WHEN WE GATHER SOMETHING MOVES
An intimate gathering in Spain
4 July - 9 July 2026 | Madremanya, Spain
A non-traditional retreat for women who care deeply and long for community.
4 July - 9 July 2026
When we gather, something moves
We are living through intense and uncertain times. The world as we know it is changing rapidly. Some days bring fear, confusion, or anger. Other days offer moments of hope, ease, and clarity. If you are moving through many emotions and feel called to slow down, listen, and explore what they hold, we invite you to join us on this retreat — a space to be fully present with what is alive within you.
Six days. Twelve people. One quiet village in Spain.
Imagine six days to land gently. A time to reflect, to connect, and to be alongside other women who share a similar sensitivity and openness. We will gather in the medieval Spanish village of Madremanya, in a quiet stone house surrounded by rolling hills. The village offers a simple, peaceful setting that supports rest and connection.
This isn't a conventional retreat. We are not here to teach you something. We're here to create the conditions for clarity to emerge — in you and between us. Together, we'll reflect, ask questions, and learn from one another. We believe that when we stop avoiding our emotions and start tending to them, something shifts: ease returns, vitality surfaces, and the way forward becomes clearer.
Come as you are, with whatever you're carrying. There's room for all of it.
This is an intimate gathering. Spaces are limited to 12 women. Register your interest before April 7th to secure a place.
What to expect
Movement, meditation, sharing circles, and exploring the spectacular nature.
We will create the conditions to allow ideas to arise and connections to be formed. Here’s what we’ll weave into our days:
Morning meditation and yoga-inspired movement
Group reflections and spacious dialogue around topics that are with us and we want to give space to
A chance to be with overwhelming emotions and support to let the energy move through you
Paying attention to the whispers of the body, and being able to let those flutterings move through us
Intentional guided rest
Creation of a supportive community
A day trip and time to be in nature
Accommodations
Accommodations
We recommend Can Bassa, a family-run boutique hotel a 5-minute walk from our venue, offering rooms and private cottages with countryside views, a garden, and a pool.
Meals
Can Bassa will provide breakfast and lunch every day, plus dinner on three evenings — all for €350, booked directly with them. For the remaining two evenings, we'll take the group to dinner outside the village; these meals are self-funded.
Book and pay for accommodation and meals directly with Can Bassa.
You're welcome to arrange your own accommodation in or near Madremanya, though Can Bassa is our preferred option and where most participants will be staying — which adds to the sense of community.
Arrival & Departure Times
We'll begin the retreat on Saturday 4 July, gathering together at 4pm. Plan to arrive at Can Bassa before then so you have time to settle in before we come together for the first time. Our last day will be Thursday 9 July — we'll close after lunch, at around 3pm, leaving you the afternoon to travel onward or linger a little longer in this beautiful corner of Spain.
Communal pool
Charming cottages
Hotel rooms
How to get to Madremanya
You can fly either to Girona Costa Brava Airport or to Barcelona Sants Aeropuerto El Prat.
From Girona Costa Brava Airport, book a taxi to Madremanya, Can Bassa. It is usually a 40 minute drive. You can also rent a car from Girona airport for the duration of your stay.
From Barcelona Sants Aeropuerto El Prat, take a taxi to Barcelona Sants train station. It is usually a 20 minute drive. Take the AVE train to Girona station. The train ride is 39 minutes. You can book the AVE train tickets here: https://www.renfe.com/es/en. Once in Girona take a taxi to Madremanya, a 40 minute drive.
If you have time, stay on to visit the area. The beaches are wonderful, the food is exquisite and the nature is gorgeous.
Cost of the retreat
Accommodations for the 5 nightsShared Room €500 Single Room €1000 You will book & pay directly with the hotel Can Bassa. If you would like a shared room, let Nathalie know. |
Meals€350 breakfast, lunch and 3 dinners at the hotel are included in this cost Important: We are planning two dinners out that will be self funded You will pay the hotel Can Bassa directly with the accommodations |
Facilitation FeesThis fee covers Nathalie and Eszter's time, preparation, and retreat expenses. We invite you to choose the option that honestly reflects your current financial means and what is genuinely available to you right now.
You will pay Nathalie & Eszter directly |
Cost above does not include: airfare and transport to and from the airport. Please book and pay for these separately. |
Registration
As spaces are limited, we invite you to register your interest by April 7th. We will then be in touch to confirm your place.
Once your place is confirmed, we ask that the full payment be completed by April 7th to secure your participation.
If you have any questions, you are welcome to reach out to us at [email protected].
FAQs
Here are some answers for your questions.
No. Sessions are accessible, gentle, and invitational. You’re welcome as you are.
If you cancel before April 15, you will receive a 50% refund of the facilitation fee
If you cancel after April 15, no refund will be made
In the unlikely event we need to cancel, we will give as much notice as possible and refund your full facilitation fee
Accommodation cancellations have to be dealt with directly with the hotel
Yes, all sessions will be facilitated in English.
Yes, certainly.
Can Bassa will provide breakfast and lunch every day, plus dinner on three evenings — all for €350, booked directly with them. For the remaining two evenings, we'll take the group to dinner outside the village; these meals are self-funded.
Book and pay for accommodation and meals directly with Can Bassa.
Madremanya is a medieval village of around 300 people — quiet, unhurried, and genuinely beautiful. During free time, you can rent a bike from Can Bassa and explore the surrounding countryside. The village has a civic centre serving tapas, and basics like water, eggs, bread and cheese. For anything more, the nearest village with a supermarket is a short 10-minute drive away. Tea, coffee and snacks are provided throughout the day at the retreat centre.
Yes. The group is small and we’ll co-create a welcoming atmosphere.
The retreat is for adults only, but you're welcome to bring your family and base yourselves at Can Bassa. While you're in sessions, your partner and children can explore the area independently — there's plenty to do nearby: horse riding, cycling, pottery classes, beaches, and the Dalí museum. It can make for a wonderful family holiday wrapped around your retreat time.
We will set up a WhatsApp group for you to coordinate rides
Book early with Can Bassa to get a single room.
Why we almost didn't....
A note from Nat & Eszter
This retreat has been years in the making. Each time we moved to launch, the world shifted: the war in Gaza, the war in Sudan, and now the conflict in Iran rippling across the Middle East. There is a real discomfort in offering a retreat while the world is on fire. It echoes the question many of us carry: how can I allow myself joy and rest while people I love are suffering?
We kept sitting with that discomfort. And in the end, it became the reason — not to bypass what is unfolding, but to find a way to move with it and through it toward clarity, vitality, and even pleasure.
Eszter and I have held retreats around the world for many years. Our shared passion is finding simple yet profound practices that help us live fully in these times — present to the weight of the world, and present to the miracle of our own ordinary lives. This retreat is an expression of that.
The Facilitators
Nathalie
Nathalie is a UKCP-accredited psychotherapist and facilitator specialising in trauma-informed, embodied approaches to mental health and wellbeing. She has supported women, activists, journalists, and civil society actors in high-pressure and conflict-affected contexts across Sudan, Egypt, Uganda, and the diaspora, creating culturally responsive spaces for healing and reflection.
Her work integrates psychotherapy with mindfulness, movement, and nervous system education. Nathalie is also the founder of Blue Nile Lotus, a yoga and mindfulness studio, and brings extensive experience designing retreats and programs that centre care, consent, and collective support.
The Facilitators
Eszter
Eszter Farkas is a trauma-informed yoga and meditation teacher with over 10 years of experience guiding people through body-based practices for healing and resilience. Her approach blends deep listening and somatic awareness to help people reconnect with their own inner resources for well-being.
Eszter spent years as a communicator in complex humanitarian and political environments, where she witnessed firsthand the toll of chronic stress and disconnection. That experience shaped her practice, and she now draws on both her professional background and lived experience to hold compassionate, grounded space for others navigating their own paths. What lights her up: bodies of water, moments of shared trust, and catching glimpses of magic in the everyday.
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