The Spark Behind Moonwake Retreats

Moonwake Retreats began with a shared truth: that so many of us are quietly aching for something deeper.

We’ve felt it ourselves - the pressure to always be producing, proving, pushing forward. The burnout that comes from modern life’s constant rush. The quiet disconnection that creeps in when we forget to listen to our bodies, to nature, and to each other.

But we’ve also experienced something else: the healing that happens when we slow down. When we return to stillness. When we root ourselves in the wisdom of the Earth and the cultures that have never forgotten how to live in rhythm.

Our retreats create intentional spaces where nature, ritual, and community come together to restore what’s been lost. Each retreat is crafted in collaboration with women-led collectives, indigenous guides, and local partners. We believe in reciprocity over extraction, in honoring cultural wisdom, and in building something sacred - together.

moon·wake

noun

1. The bright reflection of moonlight on a body of water, especially as a visible trail stretching across the surface

2. A quiet signal from the natural world—a reminder that even in darkness, there is rhythm, reflection, and return

Guided by Women, Held by the Earth

Moonwake Retreats was founded by two women who have walked through burnout, grief, and disconnection—and found their way back to purpose through nature, movement, and ritual.

Their backgrounds span integrative wellness, education, human behavior, ceremonial healing, and more. But it’s their lived experiences that shape how they hold space: gently, powerfully, and always with reverence—for the Earth and the inner wisdom of each guest.

Meet the Founders

Amanda Schmidt is a transformational wellness coach and educator with a passion for helping others return to themselves through movement, ritual, and soul-rooted healing. She is a certified Reiki practitioner, sound healer, intuitive reader, and seasoned facilitator of meditation, ceremony, and sacred space. With over a decade of experience in the wellness space, Amanda brings deep expertise in ritual and embodiment work that supports meaningful transformation.

She is also a certified personal trainer who specializes in joyful movement and mindfulness—guiding clients toward strength and stillness in a way that honors the body’s natural rhythm. Amanda holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

Amanda’s path to healing began after years of mental health struggles. Movement, meditation, and spirituality became the lifelines that brought her back to herself. During a series of Ayahuasca ceremonies in Peru, she experienced a profound reconnection with Pachamama—Mother Earth—that transformed her worldview. She learned that to lose connection with nature is to lose connection with the self. Moonwake Retreats was born from that realization.

Amanda Schmidt
C0-Founder, Director of Magick

Michelle Risinger is an award-winning entrepreneur, behavioral designer, public speaker, and certified professional life coach.  She is currently the owner and principal strategist at Rising Solutions, a global  innovation strategy firm for the social sector, that works with clients such as the United Nations, the Rainforest Alliance and the International Rescue Committee. She is also the owner and CEO of Restore, a technology company that revolutionizes productivity through chronobiology. 

Michelle is the national recipient of the 2019 End-User Transformation Award by Design Thinking USA and was formerly the founding member and Director of Innovation at global nonprofit, Pact. She has a Master’s in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and has guest lectured at Georgetown University,  American University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management. 

Michelle is a certified professional life coach, a certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and coaches women executives on transformational change management.  She holds a certificate from Cornell University in the Psychology of Leadership and her research focuses on creativity neuroscience and burnout  in the modern workplace and how rest leads to breakthrough innovations. She is a certified fitness and yoga instructor, as well as a certified mindfulness practitioner. A former member of the Scottish National Water Polo team, she is an avid lover of travel - having been to almost 100 countries - where she loves to explore new places through open water swimming.

Michelle Risinger
Co-Founder, Director of Possibilities

Our Values

The soul of Moonwake Retreats lives in these values.


They don’t just guide how we hold space for our guests—they guide everything we do. From the partners we collaborate with to the land we walk on, we build relationships rooted in respect, reciprocity, and shared purpose. We only work with individuals and organizations who align with these principles.

  • We listen deeply—to ourselves, to one another, and to the wisdom of the land and local cultures that host us.

  • We move with care and humility, respecting the traditions, people, and ecosystems that make each retreat possible. Respect is the thread that holds all connection together.

  • We honor the sacred: our inner rhythms, the stories shared in circle, and the heritage and guardians of the places we visit. Everything we do is offered with reverence for what came before and what lives after us.

  • We celebrate feminine power and natural beauty through joy, ritual, and connection—with each other and with the Earth. We believe ceremony doesn’t have to be solemn to be sacred.

  • We gather in circle, not hierarchy. We build bridges, not silos. We believe in collective healing, and cultivate a shared sense of belonging that honors both our differences and our interconnectedness—with each other, with the land, and with the communities who welcome us.