Vagabonds of the Heart
Vagabonds of the Heart 2025/2026
A Year-Long Journey into Deep Connection
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, 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.
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.
Join us for a single retreat, or walk the full path with us. The journey is yours.
“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: A Mythic Journey into the Wild
Saturday, 10th May 2025 – 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.