Located on the serene shores of the Ottawa River near Westmeath, Ontario, Wild Grounded Retreats offers a nature-based retreat center with private riverfront cottages—a sanctuary for restoration, renewal, and connection. The space can be used for individual or couples retreats, custom staff wellness retreats, small group gatherings, or nature-based venue rentals for events, meetings, or workshops.
For women seeking seasonal renewal, our seasonal Weekend Women’s Wellness Retreats bring together holistic practitioners and guided experiences designed to support burnout prevention, nervous system care, and reconnection—both with yourself and with others. Every retreat offers choice, spaciousness, and a rhythm of rest, so you can return to your life feeling restored, grounded, and replenished.
Wild Grounded is located on the shores of the Ottawa River, near Westmeath, Ontario Canada.
Julie Edwards
Julie is the proud owner of Wild Grounded Retreats. Her work centres on mental health & burnout prevention with a strong emphasis on reconnecting with nature, the body, and one another.
Born and raised on a farm in the Ottawa Valley, Julie spent her childhood immersed in the natural world — roaming fields and barns, exploring with all five senses, and learning the quiet rhythms of land and seasons. Summer vacation was spent deep in Algonquin Park, travelling by horse-drawn wagon and canoe to remote interior lakes, experiences that deeply shaped her relationship with nature and rest.
Julie is an empath, a mother and wife, and has worked as a social worker for over 25 years. Her professional experience, combined with her own lived experiences of mental health challenges and burnout, have fuelled a lifelong passion for creating spaces that support nervous system regulation, connection, and sustainable wellbeing.
These threads came together in the creation of Wild Grounded and Wild Grounded Retreats — spaces designed to invite people back to themselves, to the land, and to a more grounded way of living.
This formula reflects the hope and intention for your experience at Wild Grounded Retreats...
Nature + Connection with Others = Nervous System Wellness
Reconnect, Restore, and Pause in Nature
Sometimes life asks too much of us, leaving little room for rest or restoration. Our private cottage retreats offer a space for individuals or couples to step away from daily responsibilities, slow down, and restore balance for the body, mind, and nervous system.
You are invited to follow your own rhythm, listen to your inner wisdom, and engage in what feels most restorative — whether alone or together. There’s no expectation, only space to pause, replenish, and care for yourself and/or your relationship.
During your stay, you’ll enjoy a private, fully equipped cottage with amenities designed for comfort and restoration: a kitchen, hot tub, a river-view bedroom crafted for relaxation, and panoramic views of the Ottawa River — all set within a nature-based environment that nurtures calm and renewal.
Join us for a weekend of rest, regulation, and reconnection.
Wild Grounded Retreats offers seasonal, nature-based women’s wellness retreats with a gentle focus on burnout prevention and nervous system care. Each retreat is intentionally small, with a maximum of 15 participants, creating an intimate, supportive environment where you can truly slow down and be seen.
Designed for women who give deeply, these weekends provide intentional rest, private healing treatments with holistic practitioners, guided restorative experiences, and spacious time to reconnect with nature, yourself, and a like-minded community of women. The small group ensures personal attention, meaningful connections, and the freedom to follow your own energy without pressure or distraction.
Each retreat is intentionally spacious, allowing you to shape your days in a way that feels most supportive. At registration, you’re invited to choose from a range of concurrent offerings—so you can follow your needs and your nervous system, moment by moment.
In a world shaped by personal and collective strain, our nervous systems are often asked to carry more than they were meant to hold—leading over time to dysregulation, burnout, and illness. Now more than ever, we need intentional space to step out of the pace that is asked of us and into a rhythm of receiving rather than doing.
Say yes to a pause in a small, restorative setting that truly cares for your nervous system—before it asks louder.
Upcoming Retreats:
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• April 15 2026 Neurodivergence & Nervous System Sustainability: A Professional Learning Day - view poster - register
• May 2-3 2026 Mother and Son Retreat in collaboration with Out and About Forest and nature school - view poster
• May 29-31 2026 Spring Women's Wellness Retreat for Burnout Prevention - view poster - This retreat is now full, reach out to be placed on a waitlist
• Jul 17-19 2026 Summer Sister's Retreat. A weekend of fun & connection for nature loving sisters who need a getaway! - view poster - register
• Aug 23-24 2026 (Sunday-Monday) The Grounded Leader Retreat - Burnout Prevention for Women in Leadership (For Women in Leadership, Management, Entrepreneurship or Professional Roles) - Collaboration with White Pine Yoga - view poster - register
• Aug 29 2026 Bird Shamanism Workshop with Tim Yearington - view poster - register
• Sep 25-27 2026 Fall Women’s Wellness Retreat For Burnout Prevention
First come first serve for workshop choices. Design your own experience!
Support Staff Wellbeing
If you own a local company and want to offer your staff a meaningful pause, Wild Grounded’s Staff Wellness Retreats provide a nature-based space designed for burnout prevention and wellbeing.
Your team is invited to step out of the daily pace and into a rhythm of rest, reflection, and gentle regulation. Guided experiences at the retreat support stress reduction, nervous system balance, and reconnection, while nourishing, gourmet meals enhance the sense of care and restoration.
Each retreat is tailored to your organization’s needs. It can be a one-day or two-day experience, with accommodations available, allowing staff the choice and space to engage in ways that feel most restorative.
Set within the natural beauty of our retreat center, these staff wellness days offer a grounding, memorable experience that demonstrates your commitment to employee wellbeing while fostering resilience and sustainability.
Retreats are designed collaboratively with your organization to balance structured and unstructured experiences that best support staff wellbeing.
The following are some example of both structured and unstructured options:
Structured Experiences
Unstructured Experiences
Rental for small groups
Wild Grounded Retreats offers a beautiful space rental for small groups. The Beach House can accommodate 5 - 10 people comfortably and has amenities such as a full kitchen and bathroom.
Email to learn more or register.
