Relaxing Woodland Wellbeing & Somatic Session
Overview
This event is in the process of being postponed. If you were interested in booking, please add yourself to the waiting list and we will let you know once a new date has been arranged.
The Woodland Retreat is a tranquil and secluded area within the beautiful Buzzards Valley Vineyard. This will be our base for a deeply calming afternoon in nature.
This relaxation session is exclusively for Spice and is designed to ease anxiety, release stress, and promote total relaxation and grounding.
We will begin with a mindful walk in the woods and around the picturesque lake to kickstart our relaxation journey and connect with nature. We will find a pretty spot to enjoy a light picnic so please bring along a flask or cold drink and some snacks or a sandwich, whatever you'd like.
Following this, Louise will be explaining all about our all important Vagal Nerve. We can then tap into and explore our vagal nerves as a group with a (completely optional) Somatic Vocal Session. This is not a singing session, more structured humming and breathing which proves to be an immensely powerful and accessible way of relaxing the nervous system.
We will learn some of the tools that we can perform quickly and easily, anywhere, anytime which could help in the future.
As always with Spice, the ethos is 'Get as involved as you feel comfortable'.
To finish, we can rest upon a camp bed, all cosy under a blanker and enjoy a lovely Sound Bath allowing our mind and body to soften into a deep state of rest.
Each element is intentionally layered to move you from activation → regulation → restoration. You won't have to “try” to relax, your body will be guided there.
You’ll leave feeling:
✔ Calmer and more grounded
✔ Clearer and more present
✔ Reconnected to your body
✔ Deeply rested
No previous experience is required, simply arrive, get comfortable, and get as involved as you wish.
Includes
- Mindful short walk in nature
- Introduction into the vagal nerve with somatic sounds.
- Fully guided Soundbath relaxation experience
- Camp bed and blanket hire
- Services of a Spice Volunteer
Extras
- Bring a picnic lunch or just some snacks
- A blanket is provided but feel free to bring your own cosy blanket/and a pillow if you'd prefer your own
- Bring an open mind, in need of a reset!
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system, acting as a two-way communication "highway" between the brain and major organs. It is critical for parasympathetic ("rest and digest") functions, including controlling heart rate, digestion, and breathing. It originates in the brainstem, wanders throughout the chest and abdomen, and regulates bodily functions, including calming the body down.
What is Somatics?
Somatic exercises can help to release strong emotions from our body. This is achieved by mindful movements, breathwork and vocalizations such as humming, singing, or chanting. This in turn produces vibrations in the throat that activate the nerve and can calm and relax our nervous state.
What is a Sound Bath?
A Sound Bath is a meditative, immersive experience where healing frequencies from crystal bowls, gongs, chimes and other therapeutic instruments wash over you - restoring balance to your body, mind, and spirit.
As you rest comfortably, waves of sound gently guide your nervous system into a state of calm, helping to release tension, reduce anxiety, and promote inner peace. Each session is designed to help you reconnect with yourself and return to stillness within.
Benefits of a Sound Bath:, ✨ Deep relaxation and stress relief, 🕊️ Reduces anxiety and promotes emotional clarity, 💫 Supports better sleep and overall wellbeing, 🌿 Enhances meditation and mindfulness, 💖 Helps clear energetic blockages and restore harmony.
Location & Itinerary
Louise Goode is a qualified hypnotherapist and sound healer and also a celebrant. Alongside this, Louise also offers a range of additional mindful experiences including creative arts like decoupage and watercolour painting, singing, cookery, and gardening. Talking therapy, sound healing, EMDR, and EFT if also incorporated into her session as needed.
Louise holds Diploma’s in solution focussed, Ericksonian, NLP, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy, and is also a qualified Mindfulness now coach and level 1 sound healing practitioner.
In Louise's own words, she says "I’m not one for the 'hippy stuff' or mysticism. I focus on what works, drawing from real, evidence-based techniques delivered in a straightforward, compassionate manner."
Our short Sound Bath session at the end, doesn't use loud instruments so we would not typically expect any problems. However, certain conditions can carry potential physical or emotional risks. These are listed here: Epilepsy triggered by sound or sensory overstimulation, Implanted medical devices sensitive to vibration, Acute psychiatric instability, Pregnancy (especially 1st trimester), Migraines or chronic headaches, Tinnitus, Recent surgery or physical Metal implants, plates, or rods, Anxiety disorders, Intoxication, Severe vertigo or balance disorders, Claustrophobia or panic disorder.
If you have any of the above and want to check if a sound bath is suitable for you, please get in touch to discuss directly with Louise.
Buzzards Valley is nestled between Tamworth, Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield. They are a community of independent businesseses surrounded by 60 acres of Nature Reserve and Vineyard.
Parking: Plentiful free parking is available.
Host & Everything Else
Although we haven't offered this event before, we sent Claire from the office along as a guinea pig to one of Louise's Sound Baths and here are her thoughts:
This was such a relaxing experience! It was lovely to take an hour out of a busy day to feel completely refreshed afterwards. The sounds were very soothing and gave a calming sensation as they passed from one ear to the other. It was like a feast for the ears! Luckily I didn't laugh or fall asleep like I thought I might (the lady next to me did though! zzz)
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