Wintering:
A Course in Resting and Befriending Fallow Time
20th January - 24th February, 2027
Online
At this turning point of the year, as the days in the Northern Hemisphere darken, we invite you into a community of renewal as we explore together the wisdom of fallow times and the in-between spaces of life.
Key Information
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This is an online course.
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Wednesday 20th January - Wednesday 24th February, 2027.
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£330. Bursaries are available for those on low income or the unwaged.
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The course comprises six online weekly sessions of 1.5 hours each, held at 6 - 7.30 pm GMT each week.
Course Overview
Amid the urgency of colliding world crises, it might feel difficult to justify time to slow down, integrate and rest. Inactivity can seem useless, selfish and often impossible, especially in a culture that prioritises progress, constant content and expectations of availability. Over six weeks, we will gently question this value system as we explore collectively how to open into the spaces and places between stories, between inhale and exhale, day and night, ending and beginning.
Through embodied, experiential sessions we will linger, settle, unfurl, and reflect as we explore the transition of winter both literally and imaginatively. What could it look like to embrace the fallow times of our life, to find a home in the darkness or invite quietness, not just for personal benefit but as a means of social engagement and transformation?
We will explore the aliveness of the night, different textures of stillness and cyclical mythology as well as contemporary ‘rest’ activism. Through coming together to redefine inactivity, we will seek to both strengthen our connections and renew our sense of purpose, supporting us to re-enter our lives with more direction and clarity ahead.
Course Structure
This course includes six online weekly sessions of 1.5 hours each, held every Wednesday between 20th January to the 24th February, XX - XX pm GMT. The sessions will include a mixture of small group discussions, embodied exercises, journaling prompts and one optional at-home activity or exercise a week for the times between meetings to practice at your own time and pace. The following outline provides an indication of session content:
Wintering: grounding ourselves in the cyclical
Lingering: moving into the spaces between actions
Darkness: embracing stories of the night
Transition: embodying the threshold
Rest: politicising unproductivity
Stillness: nourishment in the quiet
Why Join This Course?
At the start of the New Year, this course is designed to provide resilience and a sense of renewal as we collectively turn towards the unknown of the year ahead.
When we only see the light and cannot embrace the darkness, winter or the fallow times of our lives, we miss half the story. Endless action, without sufficient rest, can lead to burn out and disenchantment. When we are constantly overwhelmed our actions in the world become reactive rather than truly responsive.
In times of uncertainty, challenge and crises, we can seek strength through the community of fellow travellers, supporting us to renew our vows and find the courage and inspiration to continue on our path. Finding spaces in which to reflect, integrate and digest the journey we are on can help us clarify our direction and better understand what’s needed next. Embracing the spaces between our stories, allows us the freedom to honour what has been and shape what will become.
Fee
The course cost is £330 for six online sessions.
Bursaries are available for those who feel that this course would be particularly beneficial to them but are otherwise unable to access it for financial reasons. Please contact info@schumachercollege.co.uk for more information and tell us a little about how wintering may help you on your journey.
Facilitators
Dr Sarah Elisa Kelly
Sarah’s background is in cultural theory and critical thinking, with interests spanning the arts, movement practice, environmental philosophy and nonduality.
She previously co-led the MA Engaged Ecology at Schumacher College and developed short courses including ‘Unravelling Time’ for Schumacher and ‘The World is a Verb’ for the New School of the Anthropocene. She holds a PhD in Environmental Humanities from the Royal College of Art which explored theories of time, empathy and more-than-human connection.
Prior to joining the college Sarah worked as a hand papermaker, having trained both in craft studios and in one of the UK’s last remaining paper mills. She developed an art practice in sculptural paper and visual poetry that she has exhibited internationally.
Alongside academic work Sarah has worked professionally as a facilitator for grief tending and Way of Council spaces and she is a qualified mindfulness teacher with the University of California. She has also studied extensively in the field of dance, embodiment and somatic practices, including Amerta, Authentic Movement, Body-Mind Centering, and Somatic Experiencing.
She has a devoted spiritual and ritualist practice and is especially drawn to work with rivers and bodies of water. She draws deeply on her varied experiences and deep commitment to ongoing reflexive practice in her work as mentor and trainee eco-psychotherapist.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Anyone who wants to come together in an accessible way to find connection with others and renew a shared sense of value and purpose.
Activists and those working in the field of climate and social change who want to feel supported to balance their outer work with care for themselves.
Anyone going through a life transition such as retirement, relationship break up, illness, or another change in circumstance.
Those who may struggle with the season of winter ordinarily.
People not living in the Northern Hemisphere who want to engage with the themes of transition and rest.
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No, we welcome people from all backgrounds. Please let us know if you have any specific needs and we’ll do our very best to ensure you feel fully welcomed and cared for in the group.
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This is a six week online course, with each session lasting 1.5 hours and with an exercise / activity each week to practice in your own time. You are invited to reflect and practice some of the topics explored in between sessions as well but this is optional.
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As this is a reflective course, you may like to bring a notebook and any materials that may help you to process the discussions shared. A cosy warm tea and blanket may help ease you into the evening sessions too!
