Find Your Inner GOLD
Find Your Path – A woodland retreat in the heart of the Wye Valley
Find Your Inner Gold is the first of Karen Darke’s three part retreat series. This is an introductory retreat for people who are not sure what their direction is and are feeling a little lost on their path.
This retreat has been designed to give you the tools to find your path and set new goals.
Karen is dedicated to helping you find more of the gold stuff within you, so that you can navigate the choices and challenges of life with more sparkle and joy.
Perhaps you have been living defined by expectations and what is typically done, rather than designed for who you truly are.
We often hold back because we’re simply not sure what is possible, lack clarity or confidence, or because we have become limited by a comfort zone.
Throughout the weekend we will be combining Performance Workshops with Paddle Boarding / Kayaking activities to help you explore more of what you are capable of through an adventure journey.
Each day there will be workshops with Karen and others to help you explore more of your inner gold and how to sustain it after the retreat.
All the activities have been designed to help you on your ‘Inner Gold’ journey. We will be using paddle boarding to help you push through barriers and to give you time to reset.
Paddle boarding is the perfect activity to not only give you time to think but also to discover how much you are capable of.
We will be based in a beautiful private woodland where we will be glamping under the stars in luxury bell tents.
We will have delicious food that is all sourced from local suppliers. We will eat as a group around our communal dining table in our woodland location. We feel there is no better way to reconnect with nature than with food and friends.
There will also be a group chill out area around the campfire where we can relax in the evenings and reflect upon the activities and learning. Take time to enjoy a delicious hot chocolate and s’moores before bed.
Find more inner gold in this supported environment, combining an adventure journey with coaching support from Performance & Flow Coach Karen Darke, with the ethos of Quest 79 You too can do extraordinary things!
Included
3 day coaching journey with Karen Darke
2 nights galamping in shared accommodation
Karen Darke – Performance Coach
4 x Work shops
1 x SUP lesson
1x River paddle
Qualified SUP coaches
Meals while on the retreat
Transport to activities
Not Included
Transport to woodlands
Alcohol – BYO policy
Additional snack / drinks
Personal travel insurance
Any activities not mentioned
Day 1 - Friday
10am Arrival & Welcome Warm Up
11am-12pm Awareness: Whistle whittling & ‘noticing’.
12noon-1.30pm Lunch with a difference
1.30pm-3pm Intention: Time to reflect on your goals.
3pm-6.30pm Getting into flow: SUP experience – Explore your adventure mindset
6.30pm-7pm: Return to camp: Time to relax and refresh with a hot shower.
7pm Inspiration: Stepping out of your comfort zone.
8pm Dinner & time to relax around the fire pit.
Day 2 - Saturday
8.15am-9am Morning gratitude session: Stretch, breathing session & appreciation
9am-10am Breakfast
10am-11am Mindset session: Mindset and overcoming challenges talk (reframing, perception, focus)
11am-12noon Time out to chat: Consider your own mindset challenges.
12noon-1pm Lunch
1pm-5pm River Wye Paddle Journey: Train Your Brain mindset skills
6pm Dinner: Pizza making & firepit conversation
Day 3 - Sunday
8.15am-9am Morning gratitude session: stretch, breathing session & appreciation
9am-10am Breakfast
10am-11.30am Sparking Your Inner Gold: mindful nature time (fire-starting, hot drinks & marshmallows).
11.30am-12.30pm Sustaining Your Inner Gold: new routines and actions to embody learning going forward.
12.30pm-2pm Farewell & lunch
Glamping
You will have a beautiful bell tent to sleep in that are set up in our woodland location. Our standard set-up is 4 people per tent. This can be booked as a group of friends or you can book in as 1, 2 or 3 and be put into a girls or boys tent. If you would like to upgrade to a twin or double its an additional £55 per person or for single occupancy an additional £110 for the weekend.
other facilities
We have a big dining table where we can enjoy communal meals and a campfire to relax around in the evenings.
We have hot camping showers with private changing areas and camping toilets.
Dr. Karen Darke MBE, MA, Ph.D.
Karen’s purpose is to support people in transforming a challenge into an opportunity. With a deep understanding and lived experience of how trauma and life events can create stress, fear, and dis-ease, Karen has a passion for helping people move beyond perceived limitations towards expansive possibility.
“Ability is a state of mind not a state of body” infuses Karen’s approach. A climbing accident that resulted in paraplegia led her away from studying gold as a ‘rock-doctor’ into becoming a ‘mind miner’, exploring experientially how we can learn to be our own alchemist and transform the ‘mud’ of life to discover ‘inner gold’. Karen likes to shine a light on the meaning of challenge and on the limitless possibilities of the human spirit, enhancing performance, wellbeing, and meaningful contribution to the connected web of the world.
Exploring the boundaries of what is possible is something Karen has personally embraced. Her curiosity for what it takes to overcome self-doubt, face fear, and step-up performance has led her to her own experiments in high-performance sport and also in pushing the boundaries of adaptive adventure exploration. She becameParalympic hand-cycling champion (Rio 2016), World Champion in Paratriathlon, a silver medalist in her first Paralympic games (London 2012), and is the Guinness World Record holder for land speed by arm power, each time requiring deep engagement with her intrinsic motivational stack. She has also sit-skied across Greenland, sea kayaked at extreme latitudes of the planet, handcycle across the world’s big mountain ranges and with coastlines and rivers of all the continents. These experiences combined with unique studies of the mind, resilience, and performance have led to helping people view life as an adventure, and to embrace all its’ experiences as opportunities to learn and grow.
Whilst hand-cycling and adventurous journeys are Karen’s primary flow activities, coaching and expanding possibilities for others is her second. She is fascinated with the power of the mind and language to positively impact emotions; improving presence, performance, and possibility. Much of her spare time is leading Quest 79, a community-focused organization with the aim of creating and supporting inspirational projects that connect people and communities to enhance inner gold and possibility.
Karen has an MBE, a Ph.D. in Earth Science, an MA in Development Training, and a second MA in High-Performance Coaching, and Diplomas in Clinical & Pastoral Counselling, Hypnotherapy & Motivational Coaching. She has been awarded honorary doctorates from The University of Aberdeen, Leeds, Cumbria, Sheffield Hallam, and Abertay Universities, in recognition of her contributions to adventure and high-performance sport. She has written three biographical-based books about overcoming challenges, facing fear, and positive psychology tips for achieving surprising things: If You Fall; Boundless; Quest 79: Find Your Inner Gold
Similar Trips
Why AdAstra
AdAstra has been taking people on incredible adventure around the world for over 6 years. We are excited to be teaming up with Karen Darke to create retreats that will take you on a journey to fin your inner gold.
- Small groups of adventurers
- Passionate team looking after all your needs
- Years of experience creating extordinary adventures.
Why Find Your Inner Gold?
This will be the first step for many people to find their inner gold. It is designed for people who may not know what their goals are or have lost their way on their journey in life. We will focus on where you are and where you want to go.
- 3 Day adventure in the heart of the Wye Valley
- Daily workshops with Performance Coach Karen Darke
- A personal journey of Discovery