Ecstatic Dance London
Spring Awakening Retreat 2026
8th – 12th April 2026
Embodiment & Ecstatic Dance Retreat in Dorset UK · Weekend Tickets Available
Gillingham, North Dorset · 2 hours from London
Ecstatic Dance Retreat
What Is The Spring Ecstatic Dance Retreat?
Awaken Your Body, Mind & Spirit This Spring
Spring Awakening is a small, intimate retreat designed as a threshold moment. After months of winter contraction, digital overload and quiet burnout, many of us feel the need to re-enter the year properly. Grounded. Regulated. Connected.
For four days in the Dorset countryside, we gather to reset together through movement, rest, nature and mature community.
Held by Ecstatic Dance London & URUBU with over 15 years of sober conscious culture experience, this retreat prioritises safety, nervous system awareness, and genuine connection.
Small enough to be known.
Deep enough to matter.
Spring Ecstatic Dance Retreat
What to Expect
Spring Awakening weaves together ecstatic dance, embodiment practices, sound, breath and spacious integration time.
Across four days, you’ll journey through a rich, diverse programme of embodiment, wellbeing and movement practices designed to support emotional release, nervous system regulation, deep connection and creative expression.
Workshops take place across two beautiful spaces: Zorba, our indoor workshop hall, and our marquee, plus outdoor sessions among ancient oak trees and spring blossoms when the weather allows.
Movement &
Embodiment
✧ Ecstatic Dance journeys
✧ Trance dance rituals
✧ Authentic Movement
✧ Morning yoga & stretching
✧ Free-form creative expression
Regulation &
Intergration
✧ Active meditations
✧ Breathwork journeys
✧ Bioenergetic Alchemy™
✧ Sound journeys & gong baths
✧ Singing circles
✧ Sauna & cold plunge
Community &
Nature
✧ Cacao ceremonies
✧ Conscious connection spaces
✧ Campfires
✧ Nature walks under ancient trees
✧ Time to rest, journal and integrate
Ecstatic Dance London
The Venue
The Leela Personal Development Centre
Our retreat takes place at The Leela Personal Development Centre in Gillingham, Dorset — a peaceful, heart-led community set among rolling fields and ancient trees.
The grounds offer:
- three indoor workshop spaces
- a marquee and opportunities for outdoor sessions
- beautiful nature, walking trails and open skies
- a wood-fired sauna (evenings + select daytime sessions)
- cosy communal areas, sofas & hangout spaces
- a vegetarian kitchen serving delicious meals
- showers, toilets & power sockets throughout
- an onsite coffee & cake shop run by the Leela community
Camping is included, with upgraded accommodation available.
The venue is just a 10-minute drive from Gillingham station, an easy 2-hour direct train from London. Free car parking is available, and we provide a WhatsApp lift-share group for attendees.
Why the spring retreat?
A Seasonal Reset:
Why Spring Matters
Spring is not just a poetic idea. It’s physiological.
Energy begins to rise. The body wants to move again. Social life expands. Festival season approaches.
This retreat supports you to:
• Release the residue of winter
• Regulate your nervous system before summer intensifies
• Reconnect with embodied joy
• Clarify your intentions for the months ahead
• Re-enter the year consciously rather than reactively
This is depth before expansion.
Many who join us for the summer festival choose to begin here.
Who Is This Spring Ecstatic Dance Retreat For?
This retreat is open to everyone; no dance or meditation experience needed. It’s especially supportive for:
- people seeking a meaningful spring reset
- those wanting to deepen their embodiment practice
- anyone craving nature, movement and connection
- individuals feeling stressed or disconnected
- people longing for a sober, nourishing community space
- curious newcomers ready to explore ecstatic dance & somatic healing
You’ll be welcomed exactly as you are.
Ecstatic Dance London
Your Facilitators
Seth Newman and Diana Upite, co-creators of URUBU School of Transformational Arts and Ecstatic Dance London will lovingly hold your retreat. Together, Seth & Diana hold a warm, trauma-aware, welcoming space where you can explore movement, creativity and connection at your own pace.
Seth Newman
Retreat Host · Facilitator · DJ · Coach
Seth has been leading Ecstatic Dance, Active Meditations, Bioenergetics and embodiment workshops since 2009. With a background in humanistic therapies, body psychotherapy and transpersonal psychology (and decades of experience as a musician and DJ) Seth holds powerful, heart-centred movement spaces that support deep release, play and authentic connection.
Diana Upite
Retreat Host · Sound Journey Guide · Vocalist
Diana is a singer, musician and facilitator with a passion for sound, rest and nervous system nourishment.
She guides sound journeys, singing circles, sauna rituals, cacao ceremonies and creative spaces that gently invite participants back into their hearts. She is also known for crafting the most velvety raw cacao in town.
Tickets Now Live
Pricing & Booking
Spring Retreat
Super Earlybird: £400 | Earlybird: £440 | Regular: £480
Weekend-Only (Fri–Sun): £260
The Spring Awakening Ecstatic Dance Retreat will be more of a personal growth retreat than a festival. It is simply an invitation into bringing more fun, joy, depth, and expansion into our lives through a variety of transformational workshops.
Make the most of the beautiful Spring time of year and enjoy all that comes with it -the fresh air, flower blossoms, nature coming to life, lovely atmosphere and a lot more that we’ve included in this transformational Spring retreat!
❋ Includes workshops, meals, sauna, teas, cacao
❋ Camping included
❋ Accommodation upgrades available
Spaces are limited to keep the retreat intimate.
Early booking strongly recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need experience to join the retreat?
No experience at all is required. The Spring Awakening Retreat is designed for complete beginners and seasoned movers alike. All workshops — including ecstatic dance, breathwork, active meditations and sound journeys — are guided with care and offered in a trauma-aware, accessible way. You’re welcome exactly as you are.
What's Included in my Retreat Ticket?
Your ticket includes all workshops, sauna sessions, cacao ceremonies, chai and unlimited teas, plus three nourishing vegetarian meals per day (12 meals total for the full retreat). Camping is included, and optional accommodation upgrades (shared dorms, deluxe dorms, private rooms) are available at an additional cost.
Can I attend just for the weekend?
Yes. You can book the Weekend-Only Retreat from Friday 10 April – Sunday 12 April 2026. This includes all weekend workshops, meals, evening dances, sauna time and activities. Please note that accommodation for weekend-only guests is limited and prioritised for full retreat participants.
Where is the retreat and how do I get there?
The retreat takes place at The Leela Personal Development Centre in Gillingham, North Dorset — a beautiful nature-rich venue just 10 minutes from Gillingham train station.
By car: Free onsite parking is available.
Attendees will receive a WhatsApp lift-share group a few weeks before the retreat.
By train: 2 hours direct from London Waterloo. Taxis to the venue cost under £10.
What is the Accommodation like?
You can choose from:
Camping (included) — bring your own tent
Shared Dorms — from £10/night
Deluxe Dorms — from £20/night
Private Rooms — from £40/night
All accommodation options have access to shared bathrooms, hot showers and cosy communal spaces. Bedding is provided for indoor accommodation.
What should I bring to the retreat?
We recommend:
- Comfortable clothes for movement and dancing
- Layers + warm evening wear
- A swimsuit/towel for sauna
- Torch or headlamp
- Yoga mat & blanket
- Reusable water bottle
- Camping gear if applicable
- Natural toiletries
- Acoustic instruments (optional)
- Snacks if you want extras between meals
A full “What to Bring” list will be emailed after booking.
What does a typical day look like?
7:00 — Yoga / Active Meditation
8:00 — Breakfast
9:30 — Workshops & Dance
13:00 — Lunch
14:30 — Free Time / Sauna / Nature / Massages
18:30 — Dinner
20:00 — Evening Ecstatic Dance
22:00 — Campfire / Sauna / Creative Spaces
