‘Into the Body, Into the Earth’

Women Only Adventure Retreat, Yorkshire Dales National Park

21-23rd July 2023

Do you want to explore a new way of getting to know your body, your strength, physicality and inner resourcefulness? Are you interested in adventure and growing outside your comfort zone? Do you value the ebb and flow of activity and rest? Do you want to build self-sufficiency and confidence in outdoor spaces?

GUIDED AND FACILITATED BY PROFESSIONAL CAVER & EMPOWERMENT SHEPHERD STEPH DWYER & EMBODIED OUTDOOR PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND ROCK BOTHERER RUTH ALLEN

If so, this first-of-its-kind retreat in the stunning Yorkshire Dales National Park is for you.

Over the course of the weekend (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon), we’ll be taking a small group of women into the earth and into their own bodies, as we explore the beautiful caverns and subterranean landscape of the limestone countryside. Alongside we’ll be offering you facilitated space to reflect, create, meditate and move, as well as enjoy local food, learn more about the local geology, and spend time with other like-minded women round the campfire.

HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO:

  • Build or grow a new foundation of confidence outside, your way

  • Find your thresholds and learn to regulate

  • Explore for yourself the idea of ‘earth as body’ and your body as a continuation of the earth

  • Encounter your own body and the body of the earth in a whole new way

  • (Re)Wild your mind and body

  • Be empowered to push yourself and help others as a team

  • Tap into your senses and connect with your inner creativity

  • Take the time to learn more about yourself in a supportive environment

  • Come back to your body and self in a beautiful, wild, environment

  • Explore what it means to move towards a ‘geosomatics of substance’

  • Join around the fire together and enjoy good local food

  • Fresh Yorkshire air and the sights and smells of summer

  • Get to know other women in a small group setting

WHAT WILL WE BE DOING OVER THE WEEKEND?

Whilst I hope we can save some surprises for the weekend, below is a rough schedule so that you can get a feel for what we will be doing!

Friday 21st July

From 6-7pm Arrival at the Barn. Welcome. Meeting.

7-9pm About our weekend, getting to know each other, sharing hopes and intentions

Saturday 22nd July

8-9am INTO THE BODY Movement meditation with Ruth – a chance to arrive in our bodies through movement, grounding through gentle movement.

9-12pm Laying the foundations of the weekend of going Into the Body, Into the Earth - planning, journalling, discussing, exploring.

12-1pm Locally prepared food and fresh air in the sun (hopefully!)

1-4.30pm INTO THE EARTH – going underground, engaging our senses, adjusting to the inner body of earth and self, exploring creative self underground.

4.30-5.30pm Getting back, making tea, taking stock, nurturing time.

5.30-7pm A walk along the river with the opportunity (optional) to experience a supported WILD SWIM amongst the stunning scenery of Stainforth Foss. Followed by a delicious hot meal and hot drinks at the nearby Knights Stainforth Restaurant overlooking the fabulous Langcliffe Scar.

depending on the weather there may be a chance to have a local swim for those who are cold water dippers!

Sunday 23rd July

8-9am INTO THE BODY Check in and movement session to wake up and talk about the benefits of movement.

9-12.30pm INTO THE EARTH - going back underground, building on our first session, using more of our bodies and challenging ourselves.

12-30-1.30pm Getting back, getting warm, getting dry and having a local lunch

1.30pm-2.30pm Integration Session – how can we realistically assimilate things from here and incorporate some of this stuff into our everyday lives?

2.30pm – 3.30pm SOUND BATH - back into the body for the final time as you connect with the healing vibrations of earth and atmosphere

3.30pm Heading home.

***

This is a rough outline and may change subject to weather and other factors on the day, but you expect lots of lovely food, lots of time to move and explore, as well as time to rest and relax and reflect on everything that is interesting and arising over the weekend. We’re excited by our programme and we hope you will be too!

LOCATION

Our retreat will be in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, near Settle. We will visit a variety of locations all within a short distance of each other, and be based at the hub of Yorkshire Dales Guides - Steph’s caving barn and base! You will need to make your own travel arrangements to get to the retreat and ideally have private transport available to get around locally. There is plenty of parking at the barn.

You are welcome to arrive Friday evening from 6pm onwards but we won’t eat until 7 ish onwards to allow time for after work arrival. We will finish at approximately 3pm on Sunday.

ACCOMODATION

We hope that you will take the opportunity to camp for 2 nights at the retreat. We have a field available for you, next to the barn, where you can throw yourself into ‘tent life’ if you haven’t done so before. Camping is included in the cost of the retreat, but you will need to bring your own camping gear including tent and sleeping bag and mat, as well as anything else you want to make your stay comfortable. This will suit anyone who already has a bit of camping gear already, or who can borrow some gear for the weekend, or who is ready to put together a bit of kit for themselves as a launch pad for future adventures.

If you want to come to the retreat, but don’t want to camp then there are lots of lovely places locally in Settle and surrounding villages, as well as a YHA nearby, and you are welcome to book somewhere that suits you and then shuttle to and from the barn.

FOOD

We will provide you with good local food and snacks on Friday arrival, Saturday and Sunday day times - breakfast and lunch. On Saturday evening, we plan to take a stroll along the river for a meal which will be booked for you by default but is not included in the retreat cost. An a la carte menu will be available with plenty of options price and dietary requirement. wise. If you choose to do your own thing on Saturday evening that’s fine. On Friday night arrival, we plan to have a meet and greet around the campfire where we will have lovely food as well as hot chocolate, marshmallows etc. You may also want to bring your own snacks along with you to eat during the day. You are also welcome to bring anything that you might want to cook on your own camping stove for breakfasts, though we will provide cold items such as croissants, and there will be milk and milk-alternatives available for tea and coffee throughout the weekend.

When booking please let us know about any dietary requirements.

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING

Once you have registered your place we will be in touch with a list of what to bring. Specific gear will be covered (overalls and shoes for when we go underground will be provided but we will be in touch to find out your clothing sizes) but you are encouraged to bring your own suitable outdoor gear - whatever you would wear for hiking, as well as additional layers, clothes for changing into back at base, spare shoes etc.

We will also be encouraging people to bring a yoga mat or similar if they have one, and any additional blankets or cushions they may want for comfort, as well as journalling materials. Again, we will be in touch.

A few shots of our base for the weekend

This is the location of the barn where we will be based for our retreat. This is not a weekend of hot tubs and fluffy towels, but we hope you will enjoy the space, fresh air and supportive environment to begin a new and exciting conversation with your body and the outdoors.

If you have any questions about anything above or your suitability for joining us, please drop us an email and we will help in whatever way we can. You can email Ruth at ruth@whitepeakwellbeing.com and/or Steph at info@yorkshiredalesguides.co.uk - you can email one or both, that’s fine!

The following link will take you to the shop to book your place. Please purchase mindfully, as we want to avoid issuing refunds. If you want/need to pay by other means (i.e. you don’t use paypal, or would like to be invoiced) please just email Ruth on the above email address. Booking is only secure once the payment is made.

Once the retreat is full we will run a waiting list and a form will pop up here to register your interest.

a few Qs

  • As you may have guessed we will be going underground a couple of times on our retreat as we journey into the earth and into our own bodies. If you are claustrophobic then this is not the retreat for you, however if you are ‘on the fence’ or looking to expand your capacity in something you are not sure about but open to, then we recommend you come along and challenge yourself. This is a retreat to help you push safely and with support against some of your stories and barriers, and whilst we don’t want anyone to hate being underground, we are also here and ready to help you find a way to try new things, grow confidence, and feel into the safety and beauty of the Underlands.

    The same is true of camping. If you want to try something new under the guidance and support of experienced outdoor women facilitators then this is exactly the retreat for you. All we ask is that you are open to giving things a go.

  • Absolutely! This retreat is not about achievement or goals or a particular end point. Whilst it is an opportunity to build new confidence outside, it is also a chance for more experienced outdoor people to think about the relationship they have with themselves and nature in a new way, or to engage with ideas of rest and reset, creative expression and shifting from an achievement-mindset to a fulfillment-mindset.

    There will be something for everyone at whatever stage in your journey you’re at. Take a look at the outline of our itinerary for more information to help you decide. For further information, personal considerations or potential fears just drop a line as we are happy to discuss any and all of these with you.

  • You will be in a group of 8 women with 2 guides.

  • The retreat is £425 per person and includes everything except for your meal on Saturday night.