'I went on a women’s only retreat and one activity left me in a constant state of arousal'

A New Kind of Wellness Retreat

In the rolling hills of Wiltshire, a different kind of wellness retreat is taking shape. Daisy Featherstone, a self-described sexual liberation and pleasure coach, is leading women-only getaways that trade yoga mats for dance floors, with twerking at the center of the experience. The retreat, branded under The Liberated Woman, promises to help participants "awaken the fierce, magnetic energy pulsing in your hips" and "peel off the layers of shame."

Featherstone's own path began in yoga and burlesque, but she has since carved a niche in what she calls "liberation twerking" – a term she uses to distinguish her approach from the mainstream dance style.

The Program and Its Price Tag

The four-day immersion is structured around a progressive curriculum. Day one covers pelvis and twerk foundations; day two is devoted to "divine embodiment." Day three focuses on "sensual self-expression," where women are invited to "reclaim your erotic aliveness" in a space where "nothing is too much." The final day offers participants the chance to perform the choreography they've learned, with the routine professionally filmed as a keepsake.

Accommodations range from a "Sisterhood Shared Room" at £999 to a private "Queen's Suite" at £1,399, with food included. Other offerings from The Liberated Woman go as high as £2,599 for a "VIP package." The Instagram account @The.liberatedwoman has amassed over 3,000 followers, and testimonials on the site are enthusiastic. One participant said, "a portal has been opened" and that she felt "in a constant state of arousal." Another recommended the experience to "any woman prepared to delve deep into their sexuality & sensuality and rip themselves wide open and just love every aspect of their body," calling it "just so juicy."

Cultural Questions and Criticisms

The retreat's marketing has not been without its complexities. Twerk, as a dance form, has its roots in West and Central Africa, later seeping into Black American culture in New Orleans before becoming a staple of hip-hop. Photos and footage from the retreat, however, appear to show predominantly white women in a British setting, using the dance as a means of personal reconnection. An Instagram post from The Liberated Woman asks followers: "What if the healing you need isn't therapy but moving unapologetically with other women and shaking ass?"

The juxtaposition has prompted observers to question where the line falls between cultural appreciation and appropriation, and whether the wellness industry's tendency to rebrand and commodify practices risks stripping them of their original context. The retreat's own framing emphasizes individual empowerment, but the visual and demographic contrast has not gone unnoticed.

A Growing Trend or a Step Too Far?

As wellness culture continues to expand, retreats like Featherstone's reflect a broader appetite for experiences that blend physical movement, emotional release, and sexual empowerment. Yet the very specificity of the offering – twerking as a tool for liberation – raises the question of how far the trend can go before it becomes too niche. For now, the Wiltshire retreat appears to be filling a demand, attracting women willing to spend considerable sums for a chance to reconnect with their bodies in a new way.