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Return to self retreat

A week-long retreat into slowness, rest, and returning to oneself through relationship with others and the living world.

About The Retreat

A week-long retreat into slowness, rest, and returning to oneself. We all carry an innate capacity for creativity, sensitivity, and imagination, yet we often lose touch with this inner terrain not because it disappears, but because we are rushed, fragmented, and disconnected. Returning to ourselves does not happen in isolation. It happens in relationship. By coming together, we create the conditions to soften, to rest where we usually brace, to enjoy without performance, and to listen without urgency. The collective becomes a gentle holding field, allowing us to risk being real and remember the quiet joy of belonging within the wider web of the living world.

How we sense the world shapes how we move within it. Slowing down brings us back into our bodies, our sensations, and the land beneath our feet. What emerges is not something to be shaped or mastered, but a felt sense of aliveness that arises when we feel safer, connected, and met. This aliveness is never only personal. It is relational and ecological, shaped through our relationships with one another, with place, and with the living world around us.

Return to Self Retreat is a living, communal space where rest, embodiment, and imagination intertwine. It is not about fixing ourselves or striving toward improvement, but about relearning how to be with life rather than manage it. Through gentle rituals, movement, crafting, dream work, reflection, and time in nature, we practice listening to the quiet intelligence moving through bodies, landscapes, and shared time.

This retreat invites us to loosen the grip of control and perfection, to step out of urgency, and to release the belief that we must carry everything alone. Held by community and land, new insights, stories, and ways of relating are given the space to emerge naturally, shaped not by effort, but by relationship.

“Was not the earth the true healer? A night’s sleep deep in the forrest. A quiet day in the company of birds. River water. Bitter herbs. This was the slow medicine that healed us from the soles of our feet upwards.

Sophie Strand
A DAY AT THE RETREAT
  • 08:00–09:30 –  Movement Class
  • 09:30–10:00 – Quiet Time by the River
  • 10:30–11:30 – Brunch
  • 11:30–12:30 – Check-in Circle
  • 13:00–15:00 – Workshop or Inner Inquiry
  • 15:00–18:00 – Free Time (Rest, River, Walks, Naps)
  • 18:00–19:00 – Dinner
  • 19:30–20:30 – Evening Integration
WE WILL EXPLORE

Cyclical living
Inner listening
Rest & napping
Herbal folk remedies
Silent walks
Water rituals
Solitude & digital detox
Conscious eating
Journaling & writing
Radical imagination & dream work
Creativity & self expression
Crafting & clay
Embodiment, movement & dance

Prices & accommodation

For a 7-day (6-night) retreat, including all classes, workshops, hikes, accommodation at The Grove, and two vegetarian buffets daily. The group will consist of a maximum of 23 participants. The price covers everything for the week, except flights and transportation to the retreat space. 

Community Care & Scholarship Spots

We hold the intention that collective spaces remain accessible.
We’ve already moved through our application process, including scholarship and support spots, and applications are now closed. If finances or circumstances are a barrier and you feel a strong resonance with this gathering, you’re welcome to reach out to us directly, and we can see what might still be possible.
Please email: hello@tara-retreats.com

The Space Holders

We believe that care and healing happens not in isolation but in collaboration. We are not here to instruct from above, but to walk alongside, to tend space, and to support what wants to unfold.

Marijana Lemm

Marijana is the founder of Tara Retreats, a community organizer, movement facilitator, and complementary medicine practitioner rooted between Montenegro and Berlin. For the past seven years, she has been hosting women’s and FLINTA gatherings that weave together movement, art, activism, and land-based learning. Her work is shaped by Balkan lineage and the experience of diasporic belonging, holding questions of home, land, and community as living, relational practices.

Felizitas Stilleke

Felizitas is a freelance dramaturge, curator, and artist working in Berlin’s independent performing arts scene. With a background in German Literature, pedagogy, and cultural poetics, she explores joyful, activist-driven collaborations. Creator of the podcasts The Mother in Me is the Mother in You and Goodbye Stranger, she uses storytelling to examine themes like motherhood and her father’s dementia.

Iman della Luna Glušac

Iman della Luna Glušac, born in Sarajevo during the Bosnian genocide, is a multidisciplinary artist and art therapist. Her own healing journey through art in the aftermath of war shaped her path toward art therapy, weaving personal experience, lineage, and care into her work. Through eco-conscious jewelry and artistic practices inspired by Bosnia’s landscapes and cultural heritage, she centers women’s healing, resilience, and embodied remembrance.

Elsa Evelyn

Elsa Grace Evelyn lives in close relationship with community land and slow, intentional ways of living in Devon, England. Rooted in daily practices of care and seasonality, her presence offers a lived reminder of moving at the pace of land rather than urgency. Through shared time and simple rhythms, she invites attention to interdependence and belonging, showing how community, land, and everyday life can be woven together.

Sara Musso

Sara Musso is a multidisciplinary artist, DJ, and space holder who grew up in Italy and is now based in Berlin. Shaped by feminist and intersectional organizing, her work lives at the crossroads of movement, music, language, and activism. Her practice centers collective liberation, justice, and embodied resistance, creating spaces where joy becomes a political force and the body a site of connection, responsibility, and shared humani

Dajana Grgić

At the retreat, Dajana will offer one to one Craniosacral Therapy sessions. This gentle, hands-on therapy is rooted in a biodynamic approach that emphasizes deep listening to the body’s natural rhythms and inner wisdom. It works with the subtle movements of the craniosacral system to support the body’s capacity for self-regulation and healing. Craniosacral Therapy can be deeply restorative, helping to relieve stress and tension, support emotional balance, ease chronic pain, and cultivate a sense of inner stillness.

THE PLACE

The Grove is a beautifully restored mill house nestled in the historic town of Stari Bar, Montenegro. Surrounded by ancient olive trees, mountain trails, and a freshwater stream flowing through the land, it offers a quiet refuge from the pace of everyday life. Stari Bar is alive with history and charm cobbled paths, the ruins of an old fortress, hidden waterfalls, and groves that have carried stories for centuries.

Meals are prepared in Sham’s kitchen, where Palestinian food is cooked with warmth and care. Nourishing dishes are made with seasonal produce from local farms, filling the table with flavors that are both homely and deeply rooted in tradition. Eating together becomes a ritual of belonging a way of sharing culture, story, and community through every bite.

DIGITAL DETOX

We recommend a digital detox to help you reconnect with your wild nature. While it’s not required, stepping away from technology can create space for deeper immersion in the natural world and allow you to rediscover your innate instincts.

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What our past guests have to say:​

Teodora, 27, Belgrade
Teodora, 27, BelgradeCreative Immersion participant
"The gathering was easily one of the highlights of my year and it feels impossible to find the right words to translate JUST how magical the week was. From the stunning venue, the most kind present facilitators and fresh soul-filled food, to all the thoughtfully curated activities, stories shared from the heart and lifelong friendships made. I felt so supported and held in more ways than I could've even imagined. The entire Tara team was incredibly knowledgeable and provided a perfect mix of guidance and freedom. It has been an absolute roller coaster of emotions, in the most beautiful way, a permission to be raw with everything that comes with that. I was a little nervous about being in a big group and how all the energies would work together. I genuinely believe these retreats attract the most remarkable, emotionally intelligent and caring individuals, that it creates a magical container for everyone to show up as they are and be welcomed for it. I'm honored and deeply grateful to have been a part of this wonderful community. The connections sparked at Tara will surely keep blossoming and sprinkling their fairy magic for a long, long time. "
JessalynCreative Immersion participant
“I have emerged from the creative retreats as a new version of myself and with a new understanding of my own creativity. During the week with 20 amazing women and a digital detox, I got to explore what creativity means to me and what motivates my creativity. This retreat was the perfect place to explore different expressions of creativity, while experiencing and growing my confidence and direction amongst all of the love of new friendships. I learned that my creativity is motivated when I am in friendship and community, not when I am by myself. And I learned that one of my strongest creative callings is storytelling. I ended up meeting a number of women that have been and will continue to be mentors to me as I emerge in my new career which was directly impacted by the butterfly effect of meeting the women on this retreat. At the end of the week, we did a re-integration circle to discuss how to emerge from the magical week of nature walks, body movement, creativity workshops, and dancing blue dragon flies following with us while we swam in the river pools. The gratitude circle was my favorite part, where we sat on the floor with our eyes closed and the other women came one-by-one for a few minutes and whispered affirmations in our ears. I almost made myself sick from laughing and crying, it was better than 1,000 birthdays to be seen, understood, and appreciated by these 20 amazing women. Thank you to Tara Retreats of Montenegro|"
Carolyna Doucette, USACreative Immersion participant
“Spending a week at Tara was nothing short of enchanting. A spell of stillness and sisterhood that will forever be woven the fabric of my soul. I arrived alone, and I’m so grateful I did. If you’re reading this wondering whether to bring a friend or come solo, trust me, you’ll be wrapped in the warmest embrace the moment you arrive. There’s a bit of magic in experiencing these retreats alone, it pushes you to connect and break out of your shell. Each day invited me deeper into my feminine, into softness, presence, and truth. I met the most extraordinary women, radiant and divine, many of which I still call sisters to this day. We danced, screamed, cried, played, and created. The daily practices brought me back into my body, into the here and now. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so grounded, so alive. The Tara facility rests beside a river so pristine, I loved waking up to the sounds of the water flowing through the land. It’s also home to the bluest dragonflies I’ve ever seen, it was a delight getting to see them dance in the river every day. The food was soulful and nourishing, the facilitators held space with such grace. It was an honor getting to experience them teach us, as if they were born to do this. Every detail, from the land to the laughter, felt touched by something sacred. I left Tara with a full heart and a quiet mind. I am counting down the days until I return to that river, that sisterhood, that sanctuary of magic once more."

Frequently Asked Questions​

What should I bring with me?

Here is a packing list that you might find helpful when getting ready for the retreat ahead:

  • Comfortable clothes for movement and other activities
  • Closed suitable shoes for walking/hiking
  • Swimsuit if you want to go swimming (we also have a Jacuzzi)
  • Journal and pens
  • Toiletries (all natural products are suggested due to the organic sewage system)
  • Sunscreen, sunglasses and hat for sunny days
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Rain jacket (in case it happens to rain)
  • Sea shoes (there may be sea urchins at the beach)
How to get here?

You can travel to our retreats either by air plane, train or bus.

For getting to the retreat from Sutomore train station, Tivat airport or Podgorica airport, there is a great local taxi driver Stefan who you can contact beforehand via Whatsapp (+382 69444506). We will be creating a whatsapp group chat for everyone a little closer to the retreat start date where you can find other guests you might like to carpool with. 

What if I have to cancel the gathering?

For the latest information on our Reschedule & Cancellation policy.

Who is this retreat for?

This retreat is open to women aged 18 to 80. We value intergenerational spaces and collective care.

This retreat is created for women and the FLINTA community.  When we use the word ‘women’, we are referring to a person with a uterus. We are FLINTA friendly.

Is their wifi available?

There will be a digital detox on the whole retreat.

What is the typical group size?

The maximum group size for this retreat is 25 women. 

Can I join this retreat on my own?

You absolutely can! Most of our guests come alone and love the experience. It is a safe environment to be yourself and form authentic friendships. We have seen some of the most beautiful connections blossom during these retreats.

Where to stay - extra days in Montenegro

Depending on your flights, you may have an extra day to enjoy Montenegro before:

Our favourite places to enjoy your time in Montenegro:

Hoopoe Glamping (Lake Skadar)
The Grove Hostel (Bar)
Wild river rafting at Tara River (Grab Etno Village)
Kite Surfing at Ada Bojana
Porcelani (mountainside getaway airbnb neat Skadar)
Hiking in the Cursed Mountains or Dormitor
Airbnbs in our nearby town Buljarica & Petrovac
If you would like to adventure a little further and have more time, Kotor is a beautiful, UNESCO world herited city and if you love nature we would recommend you to go explore the Durmitor mountains, Tara river and the cursed mountains near Albania, for some of the most beautiful, clear lakes!

If you would like to know more about nice places to stay in Montenegro, feel free to email us and we will give you more information.