Awakening Intimacy with Ross and Camila
5 – 8 June 2026
I will not live an unlived life,
I will not go in fear
Of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
To allow my living to open me,
To make me less afraid,
More accessible,
To loosen my heart
Until it becomes a wing,
A torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance
To live.
So that which came to me as a seed,
Goes to the next as a blossom,
And that which comes to me as a blossom,
Goes on as fruit.
By Dawha Markowa
Intimacy is a sense of deep connection, belonging, and relatedness, an authentic encounter that leads us home. Intimacy nourishes, heals and holds us, uniting us with the mystery of life. It is the balm that soothes the sense of separation that can often colour our experience.
Whilst intimacy may sometimes seem distant or difficult to embrace, it is not something we must struggle for or force our way into. Rather, intimacy arises when we give ourselves the courageous permission to encounter ourselves and others just as we are.
Join friends, co-facilitators and intimacy explorers Camila and Ross for an immersion into the mystery and practice of intimacy. Flowing between stillness and movement, inner and outer, solitude and togetherness, we offer opportunities to give, receive, and savor experiences of authentic connection with yourself, with others, and the natural world.
Held by the forests, hills, and halls of the beautiful Wangapeka Retreat Center, there will be ample opportunity for rest, reflection, and embodied connection. Supported by practices of relational mindfulness, yin yoga, conscious communication, facilitated massage, nature connection and more, together we will co-create a deeply playful and caring space to soften our minds, nourish our bodies, and bring loving attention to our interconnected hearts.
We invite you to show up just as you are – however nourished or depleted you feel your intimacy cup is. There will be treasures to experience and share with other retreatants and offerings to carry home into the living tapestry of your community and daily life.
Consent & Care
This retreat is held within a supportive, caring, and non-sexual container. Listening to the messages of your body and honouring your needs is central to our individual and shared field of care. All practices are clearly guided and grounded in respect for everyone’s boundaries and limits. Participation is always optional, with multiple ways to engage, including observing, adapting, or resting. We honour each person’s pace, capacities, and lived experience. You are always welcome to say yes, no, or “not today,” and to change your mind at any time.
Biographies
Ross
Since his late teens Ross has been fascinated by how we might restore a balance to people through nature, and a balance to nature through people. This inquiry has led him through work in organic horticulture, whole food catering and nature-based education, a decade long practice in meditation and Contact Improvisation, and studies in ecology, religious studies, and herbalism. He draws upon this diverse background to facilitate transformative group experiences that include movement, mindfulness, and open-hearted connection.
He lives with his partner and their 4-year-old son in Whakatū/Nelson, and is training as a counsellor, a Focusing professional, and in mindful and somatic approaches to trauma healing.
Camila
Camila is a full-spectrum human who loves listening — to bodies, to silence, and to what is quietly unfolding between people. Their path has been shaped by years of living, studying, and sharing Yoga, Possibility Management, and Myofascial Massage, all of which inform the way they create and hold spaces for connection, discovery, and change.
Often described as an “extraordinary, funky, big-hearted cultural rebel,” Camila brings warmth, curiosity, and a grounded presence that invites people to arrive as they are. Rather than teaching from the front, they attune to what is alive in the moment, trusting the collective intelligence of the group to guide the learning. In these spaces, wisdom is not delivered — it is remembered, together.
Camila lives in an ever-deepening relationship with the whenua and the community of humans, animals, and plants at Treesong in the Motueka Valley, where listening to land and life continues to shape the way they walk and work in the world.
Costs
Costs include three nights accommodation, fully catered vegetarian meals, beverages and snacks, a cook’s fee and a resource fee. These costs do not include Dāna/Koha for the facilitators.
Room or Hut
Members: $ 357
Non members: $ 387
Camping
Members: $ 294
Non members: $ 303
Dāna/Koha
Dāna is an act of generosity – an act that empowers giver and receiver – and is at the core of everything that happens at the Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre. In the spirit of dāna the facilitators give their offerings freely. You are invited to offer dāna/koha in appreciation, both to the facilitators and the Wangapeka retreat centre. Please bring cash if you intend to do this, honouring your heart and your means.
Sangha Support
If cost is a barrier to your participation we encourage you to consider applying for sangha support. Funds have been donated to Wangapeka to offer support for people who want to attend retreats and are unable to afford it. Sangha Support is for accommodation costs only and up to a maximum of 50% of those costs. More info can be found here https://wangapeka.org/about/costs/#sangha_support
To apply contact the Wangapeka Office Caretaker info@wangapeka.org
Information and Registration
For more information please contact the Course Manager: Yasmin Barnett yasmin.barnett1994@gmail.com
To register please fill out our online registration form
Please consider becoming a Wangapeka member – click here for details.
Main Image: Ahmed on Unsplash