Myths of Feminine Mystery Retreat, Smoky Mountains Tennessee

Maryville, TN, United States

AH
Aimee Hansen
  • Email address verified
24 reviews
Sep 26 - Oct 1, 2019
Group size: 6 - 10
Myths of Feminine Mystery Retreat, Smoky Mountains Tennessee
Maryville, TN, United States

Aimee Hansen
  • Email address verified
24 reviews

Sep 26 - Oct 1, 2019
Group size: 6 - 10

About this trip

Breathe in the autumn air of these Tennessee Smoky Mountains as we circle in honor of feminine mystery. Reconnect with your sacred inner knowing. Explore the many facets of your feminine nature. Dare to be all of them.

During this women’s retreat, we’ll renew our self-trust, explore our depths, honor our expression and validate our embodied intuition. We’ll wake to meditation and yoga, express through writing and movement, and gather for stories around flames.

We’ll immerse in the magic and mystery of myths, focusing on the messages and insights they hold for us as women. We’ll heed the call to honor the wisdom we carry within our stories and voices and bodies, and between each other.

retreat highlights

  • Inspiring location with panoramic mountain views
  • Daily meditation & yoga practice
  • Daily self-exploratory writing circles
  • Evening ceremonial sacred storytelling sessions
  • Scenic outdoor yoga pavilion  
  • 3 delicious organic vegetarian meals/day
  • 5 nights shared stay in charming yurts or furnished glamping
  • Guided tour of on-site fauna
  • Breaks for relaxing, walking, therapies and exploration
  • Intimate Women's Gathering: Maximum of 10 participants

Amidst the Smoky Mountains


In the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and amidst one of the world's most ecologically diverse regions, Seven Springs retreats center boasts seven natural springs on 126 acres of private land, providing the spaciousness to reconnect with nature. 

 

Seven Springs offers charming shared yurts with comfortable beds, inspiring mountain views, nature walks and delicious Ayurvedic vegetarian meals amidst soul-nourishing landscapes.

 

Inspired by the natural abundance all around, Seven Springs seeks to foster holistic sustenance for the individual and the community.


RETREAT OVERVIEW

"She is not to be classified. She is not to be controlled. She is the one who gathers seeds and plants them in the sand as dreams and calls forth rain. She is the one who embodies the Moon, honoring the cycles of life."

- Terry Tempest Williams


“May we let the stories move through us and whisper, in the vulnerability of our hearts, of the treasures we long to recollect.” 
- Melanie Champagne, retreat co-facilitator

Myths of Feminine Mystery

What if our yearnings pull in opposite directions? What if our lives move in cycles and seasons, not only in linear time? What if one long-held desire wanes, while another arises from nowhere? What if we need to get lost and wander? What if integrity means allowing your truth to change and flow with you? What if we run to and away, and still, towards our center?

Myths hold a hidden power: they gift us maps, keys, mirrors, legends and paths back to ourselves. They reflect the multitudes within us. They reveal insight into our deepest longings, greatest conflicts and vivid life energies. 

Myths give universal context to our most personal experiences. They open us to allowing life to flow through us, to recognize the sacred beauty of each moment, and to embrace the feminine mystery of regeneration.
 

As we weave these stories with our own experience, we glean a vaster sense of ourselves and our sacred feminine nature. When we look through the window of a myth, we see both beyond ourselves and deeper within.



In this women's retreat, you will:

  • Gather with a powerful circle of women in rawness, vulnerability and expression.
  • Reconnect with your body and intuition through meditation, yoga and movement.
  • Experience the sacred rite of sharing stories between women around flames.
  • Explore core tensions and themes that carry through our relationships with ourselves, others and our lives.
  • Discover your truths moment to moment by connecting to your own voice.
  • Rekindle urges within yourself that are aching to be heard and witnessed.
  • Reclaim the power in the multitudes and regeneration that is inherent in feminine nature.
  • Remember your vastness and the magic that unfolds when women circle together.

    Find out more about this even on the event page on www.thestorytellerwithin.com

Sample Daily Flow

Guests may arrive to Seven Springs on Thursday (check in is 3pm) to relax and settle in. After dinner, we will open our circle.

Sept 26th: 

3:00 pm Check-In

6:30- 7:30 pm Dinner

7:45 pm - Opening Circle & Storytelling Circle

Sept 27th - Sept 30th:

7:30 am: Wake-up

8:00 - 9:30 am: Medi & Yoga

9:30 - 10:15 am: Breakfast

10:45 am - 1:00 pm: Exploratory Circle 

1:00 - 3:30 pm: Lunch & Break

3:30 - 6:30 pm: Exploratory Circle 

6:30 - 7:30 pm: Dinner

7:45 pm: Storytelling Circle 

Oct 1st: 

7:30 am - Wake-up

8:00 am - 9:30am: Medi & Yoga

9:30 - 10:15am: Breakfast

10:15am - 11:15pm: Integration Circle & Close

11:15 - 12:45: Optional Relaxation

12:45-1:30 pm: Final Lunch 

We will finish by 11:15 am on Tuesday and you have the option to linger and enjoy the beauty of Seven Springs as well as lunch, if you choose.

Meditation and yoga will be held in the outdoor yoga pavilion, and we also have an indoor space available. Our sacred circles will rotate between outdoor and indoor spaces. Delicious ayurvedic meals will be served in the fresh autumn air.

On-site therapies are available during break times, as well as many opportunities to relax or walk in nature. We may offer an afternoon excursion during the event.

Location

Breathe the fresh mountain air

Seven Springs is located near Maryville, Tennessee. The Smoky Mountains are the world's oldest mountains and one of the world's most ecologically diverse regions, featuring temperate rain forest climate with over 17,000 species of plants and animals. This amazing biodiversity is the backdrop for the abundant richness of Seven Springs and the rejuvenating spirit of this land.

Take in Nature

Seven Springs features an open air yoga pavilion built with local forest cedar that offers panoramic morning views of the Chillhowee mountains. The ground offer stunning hill perches, creekside spots, and gorgeous nature walks, with a resident master naturalist/ ecologist to provide a guided tour. The center is close to many natural attractions to further explore before or after the retreat.

Accommodation & Delicious Meals

Accommodation & Facilities

Most retreat guests will stay in well-fashioned shared yurts of 2 to 4 people, or a private upgrade is available. Each yurt is furnished with comfortable beds and bedding, electricity and lights, warm blankets for cool nights, tables and dressers. Yurts are the closest accommodation to the bathrooms.

Additionally, some guests will stay in large private glamping tents. Each large tent is set on a wooden platform and is furnished with comfortable beds and bedding and solar lights. The tents are located in a cool space amongst the trees. 
 

Shared bathrooms on the property offer two hot showers, two water-saving flushing toilets, and running water. 


Morning yoga will take place in the outdoor yoga shala. Women's circles will take place between the shala, outdoor classroom, and the 24 foot yurt classroom with labyrinth floor design.


Mats, props, cushions, and blankets for chilly mornings or evenings will be provided.


Treat yourself. Massage treatments from resident therapists are available in an outdoor massage pavilion.

Delicious meals

All meals will be vegetarian, varied and generously prepared by Ayurvedic chef Wendy who lives locally. All meals are served in the outdoor kitchen, as we take in the beauty of the surroundings. Our first included meal will be dinner on Sept 26th. Our final meal will be lunch on Oct 1st.


Afternoon snacks will also be provided. The kitchen is available for any additional guest needs.

Sustainable Living & What to Bring

Sustainable Living

At Seven Springs, you will be woken in the morning by drum or bells as we rise to practice meditation and yoga in the shala. 

Natural washing practices contribute to sustainability, and each guest washes her individual plate and cutlery. You are asked to be respectful of local wildlife (raccoons, skunks, bears) and keep food in designated containers, while treading lightly around local flora.

This is a real chance to disconnect and allow yourself to stay in the space of the women's gathering. There is no WIFI on the property, inviting you to connect with nature and within.

What To Bring

Please bring your own natural toiletries, a towel, and layers of clothing to suit varying temperatures during the day and night.

It may be a bit fresh early in the mornings and chilly in the night, so make sure to bring a sweater, jacket, and socks etc to stay cozy.

A headlamp is a necessity, and bring a pair of light hiking shoes and slip-on shoes.

Facilitators

Aimee Hansen

Creator, Storyteller Within Women's Retreats

Aimee chases big questions with butterfly nets, only to set them free again. She's always had an irresistible attraction to words and metaphors as a way of playing, provoking, revealing, exploring,  understanding and connecting.

A few years into a corporate agency, in 2003 she began sneaking away from her London office for creative writing classes at Central Saint Martins College, rekindling her childhood love of words. On a quest for more meaningful plot in life and a bigger adventure, she left London in 2008 and again in 2010, to travel.

By 2012, her travels guided her to Guatemala and back to herself. Her intensive studies with a mentor who called her "the storyteller" -  and her own passion for questions and insight -  started her on an ever curious and unfolding journey into the nature of perception. Her work explores the power of stories and invites a creative and playful adventure in the yoga of perception. She trusts in the mysterious sways of our hearts and the truth in our bodies, listening to what lights us up from within and moving, again and again, from this knowing.

Aimee works as a freelance writer, dances with the muse at poetry, and scribbles into tricky spaces. She holds a 200+ hr yoga teacher certification. She is inspired and humbled by witnessing how something raw and honest in the human spirit aches to open, given the invitation. She began Storyteller Within retreats to share in the experience of exploring our humanity and stepping into our courage and vastness as women.

Melanie Champagne

Co-Creator, Co-Facilitator, Sacred Stories Women's Retreat

From a young age, Melanie has been fascinated by sacred stories and mythology. Through theater and literature studies, she discovered the evolution of cultures through art. Her calling to understand human’s psyche lead her to various fields from alternative healing therapies to psychology-astrology. 

She passionately taught Meditation and Astrology for eleven years at Las Piramides Meditation Center in Guatemala. She is currently living in Canada and offering Astrology consultations for individuals and couples, co-facilitating heart focused retreats and holding space for embodied knowing in women circles. She is committed to support the expansion of intuition and preserve the knowledge of cycles. 

For Melanie, mythological stories are medicine. They bridge the eternal with the present, the personal with the universal and facilitate the meeting of the different parts of ourselves: "May we let the stories move through us and let them whisper in the vulnerability of our hearts the treasures we long to recollect."

Jessi Luna, Yoga Facilitator
Jessi Luna is a board member of the Kula Collective and co-creator of Seven Springs Holistic Retreat, along with her husband Zach, built on the 126 acres of sacred land where she grew up as a child. 

Since a young age, Jessi has studied dance and creative movement. Yoga found Jessi over ten years ago, and since her first teacher training in 2008, Jessi has led retreats and workshops throughout the States, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Costa Rica. She completed her RYT500 hour certification in 2012 and now leads teacher trainings in these places she most enjoys to share, including Bali. 

Jessi teaches a Vinyasa based practice to combine elements of dance and natural movement with traditional yogic sequencing. She incorporates attention to rhythm of the breath, and allows for organic movement to flow in each pose. She is grateful for the journey of yogic creativity and loves to share this movement of bliss with others along the way. 

Getting There & Away

By Air: 

The closest airport is Knoxville International Airport (TYS). The airport is actually located in Alcoa and only 25 minutes from Seven Springs. We can arrange transportation services to pick you up from this airport, a $25 charge.


You may also consider flying into the Atlanta International Airport and taking a car to drive to Seven Springs. The Atlanta airport is about a three hour drive. 


By Car:

Please see the address below for the GPS location. We will provide additional instructions to ensure you arrive at the front entrance.


Nearby Attractions


If you have time before or after the retreat, there are many beautiful opportunities to soak up more of the surroundings.


Located less than 25 miles from Seven Springs is the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited National Park in the U.S. On your way you will drive through Townsend with a wonderful Visitors Center. Cades Cove is also a beautiful 11 mile loops to drive or bike on Saturday mornings when it is closed to cars. Abrams Falls is a nice 5 mile hike from Cades Cove. 

What’s included

  • Meditation & yoga
  • Writing Circles
  • Storytelling
    Evening ceremonial storytelling sessions
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Site Tour
    Optional guided on-site tour, nearby outing (tbc)
  • Taxes
    All Taxes

What’s not included

  • Transport
    Flights & ground transport ($10-$20 from the airport)
  • Optional treatments
  • Insurance
    Travel Insurance

Available Packages

Shared Yurt Early Bird (2-4 people)

Retreat guests will stay in well-fashioned shared yurts of 2 to 4 people. Each yurt is furnished with comfortable beds and bedding, electricity and lights, tables and dressers. 

Shared bathrooms on the property offer two hot showers, two water-saving flushing toilets, and running water. 

Price Includes Full Package:

- Morning meditation & yoga

- Morning & afternoon self-exploratory writing sessions 

- Evening sacred storytelling sessions

- 5 nights shared accommodation at Seven Springs

- Delicious vegetarian breakfast, lunch, & dinner

- Optional guided on-site tour, nearby outing (tbc)

- All taxes


Price Excludes:
flights, ground transport ($25), travel insurance, optional therapies

$1,250
Deposit: $450
Private Yurt

Retreat guests will stay in well-fashioned private yurts. Each yurt is furnished with comfortable beds and bedding, electricity and lights, tables and dressers.   

Shared bathrooms on the property offer two hot showers, two water-saving flushing toilets, and running water.   

Price Includes Full Package:

- Morning meditation & yoga

- Morning & afternoon self-exploratory writing sessions 

- Evening sacred storytelling sessions

- 5 nights private accommodation at Seven Springs

- Delicious vegetarian breakfast, lunch, & dinner

- Optional guided on-site tour, nearby outing (tbc)

- All taxes

Price Excludes: flights, ground transport ($25), travel insurance, optional therapies

$1,500
Deposit: $450
Private Glamping

Retreat guests will stay in large private glamping tents. Each large tent is set on a wooden platform and is furnished with comfortable beds and bedding and solar lights. The tents are located in a cool space amongst the trees.   

Shared bathrooms on the property offer two hot showers, two water-saving flushing toilets, and running water. The glamping tents are a little further from the bathroom than the yurts.  

Price Includes Full Package:

- Morning meditation & yoga

- Morning & afternoon self-exploratory writing sessions 

- Evening sacred storytelling sessions

- 5 nights shared accommodation at Seven Springs

- Delicious vegetarian breakfast, lunch, & dinner

- Optional guided on-site tour, nearby outing (tbc)

- All taxes  

Price Excludes: flights, ground transport ($25), travel insurance, optional therapies

$1,365
Deposit: $450


Your Organizer


AH
Aimee Hansen
24 reviews
Aimee chases big questions with butterfly nets, only to set them free again. She's always had an irresistible attraction to words and metaphors as a way of playing, provoking, revealing, exploring, understanding, and connecting. Her work explores the power of the stories we tell within our lives and invites a creative and playful adventure in the yoga of perspective.  ​ She works as a freelance writer, writes children stories, plays at poetry, and is writing a book about the storyteller within. She holds a 200+ hr yoga teacher certification. She is inspired and humbled by witnessing how something raw and honest in the human spirit aches to open, when given the invitation. She began Storyteller Within retreats to share in the experience of exploring our humanity and stepping into our courage as women.

Reviews

Summary: Hands down, this is the greatest thing I've ever done for myself and was easily one of the best weeks of my life. If you're on a path of self-discovery; have a desire to heal; feel stuck in your every-day life; have tried lots of things, but are at a plateau; wanting a change, but not knowing where to begin; needing your life to be different; wanting to feel alive; if any of these topics resonated with you, then run to sign up for this. There's something for everyone. It was thoughtfully designed, expertly delivered, and located in the most beautiful and spiritual place (Villa Sumayya at Lake Atitlan, in Guatemala). I believe so strongly in what we achieved together during the retreat I wish everyone could experience the magic of the 8 days that I spent with 10 incredible women and Aimee, the retreat facilitator. It would be an honor to answer any questions you might have! Longer Version: I came to this retreat because of the reviews I read online, not the website or description, but other people's strong reactions, so I felt it was only appropriate to leave a super detailed review to try to convince everyone that this is the best decision of your life. Description of the retreat: Before you even arrive, Aimee's communication with each participant is rooted in a gentle provocation. You realize you are not signing up for something easy, but you are signing up for something that will fundamentally change you. It sets this beautiful tone for your arrival to the Lake and the Villa, because immediately you can tell you are entering a sacred space-- everything from the physical space that’s been selected and designed, to the arrival dinner, to the opening ceremony has been chosen intentionally and with heart. The schedule is intense, but there is free time built in at different parts each day and there is always room to step back and do whats needed for you (whether that's an afternoon nap, a massage, a swim, or reading). 3x a day we shared meals together which ended up being some of the most memorable moments filled with laughter, decompression, and enjoyment of the delicious food (had low expectations for the food, but was blown away with how creative and tasty it was). We began each day with some sort of movement, usually yoga and sometimes dance. The yoga and meditation was beautiful, both in practice and in the setting (imagine a temple with clear glass windows overlooking the lake and volcanoes). The dance part was terrifying for many of us, but ended up being one of the best parts. We were able to practice being present in our bodies, freedom of expression without judgment, and exploring different sides of ourselves. Aimee brings in expert guest facilitators, each with their own specialty. After that we typically had a writing session which was the heart of the retreat (for me). This is where Aimee's brilliance as a facilitator really stands out. Everything has been crafted very intentionally in hopes of creating a space where you can work through what you've been struggling with, seek what you need, and examine the narrative you've been carrying around about yourself. It's not always comfortable, but it is always incredibly powerful. One level of discovery happens when you are forced to admit your truths to yourself, to write them down in your journal, and another occurs when you are asked to share them with the group. The decision of course, is always up to you, but most women opted to share, finding strength in themselves and one another. The absolute best part is that you have guidance throughout. You are truly not navigating this alone, but with the guidance of a teacher, and alongside a sisterhood. Even if you didn't think you needed one, you will be so so grateful to have found one. From there, you have lunch and the afternoon off, before meeting again for another session--it could be writing, yoga or dance, or a few times throughout the week a spiritual session. These sessions included: a sound bath, Mayan fire ceremony, and a sweat lodge ceremony. Each one felt vital and this is one of the moments where the location of the retreat felt really significant because we were able to tap into local customs and knowledge. Evenings consisted of candle-lit writing sessions or nights off with optional social activities (e.g. discussing astrology under the full moon while soaking in a hot tub). All these experiences just added to my spirituality, my deeper sense of self and self-acceptance, and after leaving this retreat, I feel more expansive than ever before. My only wish was that we had additional time together. There was more I wanted to explore, to learn, to access in this setting…but the journey you take is one for life and will continue long after you've left the shores of Lake Atitlan. What drew me to the retreat: I had tried a lot of different things to promote my healing, each with varying levels of success, but I did feel that there were things I had not been able to work through in the ways I had tried (different types of therapy, medication, exercise, etc). I wanted some time and space in my life to work through certain things, work on self-acceptance and self-compassion, and I wanted someone to help me navigate through that with a little bit of accountability. I wanted to know what it felt like if I prioritized my well-being for a week, who could I be? If I challenged the thoughts I held about myself and my life, what kind of world could I live in? How I feel after: I feel more grounded and simultaneously freer than ever. I feel more capable, more in charge of my life, braver, and more at ease. I'm writing this review a few weeks later and I still have not descended from the high of the retreat. I've noticed my prayers are more sincere, my laughter is louder and more free flowing, my view of the Divine is more whole. I feel more whole. Something has healed inside of me that has been hurting for a very long time. I will carry this experience with me for the rest of my life and I will forever be grateful to Aimee and the women who took this journey alongside me.
By NEEDA M for Journey Into Sacred Expression Women's Retreat, Lake Atitlan (AUGUST!) on Oct 09, 2023
This women’s retreat was a dream, that I never wanted to wake up from. For so long I felt like I lost my soul, I felt like the world hardened my spirit. I wasn’t the same person I used to be, which was difficult for me to understand. My soul felt lost, and overwhelmed, almost like I was trying to find my way back home. But, as I look back on the week that I spent at Lake Atilan with Aimee, writing my soul out. I came to the conclusion that I never actually lost myself. This is one of those experiences, that you can’t even put into words.. I will remember all of the infinite special moments from this week for the rest of my life. My life is forever changed. I also left Guatemala with 10 new sisters, who I know will be in my life forever!! Thank you Aimee for putting together the most enchanting magical women’s retreat that all of our souls knew we needed✨ this was by far the BEST most serendipitous week of my entire life. It was a week, I will never forget. If you are thinking of signing up for this retreat, JUST DO IT! You won’t regret one bit of it, your soul will be thanking you for the rest of your life, I promise🤍🫶💫
By Jordanne B for Journey Into Sacred Expression Women's Retreat, Lake Atitlan (AUGUST!) on Sep 20, 2023
This was such an incredible and transformational experience for me and the rest of the participants whom we now refer to as the sisterhood. This retreat far exceeded any expectations that I had and if you are thinking about it then just do it. The Lake is absolutely magical. Aimee. the facilitator, is incredibly talented and intuitive and somehow manages to guide you in stretching your soul and expanding your heart through stimulating writing assignments and other activities. It’s actually hard to describe except to say it was profound. I highly recommend.
By Rhonda J for Journey Into Sacred Expression Women's Retreat, Lake Atitlan (AUGUST!) on Sep 11, 2023
This retreat was overall one of the best and most rewarding experiences of my life. I did not know what to expect but this was even more than I could have ever imagined. The variety of activities, from meditation and yoga to movement/dance, sound healing, traditional Mayan fire ceremony and Chichimeca sweat lodge, kayaking, hiking and cultural excursions, I was continuously in awe of what I learned from each experience. Since this was a writer's retreat, I was most surprised at how many different types of prompts that Aimee would use to facilitate our writing. I did not come as a writer and was apprehensive about sharing my writing, but by the end of the retreat, I know that it was so healing for me. The Writing Circle became my favorite part. Writing and journaling is a practice I will now carry with me always. I loved listening to other women share their stories and writing and it inspires and empowers me. The writing circles created such a deep sense of connection that I believe would not had been possible if we did not have that as part of the retreat. Together, our group of 10 women and our retreat leader Aimee were nothing short of magic. We all held space for one another and I care for each one individually. With our collective experiences, we now share a sisterhood where we feel safe, loved and supported. I can not recommend this retreat enough to others. In addition, the venue of Villa Sumaya and the location at Lake Atitlan create the most stunning backdrop to create a sense of peace. The staff were incredibly helpful, each meal was delicious, healthy and lovingly prepared and the accomodations were beyond my wildest dreams. Truly I was surrounded by beauty in all directions. I am forever grateful for this experience and it has transformed me and the direction of my life. I hope that anyone considering this retreat says YES. The rewards from this one week will last a lifetime.
By Erin O for Journey Into Sacred Expression Women's Retreat, Lake Atitlan (AUGUST!) on Sep 07, 2023
The whole experience was incredibly enriching to the soul, heart and mind. I would go anywhere to be in Aimee's presence again. She is wise, strong of heart and mind and boldly intuitive. it didn't hurt that this time it was meant to happen in Villa Sumaya. It is beautiful and so very restful place-and inviting to the senses. Lake Atitlan and its volcanos are magical. I miss the lake so much that I've dream of it at night since the very first visit to the lake. I highly recommend this retreat and Villa Sumaya.
By Blanca S for Journey Into Sacred Expression Luxury Women's Retreat, Lake Atitlan on Aug 11, 2021
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References

The Storyteller Within Retreat with Aimee was a unique and totally-worth-it-experience! The conceptualization of the retreat is sophisticated and considerately. It´s like going on an adventurous journey through your feminine self and accompanied by a intuitive and smart mentor and poet. Aimee unites effortlessly unknown women from different worlds in a respect- and trustful way, the sacred circle arises. She creates a space for self-reflection, exchange and for silence and integration as well, another circle completes. In Guatemala there is even some time for seeing some of the beautiful surroundings and dip in the magical and by volcanos surrounded lake Atitlan. This was a great experience that helped me see and grow. Thank you so much, Aimee!
By Katharina G on 27 Aug, 2019
MC
This retreat was fabulous. Aimee had an incredible ability to bring all of us together to the point where at the end of the journey we all felt like we were long lost friends. Her ability to create space and foster the telling of each woman's story allowed each woman to own what story she was telling herself and what different one she wanted to create. This was a life changing perspective shift for myself and many others. If you have an opportunity, do this retreat!
By Maggie C on 06 Feb, 2018