Retreats
Vagabonds of the Heart
A Year-Long Journey into Deep Connection
Join us for a single retreat, or walk the full path with us. The journey is yours.
The world feels unsteady. Old ways are unravelling. And in the midst of it all, there’s a quiet knowing inside us—a pull toward something deeper, something wilder, something true.
Vagabonds of the Heart is an invitation to follow that pull. Over the course of six weekends across a year, you’ll step into nature—not as an observer, but as part of it. Through a blend of practical skills and spiritual connection, you’ll learn how to make fire, pitch a tent, navigate the land, and journey by canoe, but also how to listen to the wisdom of the wild, rediscover your belonging, and find meaning in the more-than-human world.
In the spirit of Vagabonds of the Heart lies the ancient practice of pilgrimage—a journey both outward into the wild and inward toward deeper connection. This year long series invites you to step away from the demands of daily life and into six immersive retreats, each weaving together practical outdoor skills and spiritual exploration.
This is for those who feel the ache of separation from the living world.
For those seeking a path back to something real and the skills to be able to do that with confidence.
“Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times.” – Rumi
First Retreat: Pathways of the Sacred – A Mythic Journey into the Wild
Saturday, 10th May – Sunday, 11th May 2025
You don’t have to be an expert in nature. You don’t need to know how to pitch a tent or light a fire. This isn’t about survival. It’s about coming alive. It’s about finding confidence in yourself to step into the wild—alone or with others—and feel at home there. It’s about breaking free from the noise of modern life and rediscovering a sense of place, of purpose, of connection.
Over one weekend on Dartmoor’s ancient lands, you will step into a world of myth, ritual, and reconnection. Through sacred storytelling, forest bathing, fire-making, and deep listening, you’ll not only learn how to be in nature—you’ll discover what it means to truly belong to it.
No experience needed. No expectations. Just an open heart and a willingness to wander.
Accommodation, Travel and Meals
This retreat will take place on southwest Dartmoor between 10AM Saturday morning and 4PM Sunday afternoon.
This is a camping retreat. We have camping kit available for hire. We will be wild camping on Dartmoor for the night and supporting everyone to be able to do this with confidence – from advice pitching a tent to how to create your own facilities.
For those without a car, we’re happy to transport you from Totnes station to Dartmoor.
We ask everyone to bring your own food: a picnic lunch for Saturday and Sunday, and dinner for Saturday night. We will have camping hobs available and a fire.
What to expect
If you’ve ever longed to feel at home venturing out into nature but weren’t sure where to start, this weekend will guide you step by step.
🌿 Day One begins with a welcome circle and intention-setting, grounding us in the themes of the retreat. You’ll step into sacred storytelling and forest bathing, where the myth of The White Hart invites you to explore the wild both outside and within. The afternoon brings hands-on camp skills—learning how to build a fire, pitch a tent, and create ritual objects that deepen your relationship with the land. As night falls, we gather around the fire to hear the tale of Old Crockern, offering our reflections and intentions to the flames beneath the stars.
🔥 Day Two starts in stillness, with gentle breathwork and a silent walk at dawn. As the day unfolds, you’ll engage in interactive practices inspired by the hidden networks of the forest, before we gather for a shared meal and a closing ritual—creating seasonal symbols to carry the wisdom of the weekend into daily life.
Throughout the retreat, there will be space for reflection, conversation, and simply being in nature – allowing a feeling of awe and connection without the illusion of separation which is our natural state. You’ll leave with practical skills and the confidence to step into the wild—alone or with others.
Cost
£185
£50 deposit and payment plan available on request.
Who is Facilitating?
Stefan Batorijs believes that everything is alive, animate and in connection. As director of Nature and Therapy, Stefan specialises in nature-based therapeutic interventions, dedicated to fostering a deep loving connection between people, Nature and Spirit. His work of over 30 years centres around encouraging a heightened awareness of both our inner and outer environments through Ecotherapy and by normalising and making accessible the principles and practice of Forest Medicine (shinrin-yoku). Stefan is particularly interested in Mystical experience in Nature and wilderness, and re-enacting mythic dramas in the landscape as a way of healing.
Harry Hilser, as an environmental social scientist, has conducted extensive research on human-nature relationships and led community engagement initiatives promoting ecological awareness. Harry carries a deep passion and curiosity for exploring the cognitive, behavioural and psycho-spiritual underpinnings of what makes us human and a part of all. Harry has spent much of his life in Indonesia, immersed in rural communities and learning about connectedness to nature, indigenous wisdom and the socio-cultural drivers and mediators of the values and practices that create, sustain or challenge societal norms. A member of the kincentric leadership community, he is particularly interested in the associations between pro-social and pro-environmental behaviours and pathways to fostering ecocentrism and continues to explore this through his diverse work, particularly through his UK based environmental education consultancy, Lestari.
Second Retreat: The Song of the River – an Elemental Journey with Fire and Water
Friday, 20th June – Sunday, 22nd June 2025
Water and fire—two ancient forces, both essential, both transformative. Over the Summer Solstice weekend, join us for an immersive journey into these elements, combining Canadian canoeing and sacred fire practices to deepen your connection with the natural world.
You will learn to paddle and manoeuvre a canoe with ease, gliding through the beautiful Dart Estuary toward a secluded creek where we’ll make camp. Alongside this, we’ll explore the art and spirit of fire, from practical fire-making skills to myths, rituals, and the deep wisdom fire has carried through human history.
This is not a bushcraft weekend—it’s an invitation to experience nature through your senses, to move with the rhythms of the river, and to sit by the fire as stories, silence, and ritual weave together.
No experience needed. Just an openness to water, fire, and the journey in between.
Accommodation, Travel and Meals
This retreat will take place on the Dart Estuary, beginning at 5 PM on Friday evening and ending on Sunday morning.
We will be wild camping for two nights at a secluded creek, carrying all our camping gear in Canadian canoes as we paddle downriver. If you need camping equipment, we have kit available for hire.
🌿 Meals:
- We will provide two communal evening meals—on Friday and Saturday night.
- Please bring your own breakfasts (Saturday & Sunday), picnic lunch (Saturday), and any additional snacks.
- We’ll have a fire and basic cooking facilities available at camp.
For those travelling without a car, we’re happy to arrange transport from Totnes station to our meeting point at Longmarsh car park.
What to Expect
During the the Summer Solstice, nature supports us to to step out of routine and into something timeless. On the water and around the fire, we can pause and realign, finding “our place in the family of things.”
🌊 Day One – Into the Flow
We begin at Longmarsh Car Park, Totnes at 5:00 PM on Friday, where we’ll meet our canoes and learn how to paddle with ease and confidence. Once packed and ready, we’ll push off onto the Dart Estuary, letting the river guide us downstream toward our secluded creek-side campsite. As night falls, we’ll cook supper together and gather around the fire for storytelling, setting the tone for our Solstice journey.
🔥 Day Two – Fire & Flow
The morning starts slowly, with coffee by the fire, before we move into the art of fire-making—not just as a survival skill, but as a practice of connection and reverence. Step by step, you’ll learn how to build and sustain a fire, as well as explore the myths, rituals, and wisdom of fire.
After a personal fire journey, where you’ll have space to reflect and work with fire in your own way, we come together for a collective fire ritual, welcoming the Solstice with intention. As the afternoon opens up, you’ll have time to explore—whether that means paddling back onto the river, staying by the fire, or simply soaking in the beauty of the wild around you.
🚣 Day Three – Returning with the Tide
We wake with the rhythm of the river, packing up camp and preparing for our journey back upstream. Whenever the tide permits, we’ll launch our canoes once more, moving with the water as we make our way back to Longmarsh Car Park in Totnes.
🌊 On the Water
Canoeing is not just about movement—it’s about presence. Unlike most canoe trips, we’ll teach you how to paddle efficiently and effortlessly, using four key strokes to navigate the water with skill and ease. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your technique, you’ll leave feeling confident on the water.
🔥 With the Fire
We will explore together the essential parts of lighting a successful fire and how to welcome the spirit of fire into your lives and into your circle. We will teach you the basic steps to confident fire-making, alongside the fireside stories and myths of fire, fire tools, sacred fires and healing fires.
Throughout the weekend, there will be space for reflection, movement, and quiet moments in nature. You’ll leave not just with new skills, but with a deeper trust in yourself and your place within the wild.
Cost
£185
£50 deposit and payment plan available on request.
Who is Facilitating?
Stefan Batorijs is a qualified Canadian Canoe Instructor with over 25 years experience leading groups on multi-day river trips and also organising long distance Canoe expeditions to remote places, most recently Canoeing through the wild Knoydart Peninsula in Scotland. Stefan grew up lighting fires since the age of 5, and has developed a deep respect and love of fire, and the rituals that surround it.
Third Retreat: Kissing the Earth with your Feet – A Walking Pilgrimage Across Dartmoor
Friday 11th July – Sunday 13th July 2025
To undertake a walking pilgrimage is an embodied expression of the human wish to walk towards wholeness. Step by step, a pilgrimage brings together spirit and matter, offering structure to the inner search for what lies beyond self. Humans all around the world and across times have left the boundaries of the home to connect with special places and pay respect in reciprocity to the land and the divine that manifests in the world.
On this weekend, we invite you to walk with us across the ancient wild landscape of Dartmoor, to follow the winding path of the Mary and Michael Pilgrims Way. We will walk both together and alone – spending time in silence, exploring walking meditative practices, connecting with the land, the stone circles, and sacred sites of Dartmoor. We will welcome whatever we encounter along the way, with space and time for reflection and inspiration.
Walking meditation has been practised in many traditions as a way of coming back to the body, to calm the mind and find our centre in the midst of impermanence. Walking meditation is not just an individual practice but one that honours our interconnectedness with the world and the Earth that sustains us.
As we walk together we will gently and curiously investigate our relationship with the ground, the body, the breath, every step bring us home to the here and now or as Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
Accommodation, Travel, Meals & Kit
This retreat takes place in the wild beauty of Dartmoor, beginning at Friday 11th July and ending on Sunday 13th July.
What3words /// classic.regulator.plantings
Accommodation:
Our base for the weekend will be Gidleigh Village Hall, a simple yet welcoming space surrounded by the quiet landscapes of Dartmoor. You are welcome to sleep inside the hall (just bring a sleeping mat and sleeping bag) or camp under the stars in the grounds if you prefer.
Travel:
- We will meet at Gidleigh Village Hall on the first day.
- Please arrange your own transport to and from the venue.
Meals:
- Two nourishing vegetarian evening meals will be prepared for us each day, offering wholesome food to restore and sustain us.
- Breakfasts will also be provided each morning.
- Please bring your own packed lunches for each day, along with any snacks you may want while walking.
What to bring: clothes for the time of year, If it’s hot we will bathe in the river so bring your swimming stuff.
Also bring waterproofs, walking shoes which can be solid trainers or boots. Bring ingredients in a carrier bag to make your packed lunch, a flask, water bottle and your camping kit. You are welcome to sleep on the floor of the hall or put up your tent in the grounds. Snacks, head torch, toiletries, sun screen, warm clothes are essential – we will be over 1400ft high at Kestor rock.
What to expect
Arrive Gidleigh Village Hall from 4pm onwards.
Set up camp and arrive – tea and cake in the garden.
6.30pm – opening circle and intro. to weekend.
7pm Supper – Vegetarian meal
8pm An opening meditation followed by social time and bed.
Saturday – 8.00 am -9.00am breakfast and make packed lunch.
9.30 gather for start of day walk and depart. We will walk down through the forest to the river and spend some time in a clearing by the river.
Gentle walk with a mix of silent meditation invites and group walking together stopping for various activities.
12.30-1pm Lunchtime near Kestor Rock
Afternoon walking across the edge of Dartmoor. Visiting a special site with river crossing and leading to an ancient stone circle. We will spend time in the stone circle before heading back to base via an old track.
6pm supper Vegetarian meal
7pm fire circle and sharing, poetry, song, and music around the fire.
Sunday – 8.00 am -9.00am breakfast and start packing up
9.30 gather for a morning circle and sharing.
10.00 – 12.30 Exploring Nature with sensory aliveness and silent connection.
!pm Finish packing and clean the venue together. Depart Gidleigh
Cost
£220
£50 deposit and payment plan available on request.
Who is Facilitating?
Elena De Paz
Elena has been practicing meditation and learning about the Buddha’s teachings for the last 15 years. She has worked as retreat coordinator at the Barn retreat at Sharpham and is currently Communications Manager at Gaia House Insight Meditation Centre. She loves silence, time in nature, exploring creative expression and movement and has studied with Anna Halprin and Tamalpa Uk, a therapeutic art and movement based practice. In 2016 she walked from Gaia House to Santiago de Compostela (via ferry from Plymouth to Santander) on the Camino. She continues to look for opportunities to walk alone or with others as a form of prayer and coming back to source.
Stefan Batorijs
Stefan has spent his life wandering around in the wild places of this country and abroad, and he is a qualified Ecologist and Mountain walking Leader. His love and passion for the wilderness of Dartmoor informs his life and work. He has also pursued a fiercely independent spiritual path in Nature, learning whatever the land, plants and animals can teach him about life, being and belonging and how to live in an animate Universe. Stefan has traversed the moor many times over the last 30 years and still finds new places, new feelings, new revelations within the ever changing, moody landscapes and skies here.
Fourth Retreat: Wild Beach and ‘the Liminal Zone’
Friday 12th September – Sunday 14th September
Come away with us on a journey to a remote hidden beach, sleep out under the stars, bathe in the clear waters and explore the life of the shoreline with expert forager.
This weekend retreat is also a rite of passage – an invitation to be reborn and discover a deeper connection to the wild self, and how we are always part of Nature. The beach we will be living on is cut off by the tide for parts of the day, isolating us from the outside world, immersing us in an environment ruled by the elements, forging an incredible bond with life and the rhythms of the tides, the moon and the other-than-human world.
Being on the edge of the land takes us to the edge of ourselves, locating the hidden or unrealized aspects of the psyche, drawing strength, expansion and compassion from within us in response to this wild rocky sanctuary.
Accommodation, Travel and Meals
This retreat will take place on a remote beach on the South Devon coast, beginning at 2 PM on Friday and ending on Sunday afternoon.
We will be wild camping for two nights on the beach, fully immersed in the rhythms of the tide and the elements. Access to the site is only possible at low tide, requiring us to walk in with our gear. If you need camping equipment, we have kit available for hire.
🌿 Meals:
- We will provide two communal evening meals—on Friday and Saturday night.
- Please bring your own breakfasts (Saturday & Sunday), picnic lunch (Saturday), and any additional snacks.
- A fire and basic cooking facilities will be available at camp.
📍 Getting There:
- We will meet in Kingston village at 2 PM on Friday, where you can park responsibly.
- From there, we will walk together to the shoreline, carrying our gear to the beach when the tide allows.
- Due to the remote nature of this location, participants must be able to carry their own rucksack with essentials.
What to Expect
This retreat is both a pilgrimage and a rite of passage, an opportunity to step away from the world and into the rhythms of the wild. Over three days, we will live in deep relationship with the tides, the elements, and the unseen, sleeping under the open sky, bathing in the sea, foraging along the shoreline, and stepping through natural thresholds into the unknown.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
This retreat is in a wild and untamed environment and carries certain inherent risks. We ask that you acknowledge your limitations and take responsibility for your needs and behaviour whilst away with us.
The retreat will be safely and sensitively held, we ask that all participants stay within the guidelines and safety parameters that we offer.
There is no compulsion to engage with all or any activities, it is very much an individual process that we will respect and honour with no pressure to do anything – come as you are.
🌊 Day One – Crossing the Threshold
2:00 PM – Arrive at Kingston village, park responsibly, and gather with rucksacks and food at the Dolphin Inn and churchyard.
2:30 PM – Load equipment into our vehicle and begin the journey toward the coast.
3:30 PM – Arrive at the shoreline and await the dropping tide. As the sea recedes, a passage between two cliffs opens—a threshold into another world. We step through.
4:30 PM – Arrive at our secluded beach, set up camp, and receive an introduction to the weekend, including guidelines for safety, tides, and immersion in the elements.
5:00 PM – Prepare and cook our first shared meal together.
6:00 PM – Gather in circle around the fire, share food, and set our intentions for the retreat.
8:00 PM onwards – Beach walk, firelight reflection, rest under the stars.
🌊 Day Two – Rite of Passage
Wake with the tide, early morning swim, gentle yoga, and explore the beach.
Breakfast & breaking camp.
11:30 AM – Gather in circle to prepare for the rite of passage—setting intentions for the day’s journey.
Lunch (12:30 – 1:00 PM) – A simple, shared meal together.
Sea Cave Ritual
2:00 PM – A journey into the unknown—stepping through a second threshold into a hidden sea cave, guided by the symbolism of passage and transformation.
3:00 PM – Return to base and close the ritual, followed by tea and cake by the fire.
Personal time to explore, reflect, or engage in a seaweed foraging experience along the shoreline.
5:00 PM – Supper preparation and cooking.
6:00 PM – Shared meal around the fire.
7:00 PM – Deep listening exercises, storytelling, and reflection beneath the night sky.
🌊 Day Three – Return from the Threshold
Early morning swim, yoga, and a final moment of silent reflection.
Breakfast & breaking camp.
10:30 AM – Gather in a final circle, sharing insights and preparing for our return to the outside world.
As the tide drops, we step back through the threshold, carrying with us the lessons of the wild.
1:00 – 2:00 PM – Walk back to Kingston village, collect vehicles, and depart.
Cost
£185
£50 deposit and payment plan available on request.
Who is Facilitating?
stefan
Stefan Batorijs believes that everything is alive, animate and in connection. As director of Nature and Therapy, Stefan specialises in nature-based therapeutic interventions, dedicated to fostering a deep loving connection between people, Nature and Spirit. His work of over 30 years centres around encouraging a heightened awareness of both our inner and outer environments through Ecotherapy and by normalising and making accessible the principles and practice of Forest Medicine (shinrin-yoku). Stefan is particularly interested in Mystical experience in Nature and wilderness, and re-enacting mythic dramas in the landscape as a way of healing.
Fifth Retreat: A Journey Back to Wildness in Mallorca
Monday 17th – Friday 21st November 2025
Step off the beaten path and into the wild beauty of the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca — a UNESCO World Heritage site where limestone peaks rise above ancient olive terraces, pine forests scent the air, and the Mediterranean stretches endlessly below. Winding footpaths lead through hidden valleys, rugged cliffs, and quiet mountain villages, offering a landscape shaped by both nature and centuries of human devotion.
This is not a retreat in the traditional sense. It is a pilgrimage of movement and presence—an invitation to reconnect with your body, the land, and the rhythms of the wild.
Over several days, we will hike mindfully through mountains and forests, exploring primal movement, deep breathing, and natural locomotion in untamed landscapes. With our bags carried ahead to the next mountain refuge, we are free to walk unburdened, fully present with the land beneath our feet.
Along the way, we will pause—to bathe in the stillness of the forest, to share nourishing Catalan meals, to rest in rustic hideaways under star-filled skies. In the evenings, craniosacral therapy and holistic massage (included in the retreat cost) will help restore balance to body and mind, aligning us with the deeper rhythm of the wild.
A basic level of walking fitness is required for this pilgrimage. If you are unsure, please check with Stefan for guidance.
Accommodation, Travel and Meals
This retreat takes place in the Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca, beginning on 17th November and ending on 21st November.
Accommodation:
Each night, we will stay in pre-booked mountain refuges, set in stunning natural surroundings. These rustic yet comfortable lodgings provide a place to rest and recharge after each day’s journey. Accommodation is shared, offering a simple but welcoming retreat in the heart of the mountains.
Travel:
- Participants will need to book their own flights to Mallorca.
- We will collect you from Palma de Mallorca Airport and transport the group to the starting point of our journey.
- At the end of the retreat, we will return you to the airport or a central location in Palma.
Meals:
- All meals are provided and prepared by a talented chef who will travel with us.
- Expect nourishing, locally inspired dishes to support our movement and deepen our connection to the land.
- Any dietary requirements can be accommodated—please let us know in advance.
What to expect
Details coming soon
Cost
TBC
Who is Facilitating?
Samuel Weekes – Feldenkrais Teacher, Primal Movement Guide & Chef
Samuel is a somatic and functional strength coach with a deep-rooted passion for nature-led facilitation and embodied practice. His work blends primal movement, breath, forest immersion, and seasonal nourishment—drawing also on his background as a holistic chef—to support a return to grounded presence. Now deepening his specialisation in somatics through professional training in the Feldenkrais Method, Samuel is integrating this neuroscience-informed approach into his practice, drawn to its unique ability to articulate and refine our lived, embodied experience.
stefan batorijs ecotherapist
Stefan Batorijs – Forest Bathing Expert & Mountain Leader
Stefan is an experienced ecotherapist, Forest Bathing guide, and Mountain Leader with over 30 years of experience leading transformative nature-based journeys. With a deep love for the Balearic Islands, having lived and worked in Menorca, he brings a profound understanding of the land, its rhythms, and its wild spirit. His work weaves together pilgrimage, deep ecology, and embodied connection to place, guiding participants into a more intimate relationship with the natural world.