Haven Restorative Retreats

07/30/2026

✨ Three opportunities to rest, regulate, and restore with Haven Restorative Retreats this fall. ✨

Whether you’re looking for a full weekend getaway, a day immersed in nature, or a retreat created specifically for animal advocates, there’s an experience waiting for you.

🌿 NEW! Bragg Creek Nervous System Restoration Retreat
📅 October 25, 2026 | 2:00–8:00 PM

Join me at the beautiful Yoga Spirit Inc. for an afternoon of trauma-informed yoga, Somatic Experiencing®-informed practices, psychoeducation, guided Yoga Nidra, a nourishing vegan meal from The Heart of Bragg Creek, refreshments, and a thoughtfully curated wellness gift.

🌱 Early Bird Pricing: $295 until August 15
Regular price: $325

🍂 Canmore Restoration Weekend Retreat
📅 November 6–8, 2026

Over 40% of spaces have already been filled. Escape to the mountains for a restorative weekend of trauma-informed yoga, Somatic Experiencing®-informed practices, psychoeducation, Yoga Nidra, and time to unwind at the Nordic Spa. Registration is underway, and I’m looking forward to welcoming another intimate group.

🐑 Animal Advocate Nervous System Retreat
📅 September 13, 2026 | Calgary

Over 25% of spaces have already been filled! This retreat is designed specifically for animal advocates who want to reconnect, recharge, and learn practical nervous system regulation skills alongside a compassionate community.

As all retreats are facilitated by a Registered Psychologist, the psychological services portion may be eligible for reimbursement through extended health benefits (please check with your provider).

✨ Spaces are limited, and I’d love to have you join us this fall.

07/01/2026

For over 11 years, I worked on psychiatric units in the hospital setting. While I wasn’t providing therapy at the time, I witnessed firsthand the impact that trauma, mental illness, addiction, crisis, and chronic stress can have, not only on the people receiving care, but also on those providing it.

Like many helpers, I became so focused on caring for others that I overlooked the needs of my own nervous system.

That experience shaped the work I do today.

As a Registered Psychologist, I’m passionate about supporting the people who spend so much of their lives supporting others, helping professionals, frontline workers, caregivers, advocates, and empaths.

Haven Restorative Retreats was created with you in mind.

Because caring for others shouldn’t come at the expense of caring for yourself.

I’d love to hear from you, have you ever found yourself putting everyone else’s needs before your own?

06/30/2026

This retreat has been on my heart for a long time.

As an animal advocate myself, I know how deeply this work can affect our nervous systems. We carry grief, frustration, compassion, and hope, often all at once.

That’s why I created this half-day Haven retreat in Calgary. It’s a space to slow down, connect with other advocates, and learn practical ways to care for your nervous system while continuing to care for animals.

🥳 I’m so excited that our first participant has registered!

If you’ve been feeling emotionally drained by advocacy or simply need permission to rest, I’d love to have you join us.

📍Calgary
📅 September 18
🍃 Light vegan lunch included
🎁 Curated gift
👥 Limited to 15 participants

06/30/2026

Most of us don’t know how exhausted we are until we finally stop.

This weekend isn’t about becoming someone new.

It’s about giving your nervous system permission to slow down.

Imagine mornings with gentle movement, afternoons soaking in the Nordic Spa, quiet moments overlooking the mountains, and practical tools you can bring home to help you navigate stress long after the weekend ends.

Throughout the weekend you’ll experience:

• Trauma-informed yoga
• Yoga Nidra
• Somatic practices
• Nervous system education led by a Registered Psychologist
• Two Nordic Spa passes
• Two nights in beautiful Canmore

✨ The eligible psychological services portion of the retreat may be submitted to extended health benefits where coverage for Registered Psychologists is available.

Learn more at
havenrestorativeretreats.ca

Restore your mind and body at Haven’s Canmore retreat—trauma-informed yoga, somatic therapy, and deep rest in a serene mountain setting.

06/22/2026

Feeling overwhelmed?
Follow Haven Restorative Retreats for nervous system education, self-care practices, and retreat inspiration designed to help you rest, restore, and reconnect.

06/18/2026

When people think about nervous system regulation, they often assume it has to be complicated. But regulation can happen through simple, everyday practices.

Things like spending time in nature, taking a walk, connecting with supportive people, journaling, slowing your breath, or simply giving yourself permission to rest.

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s helping your body experience moments of safety and calm. Small, consistent practices can have a powerful impact over time.

06/11/2026

The River Within

Life is a lot like a river.

Some days, the water moves gently. We drift with ease, noticing the sunlight dancing on the surface and the quiet beauty around us. Other days, the current becomes fast and unpredictable. Rapids appear without warning. The water rises, and all we can think about is keeping our head above the surface.

Our nervous systems respond in much the same way.

When we feel safe and supported, we have more capacity to rest, connect, think clearly, and engage with the world around us. We can appreciate the scenery. But when stress, grief, uncertainty, or overwhelm enter our lives, our nervous system naturally shifts into survival. We may fight against the current, desperately trying to regain control. We may freeze on the riverbank, afraid to move. Or we may become swept downstream, feeling exhausted and disconnected from ourselves.

The goal isn’t to force the river to stop flowing.

We cannot eliminate every rapid, loss, transition, or challenge that life brings. Nervous system regulation isn’t about becoming calm all the time or never experiencing stress. It’s about building our capacity to move with the river. To recognize when we’re being pulled under and gently guide ourselves back toward steadier waters.

Sometimes regulation looks like taking a deep breath.
Sometimes it looks like reaching out for support.
Sometimes it means resting on the shore before continuing the journey.

The river will continue to change. It always has.

But with awareness, compassion, and practice, we can learn to trust that we don’t have to fight every current. We can strengthen our ability to navigate what arises, reconnect with ourselves, and remember that even after the most turbulent waters, calmer stretches return.

You don’t have to control the river to find your way through it.

06/09/2026

Sometimes healing doesn’t happen in a therapy room.

Sometimes it happens standing quietly beneath a vast sky, breathing in fresh mountain air, and remembering that you are part of something bigger than the stress, expectations, and responsibilities you carry.

Nature has a way of slowing us down, softening our nervous systems, and inviting us back into the present moment.

At Haven, we believe restoration begins when we create space to pause, reconnect, and simply be.

Rest. Restore. Return to You.

What helps you feel most grounded in nature?

06/05/2026

When people hear the term nervous system dysregulation, they often assume it only results from major trauma.

The reality is that many everyday experiences can impact the nervous system over time.

Chronic stress, overstimulation, difficult relationships, lack of rest, and major life transitions can all contribute to a system that feels overwhelmed, exhausted, or stuck in survival mode.

The good news? Your nervous system is adaptable.

Small, consistent moments of safety, connection, rest, and regulation can make a meaningful difference over time.

Which slide resonated with you the most?

06/02/2026

Hi, I’m Exchiela, a Registered Psychologist and the founder of Haven Restorative Retreats. I created Haven to offer intentional spaces for rest, nervous system regulation, and meaningful reconnection. My passion is helping people slow down, reconnect with themselves, and experience healing through restorative practices and nature-inspired experiences. Check out our upcoming retreats at havenrestorativeretreats.ca to learn more!