WEEKEND HEALING RETREATS
Join us for an enchanting residential retreat weaving together the gentle alchemy of Transformational Breathwork and the joy of harmony singing.
It is in every way an in-and-through-the-body experience – a space where transformation happens on a cellular level. Somatic healing. Breakthroughs. Energetic shifts. Peace. Joy. Inner realignment.
WHAT TO EXPECT
A deeply nurturing, fully immersive weekend to rest and reset, designed to leave you feeling replenished, re-nourished, and re-inspired.
• A space for embodied restoration, self-exploration and self-reflection, with offerings designed to nurture and honour your own personal healing.
• A community of like-hearted souls and the foundational values of reciprocity, space holding, kindness and consideration running as a solid thread throughout.
• A deeper understanding of yourself and your emotions and an increased capacity for compassion, self-love and self-acceptance.
• An experiential journey into the felt sense of ‘Self-energy’ and gentle exploration around parts works.
• Two onsite facilitators experienced in holding circles, workshops and choirs, whole-heartedly dedicated to creating a unique and unforgettable immersive experience.
• Free time to spend alone in contemplation, roam the forest, read, write, meditate – to spend in solitude or together with others.
• Nourishing and nutritious home-cooked food packed full of flavour and love, made in house by our wonderful caterer.
• Beautiful, clean and spacious accommodation complete with solid wood floors, open fires and 30 acres of forest.
The magic and medicine of a retreat cannot be planned – it awakens the moment you arrive, unfolding in the stillness and the surrender of being there.
"It was a truly magical experience. It felt like I had come home. Throughout the weekend I felt so held and loved by Olivia and Simon and everyone else in the group. Everything felt so safe - my defensiveness dissolved and I felt genuinely connected and open to myself. The Breathwork was beautiful, raw, enlightening, safe and comforting. I was taken to places within myself I didn’t know existed, and felt things I didn’t think I was capable of feeling. The singing was vulnerable and meaningful, uplifting and fun, all at the same time - the perfect way to move the energy generated in Breathwork. The retreat has had a big impact on me - a turning point in my journey - and I sense the beginnings of compassion within."
"It was one of the most beautiful events of my life where I felt safe, affirmed, accepted and nourished in so many ways. Thanks to Olivia and Simon’s alchemy something magical happened for us all that weekend. In every way it was life affirming, self affirming, life changing, magical, harmonious, connecting and fun."
"Over our 3 days together my heart became more and more full. Filled with love and open to possibilities in a way I haven't experienced before. Maybe none of us had. With your care, Olivia, surrounded by tender souls, sharing and opening our hearts, soaring on Simon's music and song... it was like being surrounded by blossom opening all around us. It was a very special experience for me."
"Olivia, I've had an epiphany. You help me to tune into my higher self/ God when there is so much static and other stations full of fear, anger, suffering and disconnection. The space that you create and your words cut through all those other channels and boom 
there I am - the real me full of love, peace, joy and abundance. Thank you doesn’t really touch the sides of how grateful I am."
Our retreats offer the truest sense of sanctuary, a space for deep restoration and connection, in which you’ll:
✨ Be taken care of for a few days… with delicious homecooked food, fresh linen, boutique bedrooms, open fires & more.
Your only job will be to breathe and tend to your inner world.
✨ Discover or rediscover the wells of love and compassion within.
✨ Experience the opening of your voice and heart with harmony singing and Breathwork healing.
✨ Reconnect with your truest self in a community of kindred souls.
This isn’t just another retreat. It’s a space for self-exploration, deep relaxation AND nervous system healing. A sacred pause for your mind, body, and spirit. A safe haven to rest, reset, and reconnect with the essence of you.
WHERE WE'RE LOCATED
Our ‘secret’ location is nestled within 30 acres of private forest and gardens – in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside – and offers calm and charm with its high ceilings, airy lounges, hard wood floors and open fires.
There’s stunning views across the fields and woods and outside, meadows, orchards and allotments to explore.
YOUR FACILITATORS
“I couldn’t praise highly enough their ability in their particular field – Olivia embodied warmth and care and availability for each of us, and Simon is superb in his energy, musical interest and encouragement.” – Pam
OLIVIA MENDOZA is a trauma-informed, IFS trained, Breathwork Facilitator, Space Holder, Intuitive Guide, Writer and passionate Self-Healer. She believes deeply that we are our own healers, and in the true alchemy of our own breath.
Olivia’s journey through, and recovery from, substance addiction, self-harm, depression and developmental trauma has gifted her a unique insight into our wondrous ability as humans to heal ourselves, and an unshakeably solid foundation to hold space for your unfolding with expansive compassion and empathy.
Breathwork is the yellow brick road to the home within yourself. On the other side of the breath is a place of self-discovery, of clarity, of pure love. It is her deepest joy and privilege to share this with you.
SIMON LUBKOWSKI is a Choral Director, Arranger, Composer, Performer, Guide Track creator and Singing Teacher.
In addition to decades of school teaching experience, he is currently founder and MD of multiple choirs, including worldwide virtual choir ‘The Collective’, Leicester based ‘Knighton Community Choir’ and award winning mixed chorus ‘Lux A Cappella’. He also sings himself in many quartets.
His love of harmony and Barbershop singing most recently culminated in him becoming a judge for The British Association of Barbershop Singers.
Simon lives and breathes music, believing deeply in the connective power of song and its capacity to bring people together.
“The interweaving and balance of the personal work and the singing was truly perfect. You have found a magical formula, Simon and Olivia.” – Mary H.
“They were both fantastic! Their energy working together is special.” – Laura D.
MORE ABOUT BREATHWORK
Transformational Breathwork works powerfully and quickly, offering a potent alternative to ‘conventional’ forms of meditation.
It induces a non-ordinary state of consciousness, helping to bypass our thinking brain, quiet the mind chatter and allow us to drop into our bodies. A noisy mind may experience true peace and stillness for the first time.
Instead of listening to our heads as we usually do, Breathwork gifts us the space to really hear our hearts. To drop into a space where self-compassion flows unobstructed.
It has the capacity to move and transform, integrate and soften the emotional and energetic material held within our bodies, creating space to shift decades of limiting beliefs and behavioural patterning.
When we clear our stuck emotions – all the thwarted experiences of sadness, fear and anger – our brains become more coherent and our nervous systems soothed. We start to feel calmer and clearer, and more able to live with courage, compassion and confidence.
Breathwork offers an opportunity to connect to our life force energy, the loving presence that exists within each of us. The more often and more deeply we connect with this space, the more our embedded conditioning starts to transform and we find ourselves released from painful patterns.
Within a session we may experience spontaneous ‘parts work’, where parts of our psyche speak to us revealing our deepest truths and wisdom. We may experience in a deeply embodied way that our ‘answers’ are always within us.
“The gentle magic of Breathwork blasted down a hard wall of resentment and anger I’ve been living inside, creating a miraculous shift in perception. I am filled with such gratitude for this and didn’t think I could experience it… I thought I was untouchable (not in a good way) and far too busy for such things… I now know different! Thank you.” – Vanessa A.
SOMATIC PRACTICE
Somatic practice is a body based healing technology that can dissolve and resolve the barriers we’ve inherited and accumulated in our system. These barriers – stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, conditioned beliefs – are often blockages to experiencing life at its fullest.
When we tune into the wisdom of the body, we access levels of awareness and inspiration that enable actions and decisions that may historically have felt too confusing or too difficult.
We make space for more clarity, compassion, ease and flow, which opens a portal within for an experience of the deepest, truest sense of self-trust.
Somatic practice transcends talking therapy and goes way beyond our past stories. Instead of just retelling our stories for momentary relief we are tapping into the innate wisdom within. This empowers us to change our relationship with ourselves, which ripples into our lives and create fundamental change externally too. All without needing to revisit how we got here.
Some of the benefits include:
• More compassion, acceptance and non-judgment for our ever changing internal world
• More capacity to be with complexity of being human
• More peace with internal and external inconsistency and uncertainty
INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS (IFS)
IFS is a way to meet your inner child and all your parts with amplified kindness, compassion and care.
If you’ve:
✨ longed for freedom from the inner critical voice in your head
✨ lived with a sense of worthlessness that won’t go away
✨ever wondered what exactly self-love is and why it’s so damn hard
✨ experienced painful and destabilising inner conflict
...IFS is a way that can help.
Internal Family Systems is an innovative, evidence based therapy model rooted in the idea that we have not one mind but multiple parts. Each of these parts has their own voice, needs, reactions and roles, taken on to help us survive.
IFS begins with the understanding that our system is inherently wise, even when parts of us feel broken or overwhelmed. Rather than seeing symptoms as something ‘wrong’, we approach them with curiosity, care and compassion, giving them space to express with voice or visuals what they do for us.
It is a process of expanding conscious awareness of unconscious patterning. A gentle, waking dream that allows a deep dive into our psyche.
MORE ABOUT THE SINGING
For thousands of years, singing was as natural a part of life as breathing.
Songs were not written down—they were passed from ear to ear, heart to heart, shared in the glow of family circles, in the hum of communities.
Singing was how we healed, how we connected, how we gathered, celebrated, and rested.
Somewhere along the way it became professionalised. The music and songs we’ve grown to know and love enrich and fulfil our lives but as a consequence, divided us into ‘singers’ and ‘non-singers’.
So many people came to believe that they couldn’t sing. That they shouldn’t sing. That they won’t sing.
But the truth is simple. Everyone is musical. Everyone can sing.
Science tells us what our ancestors knew in their bones—singing together soothes the soul, eases stress, builds confidence, lifts our spirits, and brings us closer.
When we sing, every voice matters. Every voice belongs.
It’s a deeply nurturing, deeply human experience.
The sound we make together, even with ‘non-singers’, is majestic.
Singing belongs in our lives because it reminds us that we belong to each other. We belong to the song.
The singing will be a creative journey that we travel together.
Some of the music will be carefully planned pieces, composed and arranged especially for this retreat, and some will be more spontaneous – vocal reactions and responses to how we feel at that moment.
We will enjoy various vocal harmony experiences, improvised and collaborative composition, and some singing of songs that touch our hearts and enrich our souls.
The entire weekend will be designed to suit all experience levels and abilities – no music reading skills or pre-existing vocal knowledge will be required. We will take care of everything in what will be a truly magical weekend together.
Music learning will be done aurally and vocally – there will not be a printed score, though there may be word sheets if we need them.
Everything will be taught and learnt as we go, with no defined end point or success criteria attached to our singing – it will be singing just for the joy of joining our voices together in harmony!
The virtual choir Simon created in lockdown has the mantras of “Be Kind”, “Your Best Is Always Good Enough”, “Do What You Can, When You Can” and “Leave No-One Behind” – these are the founding principles of how he works with singers, both individually and in his Choirs, and will be the foundation for the retreat.
ACCOMMODATION
The venue offers an elegant and eclectic mix of boutique bedrooms in singles, doubles and triples, all with new, comfortable mattresses. Some have ensuite bathrooms, some share communal, but private, showers. The building is beautifully peaceful and quiet, set in 30 acres of forest so no road noise can be heard.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday
Arrival is from 4pm, allowing time for settling in, unpacking, wandering the grounds. Free flowing herbal teas, coffee and snacks will be available.
A welcoming circle with introductions and intention setting will allow for the immersion of our hearts and our bodies into the bubble of the weekend, followed by a communal meal for all.
The evening will most likely be informal, unstructured time for sharing stories and song around the fire with hot chocolate and herbal teas.
Saturday + Sunday
Our mornings will be an experiential, heart-opening journey of release & self discovery, guided by Olivia, utilising the breath, journaling, somatic practice and an invitation for sharing.
Together we will co-create a safe and supportive sanctuary for deep expansion and self-exploration. We will delve into themes around self-love and self-acceptance, connection with our self, our voice and our breath, and connection with each other.
Our afternoons will be a fully immersive singing experience – a creative journey we will travel together. Simon will bring the group together in song, singing a cappella in harmony to heighten our sense of connectivity, soothe our nervous systems and elevate our spirits.
Some of the music will be carefully planned pieces, composed and arranged especially for this retreat, and some will be more spontaneous – vocal reactions and responses to how we feel at that moment.
There will also be allocated free time for self-reflection, private meditation, journaling or exploring the forest.
Departure time on Sunday is 5pm.
CATERING
The whole weekend will be fully catered by a brilliant, innovative private retreat chef with vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. Please let us know your dietary requirements when booking.
Please note this is an alcohol-free retreat.
TICKETS
£499 – single occupancy room.
£429 – shared rooms (only 2 people per room.)
Payment plans are available – either 2, 3, 6, 8 or 12 monthly instalments.
**OUR REFUND POLICY**
The ticket fee for our Breathwork & Singing Retreat is non-refundable. As spaces are limited and due to the financial commitments incurred to facilitate the retreat we cannot make any exceptions, not even for personal emergencies. For your personal peace of mind, we can recommend that you take out travel insurance to protect yourself against illness, emergencies and changes in your circumstances.
Places are however transferable, so if you are unable to make it, let us know and we will contact anyone on our waiting list. If we don’t have anyone waiting, you are welcome to offer your space to a friend.
If we have to cancel the retreat for any reason then you are entitled to a refund.
HOW TO DECIDE IF THIS RETREAT IS FOR YOU:
Whilst all the offerings throughout the weekend are an invitation and not compulsory, we hope you would be willing to participate in both the Breathwork and the singing. Both activities will be designed to complement each other, contributing to the fully immersive nature of the retreat.
To attend the retreat you would need to be in a relatively stable period of mental well-being. Breathwork has the capacity to bring up strong emotions, and whilst we will be there to support you, this is a large group so we might not be able to offer the level of individual support you may need if things are very difficult for you. We would therefore encourage self-reliance and self-responsibility as central to managing your experience.
FAQ
Where is the venue?
The venue is in Loughborough, surrounded by forest. The exact address will be provided on booking.
How many people will there be?
There are 22 spaces on the retreat, plus your facilitators Olivia and Simon.
Can I stay offsite and come for the activities?
No. Our retreat is very much designed to be a fully immersive, deeply connecting experience so we’d encourage everyone to be together on site to share in the sense of connection and community.
Can I leave the site during the weekend?
We would encourage everyone to fully utilise the on site facilities but you would be free to leave and come back if you choose.
What if I can’t sing?!
Everyone is welcome, regardless of perceived singing ability! There is no solo singing, only singing in groups, so there will be a sense of safety in numbers. We will be using our voices creatively to connect with ourselves and each other, rather than striving for perfection.
Will I cry in Breathwork?
There is a strong possibility that you may cry in Breathwork. It is not a certainty but it does happen frequently. Breathwork can start to dissolve our armour, our self-protective defences, and make space for a very cathartic emotional release. It’s very natural and very ‘normal’.
Will there be any time to spend alone?
Yes. Whilst we would encourage everyone to participate in all the offerings throughout the weekend, everything is an invitation and nothing is compulsory. There will also be allocated free time to spend as you wish – whether this be with other people or quietly in self-reflection.
Will there be vegan/ gf food options?
Yes. There will be a space for dietary requirements on the booking form.
Will there be alcohol in the evenings?
No. This is an alcohol-free retreat.
What will happen in the evenings?
The full schedule has yet to be confirmed but there will most likely be some free and some structured time, and almost definitely the opportunity to drink hot chocolate and sing around the open fires!
I have limited mobility. Will this be a problem?
There is a lift in the venue so all upstairs bedrooms can be accessed this way. The Breathwork is done lying down on the floor, but we can assist you if needed getting onto and up from the floor.
What do I need to bring?
A full list of what to bring will be sent out nearer the time, which will include comfortable clothes, a notebook and pen, yoga mat, warm socks/ slippers.
Can I use my phone?
Whilst phones are not banned, the retreat is an invitation to take a break from your phone as much as possible. This is to encourage more mind body presence throughout the whole experience, and we will request they be kept in airplane mode as much as possible.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes. There will be payment plans.
SAFETY WAIVER
Olivia is a trauma-informed, IFS trained and fully insured/certified Breathwork facilitator but not a medical professional.
Breathwork is a powerful healing modality with the capacity to facilitate deep transformation, self-exploration and emotional release. It can induce a non-ordinary state of consciousness which has potential to create both desirable and undesirable effects, including but not limited to tightness in the hands, dry mouth, tension in parts of the body during the session, light headedness, and body temperature fluctuations. Breathwork can also bring up intense emotions and strong physical experiences.
If you have any medical conditions, including but not limited to – schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or psychosis, epilepsy, heart conditions, brain injury, fibromyalgia, long Covid, ME, MS, COPD, delicate pregnancy, high/very low blood pressure with fainting history, PTSD or recent major surgery, please advise Olivia prior to the retreat.
By participating in Breathwork, each participant accepts responsibility for any consequence resulting from the sessions.
