What’s this all about?
This isn’t your average “bonding day.”
This is barefoot-in-the-forest, hands-in-the-clay, connecting over realness kind of magic.
It’s a day where mothers and daughters (ages 10+) come together to gently let go of old body stories—especially the ones we’ve quietly inherited—and reclaim something way more powerful: compassion, connection, and joy in our bodies… and each other.
We’ll spend the day surrounded by forest and river, creating, moving, reflecting, and laughing as we rewild ourselves—body and soul.
Why Rewilding?
Because modern culture is toxic for our daughters. Mental health statistics since social media came on the scene paint a grim picture. And to be fair womanhood has been under pressure since ancient times with the rise of patriarchal societies.
And now our technological deep dive is creating a disconnect from our bodies and keeping us trapped in heads full of concerns about far too many things we have little control over.
Mother Nature has lessons for us on what it looks like to compost this cultural poo and turn it into brilliant fertilizer.
Because our bodies were never the problem—just wild places forgotten.
And the Mother Nature? She has been waiting for our return to her wild wonderfulness.
This playful heart centred experience draws on tenants of:
- Creative Somatic Ecotherapy, (body based artistic work that uses nature's power to help us uncover our limiting core beliefs.)
- Nonviolent Communication (to learn new more compassionate ways to speak to ourselves and others.)
- Hakomi-inspired practices (Mindful Heart centred work that believes that your body, mind, and spirit ultimately have a force that pulls you towards wholeness.)
You don’t need to be “healed” or “close” or “perfect” to join us. You just need to show up. Curious about your wildness. That’s enough.
What We’ll Be Doing
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Creating Papatuānuku: We start the day by building a body from nature—sticks, stones, moss, and meaning—offering a way to reconnect with the sacredness of our own physical forms.
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Walking with Wonder: A gentle forest walk with prompts and somatic invitations to feel more present, embodied, and alive.
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Clay Ritual: Shape the stories you’ve carried—and reshape them into something beautiful, together.
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Mindful Potluck Picnic: A shared meal where we slow down, taste deeply, and have real conversations about food, body, and inheritance.
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Nature Mandala Art: Co-create a nature-based artwork that celebrates your shared transformation.
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Letting Go Ceremony: Say goodbye to shame and hello to self-love with a river-side ritual of release.
- Since 2017 Mandi has been running a non profit called Every Body is a Treasure Charitable Trust.
- She is a master photographer, creative somatic ecotherapist, and a youth worker.
- She has worked in women's health for 29 years and spent the past 15 working specifically around creative ways to loosen body shame.
- Her film Finding Venus has travelled the world inspiring mothers and daughters to rethink their relationship with their bodies and their daughters' bodies.
- She loves to create workshops that lead to connection with each other, nature, and our bodies.
Most of the workshops happen near camping facilities if you want to make your nature adventure even more of an extended mother daughter adventure. The masterton one even happens next to the Holdsworth lodge where you can hire bunks for a sleep over.
