Nature Retreats
2026 Retreat Calendar
A quick view of when this year’s retreats take place. Click “view details” for information on each retreat.
June
12-14
2026
Nature Reconnection Retreat:
Crafting a Deeper Bond With the Earth
Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville · Buckingham, Virginia
August
28-30
2026
Women’s Summer Spiritual Retreat: Rise, Remember, Embody
Emerald Mountain Sanctuary · Monterey, Virginia
October
8-11
2026
Between Tides: Nature, Creativity & Renewal
Chincoteague Island, Virginia
Nature Reconnection Retreat:
Crafting a Deeper Bond With the Earth
June
12-14
2026
Embark on a transformative journey that will deepen your connection to the natural world. Through nature activities, reflective practices, journaling, creative art making and hands-on learning, you will reconnect with the wisdom of the land and your own intuitive self.
Coupled with the nature activities, enjoy complimentary yoga and meditation classes, inspirational spiritual talks, organic vegetarian food (vegan options), and walking forest trails on the 800-acre property including along the James River. Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville is a serene oasis in the heartland of Virginia.
Registration
Friday, 3-5pm
Departure
Sunday, 1:30pm
Led By
Annette Naber, PhD
$775 per person
Price includes tuition, all classes, and meals. Accommodations are complimentary.
June
12-14
2026
Participants Will:
- Gain a deeper understanding of their role in the natural world and forge a renewed kinship with Nature.
- Learn to observe, deeply listen, and open up all of their senses during guided nature walks
- Discover the abundance of wild food, nature’s edible pantry and medicine chest. We will identify, harvest, and prepare a few wild plants to enjoy as a delicious dish or beverage.
- Explore their own wild essence beneath the surface of modern domestic life by tapping into their intuitive connection to the wild.
- Explore how they can give back to nature in a respectful, mindful way.
- Craft their own personalized sustainable practices to nourish themselves and the Earth long after this workshop ends.
What’s Included
- Tuition and all classes
- All meals — organic vegetarian (vegan options available)
- Accommodation (complimentary)
- Inspirational spiritual talks
- Access to forest trails along the James River on the 800-acre property
What to bring: bring a notebook for journaling and clothing and shoes appropriate for being outside (hat, walking shoes, insect repellent).
Women’s Summer Spiritual Retreat: Rise, Remember, Embody
August
28-30
2026
Full schedule, pricing, and registration information will be announced shortly.
This retreat is co-led by Kalunyahawi Traveler and Annette Naber. Kalunyahawi will offer her Native American spiritual traditions, supported by Annette’s nature connection practices.
Registration
To be confirmed
Departure
To be confirmed
Led By
Kalunyahawi Traveler and Annette Naber, PhD
Price to be confirmed
August
28-30
2026
Participants Will:
- Learn to observe, deeply listen, and open up all of their senses during guided nature walks
- Discover the abundance of wild food, nature’s edible pantry and medicine chest. We will identify, harvest, and prepare a few wild plants to enjoy as a delicious dish or beverage.
- Explore their own wild essence beneath the surface of modern domestic life by tapping into their intuitive connection to the wild.
- Explore how they can give back to nature in a respectful, mindful way.
- Craft their own personalized sustainable practices to nourish themselves and the Earth long after this workshop ends.
What’s Included
- Tuition and all classes
- All meals — organic vegetarian (vegan options available)
- Accommodation (complimentary)
- Inspirational spiritual talks
- Access to forest trails along the James River on the 800-acre property
What to bring: bring a notebook for journaling and clothing and shoes appropriate for being outside (hat, walking shoes, insect repellent).
Between Tides: Nature, Creativity & Renewal
October
8-11
2026
Come to a place where time loosens its grip.
Where the salty breeze blows away the static.
Where creativity floats back into our spirits.
This four-day retreat on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, invites you to cross the water into the embrace of nature and creative expression. Join Annette Naber and LA Bourgeois for a long weekend gathering to rest, breathe and remember who we are. We will leave this space reinvigorated, uplifted, and inspired.
October
8-11
2026
Joining Annette as Co-Leader
LA Bourgeois
LA Bourgeois is an author, Kaizen-Muse Certified Creativity Coach, and INELDA-trained End-of-Life Doula. Is this because she gets bored way too easily or to fulfill her mission of delighting and empowering people to create their own beauty joyfully? Not even she knows for sure! But her clients feel the gentle power and purpose as they work together:
Working with LA has been an eye-opening, rewarding and productive experience. When we first met I was lost. LA truly listened to me and my story and gently guided me to find my way. She helped me to re-ignite my creativity and allowed me the time and space to dig in and discover my purpose.
– Katherine Simonetti, Katherine Alexander Fine Jewelry
Her books include Diary of a Lesbian Housewyfe, The Lesbian Housewyfe: Bigger, Broader and Delightfuller, and the booklet, Unlocking Your Creativity.
Prices
Save $100 by signing up by July 1, 2026
Shared Room
$750 until July 1
$850 after July 1
Single Room
$1000 until July 1
$1100 after July 1
Per person · payment plans available
Each day, you choose what you need the most:
Each offering is an open invitation, always optional, never required.
Outdoors
Nature & Creativity Walks through the unique landscapes of Chincoteague and Assateague.
Observe the natural world, on land and along the water.
You’ll have opportunities for creative expression such as:
- Mandala making with found objects
- Sand sculpting to encourage play and release
Spacious afternoons for rest, reading, and wandering that might include:
- Boat trip to encounter the wild ponies
- Kayaking and bicycling
- Visit the Chincoteague Museum and local Farmer’s Market
- Massage or bodywork (Annette loves Salty Sisters massage!)
Indoors
Indoors, we allow intuition and instinct to guide our creativity with sessions including:
- Writing and reflection
- Collage and fiber arts
- Tarot and symbolic exploration
- Open studio time for what wants to emerge
Flowing Out
In a closing ceremony, we gather and share what has been revealed, created, and released. This allows your experiences to settle into the body and spirit, so you may return to your everyday life feeling…
- Refreshed and softened by salt air, ocean breezes and stillness of the marshes
- Uplifted by beauty, connection, and care
- Reconnected to your creativity
- Free to carry what matters—and release what does not
What’s Included
- Three nights’ accommodation at Channel Bass Inn
- Breakfast Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Saturday afternoon high tea
- Special Friday dinner
Not Included
- Dinner on Thursday and Saturday
- Lunch on Friday
- Entrance fees to Assateague State Park (carpool available)
- Optional boat excursion or museum visit
- Optional massage or bodywork
- Travel to and from Chincoteague
Kind words from clients and students
Your Retreat Instructor:
Annette Naber, Ph.D.
Originally from Germany, Annette has lived in the US for over 40 years and has traveled extensively. After retiring from a career as a clinical psychologist in the Washington DC area, she now offers foraging classes, guided forest bathing tours, and nature reconnection retreats. Tending to her organic gardens, she continues to study traditional ways of growing and preparing foods, using plants for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic purposes. She also keeps nurturing a small native plant sanctuary to support bio-diversity on her land. Her interest and experience in holistic living are inevitably interwoven through all of her services.
Annette is also a photographer and writer. Many of her photographs and photo essays are featured on her Substack blog. Her first book, Seasons of a Wild Life, was published in 2024. Learn more on her author website.
Her second book (with co-author Keith Carson), Growing Native Plants in the Virginia Highlands: For Gardeners in Allegheny, Bath and Highland Counties, was published in March 2026 and is available online here (PDF).
Any Questions?
If you have any questions, get in touch with Annette.