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Trauma Workshop
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Trauma
Release Retreat 

WITHOUT TALK THERAPY

TRAUMA RELEASE RETREAT  5th July 2025 | 9:00 - 16:30 

“Trauma is actually NOT the story of what happened a long time ago; trauma is the residue that’s living inside of you now; causing uncomfortable sensations, panic reactions, anxiety, depression, uptight-ness, explosions, anger, physical emotional pain and negative impulses.”

Dr Bessel Van der Kolk 

 

Trauma is not only held in the mind—it lives in the body. Whether caused by childhood adversity, relationship abuse, illness, burnout, sudden loss, or overwhelming life events, trauma can remain trapped in the nervous system long after the experience has ended. It can quietly affect our mood, relationships, physical health, and ability to feel calm and safe in our own bodies.

 

Join us for a nurturing one-day introductory retreat in the tranquil Gaia Healing Centre, designed specifically for women seeking to explore trauma-informed, body-based healing. This workshop offers gentle, science-backed self-help practices that support the nervous system, restore connection between mind and body, and reduce the symptoms of unresolved stress and trauma.

 

You will be guided by Metka Zurman Volkwyn, a trauma-informed life coach, Certified Trauma Release Exercise (TRE®) Provider, mentor, and survivor of complex trauma who has personally found recovery from PTSD, anxiety, and chronic back pain through the very methods shared during this retreat.

 

What You’ll Experience:

 

    •    A safe, confidential, and compassionate space to explore trauma recovery through body-based self-regulation.

    •    Trauma-informed insights to help you understand how trauma gets stored in the body and nervous system—and how to begin releasing it.

    •    Gentle group discussions that offer connection, support, and shared healing with other women on similar journeys.

    •    An introduction to Trauma Release Exercises® (TRE®)—a powerful practice that activates the body’s natural neurogenic tremors to release stored trauma and return to calm and balance.

    •    Vagus nerve stimulation techniques to support your body’s natural relaxation and healing responses.

    •    Breathwork and rhythm therapy to help release stress, reset the nervous system, lower acidity in the body, and build emotional resilience.

    •    A science-backed cue-controlled relaxation technique that can calm anxiety anywhere, using just one word.

    •    Grounding tools for moments of dissociation, overwhelm, or anxiety—bringing you back to the present with clarity and calm.

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   •    We will end the retreat with a drum circle integration where you will learn how to play a West African rhythm that fosters stress release, engagement, healing, co-regulation, joy and deep connection. NO experience required, Djembe drums will be provided.

 

This Workshop is Especially For You If You Are:

 

    •    Experiencing anxiety, panic, irritability, or chronic stress

    •    Struggling with anger, overwhelm, or emotional exhaustion

    •    Holding onto trauma memories or persistent physical tension

    •    Living with chronic pain, IBS, tension headaches, or sleep disturbances

    •    Recovering from burnout, illness, PTSD, or a life-altering diagnosis

 

Important Notes:

 

    •    Women only | Small group for personal attention and a safe atmosphere

    •    Not suitable if you are pregnant, have a history of seizures, recently had major surgery, or cannot perform gentle leg exercises

    •    This is not a quick fix, but an opportunity to get introduced to and learn some practical and empowering somatic tools for long-term healing

    •    You will leave feeling calm and grounded with a renewed connection to your body, deeper understanding of trauma, and with self-help tools to support your ongoing journey.

 

Date: Saturday, 5th July 2025

Time: 09:00 – 16:30

Venue: Gaia Healing Centre

Facilitator: Metka Zurman Volkwyn

Wellbeing Investment: R1499

Early Bird: R1200 valid until 29th of June

Booking essential | Limited spaces available

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Book here

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ELECTRONIC GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE 

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Trauma Workshop
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Trauma
Release Workshop 

WITHOUT TALK THERAPY

TRAUMA RELEASE WORKSHOP  26 - 27  JULY 2025

“Trauma is actually NOT the story of what happened a long time ago; trauma is the residue that’s living inside of you now; causing uncomfortable sensations, panic reactions, anxiety, depression, uptight-ness, explosions, anger, physical emotional pain and negative impulses.”

Dr Bessel Van der Kolk 

 

Recent advancements in the treatment of trauma have shown that accidents, life threatening diagnosis, childhood trauma, divorce, narcissistic abuse, losing a home, assault, burglary, sexual abuse, sudden loss of a loved one, toxic relationships and life challenging circumstances can embed themselves into our bodies and it's nervous system and linger years after the event. This is especially so when we have experienced situations of extreme stress that cause us to fight, flee or freeze in order to cope.

 

This is because traumatic experiences trigger an instinctive and intricate interactions of biological, neurological and nervous system reactions that can leave the body and mind in a constant state of fear, hyper-arousal and body/mind disconnection leading to symptoms like anxiety, anger, irritability, rage, interpersonal conflict, tension headaches, insomnia, loss of productivity and more. Trauma can also wear down the resilience of the immune system and lead to autoimmune conditions and various other diseases.

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Trauma Release workshop has been created with this in mind and provides a safe platform from where a small group of women will come together to experience self-help interventions and somatic approaches that can release the residue of trauma trapped in the body and it's nervous system, regulate the body's internal states, repair the connection between mind and body, reconnect neural pathways and alleviate trauma related triggers and symptoms. 

 

Self-help interventions introduced and practiced will be Trauma Release Exercises®, vagus nerve stimulation exercises, cue controlled relaxation technique, body postures that calm down an over activated nervous system, breath work and rhythm therapy. These self-healing practices can regulate the autonomic nervous system, calm the busy mind, change the body's biochemistry, increase pH levels and make the body more alkaline and better able to fight disease. Participants will also receive trauma informed information that is easy to understand and apply in everyday life.

 

The above methods have been informed by science and various teachings from professionals in a field of trauma and neurology who hold understanding of what’s going on in the brain, the body and the nervous system of someone who experienced trauma and how to potentially recover without having to spend years in talk therapy or having to over-rely on pharmaceuticals.

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Trauma Release workshop  will be facilitated by Metka Zurman Volkwyn, a trauma informed life coach, Trauma Release Exercise® provider and mentor, and a complex trauma survivor who has found personal recovery from lower back pain, anxiety and PTSD through the use of self-help interventions introduced and practiced during this workshop. 

 

What to expect:

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~ Experience safe, confidential and nurturing environment where you can discover and engage in self-regulation practices that can release trauma, alleviate chronic tension and lower anxiety.

 

~ Participate in a group discussions where you can share, if you choose to, learn and grow through compassionate and non-judgemental trauma related conversations with fellow participants.

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~ Receive information to better understand the neurology and the physiology of trauma and how it gets trapped in the body and it's nervous system.

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~ Gain insight into the role of the Vagus nerve, the governor of the parasympathetic nervous system which helps control the body’s relaxation responses, and learn how to stimulate it's activity to counteract the stress response, rebalance your nervous system and calm the busy mind. 

 

~ Get introduced to and safely practice Trauma Release Exercises-TRE®  that activate neurogenic tremors/shaking which is the body’s inherent way of releasing stress and trauma and returning itself back to homeostasis; a calm, balanced and relaxed state. learn more about TRE here.

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~ Learn breath work that can self-regulate and manipulate the body's biochemistry, activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest/calm) and reduces acidity in the body, making it more alkaline and better able to fight disease, inflammation, stress and the residue of trauma. 

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~ Learn cue-controlled therapeutic and a science backed relaxation technique which is a type of classical conditioning that pairs a state of instant calming of your autonomic nervous system with a one word of your choosing. This technique can help you instantly lower anxiety levels and enable you to be more at ease with yourself and with the world around you while using only one word, no matter where you are. 

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~ Learn grounding techniques that can instantly help you centre and anchor yourself to the present moment and take your mind off thoughts that are causing you distress. These are particularly helpful if you are experiencing anxiety and dissociation.

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~ Connect with women from all walks of life who share similar experiences, fostering understanding and support.

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Best suitable to attend if you are experiencing:

  • Feeling anxious, overwhelmed & stressed by little things

  • Have general anxiety or panic attacks 

  • Feel regular irritability, rage, excessive anger 

  • Struggling to let go of thinking about trauma 

 

Suffering from:

  • IBS 

  • Tension Headaches

  • Anger / Rage

  • Digestive issues

  • Chronic Pain

  • Vagus nerve issues

  • Irritability

  • Sleeplessness

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Recovering from:​

  • Trauma

  • PTSD

  • Illness

  • Burn-out

  • Cancer

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Not suitable to attend during pregnancy, if you suffer from seizures, have just had a major surgery or can't perform simple leg exercises. To maintain the integrity of the workshop and for personal attention, space is limited to a small group. Women Only. 

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Please note: This workshop is not a QUICK FIX PROGRAM. The main aim is to help you discover self-help tools and somatic approaches that can help you better manage or fully recover from symptoms of the unresolved, frozen and the unspoken part of stress, tension, and trauma. This workshop is thoughtfully designed to empower you without causing overwhelm and dysregulation.

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Dates: 26 - 27 JULY 2025

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SATURDAY: 9:00 - 15:00

SUNDAY: 9:00 - 15:00

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Booking essential.

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Wellbeing Investment: R2499.

EARLY BIRD:

Book within the next 24hrs and pay R1999 only! BOOK NOW

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Venue: Constantia. Cape Town. Women Only â€‹

 

ELECTRONIC GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE 

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DISCLAIMER

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While self-care methods on this web-site can have a positive effect on reducing stress, tension, anxiety and trauma

related symptoms, they are for guidance only, not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or cure. You should take the advice of a suitably qualified health professional if you have any concerns over stress or trauma related illnesses, or if you are experiencing significant or persistent unhappiness. 

 

Text, graphics, images, and other material on this site is for informational purposes only. 

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2007 - 2025 Release Heal Renew | All rights reserved | www.releasehealrenew.com

releasehealrenew@icloud.com 

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