WITH ANNA ASHBY & JEAN HALL
We are thrilled to offer the much-loved Urban Retreat this year in collaboration with HOME in Primrose Hill, London.
Taking place at the threshold between years, this soulful gathering offers a meaningful pause to reflect, practise and honour what has passed and open to what’s emerging. It’s an auspicious time where intention and community may generate vibrancy and power.
This year’s theme, wholeness of heart, invites us to embrace the immensity of the heart that can hold it all: courage and vulnerability, strength and tenderness, power and humility. Sahṛdaya (सहृदय) literally translates to mean ‘with the heart’ or ‘one whose heart is in union’. A heart that is whole… wholeHearted. Through yoga practice, somatic enquiry, storytelling and chanting, this retreat will inspire and support heart-fulness, presence and connection.
You’ll be guided by two of London’s most respected and experienced yoga teachers, Anna Ashby and Jean Hall, whose teachings integrate depth, compassion and wisdom. They’ll be joined by the inspiring Sarah Deco, a professional storyteller who weaves magic through narrative, and the one and only Nikki Slade, pioneer in the London kirtan scene, as they facilitate this unique gathering that bids farewell to 2026 and welcomes in 2027 wholeheartedly within the embrace of community.
All are welcome. Come as you are.
The retreat menu has been specially created by HOME Café’s Katia Narain Phillips.
RETREAT SCHEDULE
Tuesday 29th December 10.00AM – 4.30PM
Wednesday 30th December
10.00AM – 4.30PM
Thursday 31st December 10.00AM – 3.15PM
RETREAT MENU
DAY ONE
LUNCH
Warming Spiced Vegetable Dhal
Slow-cooked lentils with ginger, turmeric, cumin and warming spices, topped with thick yoghurt, pickled beetroot and toasted dukkah. Served with cumin & coriander roasted carrots, a fresh cucumber, radish & herb salad with lime, and sourdough bread.
AFTERNOON SNACK
Nut & Seed Bites with Chocolate & Freeze Dried Raspberries
DAY TWO
LUNCH
Moroccan Chickpea & Apricot Tagine
Chickpeas slow-cooked with tomato, warming spices, apricots and preserved lemon. Served with herby lemon quinoa, harissa roasted sweet potatoes and a shaved fennel, orange & herb salad.
AFTERNOON SNACK
Miso Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
DAY THREE
LUNCH
Roasted Vegetable Korma
Cauliflower and squash in a fragrant, gently spiced coconut korma. Served with brown basmati rice and a crunchy carrot, cabbage, cucumber & lime salad. Finished with toasted cashews and coriander.
AFTERNOON SNACK
Cardamon Banana Bread
*PRICE WITH LUNCH: £395 with early bird discount until 01st November (£455 thereafter)
*PRICE WITHOUT LUNCH: £350 with early bird discount until 01st November (£410 thereafter)
ANNA ASHBY
ABOUT ANNA ASHBY
Anna Ashby is a senior yoga teacher, trainer and author of the acclaimed book Restorative Yoga: Power, Presence, Practice for Teachers and Trainees (2022). Her unique style reflects a variety of influences including dance, extensive yoga training focused on alignment and precision, tai chi movements for wellbeing (TMW), the restorative arts and somatic movement. Much of her inspiration stems from her 12-year immersion in yoga practice while living in an ashram during the 1990s.
Anna choreographs purposeful sequences that allow for space and joyful presence. Her classes promote well-being and integrated awareness. Innovating in her field for over 30 years, Anna leads workshops, trainings and retreats globally. She continues to explore practices and movement modalities that foster ease and presence in everyday living.
As a senior teacher and trainer in the UK, she holds the highest level of certification with Yoga Alliance Professionals in the UK (SYT) and the Yoga Alliance in the U.S. (E-RYT-500 + YACEP). She also holds a B.A. (hons) in Modern Dance from Mills College in California (1991).You can find out more at www.annaashby.com
JEAN HALL
ABOUT JEAN HALL
Jean Hall is an author, yoga teacher and somatic movement educator to both students and teachers alike in the UK and internationally. As a curious lover of movement and creativity she has spent much of her life exploring bodywork disciplines, practicing yoga and traveling. She initially qualified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher in 1995 and since has continued to study, practice and teach vinyasa, mindfulness, meditation and somatic movement.
As well as teaching for some 25 years, she also writes, mentors, runs teacher training programs and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT-500 & SYT) with Yoga Alliance/Professionals (US & UK). Jean teaches inspiring somatic-based yoga that sources the breath for movement flow, strength, balance and awareness. She teaches both in-person and online in the UK and abroad. Her books are sold worldwide. www.yogajeannie.com
SARAH DECO
ABOUT SARAH DECO
Sarah Deco is a storyteller in the oral tradition as well as being an art therapist and group psychotherapist. She finds the old tales: myths, folktales, wonder tales etc; hold such wisdom for us now and facilitate deep and sometimes transformational conversations both with ourselves and others. She has been involved in The Urban Retreat for several years now and finds telling stories in this environment a particularly rewarding and uplifting experience.
NIKKI SLADE
ABOUT NIKKI SLADE
Nikki Slade has been a pioneer of mantra chanting and natural voice work in the UK for 36 years. She has led chanting and voice workshops in a wide variety of settings including companies such as M&C Saatchi, Deutsche Bank and Cisco. She has been resident Kirtan leader at triyoga London for 23 years and has also taken her cutting-edge approach to working with the voice into Wandsworth men’s prison. She was the resident voice facilitator at the Priory Hospital in North London for 20 years on the addiction treatment programme. For 10 years she facilitated kirtan at the half-way recovery house ‘Start 2 Stop’ in South Kensington. Nikki has released four successful mantra and chanting recordings including: Nectarine, Monsoon, Soundscape and the double album Epiphany. She is also author of the popular book ‘The Healing Power of Chanting’. In recent years she has pioneered kirtan at Glastonbury Festival, Latitude Festival and The World Yoga Festival. Nikki is the founder of the first ever 200hr ‘Learn To Lead Kirtan Foundation Training’, accredited by The Yoga Alliance Professionals in 2016. She completed leading the 6th and final training here in the UK in November 2023. Nikki now focuses on delivering her 50hr Kirtan Leader Immersion course and completed her second training 2025.
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