Dr Nicola Whiteman is a general medical doctor with a special interest in integrative medicine. Her main focus is trying to identify the causes of illness and optimising health through lifestyle change, thereby reducing the need for chronic medication. Through her experience, she has found that optimising gut health is fundamental to managing any patient. Her motivation for starting The Oppidum Health Retreat is to provide a place where information on gut health can be imparted and integrated in a stress-free environment. Our lives are very busy and it is very difficult to change behaviour and find the motivation to optimise our health when we are stuck in our busy routines.

Inge has done various training in massage therapy. She has also completed her training in TRE® Level 1, Usui Reiki Level 1, 2 and Advanced, Fascia Response and Integration and AlphaMind meditation. Inge incorporates all of these modalities in her treatment sessions, but it is her intuition and ability to listen to her clients’ bodies, that has been her greatest asset. She believes that through holding an intentional space and the power of touch, that the body is able to release tension, trauma, stuck emotions and other blockages. Therefore tapping into the intrinsic ability of the body to heal.

Anastasia specialises in Gut Health after many years of suffering from gut-related issues. She is passionate and dedicated to creating delicious food for special dietary needs with a prime focus on gut health. She demonstrates how to prepare nutritionally dense meals for families, babies and children which are seasonal and sustainable. For many years she has run workshops on bone broth making, fermentation, grain preparation, nut activation, seasonal eating and does whole food cooking classes. She is the owner of Foodology.

Rosalind has explored many holistic modalities and deepened training experiences with her own personal work. Her qualifications include her passion for working with the emotional body and how and why we function as we do in every day life. Rosalind invites a curiosity in us to look through what we perceive about ourselves and others.

Rosalind will speak of the nervous system, our emotions, behavioural patterns, amongst other topics to help us understand how all of this affects how we digest life - on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. She has a special interest in why and how our digestive system is affected by the experiences we hold in our body - experiences of trauma and enjoyment.

Physically, Rosalind uses the transformative essence of yoga asana, pranayama, meditation and neurogenic sensation to guide others to feel (physically, emotionally, mentally) what they may not be aware of yet. A session with Rosalind is a journey through one’s somatic perception of Self, integrating the fragmented parts of the nervous system into eventual wholeness. In this way we develop our intuition. A strong connection to our intuition guides us in making better life choices for ourselves - healthier eating, the right physical needs, relationships that nourish and enhancing mental activities.

Rosalind has been facilitating a combination of holistic modalities for over twelve years. Supporting her work is the following training and interests - Forrest Yoga and Indieyoga Teacher training, TRE Provider (Level 1 and 2) and Fascia massage, Energy Kinesiology, Craniosacral Training (Level 1), Reiki, Addiction Recovery coaching and Somatic Integration work.

Joy studied integrative healing therapy in Colorado before returning to South Africa. She uses a form of therapy that manipulates energy so that it moves better through the body, promoting balance and healing. It uses light or proximity-only touch to interact with the biofield energy of the body. Biofield is the term used to describe the field of electromagnetic energy surrounding the human body. Biofield therapies have been shown to help reduce pain, improve immune cell function, improve emotional well-being and reduce stress. Joy will also be facilitating a daily meditation during the retreat. By restoring balance and quietening the mind the body will be primed to heal thereby complimenting gut repair.

Kelly is an HPCSA, BHF and BAPSA Registered Psychological Counsellor specialising in stress, trauma, anxiety and addiction. In her talk based sessions with individuals and families, she began to notice that many of her patients were stuck in a negative narrative loop that was hindering their ability to move forward and heal. She realised that trauma is not what happens to us but rather what happens inside us and the power of healing lies in the ability to step out of the semantics of the story and into the feeling. TRE® is an innovative series of exercises that assists the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. These exercises safely activate neurogenic tremors, which is a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system and organically restoring the body to balance. TRE® offers a soft space to feel oneself without the narration of the thinking mind.

Karen is deeply fascinated by healing and the human body. Her exploration began 28 years ago and she has studied and learned to integrate a wide array of healing modalities including Shiatsu, Acupressure, Biogenics and Chi Nei Tsang. Supporting this journey has been her deep interest in Tai Chi and Qigong. Qigong is a series of slow, meditative movements that work to open up the energy pathways in the body, enhancing the health and wellbeing of the mind and body.

Murray Pienaar is a restaurant-trained Chef who is passionate about introducing the world to the beauty and wonders of healthy South African cuisine. Drawing on his diverse background in wine, business and sustainable food systems, Murray has created a unique catering and private chef business based in Plettenberg Bay. Growing up on a farm he lived very close to the natural environment and experienced first-hand what a tremendous impact responsible farming and business practices had on the community and the environment. Murray has educated himself on gut healthy eating through a personal fascination with the topic. He grows his own organic produce and is well connected with local farmers. He enjoys fermenting and preparing foods in a ‘gut healthy’ way.

As a Life Coach and Reiki Master with over 20 years of experience, Karese’s intention for her clients is to create a strong sense of internal balance and clarity in life. Through a hybrid of both energy balancing and life coaching she helps to create awareness about the specific and often covert ideas that people hold about themselves. These powerful identities and expectations are usually rooted at a deep level and while they're driving behaviour, and creating frustrating and painful patterns, people are often not aware of how it’s all working.