Wild Rise: Rituals of Renewal
Upcoming Retreat
$2300. Updated Sept 15, ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT! To secure you spot, an initial deposit of $1,500 down is due, then one additional payment for the remainder is due Oct 2. Email me at jen@jenveralle.com with any questions, and if you’d like to pay in two payments, or pay the full amount.
Sauna, cold immersion, and a softening. This retreat is a sacred space to learn about the practices, culture, and research related to sauna and cold immersion experiences and draw from this to create your own rituals, renewal, and meaning. By women. For women.
What Sets Rituals of Renewal Retreat Apart
01 / Premium Lodging and Sauna Guided Experiences
Wild Rice Retreat, in Bayfield, WI, on the shores of Lake Superior, is a sacred space for nourishment, intentional healing, and growth. Join in sauna and cold immersion experiences delivered through the Revivery method, a bio-psycho-social approach to hot and cold contrast therapy that honors the whole person: physical, emotional, and relational.
02 / Nonalcoholic Excellence and Nourishment
The environment at Wild Rice Retreat is supportive of holistic care for your body, mind, and spirit. Off the sauna bench, the retreat celebrates a new kind of toast. Elevated nonalcoholic beverages will be featured throughout the entire weekend, and will deepen guests' appreciation for the craft, complexity, and culture of alcohol-free sipping. This is a space where not drinking is the norm — and where it feels extraordinary.
03 / Sauna and Cold Immersion Rituals
Learn about and explore centuries old to modern sauna rituals and healing practices and the benefits of sauna with retreat host Jen Veralle. Jen, a certified Revivery sauna practioner, will guide through several sessions over the weekend, and will share insights on the science and mental health benefits. Kada Goalen, celebrated muralist will lead us in tapping into our creative inspired energy.
Twice over the course of the retreat, Belén Fleming, certified Revivery sauna practioner and retreat co-host, will guide us through cold immersion experiences in Lake Superior. When supported in this venture, all of us can rise to this challenge and truly understand the hot and cold contrast therapy dynamics and feel of this holistic practice.
More on Substack: Elements of Elsewhere
Rituals of Renewal: sauna, cold immersion, and a softening
Led by Jen Veralle — founder of Sauna and Sobriety and the Mindful Drinking Movement — Wild Rise: Rituals of Renewal is a full-sensory experience rooted in community, ritual, a softening and deep restoration. Jen is trained in the Revivery method, a bio-psycho-social approach to hot and cold contrast therapy that honors the whole person: physical, emotional, and relational.
Throughout the weekend, guests will be guided through intentional sauna rituals, learning about the culture of sauna, immersion in cold plunge practices, and the science and history behind why heat and cold therapy transform us from the inside out, specifically for women. Jen will also share cultural insights from her travels to Oslo for the International Sauna Congress in September 2026.
Off the sauna bench, the retreat celebrates a new kind of toast. Elevated nonalcoholic beverages will be featured throughout the entire weekend, creating an environment where alcohol-free sipping is the norm. The weekend is intentionally unhurried. Unstructured time, forest hikes, yoga round out a retreat designed to restore and reconnect.
Rituals of Renewal is open to anyone ready to feel deeply well — no experience necessary, just a willingness to show up, slow down, soften, and rise.
Programming
Rituals of Renewal is partnering with co-hosts to deliver an experience that awakens all the senses and brings in expertise and knowledge.
Oct 16, Friday:
+ Welcome and guided sauna ritual by Jen Veralle, certified Revivery guide
Oct 17, Saturday:
+ Cold Immersion in Lake Superior: guided by Belén Fleming, certified Revivery guide
+ A Culture of Sauna: sauna and cold immersion cultural lens, ritual, and a recap of Norway experiences, by Jen Veralle
+ Sauna for Women: research through the female lens
+ Optional activities
+ Art Immersion: by Kada Goalen, mural artist
+ Evening sauna session guided by Jen Veralle
Oct 18, Sunday:
+ Cold Immersion in Lake Superior: guided by Belén Fleming, certified Revivery guide
+ Open sauna
+ Closing session: Integration of ritual and owning it by Jen Veralle
Meet Your Co-hosts and Host
Kada Goalen - Kada Creative, Co Host
Kada Goalen is a muralist and artist with over 20 years of experience transforming spaces into works of art. From large-scale commercial murals to private clients and community installations, Kada pairs her knowledge and experience with community wisdom and client goals to bring their vision to life. She founded Kada Creative on a simple conviction: art is for everyone, beauty belongs everywhere, and color has the power to transform our world.
For Kada, art isn't precious, and it’s not reserved for galleries or trained professionals. Art is for everyone! It opens us to our inherent creativity. It quiets the mind. It feeds the soul. Kada is excited to bring that spirit to our retreat. Come ready to slow down, open up, and make something beautiful. No experience needed.
Belén Fleming - Belu Photography, Co Host
Belén Fleming blends decades of visual storytelling as a commercial photographer with her love of sauna, community, and nature. After discovering contrast therapy at Sauna Camp in Excelsior, MN, and the Finnish concept of "sisu"—inner strength and resilience in the face of adversity—she felt she'd found life's training manual.
Belén, aka The Cold Water Mermaid, leads sauna sessions that mirror her artistic eye for vulnerability and discomfort, bringing the same intuitive awareness and playfulness that shape her photography. In early 2025, she completed her Revivery REV-1 Certification, deepening her understanding of the bio-psycho-social factors behind contrast therapy. Her sessions blend guided visualizations, gentle breathwork, and contemplative meditation with communal sharing—creating space where participants feel seen, heard, and safe.
Jen Veralle, Wild Rise, Host
Jen Veralle is a wellness advocate, speaker, and certified sauna guide devoted to the power of heat, connection, and presence. A certified guide in the Revivery method—a bio-psycho-social framework for maximizing hot and cold contrast therapy—Jen leads sauna experiences that go far beyond heat, weaving in community, reflection, and intentional ritual. She’s guided sessions at The Four Seasons Minneapolis, Hilton Hotels, The Yard by Superior Sauna, Portal Thermaculture and at Sauna Days, and brings depth, warmth, and directness to every session.
She is the founder Wild Rise, a brand dedicated to sauna guiding and retreats, and of Sauna and Sobriety, and co-leads Sauna Social, a gathering space for entrepreneurs built around community and healthy living. Her 2023 TEDx Talk on rethinking drinking culture has been viewed over 47,000 times and recognized by leading wellness organizations worldwide. Her goal is to create spaces where people feel grounded, connected, and fully present. She believes the sauna is more than a practice—it's rooted in the slow art of stillness and a return to ourselves and to each other.
Meet the Retreat Partners
Wild Rise: Rituals of Renewal Partners are the people, products, and brands behind the sips, the style, and the spirit of this retreat.
Cadre —a mental health and wellbeing platform with real personality. They’re bringing the coaches, contributors, and voices behind the mobile and IRL social experience to life at the retreat.
Utopia Borealis — a hydrating maple electrolyte sparkling beverage that’s pure natural goodness. It’ll be flowing all weekend. Bottoms up!
Saunamekko — saunawear made from 100% Merino wool that you’ll actually want to wear. They’re gifting attendees a bandana, beanie, fingerless gloves, and a sweet little bag for sauna fun and function.
McLain Collective — global retreats to unforgettable destinations that lead with wellbeing. We’ll be sharing Wild Rise and McLain’s upcoming destinations for celebrating culture together.