7th - 10th August 2026
Embracing the Light
A men's retreat that embraces reflection, celebration, and renewed purpose.
The age of the Lone Wolf is over.
It's time to gather the pack.
We live in a very different world to the one which our fathers inhabited. In order to turn towards the personal and collective challenges we have to face in these turbulent and uncertain times, the strength that men have found in skill, intellect, independence and stoicism now needs to be seasoned with something else.
Embracing the Light is a retreat for men who understand that something fundamental is shifting - not just in our own lives, but in the world around us. Whether you're navigating questions about purpose and meaning, feeling the pull between who you are and who you're expected to be, or simply recognising that the old ways of doing things aren't serving you anymore - this retreat offers space to pause, reflect, reconnect and refocus.
Led by Oliver Bettany and Alistair Mayor, experienced guides in men's work, psychotherapy and ecopsychology, this retreat creates a container for honest reflection and genuine connection. Set within 47 acres of ancient Welsh woodland at The Dreaming in August, when the land is rich and the days are long, you'll step away from the demands of daily life to take stock of where life has taken you and where to go next.
This isn't therapy. It's not a self-help seminar. It's an immersive, embodied experience that uses fire, earth, poetry and myth to help you see your life with fresh eyes and reconnect with the vitality that often gets buried beneath responsibility and routine.
What to Expect
This retreat is intentionally timed for late August, as the land moves into harvest and the long days hold summer's fullness. We meet when the light is abundant and the year's harvest is ready to be gathered in.
Over four days, you'll move through experiences designed to balance celebration with inquiry, adventure with reflection. You'll gather around fires, walk the land at dusk, spend time alone in nature, and share honest conversation with other men who are asking the same kinds of questions of life that you are.
The retreat draws on ancient practices and archetypal frameworks - using images, symbols, and stories as bridges to deeper understanding. These aren't intellectual exercises; they're invitations to experience yourself differently and to explore the tensions that shape men's lives: between action and belonging, between wildness and responsibility, between what you've achieved and what you're called toward.
This stage of life is like a doorway weathered and as ancient as a standing stone. The doorway is small, reminding us of the earlier days of our life when we weren't weighed down by the baggage that we all tend to acquire. In order to step through this doorway we need to leave behind some of the things we have carried in our backpack that no longer serve us.
This retreat asks what you need to take with you and what you need to leave behind. It does so through the experience of being in a community of fellow travellers, through connection with the land, through silence and solitude, through the vulnerability of gathering with other men without the usual armor, through the telling of stories and the experience of being storied.
Your Guides
Oliver Bettany and Alistair Mayor are experienced practitioners in men's work, nature connection, and rites of passage. They create containers that are simultaneously adventurous and safe, challenging and nourishing - holding space for men to explore the full range of who they are.
Their approach weaves ancient wisdom with contemporary understanding of men's development, using the land as primary teacher.
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Ollie is a counsellor, ecopsychologist, teacher and men's work leader living on the edge of Dartmoor with his wife and son. Over fifteen years as a therapist and activist, he has supported individuals and organisations through periods of profound transition and change - bringing his deep grounding in humanistic counselling, archetypal psychology, shadow work and soul into everything he does.
He is the founder of Wild Oak CIC and The Wellspring, a men's mentoring community in South Devon, where he works at the intersection of nature, psyche and belonging to address the quiet epidemic of male isolation.Ollie's practice is rooted in the understanding that a sense of individual balance and wholeness can only be attained through an experience of connectedness with the wilder parts of ourselves and the world.
Drawing on specialised training in ecopsychology and nature-based practice, he weaves together the wisdom of thinkers like Jung, Bill Plotkin and James Hollis with the poetry of Rilke, Rumi, David Whyte and Mary Oliver and - most importantly - direct encounter with the wild and living world.
He works with individuals, couples and groups, holding space for the kind of slow, honest reckoning that the soul asks of us, particularly at life's threshold moments.
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Alistair is a father, a psychotherapist, a dancer, a supervisor, a trainer, and a group facilitator. He’s most comfortable on the hills or the dance floor.
With over 20 years’ experience as a therapist, Alistair has worked with a diverse collection of people in a variety of settings. He began his career working with substance misuse, vulnerable young people, and running a “Super Dads” program for dads and their kids.
He has also spent many years teaching therapists and bringing dozens of counsellors into the world to take the work further.
Alistair works from a holistic integral perspective supporting people to grow up, clean up, and wake up. Acknowledging that lasting change comes from exploring what people do, who they are, and where they belong.
He’s passionate about keeping it real, focusing on actual noticeable change, and keeping connected to our bodies and the land we walk on.
This retreat is for you if:
You're sensing it's time for something in your life to shift
You've achieved a certain level of success but find yourself asking "Is this it?"
You've never been on a retreat or done "men's work" but you're open to trying
You recognize that going it alone isn't working the way it used to
You want to connect with other men in a way that goes deeper than surface chat
You're ready to step outside your comfort zone - not dramatically, but meaningfully
No previous experience is necessary. Just a willingness to show up honestly and engage with whatever arises. Whether you are completely new to this kind of work or have been walking this path for years, you are welcome.
Booking Details
Dates : 7th August - 10th August 2026
Check In : 3pm
Check Out : 10am
Location : Rhydoldog House, Rhayader, Wales, LD6 5HB
For more info on how to get here, click here.
Pricing
Pricing is on a sliding scale based on your room choice, starting from £651.
What’s Included:
3 night’s luxury accommodation
All of your nourishing home cooked food & drinks
Beautifully curated retreat programme
Access to 47 acres of ancient, breathtaking lands
Access to our natural plunge pools
Enjoy our tranquil home and gardens
“Words can’t describe the energy that this place holds, from the minute you arrive you can feel the magic. We had the most beautiful weekend with the most amazing people, I will cherish the memories for a lifetime.”
- Claire Wright
The Nurturer Guest, 2024
“I knew my time at The Dreaming would be a wonderful break in stunning surroundings but I was not prepared for it to be life changing. You leave The Dreaming wondering, "Was I dreaming?" but thankfully, it's all real.”
- Kiri Pritchard McLean
Comedian, Writer & Former Artist in Residence
The Location
Nestled in the heart of the Elan Valley, Wales. Our retreat offers a serene and rejuvenating environment, away from busy work life, whatever the weather.
Set within forty seven glorious acres of ancient land, The Dreaming is a rural wonder which offers true serenity and blissful tranquility. Once a 15th century Cistercian monastery, this fabulous property passed through Georgian and Victorian aristrocratic families to the designer Laura Ashley and her family in the 20th century.
Laura Ashley directed her multinational interior design company from Rhydoldog House and then, in 2020, our founder Charlotte Church, with the help of talented collaborators, reimagined, refurbished and reconfigured it.
Our Rooms
Luxurious rooms with modern amenities awaits you, each designed by award winning designers to provide comfort and tranquility.
Each rooms interior reflect our passion for other cultures. Natural materials and tactile draping create den-like spaces, whilst original floorboards and textured walls give coherence and a cosseting feel to the seven rooms, each with its own distinct name and character.
The essence of connection thrives through our shared rooms. Our distinctive approach assigns beds individually rather than by room, encouraging meaningful interactions with fellow guests.
Embracing shared living is ingrained in The Dreaming’s values, creating an environment where bonds flourish.
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For 2 Individuals Sharing
Inspired by Luna herself, The Moon is designed to honour the lunar goddesses. Using handmade natural materials, it is a purifying and calming space, with soft flowing white fabrics. Luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens, a spacious seating area, and an ensuite with moon-shaped bath overlooking the Moon Garden.
It is south facing, overlooking the Elemental garden, with a breathtaking view of the Nant Caethon Valley.
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Mixed Gender Dorm / For Four Individuals Sharing / 4 x Single Beds
An exceptional space designed for four guests to experience the perfect blend of tranquility and connection.
South-facing with a private balcony, this room offers breathtaking views of the Elemental garden and the Nant Caethon Valley, making it the perfect setting for shared moments of peace and reflection. The room's hand-sewn furnishings, crafted from a collection of rich Indian saris, shift in colour as the day progresses, adding to the room's vibrant yet serene ambiance. Its spacious seating area and single beds with fabric privacy screens provide both comfort and intimacy, while encouraging guests to relax, unwind, and enjoy quality time together.
The ensuite bathroom features a stunning golden tadelakt shower, enveloped by lush botanical plants, creating a truly rejuvenating experience. Whether you're here to bond with loved ones or create new memories with friends, The Mystic Room is a haven that invites relaxation, connection, and renewal. Sharing this beautiful space enhances the experience, offering not just a room, but a sanctuary for togetherness. South-facing with a balcony, to take in the breathtaking views of the Elemental garden and the Nant Caethon Valley.
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For 2 individuals sharing
The best place to experience the breaking of day, The Dawn is south facing with a balcony to enjoy the view of the Elemental garden and the Nant Caethon Valley.
The handmade soft furnishings were created using natural dyes to reflect the colours of sunrise, bringing a brightness to the room. With luxurious beds and fabric privacy screens, a seating area, rustic pine furniture, and an altar to honour the solar deities, a stay in The Dawn is an energy restoring experience. Its bathroom is across the hall, and has a Moroccan-inspired tangerine tadelakt shower.
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For 2 Individuals Sharing
Inspired by the wonders of mycelium (the network of fungal threads that connects all the plants of the forest together) The Mushroom is designed and crafted using rustic natural materials to achieve an earthy, grounded feel, dark antique wooden furniture and warm neutral tones in its spacious seating area, and luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens.
It is south facing, overlooking the Elemental garden, with a breathtaking view of the Nant Caethon Valley, and includes an ensuite bathroom, with a walk-in shower, and a bath with a view, surrounded by a selection of botanical plants.
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For 3 Individuals Sharing
A stay at The Wanderer is an immersive experience, with natural materials and artefacts from Africa, Peru and Mexico. This is the room for explorers, and has a spacious seating area, and luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens.
The room is south facing, overlooking the Elemental garden, with a breathtaking view of the Nant Caethon Valley, and includes an ensuite bathroom, with a shower and bath, and a window seat to take in the view.
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For 1 Individual or Couples
Honouring the design and forest reverence in Japanese culture, Forest Spirits is north facing and overlooks the ancient woodland.
With traditional Japanese tatami flooring, a spacious seating area, and a luxurious king-size bed, the room also has an ensuite bathroom with a black tadelakt shower and a porcelain lotus sink. Immersive Japanese experience for all of the senses, including the scent of traditional Japanese Tatami Mats.
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For 2 Individuals Sharing
North-facing to the deep forests, The Womb is a celebration of womanhood. With soft flowing fabrics, all handmade and dyed using natural ingredients, it has the nourishing, secure feeling of being swaddled. Luxurious beds with fabric privacy screens, a seating area, and a playful ensuite with a pink tadelakt shower.