The human body, at peace with itself, is more precious than the rarest gem.
Cherish your body, it is yours this one time only.
The human form is won with great difficulty, it is easy to lose.
All worldly things are brief, like lightning in the sky.
This life you must know as the tiny splash of a raindrop, a thing of beauty that disappears even as it comes into being.
Therefore set your goal, make use of every day and night to achieve it.
- Tsongkhapa C14th. Tibetan Buddhist
Relax, nothing is under control.
Next Spring 2023 Susanna (martial arts world champion, queen of somatics) and I are collaborating to bring you our retreat dedicated the health and agility of the BODY, HEART and MIND which we believe are the gateways to meaningful change and a soulful life.
This programme brings together what we consider to be the most effective core practices for developing essential capacities to navigate change and understand our common humanity.
We will weave together somatic practices that understand the wisdom of the body,
alongside skills to transform your inner landscape so you can thrive in your outer one.
We will be staying at a gorgeous organic farm in foothills of Monte Amiata, surrounded by wild nature to support and nourish us on this collective journey, with plenty of time to rest, digest, play and swim.
Dedicated to both the light and the depths, champion of radical acceptance and fosterer of equanimity, Natasha is the exact person you want by your side as you navigate life changes. She will be drawing on her 24 years of practice as an ordained buddhist, and her therapeutic life coaching skills - specifically Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing method, the Craft of Befriending Yourself alongside Generative Change Shadow Work. All these methods steady and nourish the nervous system. To see her certifications from the last 25 years look here.
For all those with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fantasies, Susanna is the woman for you. Former world champion in martial arts she is most in her element ‘on the mat’. Dedicated to the Art of the Body she will focus on somatic practices for longevity; specifically how to keep your body active, mobile and in good condition. She will draw on a wide range of ancient and contemporary somatic movement practices exploring, embodying and cultivating pathways that ignite the body’s creative and expressive nature, whilst increasing your strength and agility. To see more of how Susanna works look here.
At the heart of our different disciplines lie the same golden threads:
You’ll learn how to connect with a steady centre through physical and heart/mind wellbeing and come into ‘creative’ relationship with challenging states whether ‘in here’ or ‘out there’.
There will be lots of laughter along the way and you will reclaim vast amounts of energy and joy to channel into the next chapter of your life.
You’ll dissolve and heal blocked emotions and old habits which prevent you claiming your true self and size (no more playing it small).
And you’ll develop natural inner confidence and build resilience, within a safe and grounded community setting, learning how to find deep ease within.
The Human Body at Peace with Itself.
DATES: Spring 2023 - Specific dates to be confirmed soon
INVESTMENT: To come
LOCATION & LOGISTICS: Our venue is an hour away from London
PROGRAMME DETAILS
Join us for seven days living and exploring together as a community. Bathing in local hot springs, swimming in the ocean and savouring distant Corsican sunsets in Tuscany, a place and peoples truly versed in indulging the senses. The perfect location for this programme.
During this week we will explore body orientated practices to support a sense of wholeness and health, deepening our relationship to ourselves, each other and the natural world. With guided meditation, gentle movement and bodywork we will orient to embodied resources through experiences of slowing, settling and grounding with opportunities to follow our body’s creative impulses for movement and rest.
What is Embodiment and why does it matter?
Embodiment is a vast territory. At its core, it understands the importance of being present to our feeling and sensing body in balance with the mind, not in opposition to it. When we are unable to be ‘in presence’ we are also unavailable for authentic connection - whether to ourselves or others. This causes untold problems in our personal and professional lives.
To be embodied suggests to ‘be at home within ourselves’. This way of being brings us fully alive enabling us to connect with our deeper most authentic voice and navigate the world from a place of centred-ness (our inner compass), of being at home within ourselves with natural confidence.
What is Shadow Work and why does it matter?
“The shadow is not just the dark and yucky bits, it’s all the parts of ourselves we learnt at young ages were ‘unwelcome’ or got us rejected or told off. It take so little effort and drama to gently turn towards these places and reclaim their treasure… and there’s a lot of sheepish laughter and friendship in it...”
By coming into relationship with ‘the shadows’ in new ways, you will dissolve and heal blocked emotions and old habits which prevent you from moving though your days with vitality, and a sense of being able to claim your true self and size (no more playing it small).
We will play soulful games which lighten up your outdated personal notions of what is right and wrong. There will be lots of laughter and you will reclaim vast amounts of energy and joy to channel into the next chapter of your life. Harvesting the pearls found within ‘the shadows’ is one of the most rewarding things you can gift yourself this life
What is Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing Method?
Christine Genson summarises focussing beautifully here; ‘Our bodies, like those of wild animals, have an inherent capacity to heal and self-regulate. Our nervous system wants to return to a state of equilibrium and balance. Focusing teaches you to track your own body sensations or ‘felt-sense’. Through this door, the nervous system shows us the trapped survival energy felt in the body and its release is encouraged safely and in small manageable pieces. This dynamic and creative body-aware approach can be deeply empowering, bringing you to a greater sense of self, and awareness of our senses and instincts.’
To get a sense of Susanna’s integrative movement practices here’s a video plus you can sense much more on her instagram account.
TESTIMONIALS
To watch some short films from previous retreats at The Art of ReWilding or read some testimonials please take a look here:
CONTACT US
If you'd like to know more do feel free to get in touch. Susanna and I are both happy to have a conversation about the details of this programme and our approach.
I’m Natasha, also known by my ordained Buddhist name Nagadipa which means Light in the Depths.
My work is dedicated to bringing the fields of contemplative practice, therapy and wilderness immersion together.
It’s also dedicated to supporting a new story for humanity as we navigate the rip tide of current global shifts. For a new narrative we, of course, need a new language. It’s my sense that this is the language of the heart. Not to be confused with some flimsy overly-sentimental image found on a greetings card, but a powerful, vital, pulsing life force in service of all life.
I work with individuals and organisations offering a range of retreats, training and coaching that explore personal development, empowerment and resilience in service of supporting people to become ‘the elders’ our world so desperately needs and creating a more just and beneficial human presence on earth.
The way I work weaves together the main threads of my life; creativity, dharma (truth), mythic journeys, the intelligence of the body and nature.
Susanna is a former world champion in martial arts and an instructor of black belts.
More recently her curiosity with movement has taken her to study methods which can be utilised to promote joint health & physical longevity.
She is in her element on the mat, helping others to discover their own physical journey regardless of their age & perceived level of ability.
She says,
“ If I have to take one thing away from over twenty years of martial arts practice it would be this. The secret to a functional and flourishing body that continues to grow in strength and agility as we get older, lies not in a fixed pattern or style of exercise or movement. But is found through the intelligent combination of activities that challenge us physically and emotionally on a daily basis. “
Student Testimonial:
“ Susanna is fierce, tender, playful and generous, encouraging and inspiring. She is absolutely amazing at her thing. The body is her thing! “