This website exists for one simple reason: most “wellbeing” spaces aren’t actually real enough for genuine lasting transformation.
They’re socially managed, performative and full of soft language that keeps everything polite while nothing real changes. People come, talk, have a moment, then go straight back to the same patterns because nobody is holding anything steady enough for their systems to fully let go and reorganise.
“Authentic Relating” is a great example of this. Everybody talking at each other, shutting down and invalidating everyone else by expressing how triggered they are instead of going beneath the noise and exploring the somatic internal world that drives all the commentary.
We’re not interested in that.
Beyond the River is a small collective of facilitators based in and around the Forest of Dean. We create spaces that are grounded, human, and properly held — where the body can settle, the nervous system can downshift, and what’s true can emerge without being steered or shamed. We can hold whatever you bring to the table without needing to label it, and without minimising it to meet the needs of our own unintegrated parts.
What we mean by “beyond the river”
The “river” is confusion: the mental noise, the coping strategies, the identities we cling to, the endless stories that keep us busy but not moving any closer to being truly free.
Beyond all that is not some airy spiritual fantasy of perfection, bliss or god-like illumination. It’s a quieter, cleaner state: presence, clarity, and the ability to meet life without distortion. That state isn’t a belief — it’s whats left when we expunge what isn’t true and is something you can feel in the room when it’s held properly.
Our standard
We don’t aim to be big. We aim to be coherent.
Beyond the River members are people who’ve forged a distinct workflow through years of lived experience and disciplined practice. Different modalities, same baseline:
- Integrity over image. No spiritual performance, no “brand” personality, no selling a persona.
- Presence over theory. We can explain what we do, but we don’t hide behind frameworks or ‘training’.
- Work that lands. If it doesn’t change your nervous system, your relationships, your body, or your day-to-day reality, it’s just entertainment.
- Clean communication. No social manoeuvring, no whisper networks, no weaponised “concern”, just direct honesty and authenticity at all times.
- Respect for autonomy. You’re not a follower. You’re a human being. We’re here to help you become more yourself, not draw you into a ‘healing process’ that repeatedly makes us money while taking you nowhere.
What our spaces are like
Every facilitator here runs their own style of work. Some sessions are still and inward. Some are embodied and physical. Some are therapeutic, some are educational, some are community-based.
But the feel is consistent: grounded, real, and surprisingly simple.
You can expect:
- a calm, well-held container
- clear boundaries and consent
- practical guidance rather than vague promise-making
- space for actual integration (not just a peak experience)
- a focus on outcomes when you go back into your life
What we’re not
Let’s make this explicit, because it saves everyone time.
Beyond the River is not:
- a conventional “wellbeing scene”
- a popularity contest
- a platform for gurus
- a place to collect followers or clients through vibes
- a “conscious community” where people hide behind niceness
If you want certainty, spectacle, or someone to tell you what you should be — you won’t like it here.
Who this is for
Beyond the River tends to suit people who:
- are tired of performing and want something honest
- can feel that their nervous system is running the show and want it to settle
- have done some work already but keep hitting the same loops
- want grounded change without having to adopt an identity or belief system
- value integrity and straight talking over comforting lies
If you’re in a fragile state, you’re still welcome — but we’ll point you toward the right kind of support if what you need is specialist medical or crisis care. We don’t support delusions and we don’t offer magic bullets either.
How to get involved
Start with coming to an event. It’s the easiest way to feel the atmosphere and see whether it’s for you.
This site lists the facilitators who are currently running events and gatherings, so you can check them out and choose what fits.
If you’d like to collaborate or be considered for membership, contact us with:
- what you do (in plain English)
- where you’re based
- what events you’d like to offer
- why Beyond the River feels aligned
We’re selective on purpose because coherence doesn’t scale by accident, but we also know authenticity when we see it.
A final note
The work here isn’t about fixing you, because you’re not broken.
It’s about removing what’s not true so you can see yourself with clarity, thereby strengthening what is, and giving you a lived experience of steadiness — the kind that holds up on a Tuesday afternoon when life does what it does.
If that’s what you’re after, you’re in the right place.