Free day retreats · Monthly

A Saturday that costs nothing.

A no-cost day out featuring guided nature immersion, open-air meditation, breathwork and wild swimming. Press pause, recharge, and reconnect with yourself and with other people.

A Nature Awareness group gathered at the foot of a waterfall, one holding up a Nature Awareness t-shirt.
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The day retreats are genuinely free. There is no upsell on the day, nothing to sign, and no expectation that you book anything afterwards. You cover your own travel and your own lunch. That is the whole cost.

The shape of a day

What actually happens

Every retreat is built around the same handful of things. The location changes, the order flexes with the weather, and nothing is compulsory.

On arrival

Meet the group

Introductions, a run-through of the day, and a chance to say what you are and are not up for. Most people arrive on their own and know nobody. That is the normal way to turn up.

Then

Guided walk and nature immersion

A walk at a pace that suits the group, with time built in to actually notice where you are rather than march through it. The route is chosen so that nobody gets left behind.

Somewhere along the way

Breathwork and open-air meditation

Practical nervous-system work you can take home and use on a Tuesday afternoon. This is the clinical part, taught by a Registered Nurse, and it is the bit people most often say they were not expecting.

If you fancy it

Wild swimming or cold-water immersion

Entirely optional and plenty of people watch from the bank the first time. If you do go in, you are talked through it properly first, and nobody gets in alone or unobserved.

Before we head off

Sit down together

Food, a hot drink and a proper conversation. This is where most of the friendships start, and it is the reason the same faces keep coming back.

Practicalities

What to bring, and what not to worry about

Bring

  • Footwear you do not mind getting wet or muddy
  • Layers, and a waterproof whatever the forecast says
  • Water and something to eat
  • A towel and a warm change of clothes if you plan to swim
  • A hat and gloves in the colder months, they matter more than you think

Do not worry about

  • Fitness. The pace is set by whoever is slowest, on purpose
  • Experience. Nobody expects you to have done any of this before
  • Kit. No wetsuit, no gear, nothing to buy
  • Knowing anyone. Most people come alone the first time
  • The cold water. It is optional and it stays optional

Welcome

  • Children, with a responsible adult
  • Dogs, on a lead where the ground needs it
  • People coming on their own
  • People who are not sure this is for them

Before you come

Questions people ask

Is it really free?

Yes. There is no charge for a day retreat and there never has been. You pay for getting there and for your own food. The paid work, workshops and one-to-one coaching, exists separately and is never pushed at you on the day.

Do I have to get in the water?

No, and a good number of people never do. Cold-water immersion is one part of the day, offered to whoever wants it. Watching from the bank is a completely ordinary way to spend that half hour.

I am not fit. Can I still come?

Yes. The walk is paced to the group and the routes are picked so that they work for mixed ability. If you have a specific concern about mobility or a health condition, say so when you book and Leah will tell you honestly whether a given date suits.

Can I bring my children or my dog?

Both, yes. The retreats are child and dog friendly by design rather than by tolerance. Children stay the responsibility of the adult who brought them, and dogs go on a lead wherever livestock or the terrain calls for it.

I have a health condition. Is cold water safe for me?

Cold-water immersion is not suitable for everyone, and heart conditions in particular need medical advice first. Leah is a Registered Nurse (NMC) with two decades of clinical experience, so this is a conversation she is equipped to have, but she no longer practises clinically and she is not your clinician: check with your GP if you are unsure.

Tell her what is going on when you book. Nothing is judged and plenty of people do the day without going near the water.

Where do the retreats happen?

Across the Lake District and the wider North West of England. The exact location and meeting point go out by email once you have a place, along with parking and what the ground is like underfoot.

How do I find out about the next one?

Dates go out by email and are posted to Instagram first. Reserve a place through the form and you will be told as soon as the next date is set.

Still riding the waves of this magical day. Hiking in nature, wild swims, cliff jumps, belly laughs, and the most beautiful energy flowing through the group.

Jenna · @auric.alchemist

I had the best day. Still feeling cleansed, purified and ready for a beautiful week.

Retreat participant · via Instagram

I had the most amazing day, with amazing people.

Nicola Chanter

Come along

The next one is never more than a month away.

Spaces go quickly. Put your name down and Leah will send you the date, the meeting point and everything you need to know.