Nourish the Soil | 20 March 2027
Join us on Saturday, March 20 for a day of connection, creativity, and renewal. Co-hosted by Allison El Koubi and Heather Ashton, this women’s retreat invites you to slow down, ground yourself, and consider what needs tending and nourishment for you to grow.
As winter loosens its hold and the first signs of spring emerge, we turn toward the earth, toward what grounds, nourishes, and sustains us. This women’s retreat invites us into a day of reflection and renewal, where tending the soil becomes a metaphor for tending ourselves. Together, we’ll root into what matters most, making space for rest, connection, and the quiet work beneath the surface that makes growth possible.
Why Nourish the Soil?
Our health in body, mind, spirit, and heart, and our connections to ourselves, one another, and the land, are essential to our well-being.
Healthy soil doesn't happen by accident. It needs attention. Nourishment. Rest. Time. Sometimes it needs something added. Sometimes something cleared away.
For one day, we'll pay attention to the ground beneath us and consider what it might teach us about the ground within us.
We'll explore what it means to tend the soil and, in turn, tend the soul: to notice what needs nourishment, what we want to cultivate, and what may need time and patience before it emerges.
We'll get our hands in the earth. We'll make space for the unseen work.
And we'll trust what is growing beneath the surface.
Nourish the Soil at a Glance
WHEN
Saturday, March 20, 2027
TIME
10 AM–6 PM
Come as early as 9 AM for coffee + pastries. Stay after 6 and linger around the fire.
WHO
An intimate gathering of approximately 30 women
WHAT
A full-day retreat designed to foster connection and renewal in body, mind, spirit, and heart.
HOW
Through intentional experiences with the earth, in the woods, around the fire, in circle, and over delicious food and drink.
What the Day Might Hold
Throughout our day together, we'll move between gathering and spaciousness, shared experiences and time to simply be. You can expect a thoughtful mix of:
hands in the earth • mindful movement • woodland wandering • community circle • creative reflection • nourishing food • fika • fireside connection • quiet • laughter • space
Everything is an invitation. There is nothing to accomplish.
Meet Your Co-Hosts
Allison El Koubi is the founder of Idyllwood Mountain Retreat and Home From Away, where she creates experiences rooted in connection, renewal, and belonging. A lifelong educator and former public school principal, she has spent more than 25 years creating spaces where people and communities can pause, reflect, connect, and grow.
Allison believes that tending the soil, both literally and metaphorically, can transform us. She delights in gathering women around a long table, creating meaningful rituals, and spending time on the trails in and around Shenandoah National Park. Through Idyllwood, she brings these loves together, creating space to slow down, pay attention, and nurture what matters.
Heather Ashton is drawn to creating spaces where women can slow down, listen, and reconnect with themselves and one another. She finds meaning in simple rituals like tending her garden, moving her body, and making room for quiet reflection, and is especially curious about the subtle ways we grow and change through different seasons of our lives.
For many years, Heather helped lead service-learning journeys for women to Guatemala, learning alongside midwives and traditional healers about women’s health, community wisdom, and the sacredness of care. Those experiences deepened her commitment to honoring women's stories, embodied wisdom, and the quiet courage it takes to grow in new directions.
Gather Around the Table
Food is part of how we gather at Idyllwood. Our shared meals create their own kind of spaciousness, inviting us to slow down, linger, and connect around the table.
Come as early as 9 AM for coffee, tea, and a light breakfast before our retreat begins at 10. Throughout the day, we’ll gather for brunch, fika, and dinner, with drinks and snacks available along the way.
Fika is a Swedish ritual of pausing for a hot drink and something sweet, enjoyed in the company of others.
We’ll do our best to accommodate dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free.
Choose the Contribution that Fits Your Season
At Idyllwood, whether we gather around a fire, in a circle, or at a shared table, each presence strengthens the whole. Our sliding scale is rooted in trust and reciprocity, an invitation to choose the contribution that feels right for your season.
$397 | Sustaining Contribution
Covers your place and helps set another seat at the table, keeping the circle wide and welcoming.
$197 | Shared Contribution
Reflects the true cost of creating this experience and sharing in the food, space, and care that nourish our gathering.
$97 | Supported Contribution
Makes participation more accessible when a lower contribution is helpful.
No matter which contribution you choose, the welcome is the same. Your presence completes our gathering.
A Few Things You Might Be Wondering
Can I stay overnight?
Yes! You're welcome to camp at Idyllwood on Friday and/or Saturday night at no additional cost. Campers have access to the half-bathrooms at Idyllwood Barn, and we'll provide plenty of firewood. Meals outside of Saturday's retreat are on your own. Prefer a bed? We can also point you toward nearby places to stay.
Can my family come for the weekend?
The retreat itself is for women ages 18+, but Idyllwood is surrounded by wonderful places for families to explore. Some participants choose to stay nearby with their families, enjoying Friday evening and Sunday together while reserving Saturday for the retreat.
What if it rains?
A little spring rain feels right at home at Nourish the Soil. We'll spend time outdoors and with the earth as conditions allow, with Idyllwood Barn offering a warm, cozy place to gather. We'll adapt our plans to whatever the day brings. Mud included!
How active is the retreat?
We'll walk in the woods, enjoy gentle movement, get our hands in the earth, and spend time outdoors, but this isn't a fitness retreat. Activities are invitational, and we'll make space for different bodies, abilities, and energy levels. Come exactly as you are.
Still wondering about something?
Visit our Retreat FAQs.
Ready to Nourish the Soil?
We'd love to make space for you in the circle.
