“Beauty —whether stunning landscapes and nature, delicious food, or poetry read before a meditation— is so healing, especially as the world gets more hectic and overwhelming. Travel like this leaves me feeling an increased sense of awe and wonder, even after I return home. Rugged Renewal provided both of these. I also felt so much calmer and grounded as I returned to my life; I felt like I’d gained perspective on the things I didn’t need to worry about, the media and technology I didn’t need to consume so much, and the beauty around me that I DO want to notice.”
Rugged Renewal Retreats
What is a Rugged Renewal? It’s an adventure that facilitates a healthy flow in the nervous system between moments of exertion (healthy stress) and pauses to rest and recover. It is a reset, a re-centering, a practice that promotes awareness and tending to the natural rhythms of our bodies. Using adventure, mindfulness, and orienting to the beauty both within and around us as ways to practice living presently and fully, Rugged Renewals help grow our capacity to tend not only our own resilience, but also the health and wellness of our communities and the natural world.
Nervous System Resilience
Learn about the stress response of the autonomic nervous system and track your body for cues and strategies to calm an anxious mind
Practice ways to promote parasympathetic rest in order to create more capacity for stress, productivity, and joy in life!
Identify take-aways for crafting a resilient work/life balance at home
Yoga and Mindfulness
Gentle yoga and restorative yoga sessions to tend the body
An introduction to Mindfulness Meditation and Nature based Mindfulness
Adventure in the Natural World
Actively stress the body with hiking and paddling to improve physical health, expand the zone of resilience, and calm the mind
Foster a deeper awareness of the reciprocal nature of health and wellbeing between humans and the natural world
Unplug to Plug In
Unplug from screens and work tasks; Connect authentically with other participants and your inner wise self
Guided reflection to help you integrate all that is happening on a deeper level in this radical reset
Appalachian Trail, NC
June 11-16, 2024
We will connect with our intuition in the context of the oldest mountains in the world, feminine, wise, mysterious. Four days of backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, ending in the town of Hot Springs for a celebratory meal… we will stress our bodies while renewing our souls.
Baja, Mexico
Available for Private Groups for the Winter of 2024-25
A sea kayak expedition around an island in the Sea of Cortez. We will swim with Whale Sharks, sleep under the stars, practice yoga and mindfulness with the rhythms of the waves. This women's adventure explores the connection between our deep inner-knowing, our intuition, and the life-giving source of the ocean.
Ellijay, GA
Available for Private Groups
The oldest mountains in the world hold mystery, feminine vibrance, and healing. Yoga on the deck, hot tub time, and hikes with emerging wildflowers. Choose from camping, shared, or private cabins and make this the weekend getaway you’ve been craving.
Patagonia
February 2025, dates TBD
Our most remote adventure exploring the culture and breathtaking terrain of one of the Earth's intriguing destinations. Each year we alternate between two different itineraries, but both retreats feature the ruggedness of hiking and kayaking on glacial lakes, as well as the rejuvenating elements of well crafted lodges, fine culinary experiences, yoga, guided mindfulness, and… hot tubs.
Vancouver Island
Available for Private Groups Summer 2025
“The beauty of the Vancouver Island area cannot be understated. This trip allows one to truly experience this magical place. Sommerville does such a wonderful and skilled job of balancing the "healthy stress" of a vigorous outdoor experience with attention to body awareness and mindfulness. It was such a grounding experience, and one who's effects can be life-changing.” -Jodie