Thoughts From A Weekend At Gwinganna Health Retreat

Sponsored by Gwinganna Well being Retreat

A return to the circadian rhythm is what I used to be instructed. It sounds a bit like a sexual act, doesn’t it? In a approach, it’s: uncooked, natural, the way in which nature meant.

Should you’re not conversant in the time period, it’s used to explain how one can make bodily, psychological, and behavioral modifications as a way to regulate your sleep–wake cycle. It’s within the best phrases, a solution to set up a wholesome rhythm to your life.

We had arrived at Gwinganna Life-style Retreat within the Tallebudgera Hinterland on the Gold Coast for a weekend of relaxation and rest. And to reconnect with our circadian rhythm.

We have been feeling just like the world we stay in has messed all of it up with our vivid lights, devices, and flashing neon indicators, attractive us to remain up and play like a nocturnal animal.

Our our bodies are confused and stressed and slowly breaking down.

However they’re designed for dwelling in tune with the seasons that encompass us and the motion of the solar.

It was time to get again to that.

That’s why we organized to remain at Gwinganna Well being Retreat, to assist us swap off from the brilliant lights and reconnect with a more healthy rhythm.

About Gwinganna Life-style Retreat

However first, what’s Gwinganna Life-style Retreat? The Gwinganna Life-style Retreat is a wellness haven that’s positioned on the property of an previous farmhouse that has been remodeled right into a mattress and breakfast with a day spa.

It’s the biggest spa within the Southern Hemisphere and may be discovered within the Tallebudgera Valley, only a 30-minute drive from the Gold Coast, Queensland.

It’s owned by health entrepreneur Tony de Leede and can be part-owned by Hugh Jackman, the Hollywood actor.

Gwinganna respects the native indigenous people who find themselves the unique custodians of the area, and to who they dedicate their identify to. In aboriginal language, Gwinganna means to ‘lookout’, which could be very becoming as you may have sweeping views from most elements of the property.

Gwinganna can be devoted to ecotourism and creating as little influence on the atmosphere as attainable.

It was the winner of the World’s Finest Eco Spa Award in 2022 from the World Spa Awards.

Services at Gwinganna Life-style Retreat

Gwinganna has so many services I don’t know the place to start! In fact, the principle cause folks come right here is for the wellness services.

The Wellness Schooling Complicated offers displays, lessons, audio system, and seminars with an extended listing of packages and matters to select from.

All of the packages are focused at some type of stress administration or wellness ethos.

Apart from this, there are two heated swimming swimming pools, an enormous eating room, and a number of other lounges and locations to loosen up. There are additionally tennis courts and a number of other strolling tracks via the gardens.

The spa is fairly in depth, with three ranges of packages and coverings on supply. Whether or not you wish to ice bathtub in a plunge pool or soak up a chat on the amphitheatre, there’s each wellness facility you possibly can consider right here.

What We Discovered From Gwinganna Life-style Retreat

We began our weekend at Gwinganna with a chat from Sharon Kolkka, the Wellness Director of the retreat, who provided a second to honour the standard custodians of the land.

This space we all know because the Gold Coast Hinterland didn’t belong to at least one tribe, however many as they walked from mountains to sea to remain in reference to the earth and all their our bodies wanted from it.

They don’t wish to be recognised as nomadic folks, however as seasonal ones.

Individuals who have been in rhythm with how the earth moved.

Who hunted and gathered by day and, at evening, sitting round a heat purple gentle to attach and slowly ease into sleep – protecting in tune with the circadian rhythm.

We then spent two days studying concerning the circadian rhythm and gained some perception into methods to faucet into it. Right here’s what we discovered…

What’s circadian rhythm?

In brief, it’s the physique clock.

The method our physique strikes via because the solar wakes us up and places us to mattress. We get up with daylight (blue gentle), which alerts our mind to start out making serotonin – yep the joyful drug.

No extra sleeping in of us. “Rise and shine,” my mom would sing to me of a morning as she whipped open the curtains, “The world wants you Caz!”

Time to greet the solar and really feel happiness.

Because the solar dips beneath the horizon some hours of busyness later, the sunshine turns to purple and alerts our our bodies to start out making melatonin – the sleepy drug.

It’s why they advocate an excellent sleep comes in the event you shut the eyes earlier than 10pm – 4 hours after the solar has gone down and your physique is able to sleep.

We hold feeding it with blue gentle by the use of our screens and synthetic lights, so it’s complicated and makes much less melatonin to assist us.

We turn into insomniacs, reaching for the glass of wine of a night to assist us drift off.

Reaching for the cup of espresso within the morning to assist us get up after which the wine once more in entrance of the brilliant blue glare of the display of the night to assist us unwind.

It’s why our our bodies are so tousled once we fly and why earthing is a treatment I usually counsel for

It’s why our our bodies are so tousled once we fly and why earthing is a treatment I usually counsel for overcoming jetlag.

“We’re so screwed up.” It was all I might consider listening to that discuss. How the hell will we repair this?

How journey helps our pure rhythms

I began to get a bit of agitated as a result of it’s all properly and good to know this and to expertise this for a return to our circadian rhythm a few days, however we’ve got to return again down there – to the life that consumes us.

How will we get again to the circadian rhythm when trendy life is doing every thing it may to cease us? My ideas drifted to journey as they all the time do.

That’s why I really feel so good after I journey – I imply in a long-term sense, not these whirlwind two-day metropolis explorations or resort stays the place unwinding usually means late evening dinners and spins of the roulette wheels.

I imply when journey turns into a way of life and you progress slowly and in rhythm with the earth.

Our street journey round Australia had us nearly in reference to the circadian rhythm. The solar goes down and we unwind as we’ve got no TVs and just a few lights to maintain us awake.

Even when Craig and I have been backpacking we regularly went to mattress not lengthy after darkish, and after a couple of chapters of a paperback guide would go to sleep early.

We’d be up early with the solar to run alongside the seaside and revel in these joyful serotonin hormones.

No marvel I’m all the time longing to return to it.

Nature makes us joyful

Then we discovered about fractal patterns of nature and the way the analysis exhibits that it dramatically impacts our well being and properly being.

I took a pointy consumption of breath. It’s why I’m hooked on journey and why it’s so good for my well being. My gaze is concentrated for a lot of the day on the fractal patterns of nature.

A fractal is a by no means ending sample, and it’s straightforward to agree, from bushes to rivers and coastlines to mountains, nature has an abundance of them.

Layer on prime of that the sounds of nature and the sensation of the nice and cozy solar in your pores and skin or the cool breeze via your hair and you’ve got a Zen really feel good expertise.

Being in nature will increase our happiness and trendy life is taking us away from it, significantly our youngsters, which is having horrifying implications for stress and well being.

We’re shutting ourselves away in our workplaces or lounge rooms and on our TV screens and telephones which causes an unhealthy build-up of stress, which will increase our blood strain, depletes our vitality, decreases our cognitive capability, and reduces our immunity.

Taking a look at fractal shapes generates a way of well-being and peace within the observer. Once we decelerate, cease the busy work, and soak up lovely pure environment, not solely will we really feel restored, however our psychological efficiency improves too.

It’s why I really feel so calm right here in my house searching throughout the street from my balcony to the treetops and the crashing waves.

All I hear is the sound and the birds chirping and I really feel relaxed and joyful.

Simply breathe and all will probably be okay

I used to be on the retreat to study easy methods to unplug and combine that again into my actual world.

Our Breathe and Chill out wellness weekend was led by Andy, a guru of respiratory and yoga. How humorous to have a guru of respiratory. However, as Andy mentioned to us over and over,

“I’m not educating you something new. You all know this. You all did it so superbly once you have been infants. However, you then received older and began holding your breath and forgot to faucet into this energy that helps take away your issues and brings you again to a way of energy and peace immediately.”

He lead us via meditation and respiratory workout routines and with every one it was clear the distinction that acutely aware respiratory makes to our psyche.

He had us using the facility of the sigh and insisted that if we have been to take one factor away from the weekend it will be that.

Each time we observed ourselves holding our breaths, we’re to let loose a giant sigh.

I can think about all of the faces of the retreat attendee’s colleagues round Australia now as they instantly begin sighing over and over within the workplace. It was an important stress administration train.

Our Keep at Gwinganna Life-style Retreat

On the Gwinganna Life-style Retreat, you’re surrounded by the fractal patterns in nature.

From the balcony of our suite, we regarded out over the previous orchard backyard and to the beautiful face wallabies and their infants leaping about.

You understand how a lot I really like macropods and fairly faces are my favorite – is there a extra lovely fractal sample?

There aren’t any sounds aside from kookaburras laughing and bushes rustling, there aren’t any sturdy synthetic lights or imposing buildings.

There’s a good looking mix of historic buildings and trendy wood buildings that mix in with nature.

On our first night, we walked alongside the sundown monitor for beautiful views over the Tallebudgera Valley.

The clouds coated the setting solar however it was nonetheless mesmerizing. You possibly can see every of us slowly let go of the civilized life vitality that entraps us and is welcome within the earth’s purity.

At Gwinganna, you finish the day on the sundown monitor and begin it on Dawn Hill searching over the ocean.

From atop of the hill as I begin my morning with a mild Qi Gong class -a restorative transferring meditation – watching the solar stand up from the ocean I see the highest of the Burleigh excessive rises and I’m pondering, “I don’t wish to return there. I don’t know the way I can return there and make it work.”

Sigh out the illness – assist from the type workers

A giant sigh was what I let loose upon arrival at Gwinganna as I began to really feel a couple of aches and pains in my physique and a sore throat.

We had a telephone name from Kalyra’s college solely an hour earlier than to say she was not feeling properly.

Bugger.

Gwinganna Life-style Retreat gave us essentially the most comfy mattress in our Orchard Suite, permission to sleep early, and the quietest, darkest atmosphere that will help you try this effortlessly and I spent our first night tossing and turning awake alternating between fever and chills and terrible physique aches.

I used to be so grateful when the morning get up name got here at 5:30am as a result of it meant I might rise up out of that mattress and maybe give attention to one thing else aside from my sick physique.

There was no higher place for me to be than Gwinganna.

The care I acquired from the workers was distinctive. A nurse was current who put me on mattress relaxation and gave me many supportive lotions and potions (pure after all).

They spent your complete weekend making immunity juices for me and doing every thing they might to assist and nourish my physique.

I used to be impressed. If I used to be at residence, I’d have the children leaping over me and wouldn’t be capable of permit my physique house to heal.

What To Do at Gwinganna Life-style Retreat

I used to be fairly devastated about being sick as visiting Gwinganna has been a dream of mine since I first heard of it approach again in 2009. Regardless of being ailing, I gained a lot from my go to.

I’d spent the 2 weeks earlier than arriving coaching so I might take part within the numerous actions and wellness seminars like yang lessons of boxing, and built-in animal movement lessons (tremendous attention-grabbing however apparently very difficult), however I used to be unable to attend them.

They provide extra stress-free yin lessons as properly, so I used to be capable of do a mild yoga and stretch class.

Craig went all out and attended a artistic tribal dancing class and stunned himself along with his coordination and the way a lot he loved the mixture of motion, chants, and stretching.

On the second day, I selected the posh of sleeping as an alternative of early morning Qui Gong. The whole lot at Gwinganna is about selecting what your physique wants.

There’s nothing obligatory, solely inspired and a spread of actions to fit your physique’s wants. Mine was clearly calling for sleep.

And in the event you go to when the climate is beneficial, Gwinganna has this attractive infinity pool with a custom-designed edge with views over the Gold Coast.

Gwanganna Day Spa

I’m not too certain if it was the perfect factor for me to be sick and having all of the toxins moved round my physique via a therapeutic massage.

However, I used to be not going to sacrifice that one.

If I used to be sick already I’d as properly get all of it out in a single gigantic bang. Higher out than in proper?! Effectively, I used to be sick for about 8 days in complete so presumably the therapeutic massage could have prolonged it. Who is aware of?

However I do know for that 80-minutes of my Hawaiian bodywork therapeutic massage I liked it.

I’d not skilled a standard Lomi Lomi therapeutic massage earlier than.

It was unbelievable and my therapist was superb. She had lovely music soulful music enjoying and he or she sang as she danced round me and massaged me. It felt like my total physique and soul was being massaged without delay.

Craig selected to go together with an built-in therapeutic massage that mixes the perfect deep-tissue therapeutic massage methods with acupressure, reflexology, polarity vitality therapeutic, respiratory methods, and passive stretching.

After my therapeutic massage, I headed straight for the relief class the place I allowed my physique to slowly sleep into sleep.

The Gwanganna Spa additionally has many spa therapies and rejuvenation packages out there, or you should use the gymnasium, sauna, and steam room.

Hear and unplug

Studying what your physique wants and giving it was one of many greatest takeaways for me from my go to. To pay attention, respect and love extra.

To study easy methods to extend my vitality and scale back my stress.

All of it begins someplace. Unplugging is gradual. An hour right here and there turns to a day turns to a weekend and turns to a way of life change.

That’s the advantage of attending a well being retreat resembling Gwinganna. It’s designed to deliver you again to Mom Earth, to your physique, to your sense of calm. You turn off your units, hand over the cigarettes and the alcohol and succumb to earth’s pure rhythms.

It’s designed to deliver you again to Mom Earth, to your physique, to your sense of calm. You turn off your units, hand over the alcohol and caffeine, and succumb to earth’s pure rhythms.

You get up with the blue gentle and sleep with the purple. Each meal is fastidiously designed and created by extremely educated nutritionists so it cleanses your physique and enriches it with pure vitality.

Get pleasure from gluten and dairy free natural delicacies

I used to be in heaven to know I might eat scrumptious natural meals with out concern of falling sick.

Don’t concern, on weekend retreats a glass of natural wine is allowed at dinner. Must you keep for an extended > week-long retreat although you’re detoxing.

The restaurant gives a paddock-to-plate ethos, the place all of the produce has been grown organically or regionally sourced.

The whole lot from fruit, greens, and herbs has come from the on-site gardens and has been particularly chosen to enhance digestion and liver cleansing in addition to many different well being advantages.

Earlier than every meal, visitors are given a small shot of apple cider vinegar which is alleged to assist digestion.

You’ll discover a unending provide of detoxifying natural teas, however there’s a strict no juices or smoothies rule.

Water can be prohibited with meals (although you possibly can after all drink after) because it’s mentioned to hinder your digestion.

The Modifications I’ve Made Since Visiting Gwinganna Life-style Retreat

You possibly can’t have an expertise like Gwinganna with out making modifications to your life-style.

You possibly can’t look into that sacred house of your well being, of peace and vitality, and mom nature and return to the way you as soon as have been.

It takes time and you may’t flip your world round after one weekend, however you may make a begin and implement some modifications.

We’ve been residence from Gwinganna for some time now and since then I’ve made the next modifications:

• I’ve had little or no espresso and alcohol. Undoubtedly not my every day dose. I really feel nice and in management. I discovered how reaching for that cup of wine once you pressured is a deadly mixture. The sugar within the wine mixes with the stress ranges and collectively they create extra stress and extra weight. Your physique feels prefer it’s below assault and so begins stockpiling the burden to guard you. And the discharge of stress is short-lived.
• I’m attending to mattress earlier than 10pm 95% of the time and set my clock for 8 1/4 hours of sleep. Sleep is the primary factor that’s required for sustaining weight and vitality. We discovered all of this in an interesting discuss with head private coach Duncan, who ran a vitality evaluation that gives a snapshot of a number of biomarkers that assist decide your vitality, together with muscle mass, high quality of muscle, mobile well being, and hydration, physique fats proportion, basal metabolic charge, and physiological age. An incredible introduction to wellness therapies. Craig excelled at this, scoring a 90/100, and mine have been fairly good aside from verifying what I knew – my core power may very well be higher and I might do with dropping some extra fats! It’s not loads however sufficient to make me transfer extra. I’m discovering getting the required quantity of sleep every evening essentially the most troublesome factor to do. It’s not straightforward when you may have children.

• I’ve set a purpose to maneuver 10,000 steps a day, which equals about 6km a day, and you may accumulate that to 42km per week. I’m strolling and operating as a way to try this. Both will burn the identical quantity of fats. Working simply helps me hit the goal faster. I’m operating two occasions per week and doing yoga a minimum of 3 times, with a give attention to core power.
• I’ve put in Flux onto my laptop so it reduces the blue gentle to purple gentle as soon as the solar units. I wish to get off the pc for a night, however I simply can’t make it work. We juggle our enterprise across the children, placing them as a precedence, which implies nighttime is once we can get quite a lot of work achieved. It is going to be the identical once we are on the street. I can’t be delusional; I simply need to do the perfect I can.
• I immerse myself in fractional patterning much more.
• I’m main with my coronary heart and speaking to Kalyra and Savannah about doing the identical. That merely means when strolling as an alternative of getting your head protruding main, have your coronary heart go first. I’ve defined to Kalyra that it’s a approach to make use of our superhero powers with out anybody seeing it. Once you lead together with your coronary heart you mechanically really feel extra highly effective, kinder, and open, and nobody sees your coronary heart main, they only discover that you just ooze confidence and power like a superhero.
• I’m sighing loads. With a loud clear exhale. It feels good.
• I’m utilizing a couple of of the meditation respiratory methods Andy taught us to slide into sleep at evening and if I get up stressed. It really works a deal with.
• I’m spending most mornings gazing on the solar rising. It merely may very well be the perfect factor I’ve ever achieved. I’ll hold you up to date on my progress.

Closing Takeaway…

Of all of the visitors I spoke to on the retreat (there have been 58 of us in complete) everybody mentioned how a weekend was not sufficient and the way they wish to come again.

Many had been earlier than and plenty of have been staying on for a week-long detox.

They waved us goodbye with a joyful smiles as the remainder of us trudged onto the bus to return to a world so out of sync with circadian rhythms, seasonal dwelling, and fractal patterns.

We went away having discovered an important deal and made some constructive modifications to our lives.

There may be little doubt that the Gwinganna Life-style Retreat made a giant distinction for us, however after all, everyone seems to be totally different.

I hope this information helped you perceive what to anticipate from the retreat.

Extra locations to like on the Gold Coast Hinterland

Pin It To Pinterest: