What would the newsfeed of our life over the past couple of years look like if we played it back? If we’re lucky, a shambles under the surface, but enough smiling selfies to show we’re holding it together, if only by a thread. We’re all uneasy about something. Big and little tangles that catch on the corners of our decisions and our days. In an otherwise ordinary life, full to the brim with responsibility, it’s hard to know where to go to catch your breath. Until you swing through the driveway to Billabong Retreat, where catching your breath for a moment of sanctuary is what it’s all about.

Rebalancing act

Overlooking an expansive billabong bursting with lemon coloured lilies, the eco-retreat is a hub for yoga, mindfulness, and wellness. Looking up from the water’s edge, the cabins and main centre sit amongst the tree-tops of sage eucalypts and you feel a million miles from anywhere.

It can be tricky blending the crazy parts of being a grown up with our search for peace, in body, mind and spirit. We might find escapes, or favourite things to do, but nurturing the stillness of our mind is a whole new superpower. My overarching belief has always been that whatever you believe in, whatever name you give it, whatever you follow to bring you to that place of stillness, is a deeply personal and private choice. It’s a one on one with you and the Divine all the way. So, when the groundswell of mums in active gear (even though I am one), started talking about mindfulness I switched off.  No amount of almond milk and journaling, I thought, could connect you with your inner peace. In truth, I  thought mindfulness was for hacks.

Searching for wellness

It’s easy to overlook the wish for a little peace and quiet as the day pulls us in so many directions. Of course we don’t have time, have you seen the to-do list that we all hang on to? But what would happen if we told ourselves we could put the list down for a moment, not ignore it, just gave ourselves permission to pick it back up in half an hour. Actually, amazing things happen!

I’ve since come to believe that mindfulness might very well be the religion of our time, in this day, and age. There are many who no longer crave a place to worship or feel that the words of a book are solace enough. The simple act of quietness away from the noise of our minds in the stillness of where we are, we can find a safe harbour. And that’s pretty powerful stuff. A short 2 day getaway to Billabong Retreat will gently push the pressures to one side and fill your mind with a natural harmony that leaves little room for all else.

Like most things at Billabong, mindfulness comes as a sampler. Learn as little or as much as you like. If I’d thought I was in for a week of hard-core yoga and prune juice, well, I wouldn’t have moved from my couch. Thankfully, the offerings are plenty, but the expectations few. The choice is yours to do a lot, a little or none at all. Like many, we chose the retreat as a way to kick-start some better health habits and it paved the way just nicely. Nature walks, gentle yoga, wholesome food, and most of all time. In this quiet space between the moments, we breathe, finding a rhythm that calms and energises.

You might like to read about writing a daily gratitude list. You can see Billabong Retreat’s upcoming programs here.