Embrace Your Body. Embrace Your Self.
A 3-day deep-work retreat on body image and the feminine form. Release old shame, reclaim joy and remember your body as sacred.
Many women carry silent battles: comparison, self-criticism, feeling “not enough.”
Yet across cultures and centuries, women’s shapes were celebrated in sacred art. From curvaceous goddesses to angular figures, every form was revered.
It is only modern culture that taught us to shrink and conform.
This retreat invites you to lay down those burdens and rediscover reverence for your own body. Here, shame gives way to belonging.
For the Women who…
Have struggled with body shame or harsh self-image
Are ready to move beyond self-fixing into self-acceptance
Want to explore the lineage of women’s bodies through history
Crave a safe, intimate space to reconnect with your physical self
Long to embody joy and ease in your own skin
Release comparison & self-doubt.
Lay down the baggage you’ve been carrying
Re-story your body.
Through ancient feminine symbols & herstory.
Remember your wholeness.
Experience yourself as sacred & magickal.
Meet your body with compassion.
Through ritual, circle & presence.
Shape sovereignty.
Craft a goddess figure as your embodied reminder.
Imagine feeling at home in your skin, without apology.
You’ll begin by exploring the timeline of the female figure across cultures and centuries… opening a view beyond the narrow ideals of our current world. From there, you’ll sit in circle and ceremony where all bodies are honoured. Share laughter, meals and swims with other women. Shape clay from the land into a goddess that mirrors your worth. You’ll leave carrying new stories of your body; sacred, powerful and enough.
What Women Say…
I wanted to reach out and say thank you for so generously and warmly hosting us at the Wilde. It was really exactly what I needed, and I very much felt all the pieces of myself being called back to one place and one state. The program you put together for us was just right, as was the setting.
~ Yolande
hollie holds a beautifully open, safe and creative space for women to be in connection with one another, the earth, and ourselves. I was filled up and can still feel the vibrations of warmth, strength and knowing that were stirred within me while at the retreat.
~ Helaine
hollie holds space like no one else. Time slows, connections grow and self knowing deepens. In community women co-create magical self crafting moments full of laughter, story, curiosity and compassion. With hollie’s holistic and collaborative mentorship and immersed in country I’m invited back to my Self. I come home with the gifts of clarity, healing and agency.
~ Monica
Shape of Self Love RETREAT
What We’ll Do Together...
Shared spaces...
Camping together, shared meals, land and sistarhood connection.
Herstory...
Explore feminine forms through time, across cultures.
Process Work and Ritual..
Release shame and reclaim sovereignty, held therapeutically.
Clay Shaping...
Create your self-image goddess from clay we dig from the land.
Embodied Movement as Medicine...
Move, swim, dance and reconnect with nature.
Integration...
Reflect in circle. Be held with trauma-informed care to anchor change.
November 14-16th, 2025
9am start Friday | 4pm end Sunday
$420 for 3 days | $350 early bird if booked before October 20
Max 15 participants | kept small for intimacy and safety
Location: The Wilde, near Braidwood NSW (90 mins Canberra, 60 mins Batemans Bay, 3 hrs Sydney)
Camping accomodation | Optional Upgrades
This Is Perfect for You If…
You long to feel at home in your skin → This retreat helps you release apology and find belonging.
You’re ready to step into body sovereignty → We reshape comparison into reverence and freedom.
You want joy, freedom and circle → Women gather here to share meals, laughter and ceremony.
You feel called to ancient reverence → You’ll discover how women’s forms were celebrated across time.
You’re open to creative process → Clay, ritual and movement help you see yourself with new eyes.
Profound Work, Even If…
You’ve tried “body positivity” practices before → This process goes deeper than slogans. It anchors lasting change.
You feel nervous about doing something creative → Everything is invitational; you choose your pace.
You worry about being vulnerable in a group of women → The circle is safe, boundaried and held with care.
You carry long years of shame → Healing unfolds gently, without forcing stories or reliving the past.
You feel uncomfortable in your body → Here, all bodies are welcomed, honoured and enough.
Meet your facilitator
I’m hollie wildëthorn; psychotherapist, circle guide and ritualist. For over two decades I’ve worked with women carrying the weight of body shame, comparison and not-enoughness. My own path has included the struggle of feeling at odds with my body and the liberation of finding ongoing sovereignty through rhythm, ritual and creative practice.
This retreat was born from that journey… blending clinical depth, trauma-informed safety and the ancient lineage of women’s body stories. By circling together, shaping clay and remembering the reverence our ancestors once held for every form, I offer a space where women can reclaim joy, wholeness and belonging in their own skin.
What will shift after you attend this Retreat?
Say goodbye to…
❌ Living under the weight of shame and comparison.
❌ Ignoring your body’s wisdom, always wishing she looked or felt different.
❌ Quick-fix promises that leave you back where you started.
❌ Carrying the same painful story for another season.
And instead…
✅ Stand in body sovereignty… free from the lies of perfection culture.
✅ Experience yourself as sacred and magickal, exactly as you are.
✅ Shape a new story in clay and in life, one where your body is ally, not enemy.
✅ Walk away with joy, belonging and a tangible reminder that you are enough.
PROOF YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS
I’ve been guiding women in therapeutic and circle spaces for more than 20 years as a psychotherapist and Women’s Mysteries facilitator.
My work is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming and grounded in lived experience as much as professional training.
Women who’ve attended my retreats often say they leave feeling lighter, braver and more at home in the world than they thought possible. They describe the experience as gentle yet powerful; a chance to be witnessed without judgement and to reconnect with the sacredness of their own form.
This retreat builds on the same foundations that have supported hundreds of women through circles, therapy and deep-work gatherings at The Wilde.
Ready to shape a new story with your body?
You don’t have to keep carrying shame or waiting for permission to feel at home in your skin.
This weekend retreat offers a safe, creative and embodied space to rediscover joy, freedom and belonging in your body.
Early Bird Price: $350 (limited time)
Full Rate: $420
Places are limited to just 15 women. Once spots are filled, the circle is closed.
Questions?
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No. There will be moments for gentle reflection and optional sharing about your present experience, but you will never be asked to tell painful or traumatic stories. This boundary is intentional; to keep the group safe and supportive. Healing unfolds in many ways, and in this retreat, it happens through creative process, connection, and ritual, without the need to re-tell your past.
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Women are welcome (teens by discussion). This is strictly a no children, no babies (even in arms) event. If you feel vulnerable about attending, you’re welcome to book a free 15-minute call with Hollie to explore whether this space is right for you.
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We limit the group to a maximum of 15 women plus staff. Small groups ensure intimacy, safety, and depth.
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No. This retreat is not about changing your body’s size, shape, or fitness level. It’s about releasing shame, comparison and old stories, and reclaiming your body as sacred and enough, exactly as she is.
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Not at all. The clay process is about expression, not perfection. Many women haven’t touched clay since childhood. You’ll be guided step by step and what you create will be meaningful, even if it’s not “polished.”
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That’s okay. This retreat isn’t another “fix yourself” program. It’s a trauma-aware, creative process that goes deeper than mindset or surface practices, helping you find lasting belonging in your own skin.
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Yes. The group is intentionally small, trauma-informed and invitational. You choose how much to participate and you’ll never be pushed to share more than feels safe.
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You don’t need any prior knowledge. Part of the weekend includes exploring how women’s bodies have been honoured across time and cultures, giving you new perspectives beyond the narrow ideals of today.
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This space is different. Safety, choice, and respect are central. Clear boundaries and trauma-informed care mean you’ll never be asked to perform and you’re always supported to go at your own pace.
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Scholarships and volunteer places may be available. Check. it out here : instituteforselfcrafting.com/retreats
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Yes. Sygfa the teen wolfhound, will be present. Horses and other farm animals will be in the space, but interaction is optional.
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The retreat is held outdoors on forested land, with clay-shaping and camping as part of the experience. Terrain is uneven and facilities are simple. If you have physical accessibility needs, please reach out before booking so we can explore options together.
More of What Women Say…
I really value these retreats, I’m incredibly grateful for the space. I was so glad to witness how gratitude flowed towards you, because when you receive something so awesome it is hard to shape a thank you that means enough. Big gratitude.
~ Elisa
So thankful for the space you create.
~ Erin
The retreat was so nourishing. It felt so restorative to get away on land and slow down into the more natural timing and rhythm, connecting with other women, animals, drink & swim and hear the sounds of fresh water, participate in the craft and healing processes, eat well, rest. I will definitely recommend to others and be back.
~ Lisa
I honestly was expecting to feel a bit ""woo"" with the nature-earth based side of this, as this is not something I have participated in (physically or psychologically) in a very long time. So it took me back to those roots but without feeling or being too ""woohey"" and abstract.
~ Amber
📷 A note on imagery: The photographs on this page were created during a planned branding shoot with Julia Meon Photography. We are committed to vital representation, while also honouring the privacy and protection of our real ceremonial spaces. These moments are intentionally posed to reflect the feeling and texture of Self Crafting work, without intruding on the sacredness of live circles. Deep thanks to the wildflower women who showed up and lent their sparkle to this epic creation day.
