Sexuality work can undo lifetimes of conditioning incredibly fast.
EMBER - A Somatic Retreat into Sexuality, Intimacy & Embodied Wholeness
Over six days, women come together to slow down, connect, and explore their sexuality. Looking at how it’s shaped by the nervous system, lived experience, and the imprints held around boundaries, pleasure, and intimacy.
This is a space to meet yourself more intimately. To reconnect with your pelvis, womb space and heart. To listen to and understand your female body. To notice what your body holds around desire, erotic energy, longing, shame, sexuality, intimacy, pleasure and aliveness.
Sexuality work is not about becoming more sexual, orgasmic, or confident in the way we’ve been taught to imagine.
It is about coming home to the body in a way that allows life to move again. When women step into sexuality work, they begin to soften the places that have learned to brace, numb, or disconnect - often for very good reasons. They begin to regain autonomy over their sexuality, bodies, desires. Sexuality becomes a gateway to the self, not a goal.
Through this work women rediscover their capacity to deeply feel: grief and love, tenderness and anger, trauma and aliveness, sensation and emotion, all living in the same body. What often unfolds is a deep reclamation of the self - a shedding of shame that was never theirs, a release of conditioning held in the nervous system, and a profound sense of acceptance for the body as it is. Over time, this work doesn’t just change how women experience intimacy or pleasure; it changes how they inhabit their lives and their bodies - with more aliveness, safety, honesty, softness, and trust in themselves.
“When I speak of the erotic, I speak of it as an assertion of the life force of women; of that creative energy empowered, the knowledge and use of which we are now reclaiming in our language, our history, our dancing, our loving, our work, our lives.” Audre Lorde
What we explore?
EMBER approaches sexuality in a grounded, body-led way.
Nothing is rushed or performed.
The work unfolds at the pace of the nervous system, allowing your body and your sexuality to be met with honesty, safety, and curiosity. It’s an invitation to dance at your safe edges. This is not about becoming someone new.
It’s about coming home to your sexual, alive, sensual self as part of your wholeness.
Over the six days, we explore sexuality as part of the wider female experience and how it is shaped by the nervous system, lived experience, different stages of life, stress, trauma, and our capacity for intimacy.
“The sexuality day went far beyond anything I expected. I started the day feeling nervous, mostly fear of the unknown. But the space Lydia held, along with the trust we built as a group allowed every bit of that fear to melt away.
I assumed this day would be focused on things like sex or self-pleasure, but it was so, so much deeper than that. It was an invitation to explore sexuality through an entirely new lens. Awakening the sacred energy held in the pelvis, releasing shame and truly reclaiming my body was liberating in ways that are hard to put into words.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt so alive”
Charlotte
“The sexuality day was one of the most powerful for me in the retreat, connecting to my body through a joyous meditation, unwinding my pelvis and feeling life force energy come through my body.
Visiting shame and the role it plays as well as deshedding it, literally! Having my body celebrated and loved by a group of women was so precious, and being supported to let out a scream, rage that has lived trapped in my body for a long time... life changing”
Sam
“The greatest things are on the other side of fear and that is so true when it comes to working with our feminine sexuality.
Lydia invited us to step into a space of total vulnerability, and held it so beautifully, in order to shed and voice the shame we hold when it comes to our bodies and sexuality. The liberation that comes from sharing with other women in a safe space makes you realise that even though our experiences are individual, the themes are universal. We stay trapped in them that we disconnect from our sensual selves.
Releasing shame, being supported by the other women helped me open up to my own power. It’s not about sex, but your connection to yourself - your joy, pleasure and stepping into your power as a woman”
Emma
Through somatic and sexological bodywork practices, boundary work, pleasure principles, breath, somatic movement, and guided exploration, you are invited to:
Reconnect with your body and your sensual self.
Deepen your understanding of the female body, your cycle, and the pelvis on an emotional, spiritual and embodied level.
Explore intimacy, pleasure, and sexuality in a grounded, body-led way.
Notice how sexuality intersects with nervous system and trauma healing.
Become aware of, and gently soften, patterns and stories held in the body.
De-shame and reclaim parts of yourself that have been silenced or hidden.
Build more capacity for pleasure, aliveness, and connection.
Embody and embrace your fullness - your juice, your vitality, your life force.
EMBER is facilitated with care, consent, and deep respect for the body and this work meets you exactly where you’re at.
This work is held within The Reverence Method™. A body-led, therapeutic approach that honours the wisdom of the female body. Reverence is shaped by a set of interconnected pillars that support women back into safety, sovereignty, and wholeness.
Each pillar informs the others, creating a cyclical process where one layer opens the next. Sexuality is never explored in isolation, but in relationship with the whole woman.
Once women get past the barrier of fear around sexuality work, the depth, richness, and transformation on the other side is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
“5 day’s felt like years worth of therapy.
So powerful”
Katie
“What every woman is missing from their life!
Lydia holds such a gorgeous, human, open and vulnerable space for women to connect and share their vulnerability.
This retreat awakens your curiosity, your connection to yourself and others, and your divine feminine. I’ve learnt so much about myself in 5 days surrounded by other beautiful souls.
It has reignited my inner curiosity, joy and playfulness which helps the dark things inside feel that little bit lighter. Highly recommend”
Cassy
“As someone with body confidence issues, I never thought I’d come away from the retreat accepting and celebrating my body the way I have done. I really want to take this appreciation for my own skin home with me and in to my future!
Please, please do it. You will only benefit from such a beautiful experience, and you’ll meet women who expand your emotional horizons. You will come away with a full heart and a new perspective, and it will positively shape your life and your outlook. You deserve this”
Georgia
This Retreat is For You If…
You feel ready to meet your body and your sexuality with more honesty and depth.
You’re curious about exploring intimacy, pleasure, and desire in a grounded, body-led way.
You sense there may be layers of armour, shame, numbness, or fear in your body particularly around sexuality that you’re ready to shed.
You want to deepen your relationship with yourself, rather than perform, push, or override what you feel.
You feel those parts of you sensual, sexual, emotional are ready to be reclaimed or met more fully.
You want to build more capacity for pleasure, aliveness, vitality and connection.
You desire to embody your wholeness.
You value spaces that honour choice, autonomy, and listening to your own rhythm.
Whether you arrive feeling open, curious, steady, or unsure, you are welcome here. EMBER meets you where you are and invites you into deeper contact with yourself.
Location: St Mark’s Stays, Sedbergh. In the Countryside of Cumbria meaning we’re surrounded by lush nature.
Dates: Monday 18th May 2026 Arrival from 4:30pm to Sunday 24th May 2026 Departure by 10:00am.
What’s Included:
EMBER is a fully held, all-inclusive retreat. Once you arrive, everything is taken care of allowing you to settle, soften, and fully immerse yourself in the experience.
Therapeutic workshops each day and everything needed for them.
Support from an experienced assistant team throughout the retreat.
A 2hr sauna/ Ice bath session.
A fire night for integration and connection.
Yoga and Breath-work during the week.
All oils and materials used during workshops.
A welcome goodie bag on arrival.
Delicious homemade meals each day during your time on the retreat plus Cacao / Coffee / Herbal Teas/ Snack included.
Tea, coffee, cacao and refreshments throughout the day.
Gorgeous female connection and personal transformation.
Everything is designed so you can arrive, exhale, and be fully supported in the process
All-inclusive shared room: £1000
A payment plan is available - details can be found at checkout.
If you want support feeling into if this is a good fit for you or you have further questions feel free to book a free 20 minute chat with me using the link below.
Sending Love, Lydia x
Frequently Asked Questions
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Some level of prior inner work is recommended however it doesn’t need to be around this specific topic. EMBER is designed for women who already have a foundational relationship with self-awareness, embodiment, or therapeutic work. This might include somatic therapy, psychotherapy, breathwork, body-based practices, or other forms of conscious inner work.
EMBER isn’t an entry point into self-exploration, but a space to deepen an existing relationship with your body and inner world. You don’t need to be an expert, you may feel like a newbie to sexuality work which is fine. But capacity to notice your internal experience and take responsibility for your own pacing is important for this work.
If you’re unsure whether EMBER is the right fit for you at this time, you’re warmly invited to reach out and ask.
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No. EMBER is not about sexual performance, techniques, or learning how to “do” sexuality. It’s about deepening your relationship with your body, your felt sense, and your inner experience of pleasure, aliveness, and connection. Sexuality is explored as a life force and relational energy, not as something to perform or achieve.
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This is very welcome here. Many women arrive with fear, numbness, shame, or uncertainty especially around sexuality. EMBER is held in a trauma and consent led way, with no expectation to share, expose, or go beyond what feels right for you. You are always invited to listen to your body and honour your own edges.
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There may be opportunities for guided body-based practices, but all touch is optional, clearly communicated, and always consent-based. There is no requirement to participate in anything involving touch. Choice, autonomy, and safety are central to how EMBER is facilitated.
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It depends.
EMBER is facilitated with a strong trauma-led foundation and a nervous-system aware approach. The work is paced, grounded, and held with care, and you’ll be guided in ways that support safety, regulation, and staying connected to yourself when you meet an edge which is a natural and expected part of this work.
That said, EMBER is a group, experiential space rather than a therapeutic or 1:1 setting. While I offer tools to help you orient back to safety and presence, this container does require a level of self-awareness, self-responsibility, and capacity to stay with your experience.
If you’re currently in a period of acute crisis or feel very raw and overwhelmed, this may not be the right space for you at this time. EMBER is best suited for women who have already done some inner or somatic work and feel resourced enough to meet discomfort, move at their own pace, and honour their boundaries within a group setting.
If you’re unsure whether this is the right moment for you, I encourage you to listen to your body and reach out with any questions before booking.
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Every woman’s experience is unique. Some women feel softness, warmth, and connection. Others meet emotions, memories, or sensations that have been waiting for space. There is no “right” way to experience EMBER. The intention is not to create a particular outcome, but to support honest, embodied contact with yourself.
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Due to the nature of retreat planning and venue commitments, all retreat bookings are non-refundable.
However, I understand that life can change unexpectedly. If something arises and you’re no longer able to attend, I will actively support you in finding someone to take your place. This may include sharing the space within my community or waitlist, where appropriate.
If your place is successfully filled, your payment can be transferred to the new participant. While I can’t guarantee that a replacement will be found, I’ll do my best to support the process with care and transparency.