The Purpose
This retreat was born from the need to create a grounded and culturally attuned space. A spacr where third-culture women shaped by collectivist roots while navigating Western, individualist spaces, can come to pause and tune into their own internal voice and needs.
Women who have learned to be responsible, capable, and emotionally composed, even when their internal world feels fragmented or exhausted.
Rest is not always simple for us.
Softening can feel unfamiliar.
And “slowing down” often comes with guilt.
RTS is an invitation to restore coherence between what you carry externally and what you feel internally. It is a structured yet spacious weekend designed to help you slow down and explore what rest and self care actually means in your body, and what stands in the way of it.
Through guided reflection, gentle movement, and intentional dialogue, we will explore how family expectations, inherited roles, and social conditioning live in the nervous system, and reconnect to a sense of self that doesn't require performance.
This is not about fixing yourself.
It is about understanding yourself, so you can discern what you truly need to thrive.
A space to put something down. To reconnect with your voice beyond inherited expectations. To soften without collapsing. To rest without earning it.
Please note: This retreat is a restorative experience, not therapy. It does not constitute mental health treatment and is not a substitute for professional care.
What the Weekend Includes
Friday
- Early dinner out (self-pay)
- Intention-setting circle
- Guided evening meditation
Saturday
- Gentle morning stretch
- Breakfast (smoothie bar + warm options)
- Session I: The Body Remembers
- Catered lunch
- Session II: Between Two Worlds
- Sound bowl experience
- Private chef dinner
Sunday
- Morning reflection
- Fire release ritual
- Closing circle
Between Two Worlds
What does it mean to belong when you were shaped by more than one reality? Many of us move between collectivist roots and Western frameworks. Between family loyalty and personal autonomy. Between responsibility and desire. Between who we were raised to be and who we’re becoming. In this space, we won’t debate which world is “right.”
Instead, we’ll explore where you feel home in yourself, where you feel split, and which values feel grounding or heavy. We’ll examine identity not as a problem to solve, but as something living and evolving. There is no correct balance between worlds, only the balance that feels honest in your body. Together, we’ll make room for that honesty.
“I don’t believe healing happens through being told what to do. It happens through being witnessed as you remember yourself.”
Beya
The Body Remembers
There are stories we can name. And then there are the ones our bodies carry. Before language. Before analysis. Before we even realize they’re there. This session is an invitation to gently notice what lives beneath the surface; how culture, expectation, migration, gender, achievement, and survival may have shaped your nervous system in ways that feel automatic.
This isn’t about fixing, it’s about becoming curious through guided somatic reflection, and shared dialogue. Many of our reactions make sense in the context of where we come from. Together, we’ll look at them with curiosity instead of shame.
Your body isn’t a problem to decode, it carries the imprint of family, culture, and survival. Instead of trying to decode or correct it, we’ll work to understand the history living inside it.
The Property
The Location
Welcome to Phoenix, Arizona, your desert haven for the 2026 Return To Self retreat. We’ll be gathering in a spacious, light-filled home with open common areas and cozy bedrooms designed for rest and unhurried connection.
The property includes multiple indoor gathering spaces for group circles, a fully equipped kitchen for shared meals, and comfortable lounge areas where you can curl up with tea or a journal. Outside, you’ll enjoy a private pool and hot tub, pickleball court, sauna, and a small gym for gentle movement. There’s also an outdoor movie screen and game areas inside and out, offering plenty of playful, low-pressure ways to connect, and rest between sessions.
Who This Is For
This space is for immigrant daughters and third-culture women who navigate the quiet weight of expectation. It is an intentional, affirming refuge for all women.
Before reserving your spot, all attendees are asked to complete the Retreat Interest Form. This helps us prepare intentionally and ensure a thoughtful, aligned experience for everyone attending. You’ll receive next steps to confirm your registration after submitting the form.
June 12–14, 2026
Phoenix, Arizona
8–10 women
This is not a commitment. Just a brief form to determine alignment and next steps.
Early participants will receive first access and priority confirmation as part of our founding circle.
What’s Included:
Accommodations
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2-night stay in a private luxury desert retreat home (shared accommodations)
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Spacious indoor/outdoor gathering areas
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Access to private pool and hot tub
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Sauna access
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On-site gym + yoga mats
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Outdoor lounge spaces for reflection and connection
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Meals & Nourishment
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Saturday breakfast (smoothie bar + hot options)
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Saturday lunch
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Saturday Private chef dinner
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Sunday light breakfast refreshments
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All Weekend snacks + hydration stations
Meals are intentionally selected to support grounding, clarity, and sustained energy throughout the weekend.
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Facilitated Sessions (7 Total)
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Opening Intention Setting Circle
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The Body Remembers — Somatic + Nervous System Workshop
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Between Two Worlds — Identity & Cultural Reflection
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Guided Gentle Movement Session
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Sound Bowl Meditation
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Integration + Expansion Workshop
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Closing Ritual & Reflection Circle
Each session is intentionally structured and interactive, not lecture-based, with space for reflection, embodiment, and regulation.
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Materials & Extras
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Custom retreat workbook
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Curated welcome gift
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Access to communal spaces throughout the weekend
Investment
FOUNDING CIRCLE— $444
Limited to first 3 women
Available for 72 hours only
Payment Options:
Pay in full: $444
OR $200 deposit + 1 payment of $244 (due May 15)
EARLY ENROLLMENT DISCOUNT — $555
Available for until 3/15
Payment Options:
Pay in full: $555
OR $200 deposit
2 payments of $177.50
Full payment due by May 15
STANDARD INVESTMENT — $625
Payment Options:
Pay in full: $625
OR $200 deposit
2 payments of $212.50
Full payment due by May 15
Meet the Retreat Founder
Hi there,
My name is Beya.
I’m a Congolese American immigrant daughter and a graduate-level counseling psychology clinician in advanced training. I know firsthand what it costs to live between two worlds, and how that tension doesn’t just live in your thoughts. It lives in your body.
That lived experience is why I created Return to Self.
This is not a self-optimization intensive.
It is a space for women shaped by migration, collectivist roots, and inherited responsibility — who are ready, in their own timing, to set some of that weight down.
Many of us were raised inside sacrifice.
We learned early how to achieve, adapt, and carry.
We became strong.
And at some point, the strength feels heavy.
Maybe your body has begun pushing back; through exhaustion, tension, or a quiet sense that you’ve outgrown a role you once wore proudly.
Maybe you’re realizing you’re allowed to grow beyond inherited narratives without rejecting where you come from.
This space meets you there.
During the RTS retreat, we will approach family and culture with respect, while gently start to unravel what is no longer yours to carry.
Rest here is not indulgent.
It is not something you have to earn.
It is allowed.
During this retreat, you do not have to translate your background, minimize your ambition, or prove your gratitude.
It is a space to slow down.
To regulate your nervous system.
To understand the history your body has been holding.
And to soften, without losing your strength.
Thank you for taking this step.
I’m honored to hold space for you.
xoxo,
Beya