Wellness culture has already given us mainstream yoga and a Pilates boom. Now a woman in the English countryside is offering something far more specific: a four-day, women-only retreat built entirely around twerking, which she calls ‘liberation twerking’.
The retreat is run by Daisy Featherstone, who works as a sexual liberation and pleasure coach. Her path began with yoga and burlesque dancing before she settled on a single focus, using the dance as a way for women to reconnect with what she describes as their sexual selves.
From New Orleans to the English countryside
Twerking has roots in West and Central Africa. It travelled into Black African American communities in New Orleans, where it is widely believed to have originated, and then into hip-hop culture. Images and videos from the retreat appear to show mostly white British women taking part.
The organisation behind it is called The Liberated Woman. Its website says Featherstone is a certified Layla Martin VITA Sex, Love and Relationship Coach, a trauma-informed facilitator and a qualified twerk instructor with a burlesque background.
What happens over four days
The programme promises to "awaken the fierce, magnetic energy pulsing in your hips" and to help guests "peel off the layers of shame". It also says women will learn to "move in ways that feel delicious, rebellious, and utterly free."
The first day covers pelvis and twerk basics. The second centres on what the organisers call ‘divine embodiment’, and the third looks at ‘sensual self-expression’. On that third day, participants are encouraged to "reclaim your erotic aliveness" in a space where "nothing is too much".
On the final day, the women perform the choreography they have learned while professional videographers film them. Everyone receives the footage afterwards, as a keepsake to track their progress and remember the women they shared the week with.
Guests say it changed their lives
The most striking part may be the testimonials. In one video on the site, a tearful woman says "a portal has been opened" since she finished the course. She adds: "I feel like I’m in a constant state of arousal."
The retreat appears to appeal to women who say they have struggled to accept their bodies, helping them feel desirable again. Another review recommends it to any woman ready to "delve deep into their sexuality and sensuality" and says: "It’s just so juicy."
An Instagram post from the @The.liberatedwoman account, which has more than 3,000 followers, asks: "What if the healing you need isn’t therapy but moving unapologetically with other women and shaking ass?"
The price of self-love
Some might say this sounds like an ordinary Saturday night out with friends, but guests are paying real money. A four-day stay in a ‘Sisterhood Shared Room’, with meals included, costs £999 (about $1,360). Those who want more privacy can book the ‘Queen’s Suite’ for £1,399 (about $1,905), and there are options in between.
The Liberated Woman also runs other programmes, with the top ‘VIP package’ reaching £2,599. Judging by the interest, the unusual approach to body positivity and self-discovery is drawing a sizeable crowd.
Source: The Mirror US
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