Awakening Intimacy
with
Ross Inness-Mcleish & Camila Nieuwlands
Wangapeka Study & Retreat Centre
Intimacy is a sense of deep connection, belonging, and relatedness, an authentic encounter that leads us home. Intimacy nourishes, heals and holds us, uniting us with the mystery of life. It is the balm that soothes the sense of separation that can often colour our experience.
Whilst intimacy may sometimes seem distant or difficult to embrace, it is not something we must struggle for or force our way into. Rather, intimacy arises when we give ourselves the courageous permission to encounter ourselves and others just as we are.
Join friends, co-facilitators and intimacy explorers Camila and Ross for an immersion into the mystery and practice of intimacy. Flowing between stillness and movement, inner and outer, solitude and togetherness, we offer opportunities to give, receive, and savor experiences of authentic connection with yourself, with others, and the natural world.
Held by the forests, hills, and halls of the beautiful Wangapeka Retreat Center, there will be ample opportunity for rest, reflection, and embodied connection. Supported by practices of relational mindfulness, yin yoga, conscious communication, facilitated massage, nature connection and more, together we will co-create a deeply playful and caring space to soften our minds, nourish our bodies, and bring loving attention to our interconnected hearts.
We invite you to show up just as you are – however nourished or depleted you feel your intimacy cup is. There will be treasures to experience and share with other retreatants and offerings to carry home into the living tapestry of your community and daily life.
Consent & Care
This retreat is held within a supportive, caring, and non-sexual container. Listening to the messages of your body and honouring your needs is central to our individual and shared field of care. All practices are clearly guided and grounded in respect for everyone’s boundaries and limits. Participation is always optional, with multiple ways to engage, including observing, adapting, or resting. We honour each person’s pace, capacities, and lived experience. You are always welcome to say yes, no, or “not today,” and to change your mind at any time.
Since his late teens Ross has been fascinated by how we might restore a balance to people through nature, and a balance to nature through people. This inquiry has led him through work in organic horticulture, whole food catering and nature-based education, a decade long practice in meditation and Contact Improvisation, and studies in ecology, religious studies, and herbalism. He draws upon this diverse background to facilitate transformative group experiences that include movement, mindfulness, and open-hearted connection.
He lives with his partner and their 4-year-old son in Whakatū/Nelson, and is training as a counsellor, a Focusing professional, and in mindful and somatic approaches to trauma healing.
Camila is a full-spectrum human who loves listening — to bodies, to silence, and to what is quietly unfolding between people. Their path has been shaped by years of living, studying, and sharing Yoga, Possibility Management, and Myofascial Massage, all of which inform the way they create and hold spaces for connection, discovery, and change.
Often described as an “extraordinary, funky, big-hearted cultural rebel,” Camila brings warmth, curiosity, and a grounded presence that invites people to arrive as they are. Rather than teaching from the front, they attune to what is alive in the moment, trusting the collective intelligence of the group to guide the learning. In these spaces, wisdom is not delivered — it is remembered, together.
Camila lives in an ever-deepening relationship with the whenua and the community of humans, animals, and plants at Treesong in the Motueka Valley, where listening to land and life continues to shape the way they walk and work in the world.
Costs include three nights accommodation, fully catered vegetarian meals, beverages and snacks, a cook’s fee and a resource fee. These costs do not include Dāna/Koha for the facilitators.
Room or Hut
Members: $ 357
Non members: $ 387
Camping
Members: $ 294
Non members: $ 303
The Wangapeka Retreat Experience
Whenua Land
The retreat takes place on the beautiful Wangapeka whenua nestled in stunning native forests with expansive views down the Wangapeka valley. The land itself provides a healing sanctuary surrounded by mature trees and offering the perfect environment for reflection and reconnection with nature.
Kainga Accommodation
Accommodation is included in the price of the retreat, with all rooms being comfortable and well-appointed with single beds and electric heating. Shared bathroom facilities are conveniently located close to all rooms.
Kai Food
All meals are included in this retreat to support the your well-being and focus. Our kitchen team prepares nourishing vegetarian food to sustain and delight you throughout your stay. Specific dietary requirements can be accommodated and self-catering is also possible if you prefer to bring and prepare your own food.
Whare Wānanga Teaching Space
This teaching room is beautifully crafted and has been used for a wide variety of teaching for over 20 years. It has a wooden parquet floor and a pot belly stove to keep away winter chills. Set amongst beautiful mature trees, it offers a charming view looking down the Wangapeka valley, creating an inspiring environment for movement and meditation practices.
Whare kai Main Hall
The original building at Wangapeka, the Main Hall serves as the heart of community life with its combined living and dining room, library, and welcoming wood burner. Tea, coffee, and snacks are freely available here throughout your stay. Whether you choose to relax in the cosy interior or step out onto the porch to enjoy the expansive views, this space invites connection and contemplation. The hall also houses the kitchen, bathroom facilities, and laundry for your convenience.
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