The Saltwater Mountain Woman Retreat – A Cold-Water Dipping Midlife Awakening

An immersive, empowering and transformative women’s weekend retreat nestled into the forested mountainside of Denmark, Maine. Nurture Through Nature is a solar-powered, off-the-grid retreat sanctuary in western Maine with private hiking trails, cabins, yurts, a yoga studio, dining hall and a wood-fired sauna all scattered along a spring-fed mountain brook with long views of Mount Washington and The White Mountains.

The focus is on CONNECTION – with ourselves and other women, EDUCATION – how cold-water dipping supports midlife transitions, and INTEGRATION – through experiential and guided exercises.

Why

Midlife for women is so many things – maybe too many things. The changes, the demands, the emotions, the sexism, the shame, the physiology, the (mis)information, the pressures, the isolation, the grief. And somehow at the same time, it can be exciting, rewarding, confident, sexy – so many things.

It can be a beautiful opportunity to fall in love with the rest of your life, but I’ve never known a life phase where I didn’t need my tribe to live it. And tribes of women are what I do. You can think of me as your “midlife midwife,” creating and holding space for you to birth the next phase of you. Hi, I’m Amy! If this resonates with you, I hope you consider being a part of this unique and special retreat.

Where

Nurture Through Nature
77 Warren Road
Denmark, Maine, USA
04022
Website

Cold-water dips will be onsite in the natural dipping pools of the mountainside brook

When

Friday, October 4, 2024, (Arrival between 2:00-3:00PM) 3:30PM – 9:00PM
Saturday, Oct 5, 2024, 7:00AM – 9:00PM
Sunday, Oct 6, 2024, 6:45AM – 11:00AM (check-out)

Who

Limited to 16 women – designed for all who identify as women experiencing “midlife” – regardless of chronological age

Fee & Accomodations

$850 (Easy Payment through Venmo or Stripe) All registration is through Saltwater Mountain Co. (NOT Nurture Through Nature) Contact Amy at amy@saltwatermountainco.com with any questions or concerns

Fee includes:

Lodging – 2 shared cabins and 3 shared yurts (only the cabins have electricity, and all lodging has wood-stove heat) Please note, NTN is off the grid, runs on solar energy, uses composting toilets, and has WIFI in the main lodge only. Upon registration, let us know if you have a preference for a cabin or a yurt – and please note that although we cannot guarantee one over the other, we will try our best to accommodate preferences.

Meals – All meals are vegetarian, and meals can have gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options along with allergy accommodations upon request.

General Itinerary:

FRIDAY 

Plan to arrive/check-in between 2:00PM – 3:00PM

3:30PM – 5:30PM – Opening Group Ceremony in the Studio

5:30PM – 6:30PM – Group Dinner in the Lodge

6:45PM – Sunset Group Dip Experience

7:30PM – 9:00PM – (Optional) Group Time in the Studio – Gently-led Meditation/Settling-In/Dip-Integration/Journaling

SATURDAY

7:30AM – 8:00AM – Continental Breakfast in the Lodge (Coffee & Tea available at 7:00AM)

8:30AM – 9:15AM – Group Dip Experience

9:30AM – 12:00PM – Group Time in the Studio / Science and Magic of Cold-Water Dipping / Meditation / Journaling

12:00PM – 1:00PM – Group Lunch in the Lodge

1:00PM – 2:00PM – Free time

2:00PM – 3:30PM – Group Time in the Studio / Cold and Hot Therapy Education / Discussion & Exercises 

3:30PM – 5:00PM – Women’s Health Q & A with Anna DeYoung, MD 

5:30PM – Wood-Fired Sauna Experience

6:00PM – Group Dip Experience

6:30PM – Dinner in the Lodge

SUNDAY

6:45AM – Sunrise Group Dip Experience 

7:30AM – 8:00AM – Continental Breakfast in Lodge (Coffee & Tea available at 7:00AM) 

8:00AM – 10:30AM – Cacao Ceremony in the Studio with Ellen Adams of River Oaks Cacao 

10:30AM – 11:00AM – Closure and Check-Out

NOTE: Precise itinerary, packing list, preparation details and Q & A will be provided well in advance of start date. Please reach out to Amy at 207-641-7353 or amy@saltwatermountainco.com with any questions or concerns.

SMC CANCELLATION POLICY

  • Cancellations made greater than 30 days prior to start date: 100% refund will be given minus a $50 processing fee
  • Cancellations made between 15-30 days prior to start date : 50% refund will be given, unless the spot can be filled from the waiting list in which case, 100% refund will be given minus $50 processing fee
  • Cancellations made less than 15 days prior to start date: No refunds given, unless the spot can be filled from the waiting list in which case, 100% refund will be given minus $50 processing fee
  • If Saltwater Mountain Co. cancels the retreat due to unforeseen circumstances, 100% credit or refund will be given.

Pre-registration










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    Your Retreat Leader, Amy MacMahon Hopkins

    Amy has dedicated her entire career to supporting women’s health. During her 15 years as a birthing nurse, Amy was known for her innate ability to connect with patients through her unwavering belief in them. She nurtured these relationships through the years with her gift for creating community wherever she lived. In 2010, Amy opened a holistic wellness studio in York, Maine, across the street from the very hospital where she worked - expanding her professional roots and providing a hub for holistic healthcare in the community.

    With her medical background, thriving massage practice and yoga teaching, Amy became recognized as a community leader for wellness. For the next 10 years, healthcare professionals, local folks and tourists alike became regulars of her wellness offerings, training programs and continuing education courses. Amy became known for her engaging and positive personality - always willing to listen, empathize and offer hope.

    Today, with more (mid)life experience, Amy’s perspective on what inspires and connects us all continues to evolve. Saltwater Mountain Co. is the culmination of 27 years of listening, learning, teaching, touching, dipping, rising, living and guiding. In 2021, Amy launched “Dip Down to Rise Up” - a powerful and timely cold-water dipping movement that serves as the basis for The Saltwater Mountain Woman Retreats. These retreats are opportunities for women to gain insight and inspiration into how their unique challenges, inherent superpowers and the power of a cold-water dipping practice can transform the way they choose to live out their “one wild and precious life.”

    With a special love for and understanding of the magic and science of cold-water dipping, Amy is a true leader and passionate teacher of this practice for self-care, deep presence, breath awareness, nervous system insight, reinvention of self, embodying the feminine, supporting mental health and embracing change. 

    Amy MacMahon Hopkins (she/her)

    • Saltwater Mountain Co. Founder
    • Cold-Water Dipping Guide
    • Speaker
    • Registered Nurse
    • Massage Therapist
    • Yoga Teacher
    • “Thermalist” Course-Trained
    • Wilderness First Aid/CPR Certified

    Amy by the ocean standing and smiling

    Pay now to reserve your spot!

    PRE-REGISTRATION PAYMENT