Events
Awaken to the new year – extended Yoga practice
Location: The Exchange, Howard street, North Shields, NE30 1SE – map HERE (held in the loft room)
Date: Saturday 1st February
Time: 10.00 till 12.00
Cost: £20.00 – non refundable
£20.00
North Shields Metro is 5 mins walk away and there is plenty of parking locally.
About the session
The new year is always a wonderful time to re-assert good intentions and clear off the mental dullness after the shortest day of the year in December.
Aimed at those with previous experience, the focus of this 2 hour practice will about shifting energy and developing clarity of mind to move forward with vinyasa based posture practice, breathwork & Pranayama and Yoga Nidra.
The loft room in the Exchange is a beautiful space which is perfect for Yoga practice and there is a lovely eatery if you wish to get something afterwards. Please bring a mat and block/cushion for sitting practice.
A day of transformative breathwork: from science to sacred connection with Christopher Gladwell
Location: Dinnington village hall, main road, Dinnington, NE137LD – map HERE
Date: Saturday 8th March
Time: 9.45 to 4.30 with a break, arrival at 9.30
Cost: £65.00 – non refundable
Breath day £65.00
Early booking is recommended, any questions please contact.
For this day there are also a couple of places available on a donation basis for those who can’t afford the full price. If you are interested please contact outlining your position.
About the workshop
Dive into a full-day journey exploring the profound power of your breath. Guided by cutting-edge breath science and experiential practices, this immersive experience will take you step-by-step through the incredible potential of conscious breathing:
1. Functional breathing foundations: begin by mastering the essentials of optimal, functional breathing to enhance your energy, focus, and overall well-being.
2. Destress and downregulate: discover techniques to dissolve tension, calm your nervous system, and foster resilience in the face of life’s challenges.
3. Flow state and peak performance: learn how to harness your breath to access the flow state, a place of effortless action and peak creativity, which unlocks your highest potential.
4. Psycho-emotional optimization: explore how your breath can guide you to regulate emotions, process experiences, and find balance in your inner world.
5. Connection to life’s source: conclude with practices that deepen your connection to the continuity of life, experiencing breath as a bridge to the source of all existence, unity, and transcendence.
This transformational day will equip you with practical tools to enhance your daily life and inspire a profound sense of connection to yourself and the greater flow of life. You will leave feeling empowered, aligned, and deeply present.
About Christopher
Christopher Gladwell is a seasoned breathwork, yoga and meditation practitioner with over 45 years of wisdom and experience. He combines breathwork, yoga, meditation, embodied movement, mind mastery, and neuroscience to help individuals achieve optimal well-being.
With a background in athletics and a passion for breath techniques, Christopher’s journey into breath training began at a young age. His interests expanded to deep yoga, martial arts, meditation, and biology, where he studied various practices such as Vedic pranayama and Conscious Connected breathing.
Christopher’s expertise extends to psychotherapeutic modalities, body-based therapies, and a deep understanding of different meditative practices from Vedic to Taoist and Tibetan traditions. His teachings are rooted in scientific knowledge, and he emphasises the importance of the scientific method.
Throughout his career, Christopher has worked with diverse groups, including people with disabilities, those struggling with mental health, single mothers, trauma survivors, and corporate teams. He has authored numerous books on contemporary yogic psychology, sharing his insights on achieving resilience, joy, inner peace, and personal empowerment.
Spring silent retreat
Location: Purelands retreat centre, Samye Ling Tibetan centre, Eskdalemuir, DG13 0QL
Date: Friday 4th to 6th April 2025
Time: arrival between 3.00 and 5.00 Friday and finish 3.00 Sunday
Cost: £245.00 per person – payment via bacs
Early booking is recommended, please contact to book, if you have any questions please contact.
Terms and conditions
A £75.00 non-refundable deposit is required to secure a place; the balance is payable by Friday 7th March. Any cancellation within 3 days of the retreat there is only a 50% refund of the total amount paid.
All rooms are single occupancy, basic but comfortable and there are separate shower facilities finished to a high standard, the meals are vegetarian and delicious. The canteen cannot cater for individual dietry requirements however there is a fridge at the retreat centre if you wish to bring anything specific for yourself. If you don’t have transport a lift can be arranged.
Prerequisites for attending – if you can’t honour these please don’t book
1. Mobile phones are to be handed in on arrival and will be keep safe and returned at the end of the retreat – there is strictly no access to them during the weekend.
2. You should have some previous Yoga posture experience and be comfortable with a sitting practice for up to 20-30 minutes.
3. Remain committed to silence and respect this and others at all times.
4. Be of balanced mind and emotions.
A few articles on the benefits of silence
8 benefits of silence, physical & mental
The benefits of silence & solitude
About the weekend
Come and enjoy a weekend of silence at the Purelands retreat centre set within the grounds of Samey Ling, the first Tibetan centre to be set up in Europe in 1967. We live in a very busy world where it is hard to escape sensory overload, digital technology and find silence for ourselves. The retreat will be an opportunity to completely detach from the routine of everyday life with a weekend of meditative practice, great food and absorb yourself in silent practice leaving with a clear mind.
Based on Vipassana (insight meditation) the practice will consist of light/passive posture work, simple breath/Pranayama and various approaches to Meditation and mindful practice such as Trataka (gaze point starring), walking, standing and sitting.
A guide for the weekend will be given to each attendee outlining practices for each session, such as observations during meditation and there will be absolute minimal instruction (of any) and mostly guidance through demonstration – see schedule below. There will be some free time Saturday afternoon to go for a relaxing walk by the river or around the grounds, or simply sit quietly in one of the main shrine rooms. There is the option of the Tibetan tea rooms or gift shop however to get the most out of the weekend this will only act as a distraction.
The retreat centre is a very peaceful environment to support your practice and the practice room overlooks the countryside and has under floor heating. Please note that when we are at the main canteen the meals will be ate on the tables allocated for silence.
Friday
6.00: supper.
7.30-8.45: welcome, introductions, overview of the weekend, practice guidelines, silence commences with light movement/grounding down, meditation.
Saturday
7.00: breakfast.
9.15-11.30: light posture, breath work, meditation.
12.30-1.30: lunch and free time.
4.15-5.30: walking, sitting, standing & meditative observations.
6.00: supper.
7.30-8.45: light movement/grounding down, meditation.
Sunday
7.00: breakfast.
9.15-11.30: light posture, breath work, meditation.
12.30-1.30: lunch.
2.00-3.00: walking, sitting, standing & meditative observations, silence ends & reflections.
Get in touch
For information on classes and events, or to book, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
