Courses, Events and Workshops
Moving with the Seasons- Over 55
Moving with the Seasons (Over 55s)
A 44-week mindful movement programme across the year for people in Darwen and Blackburn living with long-term illness who currently do under 30-60 minutes of exercise a week and want gentle support to build towards the NHS guideline of 150 minutes plus per week
Moving with the Seasons blends gentle movement, mindful body awareness and easy breath practices to improve strength, balance, flexibility and mood. Sessions are beginner-friendly and adaptable to all levels of mobility (including chair-based options). Each season follows the rhythms of nature and the energetic focus of Zen Yoga.
Winter theme (Jan–Mar): cultivating rest and steady energy with a focus on the kidneys & bladder meridian pathways.
How it works
- Format: 60 minutes of guided movement + 30 minutes herbal tea & social time
- Approach: the 3 intertwined aspects of practice
- Physical alignment
- Healthy energy flow
- Mindful awareness of the body
Who it’s for:
Adults 55+ with a long-term condition who are new or returning to activity
Beginners welcome. No floor work required unless you want it; chairs provided.
Winter 2026 dates & venues (11 weeks)
- Blackburn (Mondays, 2:00–3:30 pm)
5 Jan – 16 Mar 2026 at Shadsworth Hub, Blackburn - Darwen (Fridays, 11:00 am–12:30 pm)
9 Jan – 20 Mar 2026 at Springvale Methodist Church, Watery Lane, Darwen
(We then flow into the Spring season; venues and times stay the same.)
Cost
Voluntary contribution: £1 per week , £11 for the whole winter block.
Accessibility & safety
- Trauma-informed, welcoming of all faiths and backgrounds
- Seated and standing options offered throughout
- You will be asked to complete a health questionnaire before commencing .
Booking (limited places)
Pre-booking is essential. Scan the QR code on the poster or visit www.reconnection2wellness.orgto reserve your place.
Thank you again to Sport England for making this happen.
Growing Thursdays Darwen
Growing Thursdays
12 March onwards | 10.30am–12.30pm
Location: Turncroft Allotment / Bud-dees Growing Darwen
Practical, hands-on growing sessions focused on making the most of small spaces (no allotment or big garden needed). We’ll grow skills and confidence together, and we’ll encourage you to learn alongside neighbours and others in the growing community, because this is how we used to live: growing what we can, and supporting each other.
Places are limited so booking essential .
Just book on one date - you dont need to book each week or email
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Summer Zen Yoga
Summer Zen Yoga
As the sun reaches its highest point and nature bursts into bloom, summer invites us into action, connection, and vitality. In Zen Yoga, we honour these seasonal rhythms not just as poetic symbols, but as functional wisdom that supports physical, emotional, and energetic well-being.
This summer, our Zen Yoga course is grounded in the Fire Element , linked to the Heart and Small Intestine and focuses on joy, compassion, and open-hearted living. But this isn’t just a philosophical idea. It’s expressed directly through how we move, breathe, and feel in our bodies.
Our summer practice integrates modern anatomical understanding, especially the fascial system a continuous, intelligent web of connective tissue that wraps around and through every muscle, bone, and organ. Known in modern anatomy as the myofascial network, this system plays a key role in posture, mobility, hydration, and even emotional regulation.
We focus on four key fascial planes that correspond to both physical anatomy and energy pathways:
The Superficial Front Arm Line (Pericardium) connecting the chest, biceps, inner arms, and palms.
The Deep Back Arm Line (Small Intestine & Triple Heater) running through the triceps, shoulders, upper back, and neck supporting structural integrity and emotional processing.
The Spiral and Functional Lines (Heart) – which link the chest and sternum to the arms and hands, connecting expressive movement with heart-centered emotion.
The Thoracic and Abdominal Fascia (Triple Heater) – supporting the three “burners” or zones (upper intake, middle transformation, lower elimination), tying into modern understandings of metabolism and the connective tissue web.
Fascia is more than structure it’s communicative. It contains piezoelectric properties, meaning it generates tiny currents in response to pressure, movement, and breath. When we mobilise fascia, we improve not only posture and circulation but also nervous system regulation and emotional resilience.
By working with these lines in Zen Yoga, we help the body to hydrate, release tension, and restore the natural flow of energy both in a biological and experiential sense.
Meet the Bees
Summer Zen Yoga
Meet the Bees is a rare chance to get up close to a working rooftop apiary with Roof Top Bees at Cherrytree Community Library, Blackburn. You’ll be suited up and supported to safely handle the bees in their apiary, while learning what’s really going on inside a hive. We’ll explore the honey and beeswax process, why bees matter so much for biodiversity and food, and what we can do (even in small ways) to support them. It’s practical, fascinating, and a little bit magic. Date: Thursday 18 June 2026 Time: 6.00pm to 7.30pm Location: Roof Top Bees, Cherrytree Community Library, Blackburn What to expect A guided visit to a rooftop apiary with an experienced beekeeper Getting suited up and learning how to move calmly and confidently around bees Insight into hive life, pollination, honey and beeswax Plenty of time for questions Who it’s for Curious beginners (no experience needed) Nature lovers, gardeners, food growers, and anyone wanting a deeper connection with pollinators Adults and older teens (children only if you’re confident they can stay calm and follow instructions) Important info Limited places. Booking is essential. Please arrive on time so we can begin the safety briefing together. Wear covered shoes and comfortable clothing (details about protective gear will be shared after booking). If you have a known allergy to bee stings, please do not book unless you’ve discussed it with us first. To book: dawn@reconnection2wellness.org More info: thrivingwithseasons.com Brought to you by reconnection2wellness.org in partnership with Roof Top Bees Donations are kindly received to help us with keeping our organisation sustainable. Please click on the paypal button below or we have a donation tin on the day. Thankyou
Summer into the Kitchen
Summer into the Kitchen
We’re so pleased to be bringing you our summer cooking session as part of Thriving with the Seasons, our year-long heritage project exploring seasonal living, food growing, traditional knowledge and community connection. The project brings together food, heritage, wellbeing and nature, helping people reconnect with the land, old skills and the rhythms of the seasons through practical, hands-on experiences.
Join us on Sunday 28 June 2026, 1pm to 3pm at Springvale Church, Watery Lane, Darwen, for Summer Into the Kitchen, a friendly summer cook-up with Beccy Jones from Beccy Jones Health Solutions. This session follows on from our spring cook-up and celebrates the abundance of the summer season, with simple kitchen skills, seasonal food education and inspiration to make fresh, nourishing food at home.
Expect a relaxed and welcoming afternoon, summer flavours, practical learning and community connection.
This is a donation based event. Booking is essential and spaces are limited.
Donations
We try to make all our offerings accessible to all.
Your support and contributions will enable us to continue to deliver events and workshops for the benefit of all.
