Collective Wellness Invites You
EROS Retreat
Pleasure, Play and Joyful Resistance
December 2nd - 6th
In Chiang Mai, Thailand
“How would we organize and move our communities if we shifted to focus on what we long for and love rather than what we are negatively reacting to?” adrienne maree brown, Pleasure Activism
What do we long for & love?
"When I speak of the erotic, I speak of it as an assertion of the life force of womxn; of that creative energy empowered, the knowledge and use of which we are now reclaiming in our language, our history, our dancing, our loving, our work, our lives.” - Audre Lorde, Uses of the Erotic
In this year's retreat, we'll co-create a container where activists, community organizers, creatives, feminists, land stewards, and healers can reconnect with eros through the transformative exploration of play, pleasure and connection.
Our mission is to shift the culture of social movements towards one that centers and embodies care, for ourselves, nature and each other, so that we no longer reproduce the isolating and extractive nature of oppressive systems. We do this by creating, exploring and sharing practices, spaces and resources that nurture collective care with and for activists, organisers, creatives and healers.Since 2022, we’ve co-created retreats and gatherings in Thailand and the Philippines to explore care, joy, and healing as political practices. Grounded in somatics, storytelling, and collective reflection, our work centers rest, pleasure, and connection as antidotes to urgency and overwork. We are focused on collating resources, literature, practices from the wider network, and facilitating spaces that engage activists, organisers, revolutionary artists and wellness practitioners around what really constitutes care, and how we can center eros to continue the revolutionary work happening within our local communities, and in service to the greater collective.This work includes running annual retreats, workshops, embodiment sessions, creative expressive sessions, revolutionary book clubs and now we are working on creating an anthology to help people to engage with the learnings of our constellation through narrative and art.
Why are we building joy and pleasure into our social change initiatives?
Our movement work is challenging, deeply meaningful, and hugely impactful.
But there is always the feeling that more needs to be done. You feel guilty about resting or taking a break. You may simply not make the time, or you're too depleted to relax and replenish yourself in a nourishing way.As human rights defenders and stewards of the Earth, you must continually confront the challenges of:
The daily grind of community organising, resisting oppression, or social sector work.
Too many unclear directions for effective & uplifting collaborations and not knowing where to start.
Uncertainty or inability to galvinise the spaces we curate with more connection, pleasure, joy, and conscientiousness or political activation given the lack of resources you are provided with.
The struggle to keep doing your creative, important work (and see the value in it) with the limited resources, increasing social problems, struggling economies that decenter art & community.
We are all at risk of losing steam, hope, and energy in the work we do. This can cause isolation, community fractures, and burn out.Our community building, social movements, and creative spirits need nourishment to keep us energized in our work. That’s why we’re coming together; bridging communities to share inspiration and practices that can be sustained in daily life and uplifted through collective care.We invite you to reclaim vitality from oppressive systems, expand your capacity for joy, and confront historical injustices with a vision for alternative futures.
"Thank you to the Collective Wellness team for facilitating the Eros Retreat that allowed us to surrender to Eros, the depth of our hearts and feelings, joy, love, each other, the ocean and revolution.
What a gift it was to both play and laugh while plotting the downfall of imperialism!"- Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Climate Justice Activist & Organizer
EROS Retreat 2025
How do we shift our focus?
We invite you to this 5-day retreat in Chiang Mai, the place that facilitated the catalysation of the work we do together. Our retreat will be hosted at the International Women's Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP), a grassroots feminist organisation supporting women's activism in Thailand and across Asia.Since 2002, IWP has created spaces that bring together feminism, social action, and spirituality, fostering collective learning, leadership, healing, and movement building. We will gather at IWP's peaceful, nature-based retreat centre, located around 40 minutes from Chiang Mai.Together, we'll be sharing understandings, practices, and resources across communities and borders; building nurturing connections with other changemakers and practitioners; and co-creating a nurturing, encouraging, restful, and playful retreat from our regular lives, where our minds, bodies, and souls can break cycles and create new rhythms as needed, or simply rest and reconnect with ourselves, the land, and one another.We hope to create a space for deep connection and solidarity, as attendees build meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals committed to social justice and equity.
How can we organize and move our communities?
Join us to recharge, reconnect, and reimagine the ways we can thrive together.
At Eros Retreat, you'll be invited into a space that values curiosity over performance, and presence over perfection. You can expect:
Dedicated time for rest, reflection, integration, and simply being
Co-creation of shared community agreements, shaping a space that feels safe, intentional, and nourishing for everyone
Commune with nature
Radical pleasure tools and frameworks to support your learning and practice
Art, storytelling and creative expression
Somatic practices to connect to our inherent dignity, joy, pleasure and play
Revolutionary book club — spaces to deepen our understanding of politics and praxis
A consent-focused approach to space holding
Move at your own pace — participation is always your choice
Relational awareness and loving accountability
Emergent facilitation — flexibility and flow according to the needs of the group
Nourishing food
Sunset bike rides
"My time at EROS was incredibly nourishing and I'm grateful for the relationships! I recommend the EROS Retreat for the opportunity to make heart connections; and because the retreat was a nourishing reminder to slow down and come back to myself in order to live better. Attend if you are ready to come with an open heart and explore new relationships with people, place, and land."- Melissa Topacio Long, Intercultural Educator
Eros Retreat 2025
Pricing
All meals for 5 days, accommodation, and transportation from Chiang Mai city and back are covered.
| Local Price | 250 USD |
| International Price | 450 USD |
| Supporter Price | 650 USD |
We offer a community-supported sliding scale to help make the retreat accessible across different economic contexts:- The Local Price is intended for those who primarily earn and live in Thailand (or in a comparable local economic context).
- The International Price reflects the cost for those earning in stronger currencies, helping us sustainably run the retreat.
- If you're in a position to do so, the Supporter Price helps cover scholarships and keeps the retreat accessible for others in our community.If finances are a barrier, please reach out. We may be able to offer solidarity pricing on a case-by-case basis, as well as installment payment options. We'd love to find a way to make your participation possible.
curious about EROS?
Not ready to move forward yet? Leave your email below and we’ll send you a little more about Eros, what to expect, and what we’ll be exploring together.
Thanks so much for your interest.
We're so excited to connect with you!You'll get an email from us shortly.P.S. Check your Spam folder in a couple of minutes, just in case you don't see an email from us.