Meditation in magical surrounds

RECHARGE your batteries with a holistic escape designed to feed your body and soul, writes Michelle Bennett.

meditation escape spa 9

RECHARGE your batteries with a holistic escape designed to feed your body and soul, writes Michelle Bennett.

Prema Shanti Yoga & Meditation Retreat

There's a special place in my heart for Prema Shanti; my husband and I spent five blissful days here just before we got married in Port Douglas.

However, I suspect I would have found this place extraordinary even if I wasn't just about to tie the knot.

Prema Shanti has a magical quality, aided by its superb location in Queensland's World Heritage-listed tropical Daintree rainforest.

Each morning you wake to the gentle ringing of bells, indicating that the group meditation session will soon begin in the lovely wooden temple. This is followed by a communal breakfast on the deep veranda that wraps around the temple.

Come evening, there's a meditation or yoga class blending Vinyasa, Iyengar and Ashtanga styles.

The rest of the day is free to spend however you like  - getting a massage or spa treatment, or lounging on the veranda or listening to the birds.

Everything here is relaxed, from the welcoming hosts who make you feel like family, to the yoga and meditation teaching styles, to the meals shared with like-minded folk. It's secluded, eco-friendly and intimate, and stands for love (prema) and peace (shanti). What more could you want before getting hitched or, for that matter, from any retreat for the soul?

-- Turpentine Rd, Cape Tribulation, Queensland, ph [phone] or see premashanti.com

Facilities: Four rooms at the temple, plus off-site cabins available. (Vegetarian) breakfast and dinner included in rates, plus yoga and meditation.

Activities: Cycling, horseriding, meditation, sea-kayaking, swimming holes, walking tracks, yoga.

-- Rooms from $80 (a person, shared bathroom); 60-minute massage $90.

Camp Eden Health Retreat Camp Eden.

I've always thought this was an intriguing name for a health retreat. You get the connotation of paradise, which is warranted (the surrounds here are beautiful), combined with the feeling of freedom that comes with camping.

Not that this is a campsite in the literal sense: accommodation is in a range of comfortable, nicely appointed cabins. It's almost guaranteed that you'll come away from a break here feeling freer (and healthier) than you have in a long, long time.

Upon arrival at the 117ha rainforest retreat, a half-hour drive inland from the Gold Coast's Coolangatta Airport, you'll have one-on-one consultations with staff members to come up with a program for the duration of your stay, which can be for five, seven, 12 or 21 nights.

You can be as active or inert as you like; mind you, the huge range of activities on offer will probably make you want to join in no matter how lazy you're feeling. At the very least give laughing yoga a go; it's a hoot.

People come here for a range of reasons, including to detox, manage stress, improve fitness, lose weight and change pesky old habits that are holding them back. Or you might just want to come for some relaxation, in which case the numerous spa and holistic therapies will fit the bill.

As with many health retreats, this is a tobacco, booze and caffeine-free zone. There are no TVs, radios, newspapers or mags, and guests are asked to come sans laptop and mobile phone.

This might make you want to run screeching to the nearest exit, but it's actually really liberating being away from all these vices  - not dissimilar to camping out under the stars.

- Currumbin Creek Rd, Currumbin Valley, Queensland, ph [phone] or see campeden.com.au

Facilities: 28 cabins, all meals and activities included in rates (some spa treatments extra).

Activities: Cycling, gym, Jacuzzi, kayaking, meditation, qi gong, sauna, pool, tennis, yoga.

- Packages from $2550 (a person, five nights); 60-minute massage from $110. 

Alive Luxury Health & Wellness Retreats

Design your own all-inclusive wellness retreat  - that's essentially what Alive retreats boil down to. You choose who, where, how much, how long, when and what. The why can be any reason, and is reflected in Alive's programs.

The Emotional & Mental Wellbeing program is the most popular. It helps people overcome serious issues such as depression, anxiety and addiction.

Personal wellness teams for such retreats comprise a full-time support person and retreat facilitator, holistic counsellor, naturopath, yoga and meditation teacher, spa and massage therapist, optional kinesiologist and excellent catering staff.

One of the keys to its very successful programs lies in who; you can go on your own, as a couple or as part of a small group. That means plenty of individual attention to get you back on track.

Regarding where, retreats can take place at numerous luxurious private residences in Noosa Heads, Byron Bay, the Blue Mountains, Margaret River or Daylesford (some of the prettiest spots in Australia).

How much is linked to how long; you can choose from four or seven-night programs. The cost also depends on the accommodation and program.

When is up to you; retreats can be arranged with 48 hours' notice.

Your individual wellness assessment takes care of the what in terms of sorting out which therapies will work best for your particular requirements. 

- Noosa Heads, Queensland, ph 1300 557 567 or see alivewellnessretreats.com.au

Facilities: One to 10 people per retreat. All vegetarian meals, activities, treatments, consultations and transfers included in rates.

Activities: Guided walks, meditation, personal training, yoga.Solo retreats from $2220 (five days); couples from $1695 a person, twin share (five days); group health experiences from $2450 (six days). 

-- This is an edited extract from Michelle Bennett's new book Breathe: Australian health, yoga & meditation retreats (Explore Australia, $22.95, exploreaustralia.net.au)