A woman who attended a unique ‘wellness’ retreat priced at $15,000 has shared her experience.
With a goal of unraveling the mysteries of women’s sexual pleasure and fostering a connection with their bodies, sex educator Pamela Madsen initiated a specialized workshop in California over twenty years ago.
Over time, this workshop has transformed into Back to the Body, a comprehensive sex retreat located in the serene landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. Its purpose is to aid women in reaching climax and gaining empowerment.
The retreat spans several days and features workshops, guided touch sessions, engaging group discussions, and other related activities. Additionally, it offers a private chef, pool, and hot tub facilities.
“Connecting to our bodies without shame is essential for empowerment, pleasure, and freedom,” Madsen explained to Vogue. “But the reality is most women have never been taught how to access their own erotic energy.”
“We’re taught to perform sexually, but not to receive or explore what turns us on without guilt.”
Recently, a woman who participated in the retreat for a week has shared her perspective on the experience.
In a piece for Vogue, Aubree Nichols recounted witnessing various occurrences, from a practitioner guiding a 60-year-old woman to orgasm five times on a massage table, to participating in a blindfolded group exercise where staff gently touched attendees using fingers or fur.
Nichols admitted to feeling hesitant about the ‘Art of Adoration’ exercise initially, expressing a reluctance to be seen. However, she eventually overcame her internal reservations and embraced the hour-long session.
“I allowed myself to feel. It was as if a layer of shame had been stripped away, bringing me a little closer to the woman I used to be,” she expressed.
Despite the significant price tag, Nichols concluded that the experience is worthwhile, describing it as ‘more than an indulgence’ and a ‘valuable investment in personal liberation.’
By the end of the week-long journey, she observed how the group felt ‘more alive’.
“I, too, felt more open and free, realizing that denying myself pleasure might have been more detrimental to my health than I had thought,” she shared. “I couldn’t just put pleasure on the shelf until I felt like my best self; it was part of getting well. This is the new world of wellness.”
Nichols’ revelation is echoed by others, including Hazel Stricker, a 47-year-old from San Diego, who remarked: “My table sessions helped me realize that I was in charge of cultivating my own erotic energy.
“I felt more empowered, alive, and at ease with myself.”
Erinne Branter, a 46-year-old from Canada, also shared: “It’s like you’ve been walking around in this incredible sports car that no one has driven correctly.
“And suddenly someone knows how to drive your sports car and you realize that the sports car that the world has told you is too small, too big, too fat, too hairy, and not enough was actually perfect all along.”
However, sex and dating columnist Jana Hocking for the Mail Online had a contrasting experience.
In an appearance on the Just Between Us podcast, Jana shared that many of the activities involved elements of bondage, sensory deprivation, and touch from the staff.
In one session, participants were encouraged to hold their vulvas, rock back and forth, and communicate with their private parts about ‘what we wanted, who we wanted to be, and what our goals were.’
Jana admitted to becoming ‘bored’ during a session where Madsen was brought to orgasm by a male assistant after half an hour of foreplay in front of the group.
Ultimately, Jana was the only participant who did not achieve orgasm at the retreat but felt more equipped and confident to do so privately at home.