ROOT & RELEASE
A One-Day Somatic Healing Retreat in Nature
Saturday, October 3, 2026
You've been going and going.
Giving, caring, producing, showing up. In giving so much to other people, you’ve got nothing left for yourself.
Come back to yourself this fall.
ROOT & RELEASE is a one-day mini-retreat for anyone who is overdue for a real exhale. A full, unhurried day in a beautiful space; gently moving your body, connecting with nature, and letting go of what the season is asking you to release.
THE DETAILS
📅 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2026
⏰ 10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
📍 THE BOTANIC GARDEN AT HISTORIC BARNS PARK IN TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN
💸 $150
A Glimpse into the Day
We’ve intentionally designed a day for us to maximize connection, rest, and slowness including:
Tea and light snacks when you arrive and on breaks.
A guided somatic check-in and intention-setting exercise
A gentle yoga practice on the outdoor pavilion.
Facilitated mindful nature-based activities
A nourishing lunch
Extra time to rest and explore the grounds
Reflection and integration of what we’ve learned throughout the day
MEET YOUR HOSTS
Kat Polmear, LPC
Kat is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Somatic Therapist in Traverse City. She specializes in trauma healing, exploring the mind-body connection, and helping people go deeper than traditional talk therapy. She's also a registered yoga teacher and a Northern Michigan transplant who never wants to leave. Kat brings here core values to everything she does: compassion, connection, curiosity, and peace.
Shannon Pineau, LPC
Shannon is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Ecotherapist in Traverse City. She provides trauma-informed psychotherapy and particularly enjoys integrating connection with the natural world and caring for the earth to promote mental health and well-being. When not providing therapy, you can usually find her outdoors in all seasons with her pup and toddler.
Our Core Values
Connection
Disconnection is our greatest source of pain. Reconnecting with ourselves, each other, our bodies, and the natural world is necessary for healing and growth.
Kinship with Nature
We believe we humans are a part of the intricate web of nature, not separate from it. Moving through the world this way keeps us awake and alive.
Curiosity
Meeting ourselves, and others, with curiosity and openness ushers in compassion and authenticity.
Rest as a Practice
When people practice true and intentional rest consistently, they give themselves fuel to serve the world with their gifts.
About Our Venue
We chose The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park because it offered a cozy space for rest among the plants and trees.
This 56-acre property sits on the grounds of what was once the Traverse City State Hospital farm. It’s been lovingly reclaimed and restored over the last decade. The result is something genuinely special: a place where old stone walls and century-old barns coexist with native plants, wooded trails, open meadows, and quiet corners that invite you to slow down.
In early October, we’ll still have some flowers blooming in the garden and the leaves will be putting on their annual show. The grounds are spacious enough to wander and intimate enough to feel held. There are places to sit, to breathe, and to notice.
The Visitor Center will serve as our home base for the day, with the surrounding gardens and trails as our playground. Admission to the grounds is always free, and the space is open to the public year-round.
We're really excited to share it with you.
Learn more at thebotanicgarden.org
Is This For You?
You are a good fit for this mini-retreat if you are:
A caregiver, working professional, or someone who hasn't slowed down in a while
Someone who loves intentional time in nature but has difficulty actually making time for it
Curious about somatic and nature-based practices and want to learn more
In a busy season of life and looking for a space to take a breather
Wanting to cultivate a deeper connection with your body and with the natural world
Holding on to things from this past season or year or decade that you’d like to let go of
Ready to have a really good day!
You do not need any experience with yoga, therapy, or nature practices. You just need to show up.
What You'll Gain
We designed ROOT & RELEASE to provide an opportunity to slow down, take a breath, and reconnect.
By the end of the day, our hope is that you feel:
Restored. Like something got refilled that you didn't realize was empty.
Connected. To the land you're standing on, to the people in the room with you, to your body, and to who you are at you core.
At ease. The kind of ease that leaves you feeling lighter when you leave.
Invigorated. We want you to leave feeling grounded, alive, and ready to move into the darker, quieter season with intention.
Overall, we hope you leave with a felt sense of what it's like when you actually slow down so you can find your way back to it whenever you need.
Got Questions?
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Not at all! We’ve designed this event to be both an entry point for folks who’ve never done this type of thing before and to equally valuable to folks who have. The yoga practices will be gentle and slow-paced. The nature practices will be guided and accessible. You don't need to know anything going in. You just need to show up. We’ll be with you every step of the way.
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Wear comfortable layers you don't mind sitting on the ground in. It'll be October in Northern Michigan, so plan for a cool morning and somewhat unpredictable weather. We'll be spending time outside, so dress accordingly.
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It's helpful to bring one if you have it, but we'll have a limited number available to borrow.
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Yoga, all nature and somatic activities, a nourishing lunch, and tea/coffee/snacks throughout the day are all included.
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First of all, welcome to Northern Michigan and thanks for making the trek. We’ve put together a list of recommendations here if you want to make a weekend of it.
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Absolutely, yes. Lunch is a full hour and you're free to wander, sit, nap under a tree, whatever you need. The whole day is paced with rest built in.
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It may be. The Visitor Center, where we will be for the indoor portions of the day, is wheelchair accessible. The grounds and trails are relatively flat, though we can’t guarantee their accessibility based on your specific mobility challenges. Please reach out to us and we can answer any questions you have: kat@truewindtherapy.com.
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ROOT & RELEASE is a wellness mini-retreat and not a substitute for therapy or mental health treatment. That said, it was designed by two Licensed Professional Counselors who care deeply about your experience, and the practices we use are rooted in somatic and nature-based approaches. If you're currently working with a therapist, this pairs beautifully with that work.
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Totally! We're not hiking mountains or roughing it. We're wandering a beautiful botanic garden. If you enjoy walking and breathing outside, then this is for you.
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We understand that circumstances may arise that require you to cancel your event registration. We want to honor that while also being able to run our event smoothly and efficiently.
You can cancel your registration with a full refund by Friday, September 25, 2026. After that, no refunds will be issued. This is because our final venue and catering payments for the event are due a week ahead of time therefore our registration numbers must be finalized at that time. No refunds will be issued for no shows. No refunds will be issued for early departures.
To cancel your registration, reach out to Kat at kat@truewindtherapy.com or Shannon at shannon@mindbodynaturetherapy.com.
Exceptions to Policy
In the case of a serious medical or family emergency (with evidence provided), we may consider a more flexible refund. This will be at our discretion and will depend on the specific circumstances.
In the event that we have to cancel the event, you will be given the option of receiving a full refund OR applying your registration fee to a future event within one year of the original event date. However, we are not responsible for any other expenses incurred, such as lodging or travel.
By making your reservation, you are agreeing to the terms of this cancellation and refund policy.
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Reach out! Email Kat at kat@truewindtherapy.com or Shannon at shannon@mindbodynaturetherapy.com and we'll get back to you.
