For the woman who’s been strong for everyone but Herself.

This time, let someone hold space for you.

You’ve carried the weight..

The decisions. The emotions. The Expectations

You’ve held it all, quietly, gracefully.

And through it all, you’ve slowly quieted your own needs.

This is your permission to pause.

To feel held instead of holding.

To soften the armor.

To breathe without urgency.

Come back to yourself gently, fully, completely.

You are invited to

A full-body exhale for the woman who’s done enough.

A sacred, soul-nourishing weekend to pause the rush, tend to your nervous system, and make space to breathe without bracing and rest without guilt, at Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat near Stanford, South Africa.

The Rest You Didn’t Know You Needed

This is your invitation to pause, breathe, and return to the woman beneath the busyness.

Step away from the noise, the pace, the pressure, and join Jessica for a weekend of deep connection.

This is your permission to pause, to reconnect with your body,
to remember who you are beneath the doing, and to feel held in the stillness.

Drop into the safety of presence. Let your shoulders relax, your breath deepen, and your mind quiet. This is a space where your whole being is welcome exactly as you are.

Feel the support of your own body. You don’t have to push through or hold it together here. You’ll be gently guided into somatic practices that help you reconnect with the inner wisdom your body has carried all along.

Be held in the warmth of community. You’ll be surrounded by like-hearted women who are here to heal and honor themselves too. No pressure, no performance just shared presence.

Heal gently, in the kind of sacred space that only women can create together. When women gather, something powerful happens. This retreat is a soft landing for your soul to recalibrate, reset, and remember your wholeness.

What’s Included in Your Sacred Pause Retreat

During this weekend of rest and renewal, you’ll be gently guided back into connection, with your body, your breath, and your inner self. Each experience is intentionally designed to support nervous system regulation, presence, and embodied healing.

What you can look forward too

Two nights of peaceful accommodation at Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat near Stanford, South Africa

Three nourishing vegetarian meals per day, lovingly prepared with fresh ingredients (dietary requirements accommodated)

Daily morning movement practices combining breathwork, gentle inquiry, and mindful presence

Evening yin-inspired sessions to support nervous system restoration and deep rest

Guided TRE® (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) sessions to explore neurogenic tremors and unwind stored stress from the body

Mindful self-inquiry and reflection practices to help you meet yourself with gentleness and compassion

A nurturing space for embodied connection with like-hearted women

Access to exquisite and safe hiking trails

Access to swimming pods and dams

comfortable and cosy communal spaces

Free time to rest, reflect, wander through nature, journal, or simply be

About the Venue – Wild Pod @ Bodhi Khaya

Bodhi Khaya is a place of sanctuary and retreat

Bodhi Khaya is more than a retreat center, it’s a sanctuary. A sacred pause on the longer journey of life, it offers a space for those seeking peace, deep rest, and reconnection. Here, far from the noise and pace of modern life, you’re invited to return to yourself, through the reconnection to nature, spirit and humanity

Wild Pod is nestled in a little remote corner of the Bodhi Khaya property

The Wild Pod offers a private, rustic-meets-contemporary experience. The communal kitchen and lounge area provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for gathering and sharing meals with friends, while the yoga deck and meditation hall offer a tranquil sanctuary for our daily practices. You have a choice of a variety of accommodation options to make your stay nurturing.

Set in the Walker Bay conservancy with some of the worlds richest biodiversity

Situated on 220ha of land, the land is alive with fynbos, 30km of hiking trails and spring fed mountain dams, with access to swimming and wood fire sauna facilities.

WILD POD ACCOMMODATION

All prices include the full experience for two nights stay

A frame accommodation

(3 available)

A-frame Single Occupancy : R5680

A-frame Dbl Occupancy :R8960 (R4480pp)

Wild Pod Main Bedroom

Single Occupancy: R6380

Double Occupancy: R9660 (R4830pp)

SUNBIRD Cottage

Sunbird Bedroom 1

Single Occupancy : R6680

Double Occupancy : R7760 (R3880pp)

Sunbird Bedroom 2

Single Occupancy: R6480

Dble Occupancy: R7560 (R3780pp)

Heron Cottage

Heron Bedroom 1

Single Occupancy: R7280

Double Occupancy: R 8360 (R4180pp)

Heron Bedroom 2

Single Occupancy: R7080

Double Occupancy : R8160 (R4080pp)

Jessica Louise Garlick

I’m Jessica, space holder, somatic guide, mindfulness practitioner and passionate advocate for living a life that feels deeply true.

About the host

Years ago, after working as a winemaker and navigating my own experience of trauma and burnout, I felt the call to slow down, reconnect, and reimagine what it means to live and lead from the inside out. That call led me to this work: supporting women to come home to their bodies, clear old emotional baggage, and reconnect to the truth that lives within them.

Through somatic healing, breathing, energy work, and trauma release, I support others in softening survival patterns and accessing the clarity, power, and creative fire that have always been there—just waiting beneath the surface.

I lead myself through my life truly trusting my inner guidance system and living in deep alignment with my soul. For the past five years I have been living on a sailboat with my partner, traveling through the Caribbean and holding space for women around the world. My work is rooted in deep presence, reverence for the body, and a belief that when we slow down and listen, our next steps become clear.

This retreat is an invitation—to reconnect with your body, your truth, and the voice inside that knows. I’m honored to walk beside you on this journey.

Your Invitation to Say Yes

I am intentionally keeping this retreat small and intimate

Price: starts at R3780

Jessica likes to ensure the safety of all on retreat and will have a call with each participant beforehand.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I came away from the Sacred Pause Retreat feeling that something had shifted within me. There had been a softening; a greater awareness of my needs; the realization that I am able to slow myself down, returning to my breathe when I start to stress or feel overwhelmed

Samantha Burgin

Entrepreneur, Franschhoek South Africa

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This retreat came at a perfect time for me, (during the most busiest time of the year in my business) so it was really a good way to step out and realign myself physically and mentally. The TRE & meditation sessions were excellent and a lovely introduction to TRE for me. The addition of the massage was a real treat. Jess is a very calm and friendly person and I felt very comfortable in her presence. Love my experience. Thank you.

Nicola Andrag

Entrepreneur, Cape Town South Africa

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Sacred Pause facilitated by Jessica was just what I needed, from our initial telephonic conversation introducing ourselves to the onsite Retreat, made up of Yoga, free time, TRE sessions and delicious meals. I feel grounded and in flow.

Tracey Parsons

Social Worker & Coach, Cape Town South Africa

Questions, Answered.

Here are a few answers to help you feel grounded, clear, and supported in your decision

What is included?

Your investment includes everything you need to be fully supported during the weekend:

Two nights accommdation at the Wild Pod at the Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat

Three nourishing vegetarian meals per day (plus snacks, spring water, and herbal teas)

Guided TRE® (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises)

Morning breath and embodiment practices

Evening yin inspired sessions

Mindful self-inquiry and reflective journaling

A pre-retreat alignment call

A post-retreat integration session to support your return home and continued embodiment

What can I expect?

Join me, Jessica, for a deeply restorative and soul-nourishing retreat where you’re invited to reconnect with your body, your breath, and your inner landscape.

When : Friday 1 May 2026 - Sunday 3 May 2026

The exact arrival and departure times will be confirmed but usually arrival from 2pm onwards, and departure after lunch on the Sunday.

This is an intimate gathering of women—kept intentionally small to create a sense of safety, connection, and spaciousness. Together, we’ll deepen into presence, explore the wisdom of the body, and reconnect with the rhythms of nature and self.

Through daily practices like mindful yoga based practices, breathing, and Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE®), you’ll gently unwind old patterns, soften the nervous system, and create space for clarity and healing. These sessions are designed to help you drop out of the mind and into the body—into a place of stillness, truth, and inner freedom.

The space itself—Wild Pod @Bodhi Kaya—is rustic meets contemporary and is deeply held by the land. Bodhi Khaya is a 220ha property within the Walker Bay Conservancy surrounded by indigenous fynbos and trees. You will have access to swimming dams, walking trails and on site facilities like the wood fire sauna.

There is one compulsory session, which takes place at 5:00pm on Friday. This welcome circle is an important space to ground into the retreat, meet the group, and receive key information about the rhythm of the weekend—including the schedule, and the sacredness of the space we’re co-creating.

All other sessions are optional. You’re free to follow your own flow and trust what your body needs most. Some of what’s on offer includes:

Morning and Evening Yoga inspired movement

TRE® sessions to release deep-seated tension and stress

Time to walk, nap, journal, swim, read, or simply be

A full programme will be shared with you upon arrival, but you are encouraged to treat this weekend as your own. You get to choose how you participate. There’s no pressure, no expectation—just a gentle invitation to return to yourself.

You don’t need any prior experience with retreats, yoga, meditation, breathwork, or TRE® to attend. This space is open to all women who feel called to reconnect, reset, and soften into what’s next.

What if I’ve never done TRE® or somatic work before?

No prior experience is needed. All practices will be guided with deep care and trauma-informed facilitation. You’ll be gently supported every step of the way—whether this is your first time or you’re returning to this work. Come as you are.

That said, your safety matters deeply.

If any of the following apply to you, this retreat may not be the right fit at this time:

You are currently pregnant (or there is a chance you could be)

You’ve had recent surgery or an injury that is still under medical care

You have a personal or family history of epilepsy or seizures

You experience high or low blood pressure and are not on medication to manage it

You have been diagnosed—currently or in the past—with any of the following:

Manic Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Severe Depression, Psychosis, Borderline Personality Disorder, or a history of concussion/head/brain injury

These conditions require a level of clinical expertise beyond what I can responsibly provide in this setting.

If you’re unsure whether this retreat is suitable for you, please reach out—we’re happy to help you make an informed and empowered decision.

Booking, Payment & cancellation policy?

Booking and Payment: A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your space on a solo or group residential retreat. Your space is only confirmed once we receive this payment and you receive a booking confirmation email from us. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of making your reservation, please contact us at [email protected]

Retreat Cancellation Policy: The balance of the full retreat investment is due by 7 April 2026 . No refunds will be allowed after this date unless your space is filled by someone on the waitlist upon your withdrawal request if the retreat is no yet filled.

PLEASE NOTE: REFUNDS WILL NOT BE APPLIED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OTHER THAN IN INSTANCES WHERE YOUR SPACE IS FILLED ONCE THE RETREAT IS AT CAPACITY. THEN A REFUND WILL BE APPLIED LESS ANY CHARGES INCURRED AND A R1500 ADMIN FEE. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.