Singing in Bloom:
A Women's Day Retreat

Sunday, September 13th, 2026
10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Swan’s Nest Holistic Wellness & Nature Centre
Schomberg, Ontario
(45 minutes from Toronto)

Nourish your soul, tend to your body, and uplift your spirit at this day-long wellness retreat for women.

Singing in Bloom is about Nourishment with a capital “N” - filling up the well that feeds you through song, nature, community, and connection. We will gather at the Swan’s Nest Holistic Wellness & Nature Centre, a private land sanctuary high on the Oak Ridges Moraine. In between our morning and afternoon song circles, you’ll have time to explore the 350 acres of wilderness trails, swim in the spring-fed lake, and feast on a home-cooked organic lunch.

Throughout our day together, we’ll sing simple, soul-nourishing songs learned by ear, in the oral tradition. We’ll play with harmonies, layer songs, and ‘don’t make me think’ songs that move us out of our minds and into our bodies. In the spirit of a small village, we’ll come together on beautiful land to sing, share, play, connect, and rest in the timelessness of the present moment. As always, no singing experience is required.

Since ancient times, women have gathered together to sing songs – to celebrate the cycles of the moon and sun, to mark special moments in life and community, and to share in the daily gifts of tending to land, home, and earth. There is an enduring magic that happens when women sing together – through the weaving of our voices, we remember our power, our rhythm, and our purpose.

The songs we sing will speak to themes of belonging and connection, earth and water, courage and freedom, grief and joy, nature and community, to name a few. They are songs that you can keep tucked away in your back pocket for moments when you need them, and songs that you can weave into the rhythm of your daily life. More than anything, they are songs that were made to nourish and enliven us.

As a wellness practice, group singing is known widely to improve health and well-being through the release of endorphins and oxytocin, which thereby reduce stress and increase a sense of joy and connection. Study after study has shown that singing helps with everything from increased lung capacity to reduced heart disease, boosting immunity and even a longer life span.

This retreat is open to all those with lived experience as a woman, including non-binary folx who feel comfortable in a woman-centred space. No singing experience is required, and no one will be asked to sing on their own. Please know that you are welcome however you are – tired and weary, fully ablaze in your brilliance, or anywhere in between.

*This retreat is designed as an adult-only experience, due to the length of the day and the size of the group. However, pre-crawling babies are welcome.

Schedule of our Day

10:00 am - 10:30 am: Arrival, settle in, walk the land, and drink some tea

10:30 am - 12:30 pm: Opening Circle and Singing

12:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Home-cooked organic lunch, swimming, sunning, hiking, and relaxing

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Singing and Closing Circle

Retreat Host & Facilitator

Location

Our retreat will be held at the Swan’s Nest Holistic Wellness & Nature Centre, a private land sanctuary high on the Oak Ridges Moraine, only an hour from downtown Toronto. It is located near Schomberg, Ontario. In between our morning and afternoon song circles, you’ll have time to explore the 350 acres of wilderness trails, swim in the private spring-fed lake, and feast on a home-cooked organic lunch.

Dinora and Rufus, who lovingly steward the Swan's Nest, are working towards having the land designated as a 'National Healing Forest' for the purpose of reconciliation between local indigenous and non-indigenous communities. They will share more about this initiative with our group, in the opening circle.

How To Get There

The Swan’s Nest Holistic Wellness & Nature Centre is a private land sanctuary, located only 45 minutes from Toronto, near Schomberg, Ontario. I will send out the address and driving directions to our retreat group, in a welcome email. For those who wish to take public transit, the best option is to make your way to Vaughn Metropolitan Centre Station, and get a Taxi/Uber from there.

Cost & Registration

Price per person: $175 Regular / $195 Supporter / $155 Supported (plus sales tax)

Tiered pricing is available for this retreat, so that those of us with more can share, and those of us who could use some support can receive it. Sales tax of 13% will be added to all three tiers.

This price includes:

• Facilitated group-singing sessions in the morning and afternoon

• A home-cooked organic lunch made by the incredible Annie

• Tea, coffee, and an afternoon home-baked snack

• A stunningly beautiful, natural setting to relax, connect, and unwind

• A “basket” of songs to return home with

If the tiered prices are a barrier for you, please email mila@singforjoy.ca for a possible work exchange or partial scholarship.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

• A refund will be issued if notice is received by August 15th, minus a $25 admin fee. After August 15th, your registration is non-refundable, but it is transferable until September 1st. This means that you can transfer your spot to another person, and be reimbursed for your payment. After September 1st, your spot is non-transferable.

• Please note that we do not offer refunds or credits for short-notice cancellations. This policy helps to hold us all accountable, and creates some protection and stability for the facilitators and our team.

• If you wish to transfer your spot to a friend or family member, please contact: mila@singforjoy.ca. If we do not have a waiting list, it is the responsibility of the participant to find someone with whom you can transfer your spot.

• For those who are travelling from out of town for this retreat, please note that we are not able to cover any costs incurred by participants for transportation or accommodations. As such, please organize your travel with this in mind.

• If the retreat is cancelled by the hosts, you will receive a full refund.

Registration for this retreat will open in May 2026. In the meantime, save the date!

Words from past participants…

“The Singing in Bloom retreat was so uplifting, full of passion and connection. My heart opened and my spirit soared in song. I've found myself humming the songs we learned together all week. Little musical earworms of hope, joy and caring.” – Amy Gourley

“I am so delighted to have discovered Mila's retreats. We sang all day and it wasn't enough. Mila has such a clear, positive and down-to-earth energy. Grounded and uplifting all at once. She made it all feel so simple - I'm still marvelling that we learned those beautiful harmonies together in a way that seemed so effortless.” – Kate Keenan

“Thank you a thousand times for creating a space where I felt safe, seen, heard, honoured, respected and valued. I felt that I belonged in the most beautiful way in the circle of women that you invited on this journey. Every song resonated in its own unique way and felt like a balm to a different part of my soul, one I did not even realize needed soothing.” – Sacha Salenik

“Mila holds some serious song magic, and has a beautiful ability of weaving song, playfulness, and deep meaning into her workshops. These moments of group singing are cherished, and feed my soul in ways that are palpable for days after. Singing in this way has helped me to feel ever-more confident in my own voice and ability to share songs.” – Sammy Tangir

“Mila draws you in with authenticity and opens you up with her joy. Then, you remember parts of who you really are, and you come home to yourself. Connection and healing happen in the safe, thoughtful, exuberant song-scape that Mila creates. As she moves our group, I experience myself as an essential part of an essential whole, and I know that singing is everyone’s birthright.” – Sarah Vandenberg

“Mila's retreats have profoundly shifted my relationship with my voice. I highly, highly recommend Mila's work to any woman who wants to experience Community Singing that nourishes deeply while allowing space for grief, joy, and everything in between.” – Maya Nadeem

I respectfully acknowledge that this gathering will take place on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Petun, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. I also acknowledge that this land is covered by Treaty No. 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. I strive to learn to recognize my part in the ongoing history of colonization, and to understand how our community can work towards reconciliation, repair, and uplifting indigenous values and traditions.