SoulNest
Women’s Retreat
May 14-17 Cumbria UK
NURTURING WOMEN’S RETREAT TO NOURISH THE SOUL WITH NESTING PRACTICES AND QUIET CREATIVITY
WITH SAIMMA DYER
Thursday May 14th to Sunday May 17th 2026
The Swan Hotel & Spa
Lake Windermere, Cumbria LA12 8NB, England
Wheelchair accessible
Our SoulNest retreat is an invitation to rest our mind, body, and soul in nature and beauty. Mother Earth teaches us how to shed our everyday cloak of doing and unfold into simply being in open space; living our lives is a creative process mirroring nature’s own creativity within ourselves. We will use the wisdom of our spiritual grandmothers and of the more-than-human world to guide us within and bring out our own unique wisdom and gifts of being.
At this peak time of spring we will learn how to create our own nurturing nest using our innate creativity and inspiration from the surrounding landscape.
All women from any-or-no spiritual background and tradition welcome.
“SoulNest has become an important annual gathering for my soul to plug into; a sacred invitation to recharge, rejuvenate, create and nourish. There is something very precious about being held in such a beautifully conscious safe space that allows conversations of the heart to flow, joy to swim out and for the chance to really deepen at subtle levels of being.”
BALANCED MIND
NOURISHED BODY
NURTURED SOUL
We endeavor to make our retreats suitable for diverse physical accessibility needs; please contact us for more details.
We will explore gentle practices to help us create and settle into sacred space, share rituals to clear energetic debris and cultivate creativity in our lives, and create space to allow our intuition to rise and guide us into alignment. We hope to connect with ourselves, each other, and our world in deeper, clearer, and more creative ways.
We will be nestled in a spa hotel at the southern tip of Lake Windermere. Along with walking meditations, relaxing yoga (standing, seated, or lying down), art and journaling time, and dance/movement, our intention is to restore vitality and share practices that we can take back into our day-to-day lives, keeping our heartspace vibrant.
“The whole retreat was curated with such beauty, love, care and attentiveness. I leave once again loaded with an abundance of gifts, renewed vows and heartful friendships, I can’t wait for the next one.”
REGISTRATION
We have a small number of ensuite single rooms. There are a few rooms with accessible features and the venue is wheelchair accessible.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Single ensuite room and all meals from Thursday dinner until Sunday lunch
- Meditation practices
- Somatic body work (mats & blocks provided)
- Creativity workshops with art supplies
- Nature bathing
- Private group spa session
- Sacred site visit
- Wholesome, locally sourced meals
- Beautiful, comfortable rooms with luxury Lake District amenities
- Giftbag of goodies sourced from ethical, sustainable suppliers
- 40-day intentional preparation before arriving: four emails with suggested practices to begin the gathering process
- 40-day intentional closing after the retreat: four emails with suggested follow-up practices and a final closing call on Zoom.
What’s not included: waterproof clothing, swimsuits, spa treatments.
The 40-day tradition is recognised in many cultures around the world as a time to honour the different stages and changes of being, including new life, the passing into the next life, and the conception and realisation of dreams. RAY uses the 40-day intention as a way to focus our energy, to become more receptive to what will be offered, and to integrate what has been given in a lasting and meaningful way.
“Saimma has a gift for creating beautiful spaces where no detail is spared and environments that nurture one’s development. Her wisdom, grace, and ability to attune to the group’s needs is why women return to SoulNest year after year, to be able to restore and renew while being held in love.”
Saimma Dyer creates encounters with the sacred feminine in spiritual retreats and prayer circles, sharing wisdom from historical and contemporary female saints and guides from the seen and unseen realms, beyond religion and borders, within the heart of the Great Mystery of Being. She is immersed in the Mevlevi Sufi wisdom of that great lover of God, Hazreti Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Saimma inhabits the embodied world through dynamic disability and is dreaming into spiritually centred spaces that honour the beauty and pain of existence. She is blessed to live in the ancient Celtic kingdom of Cumbria. Her blood is Pakistani/Indian; her heart is a Persian/African drumbeat.
SCHEDULE & LOCATION
Arrival begins from 4pm on Thursday and we complete the retreat with lunch on Sunday. This is a flexible schedule and will be confirmed on arrival and based on the weather.
Our venue is The Swan Hotel & Spa, Newby Bridge, Cumbria LA12 8NB, England. The nearest train station is Grange-over-Sands, a 10-minute drive from the hotel, with direct connection from Manchester.
Please note that we are only occupying a small portion of the hotel and the communal areas will be used by other guests.
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| ENTER | OPEN | EXPAND | FLY |
| arrival | soma | spa | soma |
| refresh | nest | nest | nest |
| dinner | lunch | lunch | lunch |
| opening | nature | nature | leavetaking |
| soma | nest | nest | |
| dinner | dinner | ||
| soma | soma |
“I can still smell the green grass that I swept my fingers through, the hot sun on my face, and the stillness of the water that was so healing.”
BLESSING OF MAY
The month of May has long been celebrated as the month of Mary. Many hearts deepen in remembrance of beloved Maryam at this time.
The Quran encourages “zhikr Maryam” wazhkur fee al kitabi Maryam [Surah Maryam 19:16]; immerse in her presence. Muslims are also encouraged to extend greetings and ask for blessings for Prophet Muhammad. Not only for his sake or for Mary’s sake is this done, but because they are channels to the Sea of Divine Grace; when we look to them, through them, we discover God’s glory.
It is interesting to note that one of the most renowned of the ten appearances officially recognized by the Catholic Church as truly miraculous “Marian Apparitions” is the appearance of Beloved Mary as “Our Lady of Fátima.” When Beloved Mary appeared to the three children in Portugal in 1917, near the small village of Fátima, named after the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, the appearance was subsequently witnessed again by tens of thousands of people. Since that event, numerous Christians worldwide address the Virgin Mary in prayer as “Our Lady of Fátima,” further interweaving hearts of the Abrahamic faiths.
It is related that Prophet Muhammad before his own death had told his daughter Fatimah, “You shall be the most blessed of women in Paradise, after Mary.” And now, Beloved Mary is well-known around the world as “Our Lady of Fátima.” Surely Beloved Mary’s appearance at Fátima, Portugal, is a renewed sign for the unity of spirit among Muslims and Christians, a gift from this Mother of Spirit who continues to bring together people of varied cultures, times, and place.
MENTAL, PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL HYGIENE
Our intention is to co-create an environment of mutual trust, reciprocity, and grace between all hearts that gather together.
- The SoulNest retreat is specifically for those who identify as women and are over the age of 18. We will be sharing and working with the physical and energetic womb space.
- Our retreats include periods of silence as a way to deepen in mindful awareness, open our heart connection, and connect to our womb-space. The collective silence can also help us to develop conscious listening during informal chatting, allowing space for the heart to fully receive.
- Whilst we are immersed in Sufi Islam, we are interspiritual and draw upon and share lived practices from different traditions that all speak to the Great Mystery of Being.
- To aid in clearing our senses and to be mindful of those with sensitivities, we encourage the use of scent-free body products, or very mild essential oils.
- We ask participants to respect the integrity of the space that is created, the practices that are shared, and the confidences revealed. We do not allow audio or video recording of any sessions, and pictures should only be taken with prior, enthusiastic consent.
- We are not a substitute for therapy or counselling and ask participants to be mindful of what they choose to share during the retreat.
- Although meditation and mindfulness can be helpful in managing stress, depression, and anxiety, our retreats might not be suitable if you are experiencing major depression or other severe mental health issues. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about joining an intimate space.
