Body of Fire

a peri/menopause rite of passage

FALL EQUINOX RETREAT

THURSDAY, SEPT 17TH 6PM - SUNDAY SEPT 20TH 12PM, 2026

HOLDEN HOUSE, CALAIS VT

Peri/menopause is not an ending. It is a threshold.

Join us for nourishing food, fires, sisterhood, and numerous ways to feel good in your body as we celebrate this potent transformation.

  • Moving meditation & somatic practices

  • Breathwork & body oiling

  • Foods to support menopause from holistic nutritionists

  • Fire celebration in a beautiful natural sanctuary

  • Time to rest, reflect & connect

  • 3 monthly integration Zoom group calls

  • No experience necessary!

Person sitting near a campfire at night, wrapped in a red blanket, with a full moon in the background.

Who this is for

  • Anyone who’s ever had a moon cycle who wants to be in conscious relationship with menopause as a rite of passage.

  • Anyone beginning perimenopause who want to meet it with awareness and support.

  • Anyone in the full intensity of the transition - seeking grounding and connection.

  • Postmenopausal women who want to integrate its wisdom more fully, and support others to do the same.

  • We honor all gender identities & orientations who are crossing this threshold.

What to expect

  • Friday night: Arrive by 6pm. Dinner. Opening circle.

  • Saturday Theme: Tending the Fire - Reflection & Release

    • Movement + meditation; breath work; reflection; connection; nourishment for menopause; Shibari performance: Finding Pleasure and Art at the Edges of Discomfort.

  • Sunday Theme: Working the Fire — Alchemy & Creation

    • Music + movement; rest + relaxation; shibari workshop; time to be in nature; fire ceremony; body oiling.

  • Monday morning: Closing circle. Depart before or after lunch.

  • Beautiful, nourishing meals and soulful connection throughout.

  • Intimate gathering for deep connection (limited to 10 women max).

(All activities optional. Schedule subject to change.)

If you’d like to stay longer at Holden House after the retreat contact us!

The location

HOLDEN HOUSE

CALAIS, VT

Holden House is a fluid home for a wide range of artists, healers, thought leaders, scientists, writers, activists, and planet lovers. A place to reconnect — with ourselves, others, and nature. A space for inspired ritual; for invigorating and playful gatherings; for deep, radical rest; and for birthing new ways of being together.

A large yellow house with black shutters and a white roof, surrounded by snow-covered trees, in a winter landscape
Wood dining table with a green vase of yellow flowers, black modern chandelier overhead, and a blue sky mural on the wall in the background.
Two white wooden rocking chairs facing large windows with a snowy landscape outside, and a small decorative table between them on a colorful rug.
A neatly made bed with multiple pillows and a yellow throw blanket in a bright, minimalist bedroom with wooden floors and white walls, decorated with framed artwork.

The Exchange

PRICING & REGISTRATION

This is an offering of the heart. We endeavor to create as rich and nourishing an experience as possible while keeping it accessible. Toward that end we are offering a sliding scale and ask that you meet it at your highest potential, to ensure this gathering is possible. Thank you!

Exchange: $1480 (Canadian pricing see below!)

Sliding scale scholarship levels: $1080, $880

Includes:

  • 3 nights of beautiful, cozy accommodations ($450 value)

  • 3 days of deeply nourishing meals supportive of menopause ($210 value)

  • Special programming from innovative experts ($990 value)

  • 3 monthly integration Zoom group calls ($75 value) & special gifts

  • Does not include travel to/from Holden House

A wooden table displays a collection of dried white flowers and a spiral fossil shell. In the background, a large wooden bowl contains dried flowers and a lit candle in a small glass holder.

Register here.

Questions?

THURSDAY, SEPT 17TH 6PM - SUNDAY SEPT 20TH 12PM, 2026

HOLDEN HOUSE, CALAIS VT

Early bird discount: Use code FIRE100 for $100 off (full exchange only).

Bring a friend and receive $50 off!

Contact us for sliding scale/scholarship options and/or payment plans. NOTE: This event is a devotional offering, not a profit venture. To be able to offer the sliding scale, we need those who can afford the full exchange to contribute at that level, which is still lower than the full value of this program.

Canadian citizens: If needed, contact us for an exchange rate discount.

Welcome.

I am 46 and have been postmenopausal for nearly 4 years. I walked the path largely alone and in the dark. It was hard. But I learned to follow the wisdom of my body and the process became a sacred rite of passage.

Peri/menopause is not an ending. It is a threshold. A portal into embodied wisdom. A fire that burns away what is no longer needed… so that what is — our essence, our power, our clarity — can come fully alive.

Across cultures and time, menopause has been known as the Great Awakener. In many Indigenous traditions, women become community leaders only after crossing this profound threshold.

I want to come together in conscious, even pleasurable relationship with this initiation. To hold each other in supportive sisterhood; to share wisdom and rejuvenate ourselves for the journey that lies ahead.

Menopause worked me. But it also gave me back to myself; helped me find my essence, my sovereignty, my voice, my power, and my pleasure. I’ve shared more info about my background and journey here (and below) in case you want it, along with info about the incredible team of people supporting this event. But this isn’t about me or any one of us. It’s about you. It’s about all of us. It’s about writing a different story and experience of menopause. For the collective good. 

It’s an honor to walk this passage with you.

With love + fire,

Melissa

A woman with wavy blond hair wearing a brown button-up shirt and a large pendant necklace, standing outdoors among green trees with sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Kindle your vitality. Ignite your power.

Find pleasure in the pause.

Former Guides & Special Guests (Fall Retreat Schedule in Progress)

Join the movement to write a new story of menopause, & stay tuned for upcoming offerings.