Awakening the
Wild Woman Retreat
24th - 28th September
DARTMOOR | UK
The Call
The wild woman lives within us all…
She is the instinctual, creative force.
Untamable and untouchable by modern life…
She is the spark of an idea jolting us awake at 4:15
She is the nagging shrew gnawing at our bellies when it’s time to leave
She is the black tidal grief bursting through the seams
making way for rays of gratitude to seep through the trees
She is the fox curled around her babies as they sleep
She is the blazing raging chant that calls us to the streets…
If you have found your way here, the Wild Woman is calling to you.
Perhaps life has become predictable, mechanical, too comfortable. There’s nothing exactly wrong, but your effervescent sparkle has become dull, your heart numb.
Perhaps you’re overwhelmed, on a hamster wheel you can’t escape, your nervous system is headed to burn-out and all you want is be in a dark room for days on end.
Or perhaps, like many of the women who find their way to us, you’ve spent your whole life following the path that we've been taught will lead to happiness, giving to others without nourishing yourself, and are now feeling hollow, tired and sure there must be something more.
Welcome dear traveller…
Expect lots of; nature, dancing, singing, laughter, tears, painting,
drumming, releasing and playing.
“Alana and Gaia are incredibly talented at being able to create, hold and support transformative spaces. This weekend retreat was truly a life changing moment and I am so grateful to them for crafting this moment for us. Thank you.”
- AMY L
Unlocking the Wild Self
At Awakening the Wild Woman retreat, we offer practices to connect with your body and listen to its wisdom, experiences in nature that leave you with a profound feeling of interconnectedness, and tools that empower you to speak your mind and follow your heart.
We are in devotion to the Wild Woman, and all that she summons in us.
This year, as we listened in close to her crooning and mutterings, she is calling us to create a space for resourcing, releasing, play and creativity.
She is calling us to respond to the heaviness and chaos we are seeing in the world, by creating a space that prioritises joy, rest, connection and nourishment. A space that is deep but also light. A space that recognises that inner resource, imagination and collaboration is what we most need to meet these times.
Will you join us?
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
Supporting seeing the natural world as alive and animate
Voice Work and Singing
By working to free the voice it can helps us develop the ability to clearly express ourselves and bring our truth to the world.
Movement and Dance
Learning to connect with the sensations and desires of the body, moving for our own pleasure, listening deeply to the wisdom of the body, and unblocking stuck energy
Sharing circles
Through authenticity and vulnerability we build deep intimacy and a safe container where we can learn the power of compassion for ourselves and others.
Self / group enquiry
We offer techniques to bring more awareness too patterns, conditioning, unconscious behaviours so that we can understand where and how we may need to grow.
Play
Weaving together theatre games and tantric techniques to help us connect to our child-like playfulness, breaking down barriers and connecting deeply with each other
Ceremony & Ritual
These helps us create containers for us to discover our own flavour spirituality whilst holding spaces for deep transformation
“This was everything I expected and more, it was so well organised and flowed from one beautiful ceremony to the next. It was facilitated in a way that was deeply healing and felt like the most open and wonderful space to share without judgment. I'm so grateful to have been able to take part in this retreat so thank you again for creating such a magical space for women to come together and heal. Such a powerful community.”
- JADE S
Weekend Highlights and Ceremonies
Mythic Movement
A journey through 5 major feminine archetypes: Maiden, Warrior, Lover, Queen and Priestess. A cathartic and empowering experience exploring, healing and awakening our many parts through dance.
Dartmoor Pilgrimage
From woods and rivers to rolling hills and tors, we will spend a full day out on the land in the heart of Dartmoor. This will be a ceremonial space, communing with nature and culminating in a water ritual in the River Dart.
Sensory Art Temple
An immersive evening exploring the interplay between pleasure and creativity. This will be an emergent space to move between movement, writing, music and visual art as the language of the soul.
Weekend Highlights and Ceremonies
Sauna and Swimming
An afternoon to rest and recuperate in a wood-fired sauna with a natural swimming pond to cool off in. Expect silence, song, play and laughter.
Fire and Hot Tub under the stars
A relaxing and playful fire-side evening where poetry, song and story will be woven throughout, as we enjoy soaking our bones in our massive hot tub.
Authentic Relating
An exploration of the wild woman through partner and group enquiry, putting down the masks, to be seen and known as we truly are.
Is This Right For You?
Important - Please Read Carefully
While this work may have therapeutic benefits, this is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. If you are experiencing significant mental health challenges we strongly encourage you to seek 1-1 support from a qualified psychotherapist.
During this weekend there may be invitations to explore and express emotions such as anger and grief, as well as invitations to explore nudity and sexuality. Everything is optional and will be made explicitly so throughout the weekend.
Some of the content shared by participants in sharing circles may of a triggering or traumatic nature. This retreat is designed to create a space for us to be open and honest with each other about experiences, and through this healing is possible.
While we do our best to create an environment that feels safe and inclusive, it is your responsibility to look after your own needs and boundaries. If this is something you struggle with, or you are concerned about any element of this retreat please contact us in advance. We are very willing to chat on the phone and check in about whether this retreat is right for you at this time.
“This was everything I expected and more, it was so well organised and flowed from one beautiful ceremony to the next. It was facilitated in a way that was deeply healing and felt like the most open and wonderful space to share without judgment. I'm so grateful to have been able to take part in this retreat so thank you again for creating such a magical space for women to come together and heal. Such a powerful community.”
- ELLIS O
Venue
Creekleigh Dell is a gorgeous intimate venue tucked away on the outskirts of Dartmoor near Ashburton. The land is lovingly tended by a community of people we hold dear who have been restoring and regenerating the land over the last 6 years.
Facilities Include:
A newly renovated Octagon workshop space with wood burner and wooden floor
A large wood-fired sauna overlooking the pond
A massive wood-fired hot tub
A natural swimming pond
Woodland to wander in and connect with
Retreat Costs
Covers your room, food and use of facilities (hot tub & sauna) for all three weekends (Friday to Monday)
£885
SINGLE HUT
You will have a bamboo room & double bed to yourself.
(Bring your own pillow, duvet/sleeping bag and sheets.)
£785
TWIN Hut
You will be sharing with one other
(Bring your own pillow, duvet/sleeping bag and sheets.)
£685
BELL TENT
You will be sharing with one other.
(Bring your own ground mat, pillow, duvet/sleeping bag and sheets.)
£585
CAMPING/VAN
(Bring your own tent, ground mat, pillow, duvet/sleeping bag and sheets.)
Bursarys and Payment Plans
Bursary places available on request,please email alana@truenature.org.uk with a bit about your financial circumstances.
We also have payment plans available where we spread ticket price across three installments made payable before the retreat.
Alumni - If you've already attended one of our retreats you can enjoy the benefits of 10% discount. Get in touch with us for the discount code
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. If we manage to find someone to fill your spot we can transfer your ticket to another retreat.
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.
We cannot offer any refunds if you decide not to attend within 10 days of the retreat start date. With such short notice we are usually unable to fill your spot. If we (or you) do manage to find someone to fill your spot we can transfer your ticket to another retreat.
Please be sure that you are able to attend the whole retreat before booking. We request that participants join with the intention of staying until the end of the retreat unless this has been discussed and arranged with us before booking your ticket and prior to the start of the retreat.
Facilitators
Gaia Harvey Jackson is a workshop facilitator, couples coach and ecstatic dance dj creating spaces for deep transformation and specialising in women's empowerment. She runs the courses, retreats and 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.”
Alana Bloom is a multi-disciplinary artist, facilitator, women’s mentor & nature connection guide stewarding eco-centric and animist ways of being that bring us back into connection with the natural world, each other and our deepest nature. She has guided transformational experiences for people to explore unleashing their true wild self for nearly a decade, working with hundreds of people and a variety of organisations on the frontiers of personal and planetary healing. She has devoted many years to her own enquiry of embodied kinship and draws on training and lived experience across a variety of modalities and approaches. Alana supports people in rediscovering their innate belonging, wildness, and wholeness through ritual, embodiment, and practices that foster connection the more-than-human world. She is a co-founder of True Nature and member of Thresh & Bray Theatre.
"She lives and breathes what she teaches, she shares from her inner well of lived experience" - Emma Ashru Jones, Coach and Facilitator
BOOK NOW
If you’re feeling the call, apply to join the retreat on the link below.