Remembering Softness Retreat
What: An Ayurvedic Retreat for Women – with Claudia Batschari and Tharien Pieterse
Where: Bodhi Khaya (2.5 hours from Cape Town)
When: Thursday 10th – Sunday 13th September 2026
From the constant DOING, represented by the masculine sun and linear goal-driven world, we will move into softness and connection with the cooling, feminine BEING energy of the moon. We invite you to unfold, let go and surrender.
Step into a circle of sisterhood at Bodhi Khaya. Here, we’ll drop deeper into the cocoon that the New Moon offers, exploring our emotional and spiritual bodies, communal healing and connection with the natural world.
We’ll connect with the rhythms of Mother Earth, the wisdom of the forest, the flow of water, and the beautiful African sky – and practice the art of simply BEING through Ayurvedic rituals.
Nestled in the Wild Pod at Bodhi Khaya, we’ll enjoy delicious, nourishing Ayurvedic meals and medicinal tonics… with plenty of space to reconnect with our hearts and find a sense of belonging within ourselves and each other.
We’ll honour the innate gifts of healing and walking our paths together as women. From coming-of-age to menopause – and all the important life phases in-between, we will honour this ancient wisdom: when a woman heals, the family heals; when the family heals, the world heals.
We are committed to holding a space that invites you to trust your own experience, connect with your body, and reclaim your personal authority.
What you can expect
Pre-Retreat self led Cleanse: We begin our journey at home. A self led Ayurvedic cleanse prepares your physical and energetic body for the stillness to come, clearing the noise of the modern world.
The Sacred Feminine Circle at Bodhi Khaya: Nestled within the ancient forests of Bodi Khaya, the Wild Pod is a space for honouring our innate gifts. We gather to unfold, remember, and support one another, surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the wild.
Deep Restoration in Nature’s Spa: Restore your nervous system with a sauna in the forest, sitting at beautiful meditation pools, and embarking on quiet nature walks.
Seasonal flow with Ayurveda: Find balance through the wisdom of Ayurveda, restorative yoga, continuous connected breathwork, grounding Ayurvedic meals, and medicinal tonics.
The Gift of Silence: Dedicated time for introspection to hear the whispers of your heart and the ancient wisdom of the land.
What Makes this Retreat Special
Surrounded by wild beauty, this is a space to smell the plants and the air again, feel your feet touching the ground and sink into it and be received by this ancient land, allowing you to ground and find stillness within you.
Ayurveda will guide us to reconnect with our inner rhythm and natures seasons again.
Allow us to take you into the simple things of life. When life gets complicated, Ayurveda tells us to simplify.
We are dedicated to create the space for you and hold you in beauty and reverence on your path to yourself…
Sample Day at the Retreat
07:00 – Morning Yoga & Meditation
08:30 – Ayurvedic Breakfast
10:00 – Nature and Wellness Immersion
12:00 – Nourishing Ayurvedic Lunch including Ayurvedic Wisdom, Blessing and Silence
13:00 – 15::00 – Free Time
15:00 – Afternoon Session (e.g. Women’s Circle, Breathing, Movement, Creative Immersion)
17:00 – Gentle Yoga
18:00 – Light Ayurvedic Dinner
19:30 – Stories at the fire with a mug of Ayurvedic Sleep Tonic
(Schedule may vary based on the flow of the retreat.)
What’s included
- 3 nights accommodation
- 3 daily delicious and nutritious Ayurvedic meals + afternoon snacks
- Water, Ayurvedic teas, coffee served throughout the day
- Daily yoga, meditation + breathing
- Sauna sessions
- Processes, ceremonies, women circles
- Pre and post retreat support
Retreat Rates
Single cottage rooms – R9800,- – R11 000,- pp
Shared cottage rooms – R8825,- – R9425,- pp
Single A-frame cottage – R9350,- pp
Shared A-frame cottages – R8750,- pp
BYOT Camping – R7550,- pp
About Our Facilitators
We share a deep passion for Ayurveda and specialise in various elements of this beautiful science of life, from Ayurvedic cleanses and nutrition to yoga, massage, and herbal tonics. Our embodied experience offers practical processes that can be integrated into your life with ease.
Claudia Batschari is a passionate, embodied Ayurvedic practitioner, searcher and ‘forever student’ of wellbeing, the natural world, and how we can live in balance within it. She loves to sit in a circle, creating workshops and retreats. She is deeply curious and loves to go deep into the psyche and live life with reverence.
She offers twice yearly a well-loved Ayurvedic Online Cleanse, Retreats in South Africa and Europe, Skin Care-, Nutrition- and Seasonal – Immersions and facilitates a twice yearly Ayurvedic Wellness Circle over the period of half a year.
With 20 years of immersion in Ayurveda, yoga and breathwork, Tharien Pieterse offers a holistic approach to wellbeing as a practitioner, yoga teacher, and massage therapist. She studied at the Art of Living Ashram in India and the School Yoga Institute in Guatemala.
Her practice is rooted in the earth; she grows her own organic food and herbs to support daily rituals. She is dedicated to the art of remembering innate wisdom and finding balance through the natural rhythms of life.
The Space
Nestled in a remote corner of Bodhi Khaya, with views of the forest and teaming with wildlife, the Wild Pod is the perfect location for hosting a small retreat, workshop or group getaway with friends.
“Deeply nourishing on all levels. Silent wandering in the exquisite, wild mountains – lush with green leucadendrons, forested nooks, lily ponds and ancient, lichen-bearded milkwood trees.” – Anna Kent
A-frame Cottage
Meditation Pools
The Wild Pod Kitchen
The Wild Pod
Sunbird Cottage
Heron Cottage
Swimming in Natural Pools
More about my Retreats
I regularly hold Ayurvedic Retreats that are focused on receiving this ancient elemental wisdom, connecting with nature, holding each other in love and acceptance, and remembering what we already know – and have always known.
We will flow together in a beautiful rhythm of:
- sitting in circle
- receiving guided meditations
- learning about Ayurveda
- sharing & supporting from our innate feminine wisdom
- swimming | resting | cooking |
- eating simple nourishing vegetarian Ayurvedic meals
- silent walks
- movement in the form of yoga and dance
