UPCOMING RETREATS

Awake Human Being
Hearth & Soul Easter Retreat

Join us  at the beautiful Hearth and Soul Retreat Centre, nestled in the mountains near Stanford, Western Cape, South Africa, for a deep dive into 7 days of silence, conscious dance, yoga, meditation, deep relaxation, meditation, and vocalisation. Set on a beautiful farm in nature. An off grid and tech free opportunity to discover yourself. 
Facilitated by Brian with special guest facilitator Tarynn O leading sessions exploring voice and sound.
It’s going to be life changing. 

When: Monday 30 March - Sunday 5th April
Where: Hearth and Soul Retreat Centre, Western Cape, South Africa. 2 hours out of Cape Town. 
Cost: R8250 Shared Accommodation - R7000 Camping

Includes vegetarian meals and 6 nights shared comfortable accommodation on an amazing farm. Much of the food is grown on the land! 
(There are a limited number of single room accommodations available for an additional R2750 and we will attempt to accommodate requests as best we can. We also appreciate a willingness to share rooms as this makes logistics much easier)  

Awake Human Being
Bali Retreat

Sadly this retreat had to be cancelled.

 

GAUTENG BUSH RETREAT

Sima Kade - Bush Retreat
Magaliesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
10 - 16 August 2026 - Bookings Open 

Join us on an incredible nature farm in the Magaliesburg mountains for the Gauteng edition. Facilitated by Brian with assistant guest facilitator Anita van der Merwe (FreeFlow)

When: 10 - 16 August 2026
Where: Sima Kade Bush Retreat, Magaliesburg, South Africa (1 Hour from JHB)
Cost: R9600 - R11500
 

Contact Anita to book.

About the Retreats 

 

The Gift of Being

The aim of this retreat is simple: to give yourself the enormous gift of time. It is a space to remember what it truly means to be human, to explore your inner being, and to deepen your connection with the world around you.

Just as an acorn requires the right conditions to become a great oak, we humans thrive when we are nurtured. This retreat provides those conditions—a "breathing balance" between rest and movement, designed to help you discover the inner wisdom that guides your creative expression.

The Journey: Movement & Silence

This is a retreat, not a workshop. We do not focus on "processing" anything specifically; instead, we stay present with whatever arises in the moment.

The retreat is for earnest, sincere seekers prepared to push their edges of comfort in the pursuit of self-knowledge.

  • The Transition: We gently enter silence on the first day and emerge on the seventh.

  • The Focus: We explore the "Maps of the Awake Human Being" system, with each day building toward an integrated whole.

  • The Ceremony: The first four days prepare us for Day 5, which features a Dance Ceremony from noon until midnight, combined with a 36-hour solid food fast.

  • Integration: Day 6 is dedicated to integration in deep silence before we break the silence together on Day 7.

A Day in the Life

While each day carries a specific intention, our rhythm follows this flow:

  • 06:30 – 08:30: Yoga / Breathwork / Meditation

  • 08:30 – 10:00: Breakfast & Free Time

  • 10:00 – 12:30: Conscious Dance / Movement & Yoga Nidra (Deep Relaxation)

  • 12:30 – 15:30: Lunch (Main Meal) & Nature Walks

  • 15:30 – 17:30: Conscious Dance & Mindfulness Practice

  • 17:30 – 19:00: Light Dinner & Free Time

  • 19:00 – 21:15: Conscious Dance Practice & Meditation

  • 21:15 – Close: Free time and sleep

The Environment: A Digital Detox

To truly awaken the heart and body, we step away from modern distractions.

  • Not Permitted: Phones, laptops, tech, books, drugs, alcohol, or stimulants.

  • Encouraged: Journals for poetry and epiphanies, and art materials to paint or draw as you respond to your deepening sensitivity.

Testimonials From Our Participants

"The best gift I have ever given myself!"
-  Bevin

"The combination of silence and movement was perfect. If something came up, I would dance with it—sometimes a gentle unfolding, sometimes a tumultuous unraveling."
- Tiva

"Brian is an incredible teacher, holding space for the vast range of human experience to unfold in creative and healing ways. His intelligence, intuition, humor, and grace filter through his words as he weaves magic through his use of music and imagery."
- Yanna

"My daily life is lived almost entirely in the mind—technology, to-do lists, meetings. The dance retreat feels like coming home to myself. My dancing, dreaming, connected self is completely real. I now have the space and energy to show up for what is next."
- Sarah

"People from the previous retreat said it was ‘life-changing.’ They weren’t wrong... It was the retreat of a lifetime. We became tuning forks to our authentic selves; the vibration of loving awareness and shared intention to grow shook every cell."
- Jasmine

"I experienced a myriad of wonderful insights into myself and was amazed how you managed to incorporate so much: yoga, nature, creativity, visualization, and movement. For me, it feels like so much I have been working on has been integrated in a profound way."
- Belinda

"I was blown away by the power and beauty of the music. The facilitation was a perfect blend of wise guidance and non-interference in the unfolding process. I came away feeling inspired and rejuvenated!"
- Richard

Join Us

Space is strictly limited up to 20  participants to ensure an intimate and profound experience.

No specific level of fitness is required—only a willingness to embrace the adventure. 

To Book:
Please contact us early to avoid disappointment.
For Easter and Bali Retreats: Contact Brian
For Gauteng: Contact Anita

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MAGALIESBBURG ACCOMODATION PRICING

All Rates include 6 Nights lodging and a full meal service.

SKY TOWER TERRACE ROOMS:

Sky Tower rooms are shared spacious with 2 single beds. They have big windows overlooking the valley, with a desk, space for clothes and a bench in front of the window. They are all en suite with toilet, basin and modern shower.
COST: R11500pp

SKY PODS:

Sky Pods are small simple round structures with bunk beds single occupancy. Also good for couples who want a cheaper option.
COST: R9600pp or R8000pp (Couples) 

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Meet The Facilitators

Brian Bergman

Brian is the visionary founder of Awake Human Being and Dance Awake, a facilitator dedicated to the art of presence and the rhythm of Being. With a journey spanning over 26 years of yoga, meditation, conscious dance, and mindfulness, Brian’s path has been one of profound service and deep inquiry—from the quiet discipline of ashram life to a decade spent teaching mindfulness within the walls of prisons and practicing as a veterinarian in Khayelitsha.

Holding a PG Diploma in Yogic Studies from Bihar Yoga Bharati in India and a qualification as a Dancing Freedom facilitator, Brian offers a grounded, expert presence that bridges ancient tradition with modern movement. For the past eight years, he has curated and led these silent retreats designed to evoke the sacred simplicity of the ashram life he once lived and the periods of intense personal practice. By weaving together the stillness of meditation, nature, mindfulness, deep relaxation, with the medicine of conscious dance, and mindful movement practice, Brian creates a sanctuary for participants to strip away the noise and return to the essential, vibrant truth of their being.

Tarynn O

Tarynn O is devoted to the free voice that lives and moves through all of us. From her leaving the nest years in NYC, to her holy grail days as a performing artist in a Berlin band, and her return to the deep roots of South African soundscapes, her journey has continually guided her deeper into the mystery of sound as medicine and nature as an ongoing mentor.

Tarynn O has worked with sound, body, nature, and play in both one-on-one sessions and group spaces for many years, supporting participants in personal transformation and a return to the true wild self.

Weaving together sound healing and intentional expression , Tarynn O guides participants through experiences that access the voice as a primary tool for self-discovery and energetic alignment. Her approach creates a supportive space to experience sound not only as an external melody, but as an internal pathway to connection, clarity, and creativity.

Tarynn O will be bringing her magic to the Easter Retreat at Hearth and Soul.

Nurvitria

Nurvitria is an impact strategist and somatic guide dedicated to the belief that personal reconnection is a radical act of global transformation. With over 15 years of experience supporting sustainable projects across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, her journey has led her to one essential truth: to navigate the complexities of our modern world, we must first return to the wisdom of the body. Nurvitria views our current global challenges as symptoms of a long-standing disconnection from ourselves and the Earth—a rift she seeks to heal through the art of embodied leadership.

Drawing from her deep roots in Ontological Coaching, Contact Improvisation, and Body-Mind Centering, Nurvitria creates immersive spaces where mind, body, and emotional intelligence converge. Based in the lush landscape of Ubud, she curates transformative sonic journeys through Dissolve and lush.movements, weaving together eclectic musical landscapes that range from ancestral rhythms to ambient dub and jazz. Her work invites participants to listen to their "essential Self," using movement and sound as an alchemical bridge to connection. For Nurvitria, every ripple of somatic awareness found on the dance floor is a seed for a more conscious and compassionate world.

Nurvitria will be holding some of the conscious dance sessions on the Bali Retreat.

Anita van der Merwe

Anita has been in a satisfying long-term relationship with the dance floor for over twenty years. Dance is her first language, and she experiences it as a doorway to playful freedom, soulful connection, and truth in the body.
As the founder of Free Flow, a conscious dance practice, she invites people to drop into presence, soften self-judgment, and move as their own teachers.

Her movement journey includes Spanish Dancing, Biodanza training, Expressive Movement, Movement Medicine, and a current love affair with Contact Improvisation – each modality enriching her movement vocabulary. Over the past seven years, Anita has been weaving music more centrally into her dance offerings, training as a DJ and crafting soundscapes for deep personal and collective journeys.

Anita believes that when the body moves, the soul remembers. For her, dance is a living prayer - an invitation to heal, transform and come home, together.
At the Awake Human Being retreat, she will assist with guiding some of the Conscious Dance sessions, supporting participants as they explore their inner landscapes through music and motion.

Anita will be holding some of the conscious dance sessions on the Bali Retreat.

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Your Journey Inward: Retreat Guidelines

Welcome to this space of transformation. To help you get the most out of these few days, we’ve outlined the "rhythm" of our time together. These aren't just rules—they are tools for your awakening.

1. The Art of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is simply presence. It is the "I am Loving Awareness" state where we stop fighting reality and start experiencing it.

  • Presence over Effort: We reclaim the energy usually spent resisting the moment and channel it into the here and now.

  • Equanimity: This is our "secret weapon." It means staying steady whether you like what’s happening or not. We don’t run; we face, move, and respond rather than react.

2. The Gift of Silence

We will maintain a sacred silence throughout the retreat.

  • Why? Silence is a blessing that allows an experience to take root in your soul before words can label or limit it.

  • The Goal: To hear what is actually being said beneath the noise.

  • Digital Detox: Switch off your phone. Trust that the world will keep turning while you rediscover your own.

3. Pushing Your Edges

You are stepping out of your routine and into the unknown. You might feel tired, edgy, or experience emotional swings from bliss to frustration. This is where the magic happens.

  • The Invitation: When you hit a wall of resistance, don't stop. Soften your gaze, find your humor, and keep moving.

  • True Limits: By moving past your "perceived" comfort zone, you discover your true potential and enter exciting new territory.

4. Capturing Flashes (Journals)

Keep a journal nearby for Epiphanies only. * The Content: Quick notes, poems, or sketches of "downloads" and intuitive hits.

  • The Rule: No over-analyzing! Avoid long memoirs or intellectual processing. Keep the "why" for after the retreat; for now, just capture the "what."

5. Mindful Eating & Nature Walks

  • Feast with the Senses: Treat every meal as a meditation. Notice the colors, textures, and the way your body responds to every bite.

  • Step into Nature: Our daily walks are moving meditations. In the afternoons, we’ll provide a specific "awareness focus" to carry with you into the wild.

Conscious Dance: The Main Practice

If you’re new to conscious movement, remember these golden rules:

  1. You Can’t Get It Wrong: It doesn't need to look like "dance." It just needs to look like you.

  2. Stay Present and in Motion: Whether it’s a tiny finger twitch or a wild leap, keep the momentum going through the highs and the lows.

  3. Eyes Open or Closed: Close your eyes to go deep inside; open them to ground yourself in the room.

  4. Respect the Space: Honor the journeys of those around you. If you share a dance with someone, enjoy the intimacy of the moment, then let it go without attachment.

  5. No Words: Let your body do the talking.

The Dance Ceremony

On Day 5, we enter the Dance of the Seven Spaces. From noon until midnight, we will move through a high-intensity ceremony of communion and integration. We will fast on this day, allowing our energy to fuel our spirits rather than our digestion.

Trust the process. Lean into the movement. Welcome home.

Somatic Dance

Expressive Dance

Shamanic Dance

Ecstatic Movement

Invocatory Movement

Dancing the Great Way!

From the Ground Up

Silence

How to Drop Into a Conscious Dance Class

No Mind, No Matter