A FIVE DAY IMMERSION

EXPLORING:
Lost rites of passage
Sacred feminine practices
Menstrual cycle Awareness
Somatic Movement
Ceremony & Ritual
Lessons from feminine Archetypes (Maiden, Mother, Magda, Crone)
Atua wāhine (Māori Goddesses)
Goddesses from around the globe

Apply here
A woman with long dark hair sitting cross-legged in a meditation pose on cushions in a wooden-paneled room. She has her eyes closed and appears focused. In front of her is a table with candles, dried flowers, and essential oils, creating a cozy, spiritual atmosphere.

THIS IS NOT A RETREAT.
THIS IS A REMEMBERENCE.

A sacred immersion to reweave the threads of feminine initiation that have been severed, hidden, or forgotten.

Rooted in Aotearoa, this gathering calls women and womb-bearers into the reclamation of rites of passage once honoured by our ancestors.
Through ritual, myth, prayer, and somatic practice, we remember ourselves as vessels of creation, wisdom keepers, and bearers of deep feminine knowing.

We gather to explore guardians and feminine forces of this land—as well as deities and archetypes from ancient civilisations across the globe. These lineages are not just stories. They are living blueprints for how we might inhabit our lives with purpose, beauty, and fierce devotion.

Two women sitting on the floor, smiling and engaging in a conversation inside a cozy room with wooden accents and a potted plant on a shelf.

This immersion is a reclamation - a return to the embodied wisdom, rituals, and rites that were buried or broken by colonisation and patriarchal systems.

Together we will journey through the sacred feminine cycle of:

Maiden

Thresholds of Becoming:
Innocence, play, and awakening. Learning to listen to authentic yes and no, and to reimagine beauty, worth, and sisterhood.

Mother

Devotion to Creation:
Tending life, love, and earth. Birthing ideas, relationships, and community while staying rooted in self.

Magda

The Sacred Initiate:
 Walking with truth, grief, and courage. Reclaiming voice, eros,
and the power of initiation.

Crone

Wisdom & Completion:
Honouring endings and the fertile dark. Listening to ancestors and weaving legacy for those to come.

We’ll explore the initiations once offered as gateways into each phase—initiations that empowered women to live with purpose, reverence, and power.

We will explore..

Black background with a white circle in the center.

EMBODIMENT PRACTICES

STORYTELLING

SACRED CEREMONY

GODDESS TEACHINGS

What wāhine have said at our previous Immersions.

Nââwié Tutugoro

Carla Sargent

Hineatua Kingi

Two women hugging each other warmly at an indoor gathering, with others in the background.

This immersion is for
you if you..

Long to reconnect with Goddesses and archetypes.

Learn about the 4 inner seasons of the menstrual cycle and the greater energetic life cycle of women.

Feel called to reclaim rites of passage that were lost through colonisation and patriarchy, for your self, your children and community.

Are in the process of reweaving your indigeneity and feminine lineage.

Seek sisterhood, sacred ceremony, and deep rest.

Are a wellbeing practitioner and want to weave this knowledge into your offerings.

Are ready to awaken the archetypal forces within you and embody them.

Want to embody elemental magic and cyclical feminine wisdom.

Join us
A rustic outdoor dining area with a long wooden table set with plates, glasses, and floral centerpieces, under warm hanging string lights, on a wooden deck outside a house with large windows.

What to expect..

We are crafting an unforgettable experience where storytelling meets somatic practices. We will uncover stories lost through the colonisation of the church and patriarchal systems that endeavored to suppress divine feminine knowledge, rituals and practices.

But alas, sister - we will not cower, we will rise, we will share sacred knowledge, we will bask in the glory of these teachings and embody them to propel our lives and the collective forward into a world where once again women's voices are heard and acknowledged. 

We will step into ceremony, prayer and incantations with morning and evening devotional practices. Our days will be spent receiving stories of Atua wāhine and other ancient cultural deities, we will learn their whakapapa (lineage), hear their stories and surely find visceral connections. We sit with their teachings and learn how to implement them in our modern world.

We will explore the menstrual cycle and educate our selves on the 4 inner seasons/phases of our cycle, you will learn to track your cycle and begin to live in alignment with this rhythm.

  • A woman wearing a white lace crop top and a long white skirt, smiling and looking up, with her arm raised above her head, outdoors with green trees and grass in the background.

    Meet Sarsha

    Sarsha Hope has a gift for creating potent, shamanic, transformative, and inclusive heart-centered spaces for our soul’s remembering. Fondly known as embodiment portals, these spaces bring people into deeper connection with themselves, each other, and the living, breathing felt sense of the Earth.

    Sarsha is the visionary and founder of Somatic Dance International Teacher Trainings, a groundbreaking program that trains highly skilled dance space holders and DJs. Her unique methodology seamlessly integrates somatic facilitation, DJ skills, ritual, energetics, and ecosomatics—all viewed through a trauma-informed lens—to create potent, finely tuned dance containers.

    Sarsha’s work is infused with her passion for feminine archetypes, embodiment practices, and eco-somatics (the relationship between our own bodies and the body of the Earth). A devoted midwife of the soul, she guides others to honor cycles, seasons, and the wisdom of the sacred feminine. Through her offerings, including the Scarlet Codes, she shares powerful teachings that weave prayer, ceremony and transmission.

  • A woman standing on a beach with rocky cliffs in the background, wearing a black dress, feathered shawl, and a feathered headpiece.

    Meet Tarikura

    Tarikura hails from the sacred waters of the Whanganui River, with ancestral ties to Te Āti Awa, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, and Ngāti Apa.  With foundations in kōhanga reo (Māori pre-schooling) and kura kaupapa (Māori primary school), her consciousness was shaped through the lens of Te Ao Māori.

    Te Ao Māori is intrinsically woven with te ao wairua (the spirit world), Tarikura creates deep and grounding spaces for women to explore the richness of ceremonial spaces, through sisterhood, ancestral teachings and her innate gift of storytelling. 

    As the guardian and host of Āio the podcast, she amplifies holistic healing and indigenous wisdom, believing that the future of medicine is ancient. Her mission is to rekindle ancestral knowledge and shift the way we understand vitality and well-being.

    Tarikura works intimately with wāhine, supporting the process of reindigenisation through deep reconnection with Atua Wāhine—Māori Goddesses. She brings forth elemental wisdom, awakening the divine feminine current that flows through us all. Her teachings weave seamlessly with the rhythms of the four inner seasons—the menstrual cycle—and the sacred traditions of ikura (menstruation), restoring the mana of these ancient practices.

2024 Retreat Photos

A woman with short black curly hair and wearing a white button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, standing quietly with her eyes closed and hands clasped in front of her, in a room with wooden walls and ceiling, a heater at her side, and warm hanging l
A woman standing barefoot in a dimly lit room with her eyes closed, hands clasped near her chest, suggesting she is meditating or praying.
Woman singing into a microphone at an indoor event with a woman in the background adjusting clothing.
Woman practicing meditation with eyes closed, sitting cross-legged on cushion, surrounded by candles, flowers, and essential oils in a cozy wooden room.
A woman with short brown hair and a beige shawl sits at a dining table with a thoughtful expression, surrounded by several other women. The setting has a rustic wooden ceiling with string lights.
Three women dancing in a rustic wooden studio with hanging woven light fixtures.
A woman in the foreground is smiling and looking to the side, with two women in the background dancing.
A woman wearing a light-colored wrap shawl stands with her eyes closed in a cozy wooden room, with another person blurred in the background adjusting their hair.
A woman with long hair wearing a necklace, lying on her back on a cushion with her eyes closed in a dimly lit room with a candle and books on a table in the background.
A group of women sitting at a long wooden table, engaging in conversation during daylight, with a scenic view of trees and a grassy field in the background.
Close-up of two women holding hands and participating in a ritual or ceremony, with other people in the background inside a wooden building.

Venue - Āio Wera

Nestled amongst the beautiful native bush of Auckland’s Waitākere Ranges, Āio Wīra offers a peaceful and secluded setting for our retreat. Surrounded by lush greenery, birdsong and a flowing river, this beautiful sanctuary is the perfect place to slow down, unwind and reconnect with nature.

With a range of comfortable accommodation options, a dedicated meditation sanctuary, sauna, spa and grounding spaces to gather, move and rest.

Kai (food) is an important part of our retreat experience. We'll be sharing delicious, colourful, nutrient-dense meals, lovingly prepared to nourish our bodies, replenish our mauri (life force) and support the deep work we journey through together.

Āio Wera Website

Tracey Bennet -
The Reckless Foodie

Will be nourishing us throughout our retreat. An author of a beautiful vegetarian cookbook, Tracey brings an abundance of love, creativity and aroha to her cooking. Her food is vibrant, wholesome and thoughtfully prepared, with a deep understanding of the importance of nourishment when we're doing meaningful inner work. With her warm, nurturing energy, Tracey will ensure our wāhine are beautifully fed, cared for and nourished throughout our time together.

THROUGH MYTH & RITUAL WE WILL SING, DANCE, PRAY AND ALIGN TO THE AUTHENTICITY OF OUR OWN FEMININE EXPRESSION

Two women standing close together with foreheads touching, showing a gesture of affection or connection. One woman has dark, wavy hair, and the other has light brown, curly hair. They are indoors with a wooden ceiling and other people in the background.

You Will Leave With

Clarity → An embodied understanding of how patriarchy and colonisation have suppressed feminine essence, rites, and stories.

The Medicine → Practices to receive the medicine of each life phase—Maiden, Mother, Magda, Crone—and deep acceptance of where you are now.

Reclaimed Power → Tools to turn wounds into wisdom and remembrance into liberation, self-trust, and feminine strength.

The Art of Holding → A deeper capacity to hold space for yourself, for other women, and to guide daughters, granddaughters, and future generations into more connected, cyclical ways of being.

Legacy Work → Seeding a new template for future generations, where mokopuna inherit a world where the feminine is honoured, embodied, and celebrated.

Join us
JOIN US
A covered porch with a wooden ceiling, a hammock hanging between two columns, and a garden with trees and plants in the background.

Your booking
includes -

Four nights accommodations

Three meals a day & snacks

Daily workshops and guided practices 

Sauna & Spa access

Investment

PAYMENT DETAILS

Shared Room (2 beds)
- Early Bird: $1,599
- Full Price: $1,699

Single Rooms (1 bed)
- Early Bird: $1,899
- Full Price: $1,999

Private Hutt (1 Bed)
- Early Bird: $2,199
- Full Price: $2,299

Early Bird closes: 15 December 2026

See accomodation option below.

How to Pay

Deposit
A NZD $300 deposit secures your place and is deducted from your balance.

All prices in NZD.

Secure Early Bird: Pay the NZD $300 deposit by 15 December to lock in the Early Bird price and access a payment plan.

PAYMENT PLANS

Deposit: NZD $300 secures your place and is credited to your balance.

  • Remaining Balance Due: The remaining amount is due 7 days before the immersion begins.

  • Next Step: Complete the Join Us form — we’ll email your payment details once it’s submitted.

All prices in NZD. ‍

JOIN US ON THIS SACRED JOURNEY
Contact if you have questions
  • Scenic view of a rural landscape with rolling green hills, scattered trees, and a small settlement with houses and parked cars in the foreground.

    SHARED ROOMS (2 BEDS)

    4 nights accommodation and meals

    Early bird: $1,599
    Full Price: $1,699

  • A wooden bunk bed with gray bedding and pillows, a small wall-mounted shelf with a lamp, and a dark wood dresser with potted plants on top, in a cozy bedroom.

    SINGLE ROOMS (1 BED)

    4 nights accommodation and meals

    Early Bird: $1,899
    Full Price: $1999

  • Cozy bedroom with wooden ceiling and walls, a bed with white sheets, gray pillows, a patterned blanket, a round mirror on the wall, warm lighting, and rustic decor elements.

    PRIVATE HUT (1 BED) - only 2 available

    4 nights accommodation and meals

    Early Bird: $2,200
    Full: $2,300

FAQ’s

  • Our opening ceremony starts at 3pm (we require all in attendance to begin so please be on time), Wednesday 17 March, check in is available from 2pm.  We will close by 12noon on Sunday 21 March 2027.

  • Auckland airport. It is a 50 minute drive from Auckland Airport to ĀIo Wera Retreat Centre.

  • We can arrange an airport pick up for you (if there's multiple people you can split it), please reach out to organise. 

  • Yes - you will have a break from 1230 - 4pm on all the days, to integrate, rest, sauna, spa, river swim and nap.

    This experience is more of an Immersion, we have a deliciously full schedule with rich learnings and experiential practice.

  • Yes! There is a discount if you want to share a private hut.

  • Nutritiously dense, colorful, locally sourced meals designed to build mauri (life force). Yes, all dietary requirements will be honoured. Food is an important part of the experience for us, we have an incredible human nourishing us all week.

  • Yes! After you fill in the application form you will be prompted to create a a payment plan if you wish. Payment plans must be paid in full 7 days before the retreat starts.