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
Working with the gorgeous medicine of cacao this session will take you on a journey through 5 major feminine archetypes: Maiden, Warrior, Lover, Queen and Priestess. A cathartic and empowering experience exploring different facets of your psyche through the body.
Nature Connection
From woods and rivers to rolling hills and tors we will guide you into immersive experiences that leave you feeling resourced, inspired and a little bit feral.
Sensory Art Temple
An immersive evening exploring the interplay between pleasure and creativity. Using the senses of sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing as our gateway, we’ll play with different sensory stimulus and creative practices such as visual art and poetry to bring the inner world to outer expression.
Fire Ceremony
A place to share stories, myths and prayers. This will be the culmination of our time together and and opportunity to share our offerings. This will be a space to reflect on our journey together and offer anything that we wish to leave behind us, using the transformative qualities of the fire to alchemise our prayers.
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 Hot Tub and Sauna! It's a real treat.
Wild Swimming
We are very lucky to be surrounded by hills, forest and a river at the edge of the land. Wild swimming and nature connection will be a strong feature throughout the weekend.
“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
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.
Venue
Brimpts Farm lies literally at the heart of Dartmoor.
It is surrounded by both farmland and wilderness, with ancient monuments and river spots right on the doorstep, camping hot tubs and sauna and a large hall space.
We love a morning stroll down to the river Dart for a cold water dip or a silent walk through the local forest and up to the nearby Tor. This location is ideal for this retreat with the land supporting participants to deepen and integrate the insights that emerge through the work.
Travel
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.
Lift shares
We create a whatsapp group in advance of the retreat 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.
Retreat Costs
Covers your room, food and use of facilities (hot tub & sauna) for all three weekends (Friday to Monday)
£985
OWN ROOM
(Only 2 available)
£785
TWIN ROOM
(Sharing with 1 other)
£585
DORM ROOM
(Sharing with 3 others)
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 an artist, facilitator and activist. Her work is focused on stewarding an eco-centric culture and she guides experiences for people to cultivate their relationship with the more-than-humans and their inner wild one. She works with ritual, embodiment and many practices inspired by her theatre & dance training. With her background and interests in deep nature connection, grief, archetypes and rites of passage, she supports people to remember our innate belonging, wildness and wholeness. She currently offers women’s immersions and retreats, grief rituals, courses and eco-centric mentoring.
"She lives and breathes what she teaches, she shares from her inner well of lived experience" - Emma Ashru Jones, Coach and Facilitator
‘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.’ - Julianne Mueller, Founder Sex Club
BOOK NOW
If you’re feeling the call, apply to join the retreat on the link below.