breath of the land retreat
A 4- day retreat at Carlton Towers where you’ll reconnect with nature through guided animism practices, meditation and gentle movement, led by land whisperer Dr. Patrick MacManaway.
There is a language older than words. The trees speak it. The soil holds it. The wind carries it.
Breath of the Land Retreat is a rare opportunity to step beyond the noise of modern life and into a living relationship with the landscape at the beautiful Carlton Towers.
Led by Dr. Patrick MacManaway - dowser, geomancer and healer with over 30 years experience in the subtle arts of nature consciousness — together with Mariska Gunter, Carlton Towers’ own retreat facilitator, this retreat offers you the tools, practices and the space to truly tune into what the land is saying.
“An Immersion Into Elemental & Nature Consciousness”
About Patrick
Dr. Patrick MacManaway is a land whisperer, dowser, and geomancer with over 30 years of professional experience. Raised and initially trained at his parents’ Healing and Teaching Centre in rural Fife, Scotland, he is a third-generation practitioner dedicated to the subtle arts of healing and communication with the many natural realms of consciousness in our environment.
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what to expect
A transformative, sensory-based uk retreat designed to reshape your experience of everyday life. Relax and rediscover one’s awareness of the natural, living world as a community of interconnected, living beings rather than a collection of resources. Move beyond simply being outdoors to fully experiencing the environment within and around the body. Your classroom is Carlton Towers’ 250 acres of beautiful parkland and mature woods.
You will learn the principals of animism, elemental consciousness and other practices which focus on nurturing the ancient connections between the human experience and nature.
Some gentle physical movement deepens the sense of connection with oneself and the universe around us.
Your accommodation is the comfortable and well-appointed en-suite state bedrooms of Carlton Towers - where heritage and hospitality meet to create lasting memories. Food is locally sourced, and carefully presented by our in-house chefs. Your retreat group has exclusive use of Carlton Towers during your stay.
2027 DATES
Monday 5th July - Thursday 8th July 2027
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Prices
Single Occupancy - £950.00 per person
Double Occupancy - £750.00 per person
CONNECT WITH OUR TEAM
Looking for assistance or more information regarding our Wellness Retreats?
Talk to a member of our friendly team - 9:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.
your facilitator
Born in South Africa, Mariska carries the spirit of the African earth, forests, woodlands, and sea within her soul. Her early experiences of finding peace and understanding through solitude and deep reflection have shaped her into a guide for those seeking meaningful connection, with themselves, with others, and with the natural world.
A certified Vinyasa yoga instructor, Sylvotherapist, Reiki 2 practitioner, and holistic masseuse, Mariska draws on the rich and varied training to offer a truly integrated path to wellbeing - one that moves the body, quiets the mind, and restores the spirit’s connection to nature.
Mariska’s life’s work is dedicated to the health of humanity and the planet we call home. She believes that our pursuit of optimal health and longevity must begin within, and a collective rise in consciousness, allowing us to thrive within nature rather than resist the very life force that sustains us.
At Carlton Towers, Mariska invites you to embark on a three-day journey of reconnection. Through the flowing movement of vinyasa yoga, the grounding practice of sylvotherapy (forest bathing), the subtle energy work of Reiki, discover the profound interconnectedness of all souls and experience the joy of coming home to yourself, to community, and to the natural world that embraces us all.
Join Mariska for an unforgettable retreat where ancient wisdom meets present moment awareness, and where every experience is crafted with care, intention, and the vibrant energy of the African spirit that flows through her work.
Explore the itinerary
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Please Note: The below is an example itinerary and certain activities may alter due to weather conditions.
Check-In - 3:00pm
Opening Circle/Welcome - 5:00pm to 6:00pm
Dinner - 7:00pm
Retreat to your room - Approx. 9:00pm
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Rise & Shine Yoga - 7:30am
Breakfast - 8:00am to 9:00am
Animism Land and Consciousness Presentation - 9:00am to 10:30am
Break - 10:30am to 11:15am
Elemental consciousness experienced through beverage blessing and embodied experience - 11:15am to 12:45pm
Lunch - 1:00pm
Landscape Bathing & Plant Communication - 1:45pm to 3:30pm
Tea & Relax - 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Dance 5 Rhythms - 4:30pm
Dinner - 7:00pm
Retreat to your room - Approx. 9:00pm
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Rise & Shine Yoga - 7:30am
Breakfast - 8:00am
Circular Consciousness Presentation - 9:00am to 10:30am
Meditation To Meet Elementals Nature Spirits & Angels - 11:15pm to 12:45pm
Lunch - 1:00pm
Reflective Land Walking - 1:45pm to 3:30pm
Tea & Cake - 3:30pm to 4:30pm
Reflections, Q&A’s - 4:30pm to 5:30pm
Dine in the Vines - 7:00pm
Sharing of poem, songs and stories - After Dinner
Retreat to your room - Approx. 9:00pm
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Rise & Shine Yoga - 7:30pm
Breakfast - 8:00am to 9:00am
Meditation: Dreaming the best future for all - 9:00am to 10:30am
Group photo, goodie bag giving and check-out - 11:00am
book your retreat
“An Immersion Into Elemental & Nature Consciousness”
There is a language older than words. The trees speak it. The soil holds it. The wind carries it.
Breath of the Land Retreat is a rare opportunity to step beyond the noise of modern life and into a living relationship with the landscape at the beautiful Carlton Towers.
Led by Dr. Patrick MacManaway - dowser, geomancer and healer with over 30 years experience in the subtle arts of nature consciousness — together with Mariska Gunter, Carlton Towers’ own retreat facilitator, this retreat offers you the tools, practices and the space to truly tune into what the land is saying.
Monday 5th - Thursday 8th July 2027
Single Occupancy - £950.00 per person
Double Occupancy - £750.00 per person