With Monique Carmela & Liam Miko
Coming home to truth, safety, and embodied self
A nervous-system-led return to truth, wholeness, and aliveness
8th-12th October 2026
Shambhala Retreat Centre, Takaka, NZ
The Remembering is a 3-day, nervous-system-led retreat for men and women who feel disconnected, burnt out, or quietly longing to feel alive again
Offering a safe, grounded space to reconnect with your body, soften old patterns, and leave with clarity, self-trust, and a deeper sense of wholeness.
This is not a retreat about fixing yourself or becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you were before protection became your way of living.
Held in nature at Shambhala Retreat in Takaka, this embodied retreat in New Zealand offers a grounded, nervous-system-led pathway home to self.
There comes a moment where we realise…
We haven’t been living from truth — we’ve been living from protection.
Protection that once kept us safe.
Protection that learned how to belong, avoid pain, stay loved, stay connected.
And over time, without even realising it, that protection becomes the way we lead our lives, our relationships, our work, our choices.
This retreat is an invitation to gently come home.
Not by forcing change.
Not by fixing yourself.
But by creating enough safety in the body for truth to emerge.
What This Retreat Is Really About
The Remembering is a 3-day immersive, embodied retreat designed to support you to:
Clearly see the protective patterns that have been running your life
Reconnect to your nervous system and body as a place of safety
Remember who you are beneath conditioning, roles, and survival strategies
Feel whole, grounded, and at peace within yourself
Reclaim your aliveness, fire, and authentic expression
Leave with clarity about who you are and how you want to move forward
This is not about becoming someone new.
It’s about remembering that you were always worthy, and nothing ever changed.
What You’ll Experience at this Embodied Retreat
Across three days, we move gently yet deeply through:
Nervous system regulation and grounding practices
Breathwork journeys for emotional release and integration
Somatic practices to support embodiment and self-trust
Subtle exploration of feminine and masculine energies through lived experience
Partnered practices including eye gazing, mirroring, holding, and witnessing
Ceremony, ritual, and time in nature
Group sharing and integration circles
Sound healing and breath-led journeys guided with care and presence
You’ll be invited to welcome the full spectrum of human emotion —joy, grief, anger, sadness, relief, aliveness — not as something to fix, but as life moving through you.
Nothing is forced.
You are always met where you are.
Your edge is yours to choose.
The Deeper Intention
This retreat supports a powerful shift from…
Living from protection → Living from embodied truth
People-pleasing or self-abandonment → Self-trust and inner safety
Holding yourself back to stay connected → Permission to be fully yourself
Feeling disconnected, numb, or “something is missing” → A deep sense of compassion, wholeness, and aliveness
You remember that…
You can be your full self and still be loved.
Not everyone will resonate with your truth — and that’s okay.
You already have the capacity to feel and move through all of your human emotions and experiences.
This is where your freedom and power return.
The Final Day: Integration & Anchoring
The final day of this retreat is devoted entirely to integration, closure, and nervous system safety.
Everything within this experience has been intentionally designed to hold you with deep care. While we do go deep, we do not open more than we close. We ensure you don’t leave this retreat activated, overwhelmed, or cracked open — but grounded, resourced, and landed back in yourself.
Rather than rushing toward another breakthrough, the final day invites you to slow down, soften, listen, and fully arrive. This is where the work settles into the body, where insight becomes embodied truth, and where your system has the space to integrate what has been revealed.
We come together in a closing ceremony that includes a fire ritual, offering a symbolic release of old identities, patterns, and protections that are no longer serving you — followed by an embodiment practice to anchor your truth gently and sustainably into your body.
This day is about completion.
About honouring the journey you’ve taken.
About ensuring you leave feeling clear, whole, and supported — not raw or unsure how to hold what’s emerged.
You don’t leave mid-process.
You leave integrated, grounded, and connected — with your feet on the earth and your truth alive within you.
Pre- & After-Care: Being Held Before, During & After the Retreat
This retreat is not a stand-alone experience — it is a supported journey.
We deeply understand that when people open, soften, and remember truth, what matters most is how they are held before and after, not just what happens during the retreat itself. Everything has been designed with nervous system care, integration, and sustainability in mind.
Before the retreat, you’ll be invited into:
A private group chat to begin connecting with the container and community
A foundational preparation program to gently support your nervous system, orient you to the work, and help you arrive feeling grounded, resourced, and ready — rather than overwhelmed or unsure
This preparation ensures we’re not opening depth without first establishing safety and support.
After the retreat, you’ll continue to be held through:
An integration program to support you in landing what you’ve experienced back into daily life
A live Zoom integration call, offering space to reflect, ask questions, and receive guidance as you transition home
This after-care is intentionally included so you’re not left alone trying to “figure it out” or carry everything by yourself. We don’t believe in opening powerful experiences without ensuring there is space to integrate, stabilise, and embody what’s emerged.
This level of care allows the retreat to be deep without being destabilising, transformative without being overwhelming — supporting you to return home feeling grounded, clear, and connected to yourself, rather than raw or undone.
Who this retreat is for…
This is for you if you
Feel disconnected from yourself or your aliveness
Sense that something is missing, even if life “looks good”
Are tired of leading from protection rather than truth
Long to feel safe being fully yourself
Want embodied tools, not just insight
Are open, willing, and curious about your inner world
This retreat is suitable whether you’re new to somatic work or have been on a self-development path for years.
This retreat may not be aligned if you
Are seeking deep, intensive trauma therapy
Are currently in a space where financial investment would create significant stress or resentment
Are looking for a purely relaxing holiday-style retreat
Are unwilling to engage in inner work or are seeking a quick fix
The style of breathwork we offer is not gentle meditation or pranayama — it can be deep, emotional, and transformative.
We work with BBTRS—Biodynamic Breathwork Trauma Release System.
MEET YOUR Facilitators
Monique Carmela
A feminine embodiment mentor, somatic guide, and relationship & nervous system coach.
She supports her clients to Embody Their Authentic Self & Embrace Their Fullest Expression So That They Can Experience Great Love, Deep Connection, & Exquisite Intimacy In Their Life & Relationships.
Monique brings a deeply nurturing, feminine, and grounded presence. Her work weaves nervous system regulation, embodiment, breathwork, and somatic practices to create safety for deep remembering and integration.
Liam Miko
Breathwork & Sound Journey Facilitator & Men’s Coach
Liam brings grounded masculine presence, clarity, and containment. With a unique ability to see beneath the surface, he guides breathwork and sound healing journeys with humility, depth, and powerful precision.
ACCOMMODATION
ACCOMMODATION
Our retreat will be held at Shambhala Retreat in Takaka, NZ
Shambhala Retreat is a secluded, nature-immersed sanctuary in Takaka, where the land, ocean, and sky meet in quiet harmony.
Nestled between lush greenery and the sea, the retreat offers a simple yet deeply nourishing environment designed to support presence, reflection, and embodied connection.
With accommodation in the lodge and cabins, and a workshop space set on the hill overlooking the ocean, Shambhala invites you to slow down, breathe more deeply, and reconnect with yourself through the natural rhythms of land and water.
This is a place where the nervous system can soften, the body can exhale, and deeper remembering can unfold with ease.
Investment
Early Bird Ends 8th August 2026
SINGLE
Includes the full immersive retreat experience, 4 nights accommodation in a shared room, and all meals.
Early Bird $1,250 NZD
Full Price $1,550 NZD
COUPLE
Includes the full immersive retreat experience, 4 nights accommodation in a private cabin with a queen bed, and all meals, for 2 people.
Early Bird $2,200 NZD
Full Price $2,800 NZD
Payment Plan Options:
Payment plans are available.
Monthly payments between now and September.
Full payment must be received by 30th September 2026.
What’s included in your retreat
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Private Group Chat: Connect with other retreat participants and share your intentions, ask questions, and reflect on your experiences as you navigate the foundational program.
Pre-Retreat Foundation Program: Guiding you through foundational practices to support you with what we will be exploring during the retreat.
Integration Call (2 Weeks After Retreat): Support your return to daily life with a group call to process the experience, share reflections, and continue embodying your newfound aliveness and joy.
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At Shambhala Retreat in Takaka, NZ
Check-in Thursday afternoon/evening or Friday Morning by 9am; Check-out Sunday afternoon or Monday Morning.
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All your meals provided with love and intention to support your body through this retreat.
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Through transformational rituals, and immersive experiences focused on nervous system regulation, emotional processing, reconnection, and embodiment, you'll reconnect with your true self.
This sacred space allows you to embrace your full self and true essence, and experience the freedom, pleasure, and power that comes from fully embodying your authentic self.
This Is Your Invitation
You are invited to come home — to your body, your truth, your aliveness.
To step into a space where you are met with care, and presence, and supported to create safety to soften the protections that have shaped your life.
To remember who you are beneath roles, conditioning, and survival strategies — and to anchor that remembering into your body in a way that feels sustainable and real.
What awaits you is not a peak experience you’ll have to chase again,
but a deeper sense of wholeness you can return to.
Clarity about who you are.
Compassion for the parts of you that learned how to protect.
A felt sense of trust in yourself and the way forward.
And the embodied knowing that you can live from truth, meet what arises, and stay connected to yourself through it all.
This is The Remembering
A return to what has always been within you, now ready to be lived.
FAQs
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Yes. This retreat is suitable for both those new to somatic and breathwork practices and those who are more experienced. Everything is guided gently, with choice, consent, and nervous-system awareness at the forefront. You are never forced to go beyond your own edge — you are invited to meet yourself where you are.
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Yes. While this retreat is not a substitute for therapy, it is deeply nervous-system-led and trauma-aware. We prioritise safety, regulation, pacing, and integration throughout the entire journey. We do not open more than we close, and we ensure there is space to land, integrate, and stabilise before you return home.
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Emotional expression is a natural and welcome part of this work. Practices may invite emotions such as sadness, grief, anger, joy, or relief to move through the body. You will be supported to meet whatever arises with compassion, presence, and choice. Nothing is forced, and you are always in control of your participation.
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Yes. This retreat includes intentional pre- and after-care.
Before the retreat, you’ll receive access to a foundational preparation program and a private group chat to support nervous system readiness and connection.
After the retreat, you’ll be invited into an integration program and a live Zoom integration call to help you land the experience back into daily life. You are not left to “figure it out” on your own. -
No. The final day of the retreat is devoted entirely to integration and closure. Everything is designed so you leave grounded, resourced, and connected — not raw or destabilised. We ensure the container is fully closed and that your nervous system has time to settle and integrate what’s emerged.
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We understand that life can change, and we aim to be as fair and clear as possible while also honouring the integrity of the retreat container.
Up to 30 days before the retreat:
You may request a full refund minus a $500 non-refundable deposit.Within 30 days of the retreat start date:
The retreat is non-refundable.
This policy reflects the significant preparation, venue commitments, and energetic holding that begins well before we arrive onsite. We encourage you to apply and commit only when you feel genuinely aligned and resourced to attend.
If you have questions or concerns about this policy, you’re welcome to reach out before booking so we can ensure clarity and alignment.
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While relationships are an important part of human life, this retreat is primarily focused on your relationship with yourself — as this is the foundation for how you show up in relationships, work, family, and life as a whole. Couples are welcome to attend together and will receive a couples discount, but the work is not structured as couples therapy.
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Yes. Couples are welcome and receive a $500 couples discount. You will participate as individuals within the group, while also having opportunities to explore shared growth and connection through partnered practices. This retreat can be deeply supportive for couples wanting to deepen self-awareness, embodiment, and authenticity.
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No. While the retreat is held in a beautiful natural setting and includes moments of rest and nourishment, this is not a passive or purely relaxing retreat. The work is embodied, experiential, and can be emotionally deep. It’s important that you feel genuinely called to engage in inner work rather than seeking a holiday-style experience.
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Many participants come feeling disconnected, burnt out, or at a crossroads. However, this retreat may not be suitable if you are currently in acute crisis or require intensive therapeutic support. If you’re unsure, we encourage you to share honestly in your application so we can ensure this experience is supportive and aligned for you.
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The application process helps us ensure alignment, safety, and integrity of the container. It allows us to hold the group with care and ensure that participants are resourced, ready, and genuinely aligned with the depth of the work. There are no “right” answers — honesty and self-responsibility are what matter most.
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Your investment includes:
All retreat workshops and facilitated sessions
Accommodation and meals
Breathwork, somatic practices, sound healing, ceremony, and integration
Pre-retreat preparation program
Private group chat
Post-retreat integration program
Live Zoom integration call
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Yes. It’s very common to feel both curiosity and hesitation when stepping into something meaningful. This retreat is not about pushing past fear, but about meeting yourself with honesty and care. If you feel a quiet pull alongside uncertainty, you’re welcome to submit your interest and explore whether this journey feels aligned for you.
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Yes. Friends are welcome to apply for couples accommodation. Please note that couples accommodation typically includes a queen-sized bed, so this option is best suited if you’re both comfortable sharing a bed.
If you and your friend would prefer separate beds, you’re welcome to book as individual participants and request to be placed in the same room where possible. We’ll do our best to accommodate room requests, though availability is limited and cannot be guaranteed.
If you’re unsure which option is best for you, feel free to reach out before booking so we can support you in choosing what feels most comfortable and aligned.