Embodied Lineages
September 2026
Embodied Lineages:
A Women's Practitioner Training & Retreat on the Island of Crete
September 2-11, 2026
A 10 day practitioner training & retreat exploring women’s medicine through bodywork, somatic therapy, trauma-informed care, embodied anatomy, herbalism, and place-based learning. Set within the archaeological and medicinal history of Crete (Greece), the retreat weaves bodywork training with somatic practices and the study of women’s medicinal herbs and traditions of care. Participants are invited to engage women’s health as a lived, embodied practice shaped by history, culture, landscape, and relationship.
What You'll Learn
This retreat is designed for practitioners who want to deepen both how they work and how they understand the body. Learning is experiential, hands-on, and reflective, integrating clinical skill, somatic awareness, and historical context.
Participants will learn:
Bodywork techniques to support women's health-- especially digestive, reproductive, lymphatic, and nervous system function
Embodied Anatomy Education that encourages learning as a lived, felt experience-- a remembering of your own becoming
Listening Techniques and Assessment Tools derived from manual osteopathy to increase the effectiveness of your care
Somatic Therapy & Trauma-Informed Approaches to meet your clients with presence, attunement, and depth
Women's Medicinal Herbs and Traditions of Care from the island of Crete--ancestral home to the Minoans.
History, Place, and Memory--engage with archaeological sites as your classroom and an inspirational source of embodied memory
How You'll Learn
Hands-on practice and supervised partner work
Guided somatic inquiry and reflection
Group discussion and historical context sessions
Site visits, plant walks, and medicine-making
Logistics & Practical Details
Location: Crete, Greece
Days 1-5 will be based in the Venetian port city of Chania, with day trips to surrounding archaeological sites, hikes, museums, botanical gardens, and beaches.
Days 6-10 will be based in a rural village in the southern region of Heraklion. We are renting an entire boutique hotel to host our bodywork and medicine-making workshops.
Dates: September 2-11, 2026 (10 days/nights)
Please plan to arrive via the CHANIA airport on September 2 and depart via the HERAKLION airport on September 11.
Daily Rhythm
Days are intentionally paced to balance depth and rest. Some days will be more mobile; others will remain centered at the retreat base.
The itinerary will be posted in early 2026.
Group Size: 10
Enrollment is limited to support individual guidance during hands-on learning, adequate time for practice and integration, and depth of relationship in our group.
Accommodations
Participants will stay in shared double rooms (details forthcoming) in eco-luxury, locally owned lodging.
Meals
Most meals will be shared and locally sourced, highlighting the amazing farm-to-table food of Crete (the best of Greece, if not the world!). Dietary needs will be accommodated when possible; details will be collected after acceptance. Some dinners will be on your own. We have found that this helps balance participants' needs for autonomy and rest.
Travel
Participants are responsible for:
- International airfare to Crete
- Travel & health insurance (optional)
- Any required visas or travel documents (check based on your nationality)
Ground transportation for group activities and site visits will be provided.
Prerequisites
This retreat is intended for practitioners. A background in body-based work, somatic therapy, herbalism, or women’s health is expected. This is not an entry-level program, but we are open to accepting motivated beginners depending on depth of previous life/work experience and an interview.
Application Process
Participation is by application to ensure the retreat is a good fit based on your training, experience, and learning goals.
Cost: $4,200
Early bird price of $3,700 if you register by March 15, 2026.
Non-refundable deposit of $1,050 is required to secure your spot.
Payment plans available.
Hi, my name is Aliki.
Well, actually, Aliki is my Greek name, which I adopted after many years living and working in this beautiful country.
My work sits at the intersection of archaeology, somatic psychotherapy, clinical herbalism, and hands-on body-based care. I come to this work through formal academic training in Greek archaeology and hands-on study of how bodies are known, cared for, and worked with across time.
While a PhD candidate, I was part of the team that discovered the Griffin Warrior Grave in Greece—one of the most significant archaeological finds of the last several decades. That work shaped how I understand bodies as layered records of lived experience—marked by use, adaptation, injury, care, and memory over time. This perspective continues to influence how I approach body-based work, with attention to pattern, continuity, and change, and with respect for the ways bodies are shaped gradually through experience.
Alongside this academic work, I have trained extensively in somatic psychotherapy and trauma-informed care, with a focus on nervous system regulation, relational presence, and supporting people through periods of change. As the Director of the Pacific Center for Awareness and Bodywork, a trauma-informed massage school on Kauai, I employ these trainings to guide developing bodyworkers in how to provide therapeutic touch with loving presence, particularly when working with sensitive regions of the body.
My own bodywork practice is informed by osteopathy, integrative health, and global traditions of hands-on care. I teach abdominal and reproductive care as practices that require anatomical literacy, proper assessment, and the subtle art of listening. I am also trained in clinical herbalism, with particular interest in women’s medicinal plants and their physiological, historical, and cultural applications.
Crete holds particular significance for me within the broader Greek context. In antiquity, the island was widely known for its potent, rare, and highly valued medicinal plants, and for traditions of healing closely tied to land, ritual, and embodied care. Working in Crete allows this retreat to engage women’s medicine through the botanical and geographic landscape that shaped those traditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this retreat appropriate for beginners?
This retreat is designed for practitioners. Participants should have prior training or professional experience in body-based work, somatic therapy, herbalism, or women’s health. It is not intended as an introduction to bodywork or somatic practice. Motivated beginners will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Will I be expected to perform internal work?
No. All hands-on work taught and practiced during the retreat is external and within appropriate professional scope. The focus is on abdominal and reproductive support through externally applied techniques, presence, and in-depth anatomical understanding.
How physically demanding is the retreat?
The retreat includes hands-on practice, walking seminars, and site visits that may involve uneven terrain, stairs, or longer periods on your feet in warm weather. Participants should be comfortable with moderate physical activity and caring for their own pacing and needs.
What kind of hands-on practice is included?
Hands-on learning focuses on abdominal and reproductive care, embodied anatomy, and supportive somatic touch practices. Partner work is guided, supervised, and approached with clear attention to client consent, pacing, presence, and attunement.
Is this a trauma therapy training?
This is not a psychotherapy certification or trauma treatment training. The retreat is trauma-informed, meaning that nervous system awareness, safety, consent, and relational presence are central to how touch and learning are approached. That being said, participants may learn new skills on how to support their clients in trauma-informed, presence-oriented somatic therapy methods.
Will there be a spiritual or ritual focus?
The retreat engages historical, archaeological, and cultural contexts of care, including visits to ancient sites. Reflective practices such as guided visualization or contemplative inquiry may be included as learning tools, but the retreat is educational and practitioner-focused, not a spiritual initiation or ceremonial program.
What is the balance between learning and free time?
Days are structured but intentionally paced. There is time built in for rest, reflection, informal relationship-building, beach time, shopping, and personal exploration, alongside formal teaching, practice, and site visits.
Do I need prior knowledge of Greek history or archaeology?
No--we welcome first-time visitors and all those curious to learn more about the history and culture of this magical island.
Can my (male) partner come?
Yes. Male participants may join for all activities except the hands-on, bodywork workshops. During that time, we can arrange for additional excursions, hikes, or relaxation time for them.
Will I receive a certificate or continuing education credits?
Participants will receive a certificate of participation. We are currently in the process of acquiring CE certification from NCBMTB, which may or may not be approved before the beginning of this training.
Can I come if I am currently injured or navigating health concerns?
You are welcome to attend as long as you can participate safely and responsibly. Please disclose any relevant concerns during the application process so accommodations or modifications can be discussed.
How do I know if this retreat is a good fit for me?
If you are drawn to adventurous learning, love connecting and sharing life-changing experiences with others, want to deepen your clinical practice, and are interested in how history, land, and care intersect in women’s medicine, this retreat is for you.
