Solo vs. Shared: Making your "Right" Choice for Your Nature Retreat Experience

"I can't decide if I go solo, or come to the retreat with my friend. They really could do with this time as well. But whether I can convince them, or whether that would shift the experience for us both I am not sure!"

If you've found yourself having this exact internal debate, you're not alone. It's one of the most common ponderings people share with me, when it comes to joining our retreat. (So common I thought I should probably write a blog about it, so here it is!)

You'll probably know by now that here at Where the Mind Grows, alongside our 1:1 Coach and team programmes, we are also known for our wild and wonderful retreats in Nature - focused on well-being and personal growth.

So whilst this reflection is focused on what we deliver. It's worth noting that this info could be useful for any retreat, group sessions or get away you are exploring.

When considering our nature-based retreats, the quandary arises: should I go it alone or share this experience with someone I know?

You see our retreat offerings are delivered from Little Seed Field, Glamping site and farm and the home of our woodland HQ too. And those cosy glamping cabins you'll nest down in while you join us for a retreat. There great for solo retreaters OR to join as a 2-3 (sharing cabins with a double bed and bunk in them)

After three years of facilitating retreats and witnessing both options work wonderfully for people , I can tell you there's no universal right answer. But there are definitely ways to make the decision that's right for you and your specific situation.

When Solo Makes Sense

The solo retreat experience offers something genuinely unique – the chance to come along exactly as you are, without the familiar dynamics of existing relationships. You'll have a cozy cabin all to yourself and complete freedom to explore personal development at your own pace and direction.

You get the chance to begin the experience as a totally 'blank slate' and mingle and meet people who know nothing about your past and present.

I'm not saying this to encourage you to show up as your alter-ego but simply because that can provide a refreshing space to share and reflect with out any previous preconceptions (which may come with attending with someone you know).

Choose solo if you:

• Want to step completely outside your usual social patterns.

• Are seeking deep introspection without familiar distractions.

• Feel ready to challenge yourself in a new environment.

• Are curious about meeting entirely new people

• Have been carrying the weight of others' expectations and need space from that.

• Can already visualise yourself sprawling and lolling in this cabin alone and are counting down the days and hours for that freedom and space to arrive.

  
  

  What we know going solo can offer is..

  
  

  Emotional freedom - being able to be "messy" or vulnerable without worrying about judgment from someone in your regular life

  Identity exploration - the chance to experiment with different aspects of your personality without existing expectations weighing you down

  Self-reliance building - developing confidence in your ability to navigate new situations independently

  Making New Connections - meeting new people without the dynamics of existing relationships influencing those interactions

  Decision-making autonomy - complete freedom to participate (or not) in activities without having to negotiate or explain your choices to the other person or be influenced if they choose to opt in/out.

  Comfortable delightful solitude - practicing being alone with yourself in a supportive, structured environment

  Internal processing space - freedom from any pressure to share insights before you're ready to articulate them.

  
  

The signs that sharing could work well for you:

Life isn't always about going it solo.

Here are some situations where bringing a [adult] friend, family member, or colleague might actually be a pretty good idea for your retreat experience.

The Mutual Support Scenario: You and your brother/friend/colleague are both going through significant life transitions – career changes, relationship shifts, or personal challenges. Though your scenarios are individual to you individually you've found a close connection on going through these changes together and recognise you could both benefit from dedicated time for reflection and growth. Beyond the 'therapy and support' you've been offering each other beyond the way.

An Accountability Partner: You've tried all sorts of personal development before and whilst you feel bolstered by the people you meet in these groups, you struggle with with follow-through and don't always feel confident in connecting with those you meet at the event. Having someone you both trust 'witness' your insights and commitments in these situations can support you in the wider world and benefits you both by having and holding this support longer-term.

The Shared Adventure: Ever seen something and instantly wanted to share it with your best mater 'oi, look at this' pinging up on WhatsApp. Our past group attendees have described a very similar situation, outdoor lovers and personal development seekers who often connect through these shared opportunities. Then JK (that's me) comes along with the whole Nature AND Personal Development and you've just had a gander through the pictures of the venue and you are sold. You both want in. This is ideal for those friends or connections who regularly share meaningful experiences. The retreat represents another opportunities to chapter an adventure together.

The Workplace Team: You're colleagues who work well together but bloody hell its been a tough or frenetic time and you've been acknowledging this late. You can't handle the thought of another team away day, but the idea of doing something that covers both personal and professional development feels like a good call. Sharing a cabin also helps you save a little which right now feels like a helpful options. A few years ago we had a group of leaders attend our summer retreat, after the CEO said she was fed up with staff going on training that didn't really go deep or meaningful enough. So she accessed some funding and six leaders joined us at the retreat. With many sharing cabins. They chose to leave the 'work-work' stuff for their next team meeting and showed up as human beings and it worked really well with many feeling the retreat had enabled lasting change.

The Four Essential Questions

Before deciding to share a cabin, honestly assess these four critical factors:

1. Mutual Enthusiasm

This is non-negotiable. Both people must genuinely want to attend – not just be willing to tag along. If your primary motivation is nervousness about going alone, that's completely understandable, but it shouldn't be the driver behind bringing someone else. Their presence should add to the experience, for you both, not serve as your emotional safety net.

If you are wanting to come to a retreat but feel daunted about a solo option please always reach out to me direct (info@wherethemindgrows.co.uk) over the years I have spoken with people who feel nervous or apprehensive about investing in this for themselves and coming on their own, and I'll always aim to answer any questions and help you decide if that option could be great for you (I'll also be honest if i don't think its a good fit to what you say you need too).

2. Trust and Openness

Its crucially important that you know and trust each other enough to be vulnerable, open and explorative. Retreats often involve sharing personal insights (under your own terms without pressure), participating in group discussions, and potentially having emotional breakthroughs. Ask yourself: Can I be my genuine self around this person? Will they support my growth even if it means I change in ways they don't expect?

3. Healthy Independence

This might be the trickiest balance to strike. Whilst you'll need to value spending time together its also balancing respecting each other's need for independent experience. The retreat isn't about being joined at the hip – it's about sharing an expansive experience that might look very different for each of you.

You'll meet other retreat participants, and feeling free to form new connections independently is actually a bonus, not a threat to your existing relationship.

4. Solid Roots

You should genuinely enjoy spending extended time together. If there are unresolved tensions or relationship issues you're hoping the retreat will magically fix, this isn't the right setting for that work. Come together because you value your close friendship or connection, not because you're trying to repair it with a retreat (there are other approaches for that).

The Benefits of Each Approach

Solo Retreat Benefits:

• Complete freedom to focus on your personal development journey

• Opportunity to step outside familiar relationship patterns

• Privacy to process emotions and insights at your own pace

• Challenge of navigating new social situations independently

• A whole cabin to yourself

• The chance to make new friends and connections

  
  

Shared Retreat Benefits:

• Built-in support system during reflective moments during retreat experiences

• Shared reference points for keeping the retreat and its learning alive after the experience

• Opportunity to deepen an existing meaningful relationship

• Different perspectives on the same experiences

• The chance for car sharing and logistical planning together

• Savings on your retreat place through a shared cabin experience.

• Potential for mutual accountability in ongoing growth work

• Someone to get excited with about the retreat.

  
  

Making Your Decision

Consider these questions as you decide:

• What's my primary goal/aim or intention for this retreat?

• Am I seeking to escape familiar patterns, create an individual reset or deepen existing relationships?

• How do I typically process significant experiences most easily and effectively – alone or with others?

• What would challenge me more right now – solitude or navigating growth with someone I care about?

• If I bring someone, will I still feel free to have my own authentic experience?

  
  

A Final Thought

Remember that these events come hosted by experienced retreat facilitators (That's Moi!) alongside some talented collaborators who we trust to join our where the mind grows events.

We're skilled at creating unique individual experiences regardless of your cabin arrangement. If you choose to share, as an intuitive facilitator we actively encourage independence and ensure you're not limiting your experience by defaulting to familiar relationship dynamics. Encouraged in our welcome email sequence to retreaters and forged more deeply together in our culture setting activity onsite.

Whether you choose solo or shared, the most important thing is that you're taking this step toward personal growth and connection with nature. Both paths offer opportunities for insight, learning and unlearning and change and growth. (Yes all in a few days!)

Nature doesn't care if you arrive alone or with a friend, partner, colleague or family member (adults only at our retreats mind!) – it only asks that you show up ready to receive what it has to offer.

Ready to explore?

Check our our retreat page for our wild and natural retreat options