WHY THIS RETREAT
From Return to the
Body, to something bigger.
For the past several seasons, women have gathered in Return to the Body to slow down, listen inward, and remember what it feels like to be at home in themselves. Rooted & Wild is the next chapter of that work — three full days, away from the noise, to go deeper than a weekly session ever could.
This retreat blends the same foundations Michelle Rousseau Holistic Wellness was built on — somatic therapy, nervous system regulation, and therapeutic movement — with the spaciousness of the desert. You'll have time to actually integrate what you uncover, not just touch it and move on.
You'll leave the new year not with another to-do list, but with a body that feels like a safer, more alive place to live.
Rooted
The ground beneath the work. Safety, regulation, and a nervous system that finally gets to exhale
Daily somatic regulation practices
Slow mornings, unhurried meals
Guided reflection & journaling
Rest woven into every day
Wild
The ground beneath the work. Safety, regulation, and a nervous system that finally gets to exhale
Daily therapeutic yoga
A guided hike through Joshua Tree National Park
Embodied movement & expression
Wide open desert sky
3
NIGHTS / 4 DAYS
11
WOMEN
1
DESERT
WHAT WE'LL DO TOGETHER
The full experience
Each day is thoughtfully held — spacious enough for genuine rest, full enough to create a meaningful shift. Morning practices anchor your nervous system. Afternoons open into reflection, exploration, and connection. Evenings soften into nourishment and stillness.
🌿
Daily Yoga
Morning movement to awaken the body, ease into breath, and set the tone for each day's unfolding.
🫀
Somatic Practice
Guided sessions to help you inhabit your body more fully — releasing stored tension and reestablishing safety from within.
🏜
Nature Immersion
A guided day hike through Joshua Tree National Park — walking meditation, open sky, ancient rock, and the quiet that only the desert offers.
📓
Reflection Time
Journaling prompts and unstructured space to integrate, dream, and let the deeper questions surface without agenda.
🍽
Nourishing Meals
Eight wholesome, intentional meals plus snacks — food that feeds the body and signals abundance and care.
🌙
Rest & Relaxation
Sacred unscheduled time. Lie in the sun. Read. Nap. Wander. This is part of the practice, not a break from it.
WHAT'S HELD EACH DAY
Three nights, four days
Arrive
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Settle in to the desert house, meet the group, and share a welcome dinner as the sun goes down over the rocks. A gentle opening practice to mark the start of the work.
Root
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Morning yoga, somatic practice, and the retreat's first full day of nervous system work. Afternoon rest and reflection time, with an evening practice to close the day.
Wander
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6
A guided hike through Joshua Tree National Park, followed by an afternoon of rest, reflection, and embodied movement. The retreat's wildest, most expansive day.
Integrate
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7
A closing practice and final reflection circle before a shared last meal — and the drive home, with something different in your body than what you arrived with.
WHERE WE'LL GATHER
Joshua Tree & Yucca Valley, California
We'll stay in a private desert house surrounded by boulders, sky, and silence — close enough to Joshua Tree National Park to spend a full day wandering its trails, and remote enough that your nervous system can finally stop bracing for the next thing.
The high desert in early February is mild, clear, and quiet — the kind of place that makes regulation feel less like an instruction and more like an invitation.
You can also visit their website for more photos
YOUR GUIDE
Held by someone who
has walked this path
Michelle Rousseau supports women in reconnecting with their bodies, healing from within, and creating meaningful life changes. Through a unique blend of somatic therapy, personalized wellness coaching, strength training, and therapeutic yoga, she helps clients release stuck patterns, regulate their nervous system, and develop habits that align with their goals, health, and overall well-being.
SPACE IS LIMITED
Only 11 women.
This retreat is kept small because intimacy is the container. When the group is this size, real things happen — real safety, real sharing, real change. We want every woman to feel genuinely held.
SPOTS AVAILABLE
11 IN TOTAL
Priority is given to current Women's Circle members and returning participants. If this is your first time with us, you are warmly welcome — reach out to introduce yourself.
YOU ARE INVITED
Fill up this form to join the waitlist
Begin the year
in your body
Rooted & Wild is held small on purpose — eleven women, three days, and the kind of attention that only happens in a small group. Reach out to hold your spot for February 4–7, 2027.
Spots are limited. If this is calling you, trust that.