**Limited places available, Application required**
5-15 July - 2026
New Eden, The Netherlands
We say we want love, but most of us have never actually been taught how to love.
We were taught
How to attract.
How to seduce.
How to secure.
How to perform.
How to protect ourselves.
We were not taught
How to stay open when we feel hurt.
How to stay present when desire fades.
How to stay honest when fear rises.
How to stay sovereign when attachment pulls.
So instead — we love from the shadow.
We relate from the wound.
And then we wonder why it doesn’t work.
In the safety of a trauma-informed sanctuary, held in community, we invite you to join
Maanee Chrystal and Christian Pankhurst in rewriting the story of love.
A story where sexuality is honest, sensuality is embodied, and relationship is built on truth,
safety, and connection — rather than fear, strategy, or survival.
Love is meant to expand you.
Not destabilize you
Deep down, we know love is meant to expand you —
to widen your breath,
to soften your nervous system,
to make you more you.
Not destabilize you.
And yet we stay in loops —
of contraction,
of despair,
of control,
of avoidance,
of neediness,
of trauma bonds disguised as passion.
We call intensity chemistry.
We call anxiety devotion.
We call volatility depth.
All in order to feel chosen.
To feel safe.
To feel worthy.
To avoid the unbearable ache of being alone with ourselves.
Real love does not collapse you into survival.
It does not demand you abandon your truth to keep it.
Love, when it is clean,
does not feel like a rollercoaster.
It feels like ground.
Like breath.
Like expansion.
And most of us are still learning how to stand in that.
This 1-day retreat is a place to get brutally honest about the story we carry about love — and to be seen in the deepest parts of our humanity.
Here, the younger parts…
the dark parts…
the wild parts…
the shame-filled parts…
the destructive parts…
and the deeply vulnerable parts…
are not exiled.
They are welcomed.
They are given space to be felt.
Space to be witnessed.
Space to soften their grip.
So they can finally begin to liberate.
And from that liberation, we meet something new —
a more relaxed, more grounded, more mature part of ourselves
that can relate with safety, clarity, and presence.
This is not about fixing yourself.
It is about integrating yourself —
so love no longer feels like survival, but like choice
This retreat is for those ready to grow up in love.
Over 12 days we will explore
- A deep dive into your own personal & collective shadow around love, sex and relating.
- Powerful & confronting practices & exercises in somatic shadow work
- Group Circle work
- Nervous system regulation & trauma informed practices to support group & personal safety.
- Somatic Movement practices
- Sensual and Erotic Temple spaces for integration
- Ritual Shadow Theatre
- Exploring emergence & the amplified group field
Trauma Informed Container
This retreat is held by expert trainers along with a team of nervous system informed assistants to create personal & group somatic safety through out the program.
Community Building
The program includes building a supportive community, which will not only help you in your personal growth but also provide lifelong relationships and mentors.
Challenging narratives around leadership- through the practice of embodied leadership
Since our trainings centers on embodied leadership, the entire team—including both facilitators and assistants—actively participates in the therapeutic process as apart of the way they teach and hold the space. We work to dismantle hierarchy within leadership and function as a cohesive, group organism.
Who is this training for?
If you've ever felt like no matter how much inner work you've done... there's a part of you that's still numb, ashamed, or secretly aching for freedom — this retreat will change your life.
You’ve tried to "fix" this part of yourself.
You’ve read the books, done the therapy, maybe even tried Tantra… but something still feels locked inside.This retreat is tailored for those who are " already on the path" but ready to open to healing within a community setting.
- Seekers of Depth in Practice: Practitioners who are not satisfied with surface-level techniques and are seeking a more profound, embodied approach to transformation and healing.
- Ready for a Challenge: Individuals who are not daunted by the intensity of deep personal and professional work and are ready to commit to an immersive, transformative experience.
- Willing to Be Vulnerable: Individuals who are open to exploring and sharing their own process, understanding that vulnerability is a strength.
- This retreat is not for those who have active and unresolved sexual trauma and trauma in general. More details in the application form
Your guides
Maanee Chrystal Lynn Joy
Maanee is a Somatic Psychotherapist, Dance Therapist, Somatic Integrative Teacher & Erotic Educator. With her innate capacity for deep feeling and sensing, Maanee weaves together a tapestry of modalities including shadow work, somatics, trauma resolution, nervous system health, dance therapy, non-duality, eco-somatics, embodied leadership, sensuality & the erotic.
As the visionary founder of The Somatic Institute for Women, Maanee has created a sanctuary for women seeking to reclaim their power and embodiment. Her year-long teacher trainings on somatics for women have empowered and educated nearly 300 students, equipping them with the tools to become somatic educators themselves & her school holds over 100,000 students worldwide.
Outside of the Institute, Maanee runs Shadow Work Facilitator trainings in Europe each summer & is at the beginning stages of starting her ecological community project where she runs month long community residencies on Truth Based Living in Thailand, where she has lived for the last 11 years.
Christian Pankhurst
Christian Pankhurst is globally recognized as an eminent authority on emergent group dynamics. Through the integration of various embodied modalities, he has devised a groundbreaking method to foster profound transformational spaces, employing a unique circle technology known as Heart iQ. Heart iQ is about doing deep inner work together with others in community.
This approach is both potent and intuitive, allowing the field's wisdom to steer the course, rather than the facilitator's predetermined agenda. Christian's mastery lies in imparting the art of attuning to the subtle cues within the field and deciphering group dynamics, enabling the circle itself to assume the role of the teacher. Since commencing his journey as a group facilitator in 2002, Christian has amassed an impressive 50,000 hours of teaching experience in circle at his deep dive retreats.
He had trained and certified more than 400 practitioners, facilitators, and coaches hailing from over 50 countries worldwide. Currently, he primarily teaches in the United States, UK & Europe. In 2015, Christian established and co-founded "New Eden," an idyllic transformational retreat centre nestled in the Netherlands. Spanning a breathtaking 10-acre property, this sanctuary provides an ideal backdrop for immersive and soul-stirring experiences. It serves as his spiritual haven and a sacred space where he delves into his most profound work.
Retreat Registration
A Fully Immersive, All-Inclusive Retreat Experience
One application, one deposit—choose your accommodation later.
| Accommodation Type | Standard Price | Early Bird Price |
|---|---|---|
| 🏕 Camping (Bring Your Own Tent) | €2,795 | €2,295 |
| 🏡 Shared Room with Ensuite Bathroom | €2995 | €2,495 |
| 🌿 Private Room with Ensuite Bathroom | €3,195 | €2,695 |
🔥 Save €500 with Early Bird Pricing - Apply Today To Claim Your Discount 🔥
✅ All options include: full retreat tuition, meals, and applicable taxes.
💳 Payment plans available. Only a €500 deposit required to save your spot.
To begin, simply click 'Begin Your Application' below and fill out the short pre-screening questions. If all is in order, you will receive a link to pay a €500 deposit. You will then be invited to complete a more indepth trauma informed questionnaire to ensure you are a fit for this experience. Once your fulll application is approved, you can complete your registration and choose your accommodation etc. If your application is not approved, you will get your deposit back in full.
The Venue
Held at New Eden, a unique residential retreat centre surrounded by 50 acres of calm and quiet land, 90 minutes from Amsterdam.
Testimonials
