Yuletide and Unwind

Yuletide and Unwind runs at The Place in Sherwood on Friday 18 December, from 6:50pm to 9:30pm. It's billed as a Christmas retreat for radical acceptance, reflection and renewal, and framed as a gentle alternative to festive stress. The evening blends the history and symbolism of Yuletide with soothing sensory meditation, colour therapy, a heart-opening ceremonial cacao session and a sustainable wreath-making workshop, before closing with a guided winter journey meditation and a sharing circle to release 2026 and welcome 2027.

The session is led by Mind Alive, a Nottingham mindfulness provider whose practices are recognised in the NICE guidelines as an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. They're joined by Rachel, a social worker and mental health practitioner with over 26 years' experience, who is also a qualified mindfulness instructor, coach, colour therapist and reiki master. Between the two of them, the night covers a fair bit of ground — the sensory meditation, the colour therapy, the cacao, the wreath-making, and the final guided journey and sharing circle.

It's a long evening, nearly three hours, so there's plenty of room for each part to breathe rather than rushing through. The wreath-making is sustainable, and the whole thing is built around the idea of taking a breath and slowing down while the rest of the city is in the middle of the December rush. The Place is at 2a Melrose Street, Sherwood, NG5 2JP, and tickets start from £27.80.