Her Blue Body
An Ocean Immersion for Women
August 9-12, 2026
Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i
Her Blue Body is a threshold between Ocean and Woman. It only takes one toe in the water to remember.
We remember that much of our body is water. We remember that we were once cradled in the waters of our mother’s womb, and that many of us bleed ninety percent water as part of the natural cycle of life.
Ocean will be our medicine, both in and out of the water, and we will listen for the wild wisdom that lives beneath language, within the body and the sea.
Daily Rhythm
Mornings (after Breakfast): Sensory Ocean Immersion
Gently guided, quiet invitations in the calm, shallow waters of the lagoon to let the water hold you, soothe the mind, and restore your nervous system.
Explore the somatic invitations waiting for you in the water: Sensory Ocean Immersion
Afternoons (after Lunch): Free Being
Spacious, unguided time to follow your body’s needs and ocean-bask to your heart's content. To protect the tranquil energy of our container, we remain on-location during these hours. You might walk down to the tide pools at Richardson Beach Park, float on a paddleboard in the lagoon, talk story on the lanai, or simply sleep. There is no agenda or concept of time, just the freedom to fill the space as you please with relaxing ways to spend your afternoon right here.
Evenings (after Dinner): Candlelight Sanctuary
As the day winds down, we transition into deep rest. We gather upstairs by candlelight for gentle somatic downshifting using body scans, soft sound, and guided sensory relaxation to help your body settle. This is a quiet, rare space designed entirely for you to relax, let go, and integrate the day's experiences.
Facilitator's Message
Her Blue Body is my heartfelt invitation to share with you a reverence for the ocean rooted in a purpose to reconnect us as women without pressure or performance. Over the years of holding space, I’ve developed ocean-based practices to provide a calm threshold to return to yourself, not as an authority but as an anchor. Sensory Ocean Immersion is the birth of my personal relationship with the sea, somatic study, and training in Ocean Therapy. I've woven these principles together to awaken women's communal healing and emotional sovereignty. The foundation lies in the elemental medicine of the ocean.
My purpose is not to teach or show you how to move, breathe, think, or become, but to provide an experience that invites you to tune into your own unique and waterful self. As a lifelong dancer and a somatic practitioner, my focus is experiential, honoring the body’s wisdom over the mind’s analysis.
My path has been deeply shaped by the sea. As a child, the ocean was my playmate, my playground, and my guardian. Later in life, she was my teacher. As an open-water swimmer and surfer, she taught me to respect her power and trust her capacity to hold and heal. Hilo is not just a location for a retreat; it is my home. I raised my daughter in these waters, and over three decades it has been a source of healing and comfort. Her Blue Body is an invitation into a space I hold sacred, and I can't wait to welcome you in.
Heartfully,
Michelle
Founder, Wild Women Hawai'i
"Your lovely, loving, centered and wise energy, was a relief to just quiet myself and trust in your different style of leadership."
-Verna, LCSW, Release Ocean Retreat (Hilo, Winter 2023)
The coastline of Hilo Bay is a beautiful mixture of ocean estuary, salt water lagoons, saline cold ponds, and a sprinkling of black sand beaches. It is a natural oasis of undeveloped coastline. We are also within a 5-minute walk to Richardson Beach Park where a black sand beach awaits as a welcome mat into one of the most beautiful snorkeling reefs on the Big Island for your afternoon enjoyment during Free Being.
Honoring the Ecosystem: We protect the local ecosystem by exclusively using mineral-based reef-safe sunscreen, maintaining a respectful distance from all wildlife, and practicing Leave No Trace principles to keep the shoreline clean.
Resonance
This retreat is a circle of six to eight, ensuring every woman has space to be held.
It is for:
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the giver
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the holder
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the woman in transition
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the woman carrying the weight of heavy responsibilities
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the woman simply seeking the space to be without an audience or an agenda
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the woman who trusts that her body’s wisdom can be the primary architect of her own restoration
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the nature-lover who welcomes the ocean as a mirror to her own depths and a catalyst for her release
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the woman who values her autonomy but recognizes the medicine of being witnessed by women who are equally committed to their own depth
Want to ensure this immersion is a perfect fit? Explore this brief Resonance Check
The Comfort of Kinship
When women gather with openness, the story of separation fades, and the old story of connection returns to soothe the spirit. This space is a graceful sanctuary to exhale and tune into your unique journey alongside a supportive circle of women doing the same.
"Thank you for this weekend to acknowledge, heal, and rebuild. The calm, loving nest you created was a safe space for us to trust, let go, rest, and flourish."
- Lorie, Release Ocean Retreat (Hilo, Winter 2023)
Culinary Nourishment
Ocean immersion and sensory work require deep, intentional nourishment. What we consume nurtures and sustains your body while supporting the physical integration of this experience.
Chef Susan Mandini of The Mala Supper Club will fulfill the culinary aspect of Her Blue Body. Born into a family of passionate Italian chefs from Parma and Sicily, Susan blends traditional European flavor with the vibrant bounty of the Hawaiian Islands. As a 20-year homesteader on an organic farm in Kealakekua, she has spent decades building authentic relationships with local food systems. The menus highlight peak seasonal, home-grown, and locally-foraged ingredients sourced directly from Big Island farms.
Holding true to the Wild Women “all things living” ethic, all meals during Her Blue Body are fully vegetarian with high-quality dairy and egg options.
All of our meals will be served on the spacious third floor at a large live-edge table as well as tables on the lanai overlooking Hilo Bay. Chef Susan's presence allows our kitchen to be a space of pure restoration, leaving you completely nourished and free of responsibilities so you can focus entirely on your journey.
The Daily Flow: To support our structured and embodied mornings, a nutrient-rich breakfast buffet along with hot coffee & tea service will begin our days together. Lunch is provided as a fulfilling midday buffet with Chef Susan's signature fresh-baked torta. Artisanal, hand-harvested herbal water infusions are available throughout the day. Bountiful dinner service will be family style at the live-edge table.
Dietary Care: The curated menus will honor your body's needs. Most special diets and allergies can be accommodated with advance notice during your registration. Please contact Michelle beforehand with any questions or concerns.
A Glimpse of the Table: Because our chef follows the rhythm of the land, the exact August offerings will depend on what is flourishing and harvested in the season. Below are sample menus illustrating how Chef Sue's culinary support elevates simple, local ingredients into deeply restorative meals.
The sanctuary for our retreat is a spacious, three-story seaside home designed to let the outside in. From the open-concept gathering space on the top floor, we have a panoramic view of the medicine that awaits us: the rhythmic rise and fall of the tide pools, the stillness of the lagoons, and the vibrant life of the reef. Here, you can watch the variety of sea life from above before we descend to meet the water ourselves.
Our home features eight guest beds across several thoughtfully arranged spaces. To maintain the quiet intimacy of the group, bedrooms are tucked away on the second level, while we gather for shared meals, connection, and somatic integration on the open third floor.
Room Options start at $2350:
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Private Ocean-View Room: A private space with its own entrance and shared bath.
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Private Cozy Room: A simple, cozy space with a shared bath.
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Shared Twin Room: A shared sanctuary for those who find comfort in a communal rhythm.
Please view the gallery above for a feel of each room. Scroll down to book your room.
Included:
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The Experience: Four days and three nights of daily guided Sensory Ocean Immersion and restful somatic regulation.
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The Nourishment: Eight freshly-prepared vegetarian meals, beginning with dinner on our first evening and concluding with breakfast on our final morning.
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The Sanctuary: Private or shared accommodations designed intentionally for both solitary reflection and communal connection.
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The Restorative Evenings: Immersive candlelit unwinding in the sharing space of the third floor.
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The Gear: Full access to all on-site gear, including paddleboards, snorkels, and masks for your use during afternoon Free Being.
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Tools for Well-being: A sustainable water bottle and a tote for carrying your shoreline essentials.
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Amenities: Bed linens and towels, shampoo, soap, hair dryer, wi-fi, and on-site laundry facilities for your convenience.
Not Included:
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Airfare: For off-island guests, flying directly to Hilo International Airport (ITO) brings you within fifteen minutes of the house.
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Travel Insurance: Strongly recommended to protect your investment.
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Ground Transportation: To protect the calm calibration of our container, prearranged shuttles are intentionally bypassed. Your peaceful journey begins the moment you land. From the serene Hilo Airport, it is a short and scenic fifteen minute drive to our location. Rideshares and local taxis are readily available steps from baggage claim, allowing you to transition into the island’s energy at your own pace. The exact location will be shared in your welcome packet so your driver knows exactly where to take you.
What this is not: This is not a Waikiki or Kona resort experience. It is raw, slow, natural, and unrefined in comparison. We will spend much of our time in a tranquil ocean lagoon with no waves, currents, surges, or deep water. The water can be refreshingly cool and the weather likely very warm with possible rain. This is ideal for our therapeutic immersions, not only for its calm capacity to hold, but for its natural elemental restoration and resonance. There are no workshops, manuals, trainings, long talks, or lectures. Instead, you will be gently guided to tune into the body and then listen within.
A Note on Timing: This immersion is intentionally held Sunday through Wednesday. By stepping away from the weekend crowds, we ensure a quieter, more spacious environment for our time in the water. This choice protects our collective focus and allows the ocean to remain a true sanctuary for our group.
A sample schedule is offered below purely for transparency and your peace of mind before you arrive. However, please know this is a guide for the subconscious, not a regimented itinerary. The goal is for you to completely forget the clock. Once you step in, time ceases to be a concept. You are warmly invited to stash your technology away and allow yourself to be carried by the natural rhythm of the flow.
[ Click Below to Enlarge ]
Reverence for the Ocean: We respect your safety and the natural unpredictability of the sea. Therefore, our immersion practices will remain fluid and we will adapt our plans if conditions are unsafe.
"This retreat was exactly what I wanted and needed... even before I knew what I needed. I appreciate every moment with you and all the beautiful women here. It was truly a magical weekend."
— Krysta, Embrace Forest Retreat (Summer 2024)
To preserve the quiet intimacy and quality experience of the container, this immersion can accommodate a maximum of 6 to 8 women. Spaces are filled on a first-choice basis.
Want to ensure this immersion is a perfect fit? Explore this brief Resonance Check
Have a question? Connect with Michelle at WildWomenHawaii@gmail.com
Intellectual Property Notice
© 2026 Wild Women Hawaiʻi LLC. All rights reserved.
The concepts, text, and signature methods displayed on this page are the proprietary intellectual property of Wild Women Hawaiʻi LLC. Unauthorized replication, renaming, alteration, or commercial distribution is prohibited without prior written consent.
This boutique somatic gathering is held on location in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.