Inner Child
Full Moon Retreat
A 4-Day Women's Summer Immersion
Nature. Breathwork. Play. Connection.
Four days to integrate all the parts of you ready to come back home.
Reserve Your Spot
Powerful women. Sacred ritual. Real connection. Our time together is a portal to magic.
We frequently connect on Zoom and I love seeing your beautiful faces online. But meeting together in real life is exponentially powerful. There's something that happens when we share sacred space in person. When we breathe together, play together, eat together, move together. It unlocks something screen connection simply can't.
During this retreat, together, we're gonna take our power back. We're going to nurture all our parts, especially the parts that got quieted somewhere along the way. The parts that stopped playing. Stopped trusting. Stopped asking for what they needed. Our inner child holds all of that. Breath, play, and ritual, is how we find our way back.
Picture it… a few days of slowing way down, spending time with an intimate group of women walking similar paths, and giving yourself the kind of nourishment your body, mind, and heart have been craving. I'm so excited to host you in Austin. It's going to be an amazing, unforgettable weekend.
You've been going. And going. This is your permission to rest.
We begin Thursday evening, August 27, at the peak of the Full Moon. Plan to arrive Thursday afternoon or early evening and head home Monday afternoon.
How We'll Spend Our Time
Full Moon Ritual
Bring your brooms, ladies. The Full Moon is our portal. Under Her light, we gather to set intentions, release what we're ready to leave behind, and call back our power.
Daily Breathwork Sessions
The heart of the retreat. Each session is a guided journey towards wholeness, moving energy, releasing what's no longer aligned, and calling back all the pieces of ourselves.
Barton Springs Swim
Fresh water, sunshine, and nowhere to be. Jump in. Barton Springs is the perfect way to spend an afternoon in the hot Austin summer. Cold, clear, and exactly what your nervous system ordered.
Kayaking & Bat Watch
Paddles in the water, and a sky suddenly filled with thousands of mama bats taking flight with their pups. Dusk on the Colorado River, one of Austin's most magical moments.
Art Activity
A playful, intuitive session designed to quiet the thinking mind and let your inner child lead. Because sometimes integration and inspiration looks like making a mess with paint.
Food & Nourishment
Daily breakfast options and snacks throughout the weekend to keep you fueled, plus one beautiful group dinner together to connect and celebrate.
The Details
- 4 nights accommodation — single or shared room depending on your option
- Daily breathwork sessions
- Afternoon swim at Barton Springs
- Guided kayaking & bat watching on the Colorado River
- A messy, freeing, inspirational art session — no talent required
- Daily breakfast options and snacks throughout
- One unforgettable, delectable group dinner
- All local transportation during the retreat
* Airport transportation is not included. Beyond breakfast, snacks, and the group dinner, meals are on your own — and we actually recommend keeping things light since breathwork is best practiced on an emptyish stomach. That said, we can do a group grocery run together, and there are plenty of great local delivery options nearby.
Dates & Logistics
Austin, Texas. Venue details shared upon registration. Want pictures of this beautiful, historic home? Message us.
Thursday, August 27th through Monday, August 31, 2026
We begin Thursday evening, August 27, at the peak of the Full Moon. Plan to arrive Thursday afternoon or early evening.
Intentionally small. 9 women maximum for a truly intimate experience.
All local transport during the retreat is included. Airport transportation is not included.
A detailed packing list will be provided two weeks before the event. If you have any dietary restrictions, specifications, allergies, phobias, or anything else, please let us know.
Choose Your Experience
A 3-payment plan is available for all options — see amounts below. Cash payments are accepted via Venmo or Zelle; reach out to Tyler at assistant@smudged.co to arrange. Credit card payments are processed via Stripe.
Single Room
Your own private room for the full retreat.
Last payment due by August 15th
Last payment due by August 15th
Double Shared Room
Your own bed in a shared room with one other woman.
Last payment due by August 15th
Last payment due by August 15th
Austin Local
All retreat programming with no accommodation.
For Austin-based locals.
Last payment due by August 15th
Last payment due by August 15th
1:1 Session with Neelou
A private 75 minute session with Neelou during the retreat (sometimes with both Neelou and Katya) for deeper personal support and integration. Can be added to any option. Only three available.
Meet the Facilitators
Neelou Malekpour
Breathwork Facilitator
Author & Ritualist
Founder, SMUDGED
Neelou is a passionate guide, breathwork facilitator, author, and ritualist dedicated to helping others reconnect with their inner wisdom. With years of experience in sacred practices and transformational healing spaces, she creates a deeply supportive and grounded container for personal growth.
Her grounded presence and intuitive approach will guide you through this retreat with care, clarity, and authenticity. She is also the author of The Art of Sacred Smoke and founder of SMUDGED, whose work has been featured in Forbes, Harper's Bazaar, StyleCaster, and beyond.
Katya Blum
Breathwork Facilitator
Founder, Path of the Heart
Katya is a trauma-informed facilitator, breathwork practitioner, and holistic guide who works deeply with individuals healing from trauma and addiction. Her work often incorporates plant medicine integration and somatic support to help people reconnect with their innate capacity for wholeness.
Her approach blends mindfulness, body awareness, and energetic healing to help others unlock their highest potential. Katya will support our group, offering guidance and clarity as you navigate your personal journey of transformation.
Palo Santo
Nervous System Regulator
Chief Snuggle Officer
Palo Santo has been holding space for his mama's retreats since 2019 and has yet to miss one. His credentials include maintaining fierce boundaries, being impossibly soft, arriving exactly when someone needs him most, and always being ready to play.
He doesn't do breathwork, but his presence alone has been known to regulate your nervous system, open your heart chakra, and elevate the frequency in the room.
Words from Past Participants
I am so grateful for Neelou's retreat. She is so intentional about each aspect of the retreat, preparations, execution of each event and the closing. I felt completely cared for every step of the way. The breathwork sessions were powerful and profound. Neelou was mindful to allow space for release, integration and connecting with other participants along the way, with no pressure whatsoever to participate. However we/I showed up throughout the time together was completely included and accepted with warmth, kindness and ease. I believe this created a powerful container for us all to release grief, stuck emotions and anything else that was no longer serving the life I was committed to! I left ready to commit to my new business full time. I can't wait to see what magic unfolds this year!
— Jen DiamondAfter several years of working with Neelou virtually I was able to connect with her IRL at her Joshua Tree Fall Equinox Retreat in 2022. Not really certain of exactly what to expect I was blown away by what I could only describe as magic. The lovely connections made with the other participants was only overshadowed by the depths of introspection and self-realizations I was able to find in the back to back breathwork sessions. It was the good long look in the mirror that occurred while there that changed my life's trajectory. When I returned to the second retreat the following year I myself had become a breathwork facilitator and was fully immersed in the ease and flow (and magic!) that I had invited into my life as a result of working with Neelou. I highly recommend these retreats for anyone looking to make positive changes in their lives.
— JR RamirezNeelou's retreats allow me to process things that I don't even have words for. Aspects of self that normally resist coming to the surface finally get the space, nuanced attention, and deep care they are so clearly in need of. I've freed myself of old patterns and wounds on retreat thanks to the exquisite space Neelou holds. I'm so grateful that I was brave enough to show up and I'm also grateful for the care she put into my experience. THANK YOU!
— Becky BrooksI have been on 2 retreats with Neelou. One in 2022 and again in 2023. Both were equally rewarding in self-discovery and expansion. Neelou has a great following of people which also contributes to the retreat experience. She is a master at creating a safe place while being dialed into each person's needs.
— Trish BushGood to Know
Do I need any breathwork experience?
Not at all. This retreat is welcoming to beginners and experienced practitioners alike. We'll guide you every step of the way.
Is this retreat only for women?
Yes! This is an intentionally women-only space to allow for deeper vulnerability and connection.
What airport should I fly into?
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is the closest. Airport transportation is not included; we recommend rideshare or rental car. All local transportation during the retreat is handled.
When do I need to arrive?
We begin Thursday evening, August 27, at the peak of the Full Moon. Plan to arrive Thursday afternoon or early evening. Early arrival is included in your accommodation.
What is your refund policy?
All sales are final. Please consider purchasing travel insurance for extenuating circumstances.
Is financial assistance available?
Yes, on a case by case basis. Please email Tyler at assistant@smudged.co to inquire.
We believe access matters.