Wild Within retreat: South Africa

(NEW 2027 DATES COMING SOON)

Join us for a deep and intentional reset in the South African wilderness where we meet you exactly where you are. Whether you’re in overdrive, moving through grief, in a life transition, or a quieter chapter asking “what’s next,” - you belong here.

If any part of you feels disconnected, this is for you.

  • You’re carrying a lot and crave nervous-system relief.

  • You’ve completed one chapter (career, caregiving, marriage, or a long-held identity) and want to enter the next consciously and with clarity.

  • Your life looks fine from the outside, but you want to feel more alive and connected to yourself, your people and your life.

Wild Within is more than a burnout reset, it’s a women’s rite-of-passage experience into deeper aliveness, clarity, courage and self-trust.

For 5 unforgettable days, you’ll trade your screens and busy schedules for slow sunrises, ancient land, intentional breath and movement, supportive sisterhood, and memories that last a lifetime.

Hosted & facilitated by Elle, Founder of The Courageous Life

📍 South Africa

🗓️ New 2027 Dates coming soon

optional 3-day Cape Town pre-trip

For women who look strong on the outside but feel disconnected on the inside.

Let me say it this way. So many of us spend years being the one who holds everything together.

You’re at a point where you’re juggling a career, caregiving and nonstop responsibility. Or you’re in a period of a big life shift - retirement, loss, divorce, empty nest, or simply realizing the version of you that “worked” before doesn’t feel aligned anymore with your desires for life.

From the outside, life can look completely fine. But inside, something feels off. You feel disconnected from your body, your joy, your zest for life, - and you can’t quite explain why.

I know that feeling.

And when that disconnect builds, we reach for whatever helps us cope: staying busy, over-scheduling, numbing out, another self help book, binging another season on tv… anything to avoid the quiet truth that something wants to change.

That’s why I created Wild Within. This retreat is a rite of passage designed to interrupt your status quo so you can reconnect with the wild within YOU. A threshold from the life you know into the life you’re craving.

In South Africa, something shifts. Here, you’ll trade the hamster wheel for the WILD. Safaris at sunrise. Lions roaring in the distance. Stillness you can feel throughout your entire being. Space to hear the quiet whisper of intuition that normally drowns in the noise.

Through breathwork, story activation, movement, and honest conversation, we go beyond nervous system regulation. We reclaim our aliveness by bringing you back into your body where we gently release old energy and old identities to and make room for what’s next.

This isn’t about escaping your life. It’s about building your capacity so you can return to it differently: clearer in your choices, steadier in the chaos, more alive, and deeply connected to what actually matters to you now. A new blueprint for a life that actually sets your heart on fire!

Come reconnect with what’s true to you: your body, desires, aliveness, courage and your next chapter.

Meet Your Guides

Elle, the Founder of The Courageous Life and Wild Within, is an embodied feminine leader dedicated to empowering people to reclaim their courage so they can create their dream lives and feel truly alive. She is a Conscious Connected and 9D breathwork facilitator who guides women through embodiment practices to help them drop from their heads into their hearts, heal from past traumas, and strip away layers of conditioning to create nervous system regulation, clarity and aliveness.

Elle lives in South Africa where she is deeply connected to the land, the communities and has felt the power Africa has for transformation.

AFrica-

The place of all our beginnings.

“Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. But how do you begin to describe the magic to someone who has never felt it? How can you explain the fascination of this vast, dusty continent? Could it be because Africa is the place of all our beginnings, the cradle of mankind, where our species first stood upright on the savannas of long ago?”

-Brian Jackman

I (Elle) chose South Africa for this retreat because ever since I stepped foot on African soil fifteen years ago, I felt home. A deep sense of kinship that I couldn’t articulate nor understand. How could I feel so connected to a place I’d never been?

Africa chose me as much as I chose it. Since 2011, I’ve camped with friends along her shorelines, driven 4x4’s across the barren Namibian desert covered in dust, hopped on dozens of safari drives and let myself be changed by the cultures and communities that hold so much heart, rhythm, resilience, and soul. It’s mysterious yet nurturing. Fierce yet forgiving. Harsh yet healing. It feels like one of the last places in the world that really feels WILD. And it was here that I came back to myself and back to the adventurous, courageous, bold, loving and fun woman I know myself to be.

Africa transformed my heart and soul and I have no doubt that it will evoke an incredible transformation in you as well. So it is.

I can’t wait for you to join me here, where it all began, as you return to yourself.

Elle xx

Your 5-Day Transformation Arc

Day 1: Arrival & Initiation: Entering the Wild

After your long journey, you’ll arrive at the lodge and be welcomed with warmth, herbal tea, and the first breath of Africa’s wild air.

As the sun sets, we gather around the fire under a sky blanketed with stars. Local drummers and dancers guide us through a ritual of arrival - a vibrant welcome into the rhythm of the land.

Together we set our intentions, anchoring into the sacred container. The fire becomes the threshold you are crossing: from the noise of daily life into the pulse of the wild.

Day 2: Cracking Open: Breath, Story & Soul

Your first full day begins with deep breathwork, guided by Elle, to open your body and nervous system, clearing away the residue of travel and preparing you for transformation.

After breakfast, Chantelle leads a powerful storytelling workshop, where unspoken truths rise, old stories are released, and you begin reclaiming the voice you may have quieted over the years.

The afternoon is for integration, rest, and reflection, followed by a sunset game drive. As elephants wander by and hyenas stir at dusk, you feel yourself opening to the ways the wild is also within yourself.

Day 3: Releasing: Letting Go by Firelight

In the morning, we make time for deeper rest followed by a powerful workshop where we release masks with story channeling and a group release.

Later, we will have a story ceremony where old identities and patterns are lovingly released. At night, around the fire, we hold a releasing ritual that offers into the flames all that no longer serves.

Day 4: Embodiment: Becoming the Wild One

This is the day of expression, of embodiment, of stepping fully into your primal self. We begin with breathwork, movement and voice activation, shaking free what’s stuck and moving into courage.

Later, you’ll step into playful ritual adornment: face paint, braids, goddess crowns, animal archetype embodiment. As the sun sets, we express our feminie selves beneath the stars during a traditional bush braai.

Day 5: Integration & Celebration: Claiming the Voice

At dawn, the savannah awakens. We will walk through the bush walk where silence heightens every sense - the sound of birds, the crunch of earth beneath your feet, the small movements and sounds that awaken every part of your being.

Over breakfast, the air feels alive with possibility. Today we gather in circle to share, to speak, to be seen. A sacred space of claiming your wild voice.

This is the integration, the weaving together of all you’ve experienced. After an evening safari drive, we journey out to a rocky outcrop for sundowners as the sky turns to fire, then gather for our final Boma dinner under the stars.

We close with a circle of celebration with gratitude, laughter, tears. You leave forever changed, carrying the essence of Africa in your body, your story, your soul.

Day 6: Departure: Carrying the Wild Home

Our final morning is gentle. Breathwork, movement, and a gratitude circle.

We bless the land, the animals, the ancestors, and one another before departures. Though your suitcase may feel the same, you know you are not.

Africa has shown you again what is possible. It’s rawness has evoked your spirit to feel more alive. You’ve felt the strength of the land that awakens your courageous. And you leave this place for now, but it will never truly leave you.

The Luxury of Transformation

Intimate group: Maximum 18 women

  • Four-star eco-luxury chalets with outdoor showers under African skies

  • All meals included: Fresh, nourishing, locally grown cuisine

  • Daily game drives: Sunrise and sunset wildlife encounters

  • Sacred workshop spaces: Both indoor and outdoor venues

  • Pool & spa access: Integration time for journaling and reflection

  • Expert facilitation: Elle & Chantelle’s full attention and guidance

  • Cultural experiences: Local drummers & dancers

  • Professional safari guides: Safe, intimate wildlife encounters

  • Fire ceremony spaces: Traditional boma for evening rituals

  • WhatsApp group and post-retreat integration breathwork Zooms: Lifetime connection with your soul sisters

Mdluli Safari Lodge - Where Comfort Meets Wild

You’ll stay in luxury eco-chalets nestled in the bush, each with indoor/outdoor showers, beautiful furnishings, and privacy among the trees. The lodge offers a pool, spa treatments, gathering areas, and unforgettable dining experiences.

Every detail has been considered so you can relax into the land, into yourself and into the magic that is Africa.

Is this retreat for me?

This experience is for women who are ready for meaningful inner movement whether that means rest, release, renewal, or reinvention.

You may be:

  • A high-capacity woman needing deep restoration

  • In retirement or post-career, asking what this next chapter wants from you

  • At a transition point (empty nest, relationship shift, life pivot)

  • Simply craving a deeper relationship with yourself, nature, and your voice

Not required: prior retreat experience, perfect fitness, or being in crisis.

Your Investment in the Wild Within Retreat

SHARED ACCOMMODATION

Early Bird: $2,997 3 payments of $1,111)

Early Bird Investment: $3995

$3700

$4

(2 slots available - paid in full)

Regular Investment: $3995

Share your transformation journey with a

soul sister

  • ✔️ 5 nights luxury accommodation at Mdluli Safari Lodge

  • ✔️ All meals from lunch Day 1 through breakfast Day 6

  • ✔️ Daily game drives with professional guides

  • ✔️ All workshops, ceremonies, & facilitated experiences

  • ✔️ Breathwork & somatic sessions with Elle

  • ✔️ Story activation & voice work with Chantelle

  • ✔️ Roundtrip airport transfers from Nelspruit Airport to Mdluli Safari Lodge

  • ✔️ All gratuity for staff and rangers during retreat

  • ✔️ Built in sisterhood. Best Value. Same full retreat experience

  • ✔️ Lifetime access to sisterhood community

  • ✔️ Integration support & practices (includes one integration call with a group breathwork session post retreat)

  • ❌ Not included: Flights to South Africa, inter-country flight from Cape Town (pre-trip)/Johannesburg to Nelspruit (MPQ) airport in Kruger (around $160), alcoholic beverages, travel insurance and spa treatments.

Payment plans available

Not sure if this is your season? Book a short fit call - we’ll explore whether this experience is aligned for you.

(contact info below)

Private ACCOMMODATION

Early Bird Investment: $4395

$3995

(2 slots available - paid in FULL)

Regular Investment: $4395

Your own sacred space for integration and reflection

✔️ 5 nights luxury accommodation at Mdluli Safari Lodge

✔️ All meals from lunch Day 1 through breakfast Day 6

✔️ Daily game drives with professional guides

✔️ All workshops, ceremonies, & facilitated experiences

✔️ Breathwork & somatic sessions with Elle

✔️ Story activation & voice work with Chantelle

✔️ Roundtrip airport transfers from Nelspruit Airport to Mdluli Safari Lodge

✔️ All gratuity for staff and rangers during retreat

✔️ Lifetime access to sisterhood community

✔️ Integration support & practices (includes one integration call with a group breathwork session post retreat)

✔️ Meant for women want extra solitude and person space to integrate each day

❌ Not included: Flights to South Africa, inter-country flight from Cape Town (pre-trip)/Johannesburg to Nelspruit (MPQ) airport in Kruger (around $160), alcoholic beverages, travel insurance, and spa treatments.

Payment plans available

Not sure if this is your season? Book a short fit call - we’ll explore whether this experience is aligned for you.

(contact info below)

Extend your Journey: Cape Town pre-trip Arrival Experience

Cape Town Arrival Experience (Hosted 3 day Pre-Trip Add-On): July 21-24th, 2026

Before you enter the wild, soften into Africa's rhythm with three days of coastal luxury in Cape Town, one of the world's most breathtaking cities where mountain meets ocean.

Day 1: Arrival & Restoration

Begin with a spa morning at the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel's Librisa Spa, where two hours of pampering prepare your body for transformation. Finish off our spa experience with lunch at the hotel’s Oasis restaurant.

Afternoon brings oceanside wandering along the promenade, followed your first evening at the infamous, Dorp Hotel in the bustling Bo Kaap neighborhood of Cape Town.

Day 2: Ocean Adventures

Wake for an extraordinary morning, kayaking with penguins in Simon's Town. These two hours on crystal waters bring you face-to-face with African penguins in their natural habitat at Boulders Beach.

After lunch at the legendary Brass Bell (where waves literally crash against the windows), you'll sail into the sunset on a private catamaran around the harbor before dinner at The Bungalow in stunning Camps Bay.

Day 3: Choose Your Adventure

Your final day offers freedom to explore:

  • Partake in a two-hour breathwork session with Elle

  • Ride the cable car up Table Mountain for breathtaking views (weather permitting)

  • Master Cape Malay cooking in a hands-on cultural class

  • Explore the colorful Bo Kaap district with a cultural guide

  • Tour historic Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned

  • Taste world-class wines in nearby Constantia

  • Or simply luxuriate at the beach or pool

We'll gather for a farewell dinner at the atmospheric Kloof Street House before departing for the safari lodge the next morning.

Why Arrive Through Cape Town?

This isn't just about logistics, it's about transition. You need space and rest between your everyday life and the profound work ahead. Cape Town offers that bridge: from urban to wild, from ocean to savanna, from external beauty to internal exploration. Plus, you'll connect with other retreat participants before entering the bush, creating bonds that deepen the entire experience.

Your Cape Town Investment

Shared Classic Room

Investment: $1300

✔️ 3 nights at The Dorp Hotel

✔️ Day 1: Spa morning at Mount Nelson Hotel's Librisa Spa, lunch at The Oasis and dinner at the Dorp Hotel

✔️ Day 2: Penguin kayaking adventure in Simon's Town, lunch at the famous Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, sunset catamaran cruise around the harbor, dinner at the luxurious Bungalow in Camps Bay

✔️ Day 3: Free day to explore (optional activities available: Two hour breathwork journey, Table Mountain cable car, wine tasting, Bo Kaap cultural tour, cooking class), final dinner at Kloof Street House

✔️ All meals and gratuity

✔️ All transportation from July 21 through airport drop-off on July 24th

✔️ Hosted by Elle: seemless arrival, connection and an optional breathwork session to open the week

Not included: Flights to Cape Town, arrival day accommodation (July 20th), Inter-Country flight to Nelspruit Airport for Wild Within main retreat (around $200), optional Day 3 activities, alcoholic beverages & travel insurance.

PRIVATE Superior Room

Investment: $1700

✔️ 3 nights at The Dorp Hotel

✔️ Day 1: Spa morning at Mount Nelson Hotel's Librisa Spa, lunch at The Oasis, and dinner at The Dorp Hotel

✔️ Day 2: Penguin kayaking adventure in Simon's Town, lunch at the famous Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, sunset catamaran cruise around the harbor, dinner at the luxurious Bungalow in Camps Bay

✔️ Day 3: Free day to explore (optional activities available: Two hour breathwork journey, Table Mountain cable car, wine tasting, Bo Kaap cultural tour, cooking class), final dinner at Kloof Street House

✔️ All meals and gratuity

✔️ All transportation from July 21st through airport drop-off on July 24th

✔️ Hosted by Elle: seemless arrival, connection and an optional breathwork session to open the week

❌ Not included: Flights to Cape Town, arrival day accommodation (July 20th), Inter-country flight to Nelspruit for Wild Within main retreat (around $200), optional Day 3 activities and lunch, alcoholic beverages & travel insurance

Questions Rising?

Good, that’s your soul recognizing possibility.

  • If you keep waiting for a ‘clear’ week, it may never come. This week away can give you back months of mental bandwidth when you return. Therefore, the question isn't whether you can, it's whether you can afford not to.

  • You’re right - it is far. And that’s exactly why it works. This isn’t meant to be convenient, it’s meant to be catalytic.

    Africa is a different continent, rhythm with unfamiliar cues and vast nature that makes our problems shrink. The distance isn’t a drawback-its what creates enough disruption for real change.

  • If unplugging seems impossible, that’s data. We’ll support you to set boundaries for one week and you’ll come home with a new relationship to your time.

  • Absolutely. Mdluli Safari Lodge is a 4-star rated property with 24/7 security, professional guides, and full safety protocols. We handle all logistics. You just handle your transformation.

    Elle has also lived in South Africa for the past six years. She has multiple partnerships on the ground and a deep sense of the area. You’re in great hands!! Let us hold you throughout the experience-you don’t need to worry about a thing!

  • Most women come solo. This is designed for that. You won’t be ‘joining a friend group,’ you’ll be entering a container that creates belonging fast.

  • If you're reading this, you're ready. Your resistance is just your ego's last attempt to keep you small. Trust the part of you that brought you here.

  • We intentionally pair women based on preferences and energy to make sure your stay feels supportive, comfortable, and aligned.

  • Not at all. Both room options include the exact same retreat journey, activities, breathwork, and support.

  • For the Early Bird option, we are only accepting full payments.

    For the normal retreat packages, you can either pay in full at checkout or reserve your spot with a deposit ($2000 for shared room and $2500 for private room). If you choose the deposit option, the remaining balance must be paid by May 10th, 2026.

  • All payments are non-refundable, including the deposit, because funds are committed to accommodations and vendors in advance.
    If you cancel on or before May 10, 2026, you may request a retreat credit (non-transferable) to use toward a future offering within 24 months (through May 10, 2028).
    Cancellations after May 10, 2026 are not eligible for a refund or credit.

  • Yes—if you find a replacement participant and Wild Within approves them (and they complete required forms/agreements), your paid amount can be applied to their registration. Any price difference is their responsibility. A reasonable admin fee may apply (e.g., $150). Payment processing fees are non-refundable.

  • Travel insurance is strongly recommended and should include trip cancellation/interruption, medical coverage, and travel delays—especially due to the non-refundable policy and the realities of international travel.

  • No. Flights are not included. You are responsible for booking your own travel to South Africa and the inter-country flight from either Cape Town if you’re attending the optional pre-trip experience, or from Johannesburg if you’re flying in directly for the retreat. We can help you book that flight. Depending on how far out you book it, it will range from $160-$250 most likely.

  • We recommend arriving at least one day early whenever possible so you can land, rest, and settle before the retreat begins.

    If you fly into Johannesburg (and skip the pre-trip), we recommend you arrive on the 23rd to be able to spend the night (we can work with you to help book safe and affordable accommodation) so that you can catch the flight to Mdluli to arrive on the first day of the retreat-July 24th.

    If you fly into Cape Town to catch the-pretrip, we recommend you land in Cape Town on July 20th to get a good’s night rest before we start on the 21st. We can most certainly help you book a safe, affordable option.

  • Yes. You can add a post-retreat integration package (group sessions, private sessions, and/or VIP support) to help you embody what you unlocked once you’re back in real life.

  • Yes. Breathwork and integration work translate beautifully online - and many women love being able to integrate from the comfort of home.

    I have facilitated breathwork via Zoom for many clients. If you’re interested i their experience, check out the “Testimonials” page on the website.

This is your moment

You’ve proven you can hold it all.
Now it’s time to stop living like you have to.

This journey is where the stress ends
and the real you comes back to life.

Space. Wilderness. Breath. Activation. Truth.
A new blueprint you can actually live.

NEW 2027 DATES COMING SOON- come meet the wild within.

Limited spots.

Payment plans available.

Questions? Email us at elle@the-courageous-life or book a 15-minute clarity call with our team here.