Samhain (Halloween): Breathwork and Somatic Connection

There comes a moment when holding on costs more than letting go.

As the light fades and nature turns inward, Samhain marks a powerful threshold: the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. It is a liminal time associated with endings, remembrance, and deep inner listening.

Autumn invites us to slow down, to release what the body and nervous system no longer need to carry, and to honour rest as part of the cycle, not as failure, but as wisdom.

In this 3-hour embodied journey, we create a safe and nurturing space to descend gently into the body, using slow somatic movement and conscious connected breathing to release accumulated tension, integrate the year so far, and reconnect with the quieter intelligence within.

This is not about pushing through. It is about allowing what is ready to end to soften and release.

Through somatic movement, breathwork and nervous system awareness, this workshop supports deep letting go and regulation.

We will explore:

• Releasing physical and emotional tension stored in the body
• Allowing slowing down without collapse or guilt
• Listening to subtle bodily signals and inner rhythms
• Creating safety in stillness and descent
  

The focus is not on fixing or analysing, but on making space.

In the Year of the Horse, we work with instinct, freedom and embodied power.

At Samhain, the Horse turns inward — conserving energy, choosing stillness, and trusting rest as an act of intelligence.

This workshop honours the moment when not moving forward is the wisest movement of all.

🕯️ A space for surrender, integration and embodied release.

You might resonate with this workshop if you are:

• Feeling overwhelmed, emotionally heavy or overstimulated
• Holding tension or emotions you can’t quite release
• Struggling to slow down without guilt
• Sensing that something in your life is ready to end or shift
  

👉 If so, this workshop is for you.

From this Samhain session, you can expect:

• Release of accumulated physical and emotional tension
• Greater nervous system regulation and grounding
• A sense of closure and inner spaciousness
  

Deeper trust in rest, stillness and inner wisdom

The Seasonal Journey – Moving with the Horse is more than a series of workshops.
It is a year-long embodied process designed to help you reconnect with your natural rhythm.

Modern life often asks us to be active all the time: to push, adapt and keep going, even when the body is asking for something different. Over time, this disconnect can lead to exhaustion, anxiety, emotional numbness or a sense of being out of sync with ourselves.

This journey offers an alternative.

Across the four seasons, we work with movement, breath and nervous system awareness to gently re-educate the body to:

• recognise when to move and when to pause
• expand energy without burning out
• release what is no longer needed
• rest without guilt or collapse

The Horse, symbol of instinct, freedom and embodied power, guides this process.
It reminds us that the body already knows how to move with life when we learn to listen again.

Each workshop supports a specific phase of the year, while together they create a complete somatic cycle helping you feel more grounded, regulated, alive and at home in yourself.

This Samhain workshop is the third step in a four-part seasonal process called:

Each workshop can be attended on its own or as part of the full journey at a reduced price.

The full journey includes:

• 🌱 Spring Equinox – 20 March
  Balance, Awakening & the First Gallop
• ☀️ Summer Solstice – 21 June
  Expansion, Vitality & Unbridled Expression
• 🍂 Samhain (Halloween) – 31 October
  Release, Descent & Returning to the Body’s Wisdom
• ❄️ Winter – 11 December
  Stillness, Integration & the Quiet Power Within

Together, these workshops support the body and nervous system to move, expand, release and rest — in rhythm with life.

1. Arrival & Introduction (30 min)
Creating safety, grounding and intention.

2. Somatic Movement with Cori (1 hour)
Gentle, trauma-informed practices including shaking, embodied movement and body awareness to release tension and support nervous system regulation.

3. Conscious Connected Breathing with David (1 hour)
A continuous, circular breathing pattern that facilitates emotional release, clarity and vitality.

4. Integration & Closing (30 min)
Grounding and reflective practices to anchor insights and return to daily life, embodied and present.

A body-based approach to nervous system regulation that recognises the deep mind–body connection. It supports:

• Release of stored tension and stress
• Awareness of sensations and emotions
• Safety, presence and embodiment

A continuous breathing technique where inhalation and exhalation flow without pauses. It helps to:

• Calm the mind and energise the body
• Release unconscious emotional patterns
• Access clarity, insight and inner wisdom

Somatic work prepares the body and nervous system, gently creating safety and release.
Breathwork deepens and amplifies the process, accessing emotional, physical and energetic layers.

Together, they create a holistic, embodied journey.

• Single Workshop – £50
• Bring a Friend Ticket (2 people) - £75
• The Seasonal Journey Pass (4 workshops) - £150
  (Includes access to all four seasonal workshops at a reduced price)

Cori
Trauma-informed, integrative somatic therapist and founder of KOA Edinburgh. She creates safe spaces for nervous system regulation, embodied presence and deep self-connection.

David
Breathwork facilitator and coach specialised in Conscious Connected Breathing. He guides safe, nurturing sessions for emotional release, clarity and vitality.

You are welcome to join this session on its own —
or to commit to the full journey and let your body guide you through the year.

There is nothing to fix.
There is only something to listen to.

• Price discounts available, see ticket info
• Limited spaces to maintain a safe, trauma-informed environment
• Please wear comfortable clothing

• Suitable for all levels
• Not refundable but transferable
• If you have cardiovascular issues, epilepsy, are pregnant, or have a serious medical condition, please get in touch with us before booking.
• Please read KOA terms and conditions: www.koa-edinburgh.co.uk before attending an event

👉 Contact us directly to avoid booking fees or discuss a payment plan if needed when booking a block of 4!

Info: Gentle practices, including shaking, embodied movement, and body-awareness exercises, to release tension and reconnect with your body.

Info: A continuous, circular breath pattern that opens inner space, facilitates emotional release, and expands clarity and vitality.

Info: Grounding and reflective practices to anchor insights and return to daily life with a calm, embodied presence.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Essence Scotland - David Palacios