Blooming Rooted Herbalism Retreat

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A seasonal rite of passage for those craving depth, restoration, and connection.

Is the intensity of summer catching up with anyone else? Around this time of year, my nervous system starts to feel frayed—stretched thin by the swirl of plans, obligations, and heat. If this sounds like you, you're not alone. And the plants can help.

From Friday September 19th to Monday the 22nd

Held over the Autumn Equinox in the high desert of Mancos, Colorado, Blooming Rooted is a 4-day immersive retreat designed to help you land in your body, soften your system, and root into the wisdom of the Earth. Through botanical breathwork, embodied herbalism, plant walks, tea ceremony, medicine making, and community connection, you'll experience the quieter, deeper medicine of the season—guided by roots, mushrooms, berries, and your own inner knowing.

What You'll Gain

What You'll Experience

You’ll leave not only with tinctures, tools, and herbal knowledge—but with a deeper sense of self, connection, and clarity for the season ahead.

Limited space available & filling up!

Save your spot here!

Why Autumn?

The Autumn Equinox marks a turning point—the moment where light and dark meet in balance. It’s a time for letting go, slowing down, and turning inward. This retreat is designed to support those transitions: from movement to stillness, from outward effort to inner listening.

We’ll be working with the seasonal medicines of roots, berries, and mushrooms—herbs that ground, nourish, and support deep immunity and introspection.

This is your invitation to step away from the noise and root into what’s real within you, the land and the plants.

Location & Accommodations

Our retreat is held at Deer Hill Expeditions Base Camp in Mancos, Colorado—just 20 minutes west of Durango. Nestled on 130 acres of meadowland and piñon-juniper forest, the land offers trails, a swimming hole, and cozy indoor/outdoor spaces for gathering, learning, and resting.

You’ll choose from the following accommodations:

All options include:

Join us!

Schedule Overview

Friday, September 19th

Saturday, September 20th

Sunday, September 21st

Monday, September 22nd

Schedule subject to change based on weather & group energy

Who Is This Retreat For?

This retreat is for:

No prior herbal experience is required—just curiosity and a willingness to slow down.

Meet Our Team: 

Elliott Brinkley

The retreat will be led and facilitated by Elliott Brinkley, clinical herbalist and owner of Dancing Willow Herbs apothecary. Elliott formulates handcrafted herbal products, works 1:1 with clients, and educates her community. She is a certified Clinical Herbalist with over 1400 hours of training from the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, North American Institute of Medical Herbalism and the Acorn School of Herbal Medicine. With a decade of professional herbal practice, she has the gift of conveying grounded clinical herbal strategies with everyday people, so that they can feel empowered to make informed decisions about their wellness. Her passion emulates beyond the clinical/scientific and weaves through the energetic nature of healing and the sacredness of connecting people to the Earth.

Blooming Rooted Retreat illuminates Elliott's love of bringing like-hearted people together to form a safe, deep community. Elliott was raised attending multiple retreats every year since before she could even walk. She learned from her uncle, breathwork teacher and leader, David Elliott, how to hold space for vulnerability and deep healing amongst large groups of people. Blooming Rooted is a culmination of Elliott's love of emotional/energetic healing, combined with her love of the Earth and the medicinal plants. 

Katie Terrell Ramos

Katie is a Mancos Colorado-based artist who lives on her lavender farm in the beautiful Southwest mountain desert. Katie’s known for her hand-carved rubber stamp picture book illustrations along with her colorful bandana collections. Her lavender farm, Mesa Verde Lavender, is known for their culinary lavender, hydrosols and artisanal lavender products. In the summer, Katie tends to her 2200 lavender plants and in the winter she writes and illustrates children’s books. Amidst all of this, Katie stays grounded with her cultivated Tea Ceremony practice. She loves serving tea for others and encouraging them to slow down, in order to connect with the wisdom of the tea plant, and the wisdom inside of them. 

Katie will be offering optional tea ceremony in the morning at the retreat, as well as helping hold space for the group. 

Brady Wilson

Brady Wilson, born and raised in the heart of the Rockies, is honored to serve as Lab Manager and Medicine Maker at Dancing Willow Herbs.  Often found barefoot in the forest, singing with the birds and babbling brooks, he has a lifelong love affair with the earth and her abundance.  Limelighting as a Yoga Teacher, and special events DJ, he lives the life he loves, and loves sharing it with others.  Whether with movement, sound, or plant-based alchemy, his works exemplifies his devotion to the healing arts.  Brady believes in the innate regenerative and creative capabilities of the human being, and that the gifts nature provides hold the keys to help us unlock that potential.  It is with this spirit that he humbly will be of service during the retreat. 

Brady will be offering optional yoga classes in the morning & a somatic dance experience at some point during the weekend. 

Satara Arthaud

Satara Arthaud is a licensed esthetician and owner of Clear Esthetics.

She will be offering lymphatic drainage facial treatments during the breaks for extra nervous system restoration, rejuvenation & healing. This is something you can choose to sign up for if you would like. 

Satara left many people glowing and radiant after last year's Blooming Rooted Retreat! 

 

Dancing Willow Herbs Team

Our whole team will be at the retreat helping hold space throughout the weekend! Jenny will be holding down the apothecary we will create at Deer Hill, so you can be stocked with your herbal product needs! Holly, Sofia & Ariella will be around to help hold space and assist you. 

Join our Community!

Testimonials 

"The Blooming Rooted Retreat felt like the hug my soul had needed for a few years. I signed up on a whim, because it felt like I must, and wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The dive into herbs and their energetics was lovely. And it went way beyond that. I felt pushed to some edges, immersed with total love and acceptance by beautiful beings and nourished by amazing food in a gorgeous setting. I laughed and cried and learned and explored. There were moments of intensity as well as enough gentle space to let it all settle and ground.  It was a wonderful container that Elliott created. I'd highly recommend if you're feeling the pull." -Poa 

"I signed up for the Blooming Rooted Retreat because I felt in my heart I could use a reset in nature with like minded humans. I was also very interested in making tinctures and learning how to support and honor nature within that process. I had the opportunity in the past to experience Elliots profound herbalist gifts and connection with nature so it felt like the perfect thing at the right time. I was personally coming out of a deeper, more introspective period of solitude and I was in a lack of better words, ready to Bloom! It's hard for me to put words to the transformation and connection I experienced while at the retreat, but I can say a part of my heart center cracked open that I didn't even know was closed. It led the way to the most beautiful happenings that summer and as the winter approaches I find myself becoming more rooted and going with the flow. I believe the retreat gave me a deeper capacity to let the big mama lead the way, and flow with the seasons of nature and life without judgment or resistance to what is." -Lindsay

"I attended the Blooming Rooted Retreat because I was looking for a deeper understanding of herbal healing, and I wanted to find a broader community of people that shared my interest in natural herbalism. This was the first retreat I had ever been to, and I was not sure what to expect. Elliott and her team cultivated such a special and supportive atmosphere and everyone who attended was so kind, open, and welcoming. Each event expanded my perspective and pushed me to look at healing in new ways. The energy and power of the group was a profound experience, and I left feeling inspired and encouraged." -Will

The vision that I am holding for this retreat is like an anchor into the Earth, to allow us to settle and soothe our nervous systems, connect to our purpose, and cultivate deep meaningful relationship with the plants.

During a hectic season, I personally feel assured, knowing I will have this time with community to ground, hold space and reorient as the summer comes to an end. 

If you’ve been craving a reset that goes deeper than rest, this is your invitation.

Join us!