Optimise your health, which is your greatest wealth
Health retreats are suitable for:
People wanting to give their body the best present it’s had in years by taking charge of their neglected wellbeing goals, to return home with benefits that will long outlast a tan
Those who regard wellness as multidimensional, including physiologic, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions
People ready to look beyond health symptoms, diet and exercise to determine root causes of low energy, weight issues, sleep problems, malaise or mental health struggles
Those looking for a health reboot and space to detox and get practical help designing a better future
Health Retreat Blue Mountains
-
The Surrounds
Work inside or take time outside in the elements to soak in birdsong and nature
-
The Space
A tranquil, restful space with bushland views and access to starry skies
-
Local Walks
Chase waterfalls after dark on a local spectacular floodlit night walk in Katoomba
-
Local Waterfalls
Our retreat centre is within walking distance of healing Mini Ha Ha waterfall
Therapeutic Retreats for Adults
Testimonials
“Magda was professional and very attentive to my health requirements. The relaxing and therapeutic experience was amazing 🤩 leaving me feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.”
- Faye
“We had a great weekend, such a pleasure to meet our facilitators. Both of them are very experienced with a lot of knowledge to help you out and gain clarity on your path.”
- Tal Gefterman
“I had an wonderful experience with Magda. She was highly skilled and knowledgeable, and the sessions were incredibly relaxing. I felt immediate relief from tension in my body afterward. The environment was clean and peaceful, making it easy to unwind.”
- En Sison
Health Retreat Sydney
Program Outline
Day One
Morning Session 9:30am - 12:30pm
Medicine looks at just one dimension - the body. Much of the self-help model looks at just one dimension - the mind. Wellness involves an all-encompassing paradigm shift. The integrated approach unites each of the major life areas — the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, vocational and spiritual spheres. Wellness is not a piecemeal approach. The program begins with an exploration of your lifestyle, relationship with stress, mental diet and outlook as well as environmental factors relating to your health.
Lunch 12:30pm
Afternoon Session 1:00pm - 4:00pm
As rates of obesity, cancer and disease escalate it is crucial to understand your nutritional habits and determine what you’re better off without and what you’re better off introducing. As the longevity of the Mediterranean diet has revealed, our health doesn’t require stoicism, endless discipline and austerity but rather a rediscovery of the joy of fresh, well-prepared meals. This session will delve into nutrition and your relationship with it.
Waterfall Walk (Optional) 4:00 - 6:00pm
Should the weather and your energy levels be accomodating, you can use this time to take in a nearby bushwalk to our local waterfall.
Alternatively, you might indulge in some art activities or enjoy one of the more physical activities we host (mountain biking / stand up paddleboarding).
Dinner 6:30 - 7:30pm
Enjoy a home cooked, organic meal or travel out to try one of Katoomba’s local dining facilities.
Evening (Optional) 7:30pm onwards
There are a range of optional evening activities for you to enjoy, such as listening to or reading poetry, life stories, or enjoying a thought-provoking film or inspiring documentary. Other options include self-guided meditation and yoga.
Day Two
Breakfast 8:30am
Enjoy a homemade breakfast, tea or coffee on the verandah whilst the kookaburras and other local birds sing.
Morning Session 9:30am - 12:30pm
Our physiological state is determined in large part by the way we respond to the circumstances of our life. A calm response generates “soothing” biochemicals. An angry or fearful high-stress response generates toxic biochemicals. Over a prolonged period, unchecked psychological stress can contribute to illness by creating physiological turmoil. This session will explore your relationship with sleep and rest, helping you discover impediments to attaining high energy levels and a calm mind.
Lunch 12:30pm
Afternoon Session 1:30pm - 4:00pm
Ask the average person to state what good health is and you'll frequently hear that the basic issues in wellness are (1) disciplining ourselves to eat well and (2) exercising regularly. The single overriding objective in wellness is creating constant personal renewal where we recognise our joie de vivre and surround ourselves with friends, work colleagues and loved ones who replenish us on an emotional level.
Consider someone like David Attenborough who despite being 97, is in remarkable health. Perhaps we has avoided any major health troubles due to being gifted with stellar genes. The likelihood is that his passion for his work and the company of like minded people has been the major contribution to a long, healthy life. This final session will look at your emotional health and social connectedness.
Cost: $590 for a 2 day holistic health retreat. $50 off for a weekday program.
Inclusions: Our retreats include accommodation, meals, workbooks, counselling and activities.
Optional session of bibliotherapy. Learn more about our bibliotherapy service.
Location: Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW.
Your Facilitators
Click on the + sign below to learn more about the backgrounds of the counsellors you’ll be working with
-
After a debilitating journey in her 20s with gluten and dairy intolerances that led to a breakdown of gut health, Magdalena sought answers from every kind of health practitioner.
Along the way, she acquired a wealth of knowledge and found her vocational calling in the field of health.
Having trained as a reflexologist, Magdalena focuses on the physical aspect of health, particularly nutrition and the importance of knowing one’s body type.
In the process of discovering how we can heal ourselves through food, she developed a passion for healthy cooking and the importance of combining great-tasting meals with the nutritional elements of living foods.
-
Marcus studied social work and education at university, grounding that knowledge by working in a diverse range of roles as an adult educator and caseworker.
Through his time at Rudolf Steiner College, he realised the importance of holistic education and the need to focus on the whole person in contrast to the compartmentalised approach of institutions.
Working for the Department of Sport and Recreation as well as outdoor educators, Outward Bound he learned about the importance of diet, exercise, right thinking and social connection in optimising health and wellbeing.
After running a variety of workshops in Australia and overseas he launched his initiative known as Writes of Passage Retreats, in the belief that contemplation, nature, carefully curated ideas and guidance is the ideal means for people to look at life with greater possibility and unearth their own dormant potentiality.
Through his retreat programs and individual counselling work, he has worked with a large number of individuals to help them find greater health, purpose, healing and enthusiasm for their future.
Get a health & wellness reset
In a Blue Mountains bushland setting
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The first wealth is health.” As the Western world has prioritised material wealth, our physical health has declined.
What food we eat determines how we feel, look, and think. Having moved away from relying on growing our own food we now have to navigate an industry that often exploits our cravings and emotional responses in order to maximise profits over our wellbeing. Eating mindfully improves our energy levels, brain health, and moods, fosters a clear mind and supports a healthy weight range while reducing the risk of chronic health conditions.
Poet, Maya Angelou said, “When women take care of their health, they become their best friend.” Good health is intertwined with rest, balanced stress levels, social connection, exercise and many other facets of life. Our approach is to offer insights that will help you nurture a healthy body, mind and emotional state to live more integrated.
Weight Loss Retreats
These small things – nutrition, place, climate, recreation – are inconceivably more important than everything one has taken to be important so far.
– Friedrich Nietzsche
Nutrition Wisdom
All of our retreat programs can be tailored to suit your individual needs. For some people, when they think of how they wish to improve their health, their primary motivation is around weight loss. In this case, we focus on practical aspects around eating patterns, eating routines and meal planning. You’ll gain nutrition education and learn how your body type responds to certain foods and affect your energy, how you feel, and your biology. There are numerous endocrine disorders that can affect your weight: thyroid conditions, insulin resistance, PCOS etc. As important as it is to eat well, diet alone isn’t enough to correct hormone imbalances. You’ll explore the alternative mindset to exercise as a chore or punishment to contemplate a range of physical activities that produce joy while also extending your comfort zone.
The separation of psychology from the premises of biology is purely artificial, because the human psyche lives in indissoluble union with the body.
- Carl Jung
Mindset & Psychology
Having worked with countless people as a psychologist, Carl Jung asserted: “The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside as fate.” Taking the focus off one’s weight allows you to understand the thoughts and feelings that lead to behaviours and habits behind binge eating, overeating, lack of exercise, stress and other factors that are negatively impacting your health. Living in harmony with the universal principle, ‘As Within, So Without’ is instrumental in assisting with weight loss.
Self-Love & Self-Acceptance
Disordered eating is very common, increasingly so as our culture grows more unhealthy and stressful. Improving our self-concept assists with expectations around our health, helping to decrease perfectionist tendencies when it comes to our bodies and habit change. Healing our relationships with food and bodies includes addressing potential weight stigma you may have experienced. This program will increase your awareness around WHY you’re eating the way you eat while not vilifying eating out of emotions occasionally. Using food as a coping mechanism tends to be a common issue that needs to be worked on gently.
Holistic Psychology focuses on the mind, body, and soul in the service of rebalancing the body and nervous system and healing unresolved emotional wounds.
- Nicole LePera
Blue Mountains Retreats
“Great things are done when people and mountains meet;
this is not done by jostling in the street.”
- William Blake
Take in a local stargazing tour at night
Rejuvenate in the Blue Mountains natural wonders
Retreats NSW
Art Retreat
Discover your creative potential and explore a variety of artistic mediums. Art Retreat
Astrology Retreat
An introduction to astrology where you learn about the zodiacs planets, signs, houses and how they impact one another. Astrology Retreat
Birth Your Business Retreat
A new small business is started every 100 seconds. Learn how to take your passions and make your livelihood doing what you love. Small Business Course
Boost Your Business
Learn how to make your business thrive & contribute to positive social change. Business Course
Breath Work Retreat
Intensive 2 and 3 day breathwork programs to help you release trauma and energy blockages. Breathwork Retreat
Career Retreat
Take a mini sabbatical to determine your ideal career & how to actualise it. Career Retreat
Couples Therapy Retreat
A program to enrich or revive one's relationship. Couples Counselling Retreat
Family Constellations
Explore your Internal Family Systems to liberate yourself from inherited beliefs and intergenerational trauma. Family Constellations Retreat
Family Healing Retreat
A program that explores the mother/father wounding and overcoming our imprints. Family Healing Retreat
Healing Retreat
Our healing retreat takes you through a range of modalities such as energetic healing, breathwork, transpersonal counselling & more. Healing Retreat
Health Retreat
Our health retreat takes a holistic approach to optimise your body, mind and emotional health. Health Retreat Blue Mountains
Life Purpose Retreat
Finding your life purpose is like the hub of a wheel, everything radiates out from it. Life Purpose Retreat
Love Retreat
Instead of gaming love, master the game of love by understanding your core needs and the blocks between you & a lasting connection. Singles Retreat
Maiden to Mother Retreat
An initiation to heal and move beyond the maiden phase of development & into the strength & centredness of the mother. Women’s Retreat
Men's Retreat / Women's Retreat
Integrate your divine feminine & divine masculine to find inner wholeness, sustain fulfilling relationships and obtain greater life direction. Sacred Union More
Mental Health Retreat
A program which focuses on working through mental health issues in a more holistic way that mainstream methodogies. Mental Health Retreat
Midlife Crisis Retreat
Midlife crisis presents us with a great opportunity to transition from the morning of life into the afternoon of life. Midlife Retreat
Mystical Retreat
A week long intensive where you learn the art of astrology, numerology, tarot & sacred geometry. Mystical Retreat
Rewilding Retreat
Recalibrate with nature, technology, yourself & your place in the world. Reconfigure your life in a radically simple and integrated way. Rewilding Retreat
Sacred Geometry Course
Create sacred geometry, learn the 9 numerology archetypes and explore your soul blueprint. Sacred Geometry Retreat
Self Discovery Retreat
A retreat centred around understanding yourself at the deepest level to integrate who you are with the life you live. Self Discovery Retreat
Self Love Retreat
Ideal for singles working on relationship patterns & those who could use some self care & greater appreciation for who they are. Self Love Retreat
Silent Retreat
Our silent retreats help you attain greater clarity through a calmer mind and clearer perspective. Silent Retreat Blue Mountains
Spiritual Awakening Retreat
A program to explore spiritual awakening and the process of understanding & expressing your soul aspect. Spiritual Retreat
Tarot Retreat
A Jungian retreat exploring the major arcana #0-3.Depth psychology & archetypal integration through a tarot course. Tarot Retreat
Wealth Retreat
There is an energetic aspect to money often overlooked. Explore the psychology of money & take a holistic approach to managing it . Wealth Retreat
Wellbeing Retreat
A retreat involving creative expression, life guidance, relationship exploration & activities - tarot, breathwork, counselling & more. Wellbeing Retreat
Writing Retreat
Each of us has a unique and interesting story to share. This program looks at writing your life story beginning with childhood. Writing Retreat
Writing Retreat (Program #2)
This program looks at writing your life story with a specific focus on the exploration of your adolescence. Writing Retreat NSW
Yoga Retreat
Discover a range of eastern wisdoms such as yoga, mediation, chakras, ayurvedic health and more. Yoga Retreat Blue Mountains