About Wild Women Hawai'i
Our Story
The term Wild Woman was ultimately born from the work of Clarissa Pinkola Estés, whose 1992 book Women Who Run with the Wolves awakened women across the globe to the archetype of the Wild Woman. Her words have ignited a worldwide connection of women's offerings.
Our sister tribe gathers in England, and here on the islands, Wild Women Hawai'i carries this lineage forward in a way that is worldly, grounded, and respectful of both our ancestral lineage and the people of Hawai'i. To be “wild” is to be naturally grounded, deeply connected, and honestly matriarchal. It is the refusal to shrink, hide, or forget who we are. It means being your most authentic self: connected, natural, and free.
Our Core Values
While each gathering may be shaped by a unique theme, our foundational intentions remain the same:
Kinship & Emotional Wellness
We come together as a rooted network of support and belonging.
Connection with Nature & the Wild Within
We often gather in natural locations to connect to ourselves and everything living.
Freedom to Be Ourselves
We show up fully, meeting one another with authenticity and mutual kindness.
Who We Gather With
Whether you're returning or arriving for the first time, you are an essential part of this global network of wild women. We understand that the deep need for connection and authenticity transcends location. While our retreats are rooted in Hawaii, we gather with women from near and far, whether you live on the islands or elsewhere.
How We Gather
Our gatherings are not centered on adventure or sightseeing.
We remain in one rooted place, attuned to the rhythms of the land. By slowing down, we allow space for genuine connection and inner peace.
A Grounded, Nature-Based Space
Wild Women Hawai'i is a place for women to reconnect with themselves, the Earth, and each other without hierarchy, doctrine, or required belief systems.
It isn’t a ministry or a co-led gathering. There is space for your truth, your pace, and your lived experience.
We don’t prescribe a single path. What we honor is what feels true for you personally and genuinely.
What We Offer
Wild Women Hawai'i offers gatherings that blend somatic care, nature-rooted retreats, forest bathing, and overall kinship; all held in the heart of the Big Island. We offer a gentle refuge for holistic wellness, body-based healing, and kinship.
Gratitude
We are honored to have you as a part of this woman-led, woman-owned offering, rooted in the Big Island of Hawai'i.
Explore our upcoming offerings.
About Michelle Gallagher Escobar, MA
Somatic Practitioner & Forest Therapy Guide
I’m Michelle, a longtime Hilo resident, and the founder of Wild Women Hawai‘i LLC.
I lead women’s gatherings, retreats, and somatic offerings rooted in nervous system care and honest connection. My work is about creating spaces where women can simply be themselves.
My Roots in the Work
With a Master’s degree in Dance Education and a lifelong relationship with embodied movement, I guide from the inside out. My approach is rooted in somatic awareness: listening to the body, and not correcting it, shaming, or judging it.
I’m trained in both forest therapy and somatic practices, but it’s my embodied experience that largely shapes the way I hold space. Years of working with women, raising a daughter, tending to land and lineage; all of it taught me to lead not with answers, but with genuine curiosity.
You’re invited to come just as you are and let the rhythm and your own wisdom do what they already know how to do.
Guiding from Experience & Experiment
My leadership is inspired by the many places I’ve explored and the women I’ve met along the way. Every offering is grounded, inclusive, and alive with the wild wisdom within every one of us.
My offerings are rooted in the body and guided by somatic wisdom, creative instinct, and deep respect for the feminine and our connection with the Earth and each other.
Ongoing Learning & Credentials
My work is grounded in formal education, ongoing study, and real-world experience gathered across diverse cultures and healing modalities.
I continue to learn, evolve, and deepen my skills so I can offer grounded, ethical, and effective support to the women I work with.
Certifications & Formal Study
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Somatic Anxiety Therapy Certificate — The Embody Lab (2025)
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Forest Therapy (Sylvotherapy) Certificate — Alma Oasis (2024)
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Dance/Movement Therapy Course – Embodied Education Institute of Chicago (2023)
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Kestenberg Movement Profile, ADTA Compliant Certificate (2023)
Degrees
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M.A. in Dance Education — University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2022)
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State-Approved Teaching Certificate — University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (1995)
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B.A. in Liberal Studies — California State University, Fullerton (1993)
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A.A. in Dance & Liberal Arts — Mt. SAC (1990)
Memberships
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Associate Member, American Dance Therapy Association
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Member, Somatic Institute for Women
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Member, The Embody Lab
Select Workshops & Trainings
Global Threads of Inspiration
Travel has shaped the way I gather and guide over the past decade. Each journey offered sacred pauses, cultural insight, and gentle reminders of our shared humanity. I have learned much from England, Japan, France, Wales, Italy, Amsterdam, Scotland, Ireland, Indonesia, and Spain.
Writing & Research
I occasionally write and research themes close to my heart.
“Methods for Body Positivity in Dance Practices,”
Journal of Dance Education, Volume 24 Issue 4 (2024)
I share these details not to impress, but to honor the trust you place in me. Every qualification, training, and experience helps me hold this space with care, skill, and integrity.
❦ Mobilizing and Discharging Anxiety — with Anna Ferguson, The Embody Lab (2025) ❦ Somatic Trauma Recovery — Somatic Institute for Women (2025) ❦ Movement and Breath — with Dr. Scott Lyons, The Embody Lab (2025) ❦ Regulation and Resetting — with Morgan Starr-Riestis (2025) ❦ Somatic Practices — with Dr. Peter Levine (2025) ❦ Shadow Side of the Feminine — Somatic Institute for Women (2025) ❦ Usui Holy Fire Reiki Training I/II — with Rainbow Reiki Energy (2024) ❦ Sensation is Sacred — Somatic Institute for Women (2025) ❦ Somatic Anxiety Therapy Integration — with Anna Papaioannou & Dr. Scott Lyons, The Embody Lab (2025) ❦ Expressive Arts Interventions for Anxiety — with Karine Bell (2025) ❦ Polyvagal Theory and Anxiety — with Deb Dana, The Embody Lab (2025) ❦ Inner Child Work — with Dr. Arielle Schwartz (2025) ❦ Deep Transformational Rest for Retreats — with Karen Brody (2024) ❦ Biodanza Workshops — with Rozi Mabob, England (2022 & 2024) ❦ DreamDancing® — with Tina Stromsted, Ph.D. (2023) ❦ Red Tent Webinar — with DeAnna Lam (2024)
"You are elegant, beautiful and welcoming. Thank you for the love."
"As I submitted myself to your lovely, loving, centered and wise energy, it was a relief to just quiet myself and trust in your different style of leadership."
"You have such a sweet soft light inside of you that shines so bright. Your genuine heart and desire to bring women together to support."