Breathing Forests – An Introduction To Wild Herbal Medicine

Breathing Forests

A medicinal immersion into Nature and an introduction to wild herbal medicine

With Clio Meyer

May 6-8th, 2025

Ready to breathe in harmony with Nature?

This retreat is an opportunity for you to relax into your natural rhythms and soak in the healing and nurturing vibrations of plants.

Relax
Through forest bathing, we will slow down our minds and relax to the natural breathing pace of a forest. This is to allow us not only to observe the plants and trees in their infinite harmony but also to feel this breathing harmony in our body, in our cells. When we breathe in sync with Nature, the optimum functioning of our being kicks in and miracles happen. There is a reason why we feel good in certain forests and various places.

Soak
The pristine land of Mana offers an extraordinary multitude of different environments for us to experience forest bathing in. The centre also features an outdoor bath and a sauna, which we can bring our herbal medicine to, an opportunity to melt deeper into relaxation and to meet plants on yet another level.

Play
Through forest bathing, meditations with plants, guided movements and dance, we will quieten the mind and let another type of interaction with plants and trees arise. We will get deeper into what exactly resonates with our internal peace and happiness. The aim is that each individual can experience a deep sense of relaxation and communion with nature and acquire the physical knowledge of which plant and tree is able to aid them. Soaking in the natural vibrancy of plants, each individual has the potential to become autonomous, learning from the plants themselves what they are good for. We will use basic tools to perceive the medicinal virtues of plants and trees, with a focus on using your body’s own language and kinesiology.

Learn
Edible and medicinal plant walks around the garden and the different habitats of Mana’s native forests will broaden our perspective and help us to bring herbal medicine to our table. We will see how to gather the medicine of plants and trees living around us, whether they are Native or European, in our daily lives. We will also touch on the relationship between plants and astrology, and how to create incredible herbal medicine following the transits of the Moon.

Make
Last but not least, we will go through the fundamentals of familial herbal medicine and will make a seasonal herbal preparation to bring back home.

What to expect

In this retreat, you will have the opportunity to experience:

• • Forest bathing
  • Your own communication language with plants
  • Knowing on a physiological level the essence of plants and trees
  • Gentle movements & breathing
  • Open Floor Dance with plants
  • Nurturing food & medicine
  • Edible and medicinal plant walks around the garden and the native bush
  • Fundamentals of herbal medicine and recipes
  • Relationship between plants and astrology
  • Drum journeys and meditations with plants
  • Making a herbal preparation to bring home
  • Relaxation and storytelling
  • Resting deeply and going at your own rhythm
  • Self-care, outdoor bath and sauna
  • Being held by a circle of like-minded people

What others say

Thank you so much for holding such a special retreat and for sharing your amazing plant knowledge.
The space was held in perfect balance and allowed things to unfold (felt like how flower open their petals). I admired this delicate approach and I felt very comfortable and so enjoyed the nourishing food, and treats, and felt spoilt with everything we got to take home.
Most of all I got to learn a more respectful way to be with plants. Thank you – Retreat participant

Introducing

Your Teacher

Clio loves to create spaces for people to meet plants, in a different way than by the book. With her herbalist dad, she learned early on how to observe Nature and how to heal with plants. She first completed a MS in Earth physics, which gave her a solid scientific foundation. Later she completed two apprenticeships in shamanic herbalism with Amy McComb (Herbal Diploma in Biofield therapy from Plant Rhythms) in the lineage of Susun Weed, and together went through diets of over a hundred Native and European plants and trees, and she has continually been humbled by Rongoā Māori. With a second background in physical theatre (Ecole Internationale Jacques Lecoq), she now teaches her sensible approach to herbal medicine, offering full immersion retreats, ceremonies and workshops.