Rite to Freedom’s online Recovery Retreat is a weekend long experience, led by people with many decades of combined recovery. It is a journey into how creativity, nature connection, and mindfulness can support a vibrant and life-long recovery from addiction.
Our next retreat: Dates tbc
The online retreat creates a space for you to reflect on where you are in your recovery and where you would like to be, exploring and adding to your existing tool kit of practices to facilitate wellbeing.
The weekend consists of a blend of group work, solo practices and tasks away from the screen, paired discussions and small group activities. There will be plenty of breaks during both days. Time with cameras off and some guided movement exercise to loosen up!
““I felt held and supported even though it was a digital gathering. In some real life circles I participated in, I have not felt this level of intimacy and trust. Everybody was heard and included. This experience gave me a good reminder that things don’t have to be complicated in recovery. Connection to people and nature, creativity and mindfulness - nothing more is needed.” - Participant, June 2020”
We have developed techniques, processes and workshops to make this an immersive, relaxed environment. It provides a similar experience to our in-person retreats in the heart of Dartmoor but from the comfort of your own home.
We are an inclusive nature-based recovery community. We realise that making the trip to remote locations on Dartmoor is not for everybody. Wilderness doesn’t have to mean remote, inaccessible and cold! Translating our work into an online space helps connect people in recovery that may have mobility or health issues and/or those who for whatever reason are unable to travel.
Some information about the programme:
All you need to attend this online retreat is a stable internet connection, a device with a front facing camera and microphone that works with Zoom.
A willingness to connect and explore yourself and your recovery within the context of the Rite to Freedom ethos.
You need a minimum clean time of three months to attend our retreats. This is explained further in the application form.
Psychotherapeutic support will be available each day throughout the retreat. This is for anyone who might need some time out from the group or extra support to re-engage with the weekend’s activities.
Attending one of our online retreats becomes a gateway into Rite to Freedom’s ongoing support, events, and leadership programmes.
Weekend staff and volunteers
The weekend will be held by a mixture of long-term staff with decades of combined personal and professional recovery experience, alongside volunteers and newer members of our community who are developing themselves as leaders within Rite to Freedom.
Payment
Rite to Freedom relies on various income streams to carry out our work, including a grant from the Big Lottery Fund. The cost for this retreat is a sliding scale of between £150 - £250. This covers all staff costs, organisation and follow up support.
Once you are offered a place we will then require a deposit of £50 to secure the place. The impact of people not showing up is big and the deposit helps to cover the basic costs if someone doesn't show up.
The remaining payment that you choose to make will need to follow at least one week in advance of the retreat. Exactly what you are able to pay can be discussed if that would be helpful.
It is important to us that nobody is excluded from the work that we offer due to financial constraints.
We have a small number of bursary places available that are funded by the Reaching Communities Big Lottery Fund. These are only available for those that live in Devon.
The Weekend Outline
Friday Evening 7pm-8:30pm
A warm welcome. We will be building the frameworks and intentions for our weekend. We will begin to settle and greet, starting the process of getting to know ourselves and each other in our virtual recovery circle.
We will look at the culture of online circles and how to keep ourselves and the group resourced and connected; answer questions you may have and solve any IT issues that may arise.
Saturday 10am-5.30pm
The first day follows a three-part structure that encompasses the core components of what we focus on to support recovery within Rite to Freedom.
Nature Connection - Here we explore aspects of nature that we can see, touch or hear in the present moment, regardless of where we live. We look at how practices of regular time spent engaging with, and in, our natural world connects us to ourselves, and a sense of something bigger.
Creativity and Storytelling - Here we will explore key elements of the myths we weave throughout our work together and through our individual lives. Telling our stories can be a healing and creative process that paves the way for a deepening, thriving recovery.
Mindfulness Meditation - Here we practice guided loving kindness meditations and grow in our abilities to track our feelings and experience them with fullness as they arise.
Breaks, and a space for lunch will be plentiful, to counteract the time spent in front of screens.
Sunday 10am-5.30pm
Today we a dive deeper into what Rite to Freedom has to offer continuing with the same 3 part structure as Day 1.
Using this structure, we will experience in greater depth how nature connection, mindfulness and creativity can support a lasting, expanding recovery. There will also be an invitation to explore any blocks to your recovery and pathways to long term healing.
We will be exploring a series of recovery tools for your day to day life through experiential workshops and discussions.
Reconnection Evening
One month after your experience we hold an evening to reconnect and share how life has been since the retreat. We ask ourselves what has been integrated, what has been left behind, what steps have we taken? This can be a space to share our creative endeavours, the tales of our adventures, and explore the future of continuing the journey with Rite to Freedom.
““I felt very safe being online because there was still nature connection being actively encouraged to happen through the processes & conversations... the exercises and meditations were lovely, and deeply nourishing. It all felt very inclusive, and, as always, nature nurtures and supports recovery no matter what.” – Participant, June 2020”