Retreats

Weekends away to dance, breathe, rest and heal outdoors, where the Elemental Alchemy Framework is lived rather than learned.

Ecstatic Dance Retreat at Druridge Bay

Our first retreat was a weekend of camping at Druridge Bay Country Park, on the Northumberland coast between Amble and Cresswell, with its visitor centre beside Ladyburn Lake and the long sandy bay just over the dunes. [[Dates, and a few words from Amy about how the weekend felt.]]

Placeholder illustration: the Druridge Bay visitor centre by Ladyburn Lake
The visitor centre by Ladyburn Lake
Placeholder illustration: tents on the campsite at Druridge Bay at dusk
Our camp at dusk

The days moved between stillness and celebration, in the open air and, rain or shine, in a large marquee:

  • Yoga to wake up and ground the body.
  • Meditation to quieten the mind and listen inwards.
  • Shamanic drumming: the heartbeat rhythm that carries us into journeying and deep release.
  • Dance, from free, ecstatic movement to more modern sounds such as psytrance, with the dance floor as a place to let go and feel fully alive.
Placeholder illustration: people dancing in a large marquee at night
Dancing in the marquee
Placeholder illustration: people meditating on rugs in the marquee
Morning meditation
Placeholder illustration: a shamanic drumming circle in the marquee
The drumming circle

Wholesome food was provided all weekend. It was a weekend of deep spiritual healing, reached not through effort but through joy: through moving and dancing together.

[[The five pictures on this page are placeholder illustrations: replace them with photos from the weekend (click a picture in the editor, then Replace). Add a few words from people who came, with their permission.]]

Why a weekend like this helps

Each part of the retreat has research behind it, and a weekend brings them all together, alongside the Framework’s Embodiment, Energy and Nature pillars.

  • Dancing together lifts us and bonds us. In an Oxford study of 264 people, dancing in time with others, and putting effort in, raised pain thresholds (a sign of the body’s own endorphins) and left people feeling closer to the group. In a survey of more than 1,000 conscious dancers, 99% said they felt more present in their bodies while dancing, and most of those living with anxiety, depression or past trauma said dance helped them cope.
  • Group drumming eases anxiety and low mood. In a ten-week study, weekly group drumming reduced anxiety and depression, improved wellbeing and social resilience, and moved the immune system towards a less inflammatory profile. The benefits were still there three months later.
  • Meditation calms stress. A review of 47 trials found that mindfulness meditation programmes brought moderate improvements in anxiety, depression and pain.
  • Yoga supports the body. In a UK trial of 313 people with lower back pain, a 12-week gentle yoga course improved everyday back function more than usual GP care, with gains still there months later.
  • Time in nature is good for us. A study of nearly 20,000 people in England found that those who spent at least two hours a week in nature, such as beaches and country parks, were more likely to report good health and wellbeing. A weekend by the sea gives you many times that.
  • Sleeping outdoors resets the body clock. After a weekend of camping in natural light, people’s melatonin (the hormone that prepares us for sleep) rose about an hour and a half earlier, back in step with day and night.

Studies describe what happened for groups of people, not promises for any one person. These practices support, rather than replace, medical and psychological care.

The research
  1. Tarr, Launay, Cohen and Dunbar (2015). Synchrony and exertion during dance independently raise pain threshold and encourage social bonding. Biology Letters.
  2. Laird, Vergeer, Hennelly and Siddarth (2021). Conscious dance: perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.
  3. Fancourt, Perkins, Ascenso, Carvalho, Steptoe and Williamon (2016). Effects of group drumming interventions on anxiety, depression, social resilience and inflammatory immune response among mental health service users. PLOS ONE.
  4. Goyal and others (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine.
  5. Tilbrook and others (2011). Yoga for chronic low back pain: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine (summary from the University of York).
  6. White and others (2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Scientific Reports.
  7. Stothard, Wright and others (2017). Circadian entrainment to the natural light-dark cycle across seasons and the weekend. Current Biology.

The next retreat

Another retreat is being planned. The dates, the place and when booking opens will go to the retreats newsletter first.

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Questions about retreats? Send Amy a message.

Can’t wait for the next one? Dance with DJ MAIA at Conscious Clubbing, or see upcoming events.

Retreats are supportive and joyful, not a substitute for medical care: please read the disclaimer.