Upcoming Group Programs
Outdoor and hybrid programs merge the transformative power of group dynamics with the healing rhythms of the natural world. These experiences invite you to step outside and join others on a collective journey of discovery, growth, and connection.
Wild Woman
Summer 2026 - Wilderness Rite of Passage Retreat
About:
Rites of passage are an essential part of human life—structured moments of transition that help us meet change with awareness, support, and meaning. In many modern cultures, these initiatory processes have been lost or left behind, leaving us to navigate major thresholds alone.
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This retreat is an invitation back into that kind of container.
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We gather as a small council of women, in relationship with each other and the land. Together, we approach a threshold in the way it was once met—with attention, witnessing, and time.
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What is ending?
What is being asked of you now?
What is trying to emerge?
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At the center of the retreat is a 48-hour solo time in the forest, supported by a gentle fast from everyday consumption and distraction. In the simplicity of this time, with fewer inputs and less direction, something essential can begin to surface.
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This is the heart of initiation: to be met by the unknown, to stay present, and to be shaped by what arises.
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We listen.
We witness.
We allow what is wild and true to become known.
Drawing from ancient rites of passage we move through three transformative phases:
Preparation
Ceremony
Integration
Begin the journey in council, sharing intentions, dreams and fears through singing, movement, and connection.
The heart of the experience is a 48-hour wilderness solo sit. Embrace simplicity and self-reflection through fasting* and solitude. Removed from daily distractions, listen intently to your inner voice and the whispers of the wild.
Harvesting the wisdom of solo time back together in council. Supporting each other’s new tendrils of green growth.
*We honor the ancient tradition of fasting for 2 days, a practice used in many indigenous cultures to sharpen awareness, clear the mind, and open the heart, connecting us to the wisdom of those who have walked this path before. This mindful fasting involves abstaining from food, not water, to ensure a safe and enriching experience. Your well-being is our priority. If you have any medical or personal reasons that make fasting unsuitable for you, we honor you. Alternatives are available to ensure your participation is comfortable and meaningful.
Who:
Do you hear the call? ​ Are you in a time of transition? This might look like:
A new relationship, break up/divorce, pregnancy, loss of a loved one, new career, retirement, illness, leaving home, claiming elderhood, shifting one’s spiritual belief, etc, a planned or unplanned change in one’s life - the sense that one is needing to grow into a new phase of being
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This will be a small group (maximum 12 participants, ages 18+) of women***. We welcome folks from all walks of life who are ready for a deep dive with themselves, willing and open to share in community, and with courage and curiosity for what mother nature has to reveal. Please note that this is NOT therapy. If you are looking for a therapy group, we are happy to provide referrals.
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***We recognize that identity language is continually unfolding and shaped by histories of exclusion, resilience, and reclamation. This is an affinity group for all women (cis and trans) and our intention is to cultivate a space that honors the many ways womanhood and femininity are lived and expressed. As facilitators, we approach this work with humility and an ongoing commitment to learning about gender diversity and trans inclusion, and we welcome questions, feedback, or access needs from those considering joining.
Where:
This is an in-person program that includes 4 days/4 nights of camping at Bells Mountain Dharma Center, a forested sanctuary in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, about 45 minutes outside of Portland, Oregon.
Surrounded by quiet woodland and open sky, the land offers a supportive and spacious setting for reflection, solitude, and connection with the natural world.
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We gather on the ancestral lands of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Bands of Chinook, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other Indigenous peoples who have lived along the Columbia River and its tributaries since time immemorial. We offer our respect to these communities—their ancestors, their descendants, and their enduring relationship to this land.
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Participants will be provided with detailed directions, packing lists, and preparation guidelines upon registration.
When:
Wednesday, August 19th @ 4:30pm until Sunday, August 23rd @ 5pm, 2026
Cost:
We believe this culture-regenerating work needs to be accessible to all. There are 3 tiers of payment ranging from $250-$550. More information on tiers and payment options are in the application.
Facilitators:
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Simone Levine is a therapist in WA and OR and a wilderness rite of passage guide. She is formally trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatics, and eco-psychology, with additional training in grief, loss, and life transitions. Her work is deeply informed by a background in yoga, meditation, and experiential education. Simone approaches this work with reverence for the wisdom of the body, the natural world, and the transformative potential of intentional threshold experiences.
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Magnolia Medlin is a Professional Counselor Associate in Oregon. She is a certified Voice Dialogue Parts Work Facilitator, and has trained in Somatic Experiencing, Process Work and Unified Mindfulness. She is an ongoing student of Process Work and the Diamond Approach. She co-leads a young women’s creative resilience org: Wild Rivers Collective. www.magnoliamedlin.com
Lineages of Practice and Remembrance:
This retreat is informed by a range of teachers, traditions, and living bodies of work that explore initiation, psyche, and our relationship with the natural world. It is not a replication of any single tradition, but a weaving of influences that have shaped the facilitators’ understanding of threshold, healing, and belonging.
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We acknowledge the influence of wilderness rites of passage and contemporary Western initiatory work through the School of Lost Borders and Bill Plotkin. We also bow to the indigenous West African teachings shared through Malidoma and Sobonfu Somé, and to the long-standing presence of Native American rites of passage traditions, which reflect deep relational ways of being with land, community, and spirit. We recognize these as living lineages that are not ours to claim, but to respect and learn from with care.
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We are also informed by the deep ecology work of Joanna Macy, Internal Family Systems through Richard Schwartz and the IFS Institute, the Diamond Approach, Voice Dialogue, Process Work, Zen Buddhism and the Yoga Sutras.
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Alongside these formal lineages, we honor the wider field of feminine and ecological remembering—women across time who have sung, tended, and spoken with the living earth, and the presence of Gaia and Pachamama as enduring teachers.
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We hold deep respect for the roots of these teachings and offer this work in humility, as a contemporary expression shaped by multiple lineages rather than a direct transmission of any one path.
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If you have any questions please feel free to email us at wildopenbeing.retreats@gmail.com
How previous participants have described their experiences:
"I went into this opportunity with a vague sense of what I was after and a hopefulness that I could get what I needed. I only had to trust the process and participate in my personal work, as I was skillfully guided and encouraged in community toward ripening and harvesting the insights I was seeking. This has been a watershed experience at this phase of my living that I feel certain will stay with me and continue to influence my choices as I launch off into my next chapter. A very worthwhile adventure indeed, with generous facilitation and empowering female energy."
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"Wow!! Better than I expected. A very meaningful part of my transitional space and such a gift to share with others and have beautiful facilitation to accompany and expedite my healing."
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"Moving, powerful, inspirational, profound."
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"Deep and meaningful."
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