Awakening the Wild Woman: Summer Retreat 2023

The Call

This is a call to all women who feel the wildness of these times rattling in their bones. We invite you into an immersive weekend retreat in the heart of Dartmoor to awaken the wild self of boundless creative expression, and rest in the belonging of sisterhood.

This moment of uncertainty offers us the opportunity to root down into a security within ourselves, that cannot be tarnished, tainted or taken. The part of us that is courageous and soft. Untouchable. Untamable. 

Developing a deep intimacy with ourselves and the living world around us, we unfurl into our animal bodies, tenderly and fiercely remembering the echo in our bones of how wildness might have tasted on our ancestors tongues. 

If you have been yearning for the beating hearts of kindred souls, the smell of rivers and  fires, dancing under an open sky, and the freedom to express all parts of your being, then this retreat is for you.

Expect lots of; nature, dancing, singing, laughter, tears, painting, drumming, releasing and playing.
 

Please Note: Spaces are extremely limited, so book well in advance.

“A deeply moving and transformative experience.”

Unlocking the Wild Self

We call upon the abundant creativity living at the core of the savage Wild Woman archetype. Art, in all its forms, is the food and language of the soul. Embracing our creative life force is fundamental to our health and flourishing.

As you unblock your creative channel, you will come into contact with your true essence. When this true essence can express itself through intuitive voice and movement, the shackles of conditioning will fall away and you will feel your whole being begin to open.

When we are able to feel fully the fear and shame that keeps us from expressing our true self, it releases from our body, we step into our power, and this is what sets our wild woman free.

"There are almost no words to describe the space held on this incredible wild women retreat by Gaia and Alana. The spectrum of emotions and wilderness I explored within myself and the women in this circle will leave a lasting impact on my life. I arrived a stressed, disconnected person and left spiritually connected with myself, my sisters and the land - lifted, empowered and truly rewilded. Thank you for the invitation, for all us for showing up with such courage, vulnerability and embodiment of our authentic selves. The morning cold river dips will remain as sacred memories in my heart." - Jade S

What to Expect

Throughout the weekend we offer a number of practices and rituals for you to connect to the unbridled power of your Wild Self.

Together we'll create a tight sisterhood where we each feel supported to unlock and let go; A place to feel seen and accepted in all that we are.

As artists and magpies of inner work we offer: sharing circles, meditation, voice work, dance, embodied ritual, grief tending, nature connection, play, theatre and magic as methods to connect with our inner feral and wide-eyed one, who listens to the wisdom in her blood and the pulse of nature all around. 

Nature Connection

Voice Work and Singing 

Movement and Dance

Sharing circles 

Ceremony

Play
 

Weekend Highlights

Wild Water Swimming 

We are lucky enough to have the River Dart flowing at the bottom of the land where we will take frequent cold water dips to revitalise our bodies, hearts and minds. 

Fire Ceremony 

A prayer space, communing with and seeking support from our grandfather, the fire. This will be a time to sing, dance, make prayers, and share.

Grief Tending 

A sacred space to connect with and share our grief. Through feeling and expressing our grief, we connect more deeply to love and life. The depth of our grief is the depth of our love. The ceremony will culminate at the river.

Cacao Ecstatic Dance 

Connecting with cycles, rhythms and archetypes, this dance will take you on a journey to explore the outer edges of your being, and open a dialogue between visual and physical art, weaving between movement and expressive painting.

Hot Tub and Sauna 

Between connecting to each other and our wild selves, there will be plenty of time to relax and restore in the in house Hot Tub and Sauna! It's a real treat. 

A few Important Things to Note

1. While this work may have therapeutic benefits, this is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. If you are seeking therapy then we encourage you to seek 1-1 support from a qualified psychotherapist. If you are experiencing significant mental health challenges please contact us in advance so that we can have a conversation about whether this retreat is right for you at this time. 
2. The food will be mainly vegan and gluten free with some cheese and egg options. Tea and coffee will be available. You can bring your own deli meats if you really need it. Let us know as soon as you can about any dietary needs.
3. There is no phone reception at the venue. We encourage you to take the opportunity to disconnect from the outside world, and to fully immerse yourself in nature. Please make sure you tell loved one's that you will be out of communication for the weekend. Wifi may be accessed upon request.

Venue

Brimpts Farm lies literally at the heart of Dartmoor.  It is surrounded by both farmland and wilderness, with ancient monuments and river spots on the doorstep.

Travel

We create a whatsapp group in advance so that you can arrange a lift share or taxi share with other women on the retreat.

Public Transport

Train or bus to Newton Abbot (30 mins away) then taxi or car share.
 

Driving

From London Go to Exeter, then follow directions.

From Exeter (40 minutes) take the A38 towards Plymouth:
Take 2nd Ashburton turn off onto the B3357 to Two Bridges/ Princetown. Follow the road for 7 miles, past Dartmeet, up the hill, we are the 1st drive on the right.

From Plymouth (40 minutes) take the A386 towards Tavistock:
Take B3212 at Yelverton to Two Bridges (via Princetown). At Two Bridges turn right onto the B3357 towards Dartmeet. Follow the road for 5 miles, turn left immediately after the Hexworthy turning.

Investment

Your Booking Includes

4 nights accommodation

3 Full days of workshops and ritual

Breakfast, lunch, dinner + snacks

Access to hot tub and sauna

Access to wild nature in the heart of Dartmoor, Devon

Cacao

(Does not include travel to and from site)

Payment Options

All Rooms are en-suite

Single Room - You will have a room to yourself - £800

Twin Room - You will be sharing with one other - £650

Dorm Room - You will be sharing with three others - £550

*Low Income Scholarship Places - You will be in one of the Dorm Rooms  - £350

*We have a limited number of reduced scholarship places for Black or Women of Colour, LGBTQ+, and folks with disabilities, from marginalised communities or challenging socio-economic backgrounds. 

We are in a process of learning and unlearning how to make our space equitable, diverse and inclusive of the multitudes of experiences of women, trans women, femme and non-binary folk. Offering low cost scholarship places for those who might struggle to access or participate in events like this is part of our approach. For further information please read our inclusion statement.

Please fill out this form https://forms.gle/rY4QpTVBM5ohJ7V18 to apply for a scholarship place. 
If you have any questions or concerns please email alana@truenature.org.uk
 
 

Ticket Policy

• £200 of your ticket is non-refundable. This is to cover any admin costs if you choose to cancel and to support participants to be sure they can attend before purchasing a ticket.
• We do not offer the 10% membership discount on our retreats. This is because our overheads are so high, and a 10% discount on an event with a high ticket value has a huge affect on our overall budget. 
   

COVID

• In the case of another lockdown in which gatherings are banned we will cancel the event and you will receive a full refund.
• Please do not come if you develop symptoms, or come into contact with someone who has COVID, in the days before the event. Let us know ASAP and we will issue you a full refund and offer your place to someone on the waitlist. 

About the Facilitators

Gaia Harvey Jackson

Gaia is a workshop facilitator and artist creating spaces for deep transformation and specialising in women's empowerment. She runs the Psychedelic Women’s Circle Courses, and 4 month training programmes for women.
Gaia is passionate about the revival of ritual and works with communities to co-create ceremonies around the world, helping people to mark significant moments, move through challenges, and celebrate life. Her work combines elements of theatre games, voice work, meditation, dance and ritual, creating safe and playful environments where people can authentically connect and release.

“Gaia always holds a safe and loving space to explore the depths of our souls. It's one of the only places I have in my life to truly be myself - no expectations, limitations or judgement.”

www.gaiaharveyjackson.com

Alana Bloom

Alana is an artist, facilitator, performer, ritualist and activist committed to expressing life to its fullest capacity through creativity and facilitation. More recently she has been exploring what it means to become a doula to systems change through the intersections of ritual, community, spirituality, learning and creativity. She weaves embodiment, cyclical wisdom, pleasure, grief and artistry into the spaces she holds, drawing on her lifelong curiosity in leading groups. Since 2016 she has run an array of creative retreats including The Warren where she creates experiences for people to explore their creative gifts through community, connection and many practices inspired by theatre & dance.

‘Alana’s facilitation is brave and instinctive, rounded and direct, and speaks to both a deep knowledge of her craft (and embodiment more generally) and a level of self-belief.’

‘Her mixture of skill, authentic expression, intuition and pure feminine power as a facilitator, ritualist and artist have empowered, inspired and catalysed my own authentic creative expression.’

www.regeneratingrhythms.org 

Artwork by Dimitra Milan

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

Our facilitators have agreed to our code of conduct. Learn about our procedure for raising concerns

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