Summer Awakening
A transformative and life-enhancing retreat for spiritually-curious women on the Costa Daurada of Catalunya, Spain.
Are you ready to fall back in love with yourself, your life, and especially your body - your home on this earth?
Join Emily, “she really is high priestess of somatic work”, her mum Jan “best beloved doula, soul midwife and gentle leader of women” and Jane “a woman who radiates support and love in every interaction” for a truly transformative experience where you will awaken your innate sensuality; heal old wounds; and have fun with a group of curious and open-minded women.
Monday 2nd June - Saturday 7th June 2025
6 days, 5 nights in a beautiful seaside hotel on the Costa Daurada of Catalunya, 25 minutes from Reus airport (direct connection to Stansted, transfers included).
Early bird pricing until 31st January 2025:
£1195 for a twin en-suite room, shared with one other person.
£1495 for a double en-suite room, single occupancy.
After 31st January 2025:
£1495 for a twin en-suite room.
£1795 for a double en-suite room.
Here, our community shares their experiences of being on retreat with us on the golden coast:
“I have fallen in love again...with myself, with my body, with my life.”
“Wahoo!”
“This week I’ve rediscovered my freedom.”
“This week I have felt truly treasured. Your deep concern, your womanly magic gifted with huge open hearts has penetrated my frozen core... Thank you isn’t enough.”
“Nurturing, enlightening, fun and thought-provoking...Exceeding my expectations!”
“I’m leaving smiling and feeling lighter and happier with myself than I have been for a long time.”
“I came stressed and full-on and am leaving energised and ready for my next chapter.”
“If you’re not sure this is for you, do it! You will not be disappointed.”
“I have a full heart and have been uplifted, especially at a time in my life when this was much needed.”
“A beautiful, restful, stimulating experience. Giving me inspiration to try new things. And fully embrace my life.”
Each season, we offer an opportunity to stop.
Stop, pause and breathe.
And turn our attention inwards.
Perhaps you have many responsibilities, and you rarely take time to truly listen to your body…
This is for you, our women who care.
Or perhaps you no longer feel burdened by the weight of caring responsibilities, but you feel numb, stuck, wondering what your life is really for?
This is for you, our women who have lost their connection to their core.
Perhaps you’re not numb, it’s the opposite. You’re overwhelmed by your emotions, you can’t seem to find your centre, you’re like a volcano that could erupt any moment.
This is also for you, sensitive women of the earth.
In our community we have decided to take this seasonal pause on the Costa Daurada, the golden coast. Being close to the glittering sea, the golden sand and the warm sunshine lays the foundation for our physical and emotional tensions to begin to unwind…
And as we unwind, we begin to hear the inner voice of our bodies, and we awaken our innate sensuality… We start to move, breathe and sound our bodies in new and surprising ways.
What is our sensuality?
In our aliveness, the energy that fuels our desire for life. It’s the feeling that YES, I do want to be here on this planet, and NO, I don’t want to be treated in this or that way.
What I want and need (or don’t want and don’t need) is unique to me: highly individual; fluid and responsive. There’s a wildness and spontaneity to my sensuality that can never truly be tamed.
Perhaps your sensuality has been slumbering underneath your consciousness for a long time. We might feel unsure about who we are, what we want and what we need. We might feel awkward about touching our own bodies, making noises, or expressing our emotions.
Or perhaps you have a strong and steady connection to your sensual body, but there’s an old wound, a deep pattern or habit that doesn’t seem to shift over time, despite you knowing and understanding the pattern and why it’s there. This was the case with me too with my disordered eating behaviour, until I discovered somatic practices and awakened my connection to my innate sensuality.
Maybe it’s time you took yourself to the wild sea, the golden sand, and into the warm embrace of our community of sensitive and soulful women. Here, you can awaken your connection to your sensuality while feeling safe, deeply cared for, nourished on all levels of your being.
“I could not have predicted I would feel such love and connection with this tribe of strong, creative and alive women. My sisters. I take home with me the sprouted seeds of deep connection and love. This is what I was seeking, and this is what I have found. Thank you for this transformative experience in the most beautiful of places on the planet!”
Each day on the golden coast of Catalunya, in the witchy mystical seaside village of Altafulla, you can expect:
• A powerful combination of somatic (body-based) practices, rituals and magic-making. Each day Emily, Jan and Jane will blend together music, movement, breathwork, touch, sound and voice work, dance, self-massage…. It will be a wild ride!
• Our expertise lies in making somatic practices accessable and enjoyable for ALL BODIES, including our friends with chronic conditions, pain, injuries… Learn to work with your body intuitively and lovingly to ease any aches and pains. Unlock pockets of pleasure and comfort in your body that you didn’t know existed…
• Daily walks on the beach, swimming in the Mediterranean and the hotel pool.
• Access expert guidance from your inner self, through sitting in boundaried, safe and sacred space. Your circle of women are waiting for you.
• Nourishing vegetarian meals, snacks and drinks all prepared with love.
• Easy return transfers from Stansted to Reus airport, all included, only 25 minutes from our retreat beach hotel.
• Beautiful inspiring yoga studio only a short walk from the hotel with all equipment provided (mat, blankets, bolster), surrounded by gorgeous gardens and a pool.
ENSUITE DOUBLE ROOM - single occupancy - your own double room and bathroom all to yourself for £1495.
ENSUITE TWIN ROOM - shared with one other person: you may wish to come with a friend or we’ll match you up with someone. £1195pp.
What’s included:
Meeting at Stansted airport, we travel from the UK as a group
Return airport transfers from Reus airport to Altafulla
Delicious, seasonal and local food for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner
An intimate, friendly hotel with a pool and gorgeous garden, 1-min from the sea
A short walk from the hotel, a gorgeous yoga studio, garden, pool and outdoor chill-out area
Group activities every morning, afternoon and evening
Sensitive and skilled facilitation by Emily, Jan and Jane, experienced teachers and holders of sacred space
Yoga equipment is all provided for you (mat, blanket, bolster) so you don’t need to squeeze it into your suitcase!
4L of bottled water in your room on arrival
Not included:
Flights
Transfers from other airports or at other timings
Final celebration dinner at a local restaurant
Massage with Emily’s husband Cristian, qualified massage therapist
A typical retreat day
8.30am: Meet Jan and Jane for healthy hydration and a morning check in
8.45am: Walking together to the yoga shala
9.00am: Body and breathwork practice with Emily to introduce today’s theme, to invigorate and awaken the body. You’ll move, breathe, sing, release tension, unleash your voice and feel your power
10.30am: Delicious homemade breakfast in the garden
11.30am: Guided group work on today’s theme with Emily, Jan and Jane
1pm: Walk back to the hotel to rest and restore
2pm: Fresh, local and seasonal buffet lunch in the hotel
3-5pm: Siesta time, relax, read, sleep, beach swim, pool swim, have a massage…
5pm: Tea and snack in the garden
5.30-7pm: Group beach walk to a nearby cove, sunset swim or exploring the historic old town.
8pm: Light vegetarian dinner at the hotel
9pm: Closing circle for the day with Jan and Jane
The setting:
On the Mediterranean coast, our cosy seaside hotel is 1-min walk from stunning Altafulla beach.
Both our hotel, and our gorgeous yoga shala, are nestled in beautiful gardens, each with their own pools and chill-out spaces…You’ll be spoilt for choice as to where to relax!
And if golden sandstone castles are your thing, there’s one glorious castle right at the end of the beach, and another huge castle on top of the hill, nestled in a fairytale old town, filled with witchy symbols, medieval doors and hidden corners…
Altafulla is only 25-mins from Reus airport, with direct flights from London Stansted. Enjoy an easy journey, where every step is taken care of by our caring team.
The practices
Enjoy juicy, sensual and intuitive movement practices, suitable and adaptable for all bodies
Learn different breathwork practices for your desired feeling: calm, clarity, or an energy boost
Journal your thoughts and feelings during group work, accessing deep wisdom you never knew you had
Sit in sacred circle with other women, listening and sharing from the heart
Enjoy the medicine of music, chanting and soulful singing, accompanied by Emily and her shruti box
Enjoy the healing powers of delicious plant-based foods and nourishing drinks
The food
Vegetarian, local and seasonal, with an emphasis on fresh produce and homemade treats
We hydrate first and do our body+breathwork practices on an empty stomach, so we feel more comfortable working with our insides
Breakfast is served in the garden at our yoga shala, homemade by Jan and Emily
Lunch is a generous and delicious seasonal buffet, at our gorgeous seaside hotel
Tea and homemade snack every afternoon
Dinner, also at our seaside hotel is lighter than the lunch buffet, with a different soup and salad each night, so you go to bed feeling comfortable and satisfied.
Your hosts:
EMILY HOLDEN
Emily is the co-founder of “I Eat What I Need” (IEWIN), alongside her Mum, Jan. Emily and Jan founded IEWIN in response to the great lack of understanding around the healing of food and body image issues. Emily brings over a decade of teaching to IEWIN. Now a qulified yoga teacher, Emily trained for 3 years with Marc Acquaviva, in the Scaravelli-inspired tradition of yoga. She also completed the “Meditating with the Body” and the “Somatic Practices of Pure Awareness” programmes with Reggie Ray, Buddhist scholar and teacher of the somatice (body-based) meditation. Emily knows from her own experience and that of her clients that feeling disconnected from our bodies is often the root cause of many issues that manifest in our lives, including disordered eating issues, her area of expertise and personal experience. She is especially interested in how yoga and somatic meditation can encourage us to process our buried emotions and previous traumas so we can live more freely and joyfully in the present.
JAN HOLDEN
Jan, Emily’s mum is the co-founder of IEWIN and has worked in health for over 30 years. Jan’s passion for care has led her into the diverse areas of nursing, midwifery, palliative care, kinesiology and plant-based eating. She is both a birthkeeper and a soul midwife and had attended many hundreds of births and deaths, holding space for people at their most vulnerable times. Jan in happiest in the kitchen, where she creates nourishing and hearty plant-based dishes with love and care. As well as preparing our breakfast each day, she is on hand to offer support and guidance to you from her many years of experience working in holistic health.
JANE GOODING
Jane has been with IEWIN since the very beginning, teaching courses and running groups alongside Jan and Emily, as well as cooking up a plant-based storm in the retreat kitchen. She is a highly experienced guide and facilitator, having worked in the health sector for over three decades. She was drawn to working with Emily and Jan as she’s especially interested in how we find peace around our bodies and our eating.
Flights:
To benefit from the free transfer included in your retreat, please book the following flights:
Ryanair
Outbound - London Stansted to Reus.
Monday 2nd June 2025. 12.10 - 15.25
Return - Reus to London Stansted
Saturday 7th June 2025. 16.35 - 17.55
Booking and payment
Payment is taken via bank transfer to our UK account. A non-refundable deposit of £500 is required to secure your spot. If you’d like to pay in installments, that’s fine with us, we can work something out together.
The final balance is required 3 months before the retreat start date.
Thank you
We know that attending a retreat and investing in yourself in this way is a big commitment. We appreciate you taking the time to read all of this infomation, connecting with us, and asking your intuition if this is truly the right gift for you. We’d be so happy to have a chat with you about our offering, so message me on WhatsApp if that might help you to gain some clarity:
Emily: 0034 613077371
