meditative sounds and vibrations of the Gongs (this is not a full Gong Bath)
A deeply relaxing experience for the participants using the power of Nidra to guide us back to our true nature.
The Gongs will be deliberately slow and gentle as it lulls us into a deep meditative state.
Allowing ourselves to drop into gravity and into the slower brain waves. Encouraging us to delve deeper into ourselves and preparing us to go inwards
Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep as it is commonly known, is an immensely powerful meditation technique, and one of the easiest yoga practices to develop and maintain. While the practitioner rests comfortably in savasana (supine), this systematic meditation takes you through the pancha maya kosha (five layers of self), leaving you with a sense of wholeness. A deeply relaxing experience as we navigate conscious relaxation.
A samskara (mental groove) is formed by a repetitive thought or habit that is deepened in the mind and body, creating a mental impression (groove) over time. These impressions can cause negative reactions and emotions which prevent a unification of the five layers (koshas) of one’s self. If these negative emotions continue to plague you, the mental/emotional layer of the self is unable to integrate with the other layers: physical, energetic, higher wisdom, and bliss body. This is where yoga nidra can be especially helpful.
A sankalpa (positive statement) can be used as an intention within the yoga nidra practice. You might come into the practice knowing what you would like to work on. The intention, often prompted by the teacher, is then set at the beginning of the practice. When a samskara arises during the practice, you may touch upon the feelings that arise, and then allow yourself to experience these feelings more and more.
By working with this method (and feeling secure throughout the journey), with each subsequent practice you move deeper into a samskara, are better able to understand your reaction, and then ultimately can allow the samskara to release into the ocean of consciousness. At that point, it is no longer a deep impression. You are liberated from the samskara!
Yoga Nidra can serve as a pathway to freedom without creating bodily stress that seated meditation sometimes can.
Suitable for all abilities and beginners welcome
Djembe Drumming
Whilst the emphasis on all Jambeats drum circles is fun, there is also an element of straightforward learning and this is delivered by Pete from Jambeats, an accomplished musician and teacher. He holds circles together and offers to share his love of music and drums with us all. No experience is necessary and all Drums are supplied.
Drumming induces deep relaxation, lowers blood pressure, produces feelings of well-being, releases emotional trauma, and reduces stress. Stress, according to current medical research, contributes to nearly all diseases and is a primary cause of such life-threatening illnesses as heart attacks, strokes, and immune system breakdowns. Chronic pain has a progressively draining effect on the quality of life.
Research suggests that drumming serves as a distraction from pain and grief. Specifically, drumming promotes the production of endorphins and endogenous opiates, the body's own morphine-like painkillers, and can thereby help to control pain.
Community effects of Drumming – Drum Circles also provide an opportunity for participants to feel connected with others and gain a sense of interpersonal support. A drum circle provides an opportunity to connect with your own spirit at a deeper level. Group drumming alleviates self-centeredness, isolation and alienation. There are great benefits to feeling connected to others, especially those in similar situations. Specific studies show: Creates a sense of connectedness with self and others. Helps us experience being in resonance with the natural rhythms of life and provides a medium for individual self-realization
I Personally find drumming exciting and uplifting, you don't have to have any experience to join this workshop. and no rhythm is necessary!
Please book below
Wild Drumming | Early Summer Celebration.
(weather permitting if it's raining then the workshop will be at the center)
The Drum has been part of everything since time began. Part of ancient celebrations & ceremonies weaving its magic into our DNA in all cultures. Humans have also long been drawn to fire, our ancient ancestors used it for warmth, protection, and cooking and the flickering flames draw us in and capture our attention. There is an instinctual desire to make rhythmic noise and there is no doubt it makes us feel good!
Drumming around the fire pit can be a deeply moving and uplifting experience, connecting to something deeper within us but also connecting as human beings together…its a tribal feeling that we have lost in the West.
We are very lucky to have an area for some Wild Drumming only 5 mins from Great Notley. A beautiful space under the trees and stars to get back to our Tribal Roots. Using Djembe and Frames drums we can sit around the campfire, be with nature, and Drum….a wonderful experience and not be missed.
As you can see below our wild drumming events have been amazing!!
Blindfold Yoga | Pratyhara, Sense Withdrawal
TBC
£18
