None of us are alone in our struggles. Connect. Share Stories. Experiences. Learn and heal.
Come together with others to connect, share and learn techniques to enhance your self care practices. In a supportive environment that meets everyone’s needs, you’ll focus on personal development to improve your health, happiness and wellbeing.
You’ll be supported in two ways. First, by learning techniques to enhance your self care practices and work towards your unique health goals. Second, connecting with and learning from others.
The process of people coming together, connecting with each other, sharing stories and experiences can really strengthen our learning and healing. We are all individuals with our unique circumstances, however none of us are alone in our struggles. These struggles can be reduced greatly through group processes supported in our retreats and health workshops.
Workshops and retreats typically cater for 6 to 15 people, although we can adjust and tailor sessions for larger or smaller groups
Lisa strives to create and deliver workshops that meet the needs of participants.
Previous Retreats - International Women's Day Retreat 2019
We celebrated International Women's Day by offering 40 lucky women the opportunity to attend one of four 3-hour mini mindfulness retreats.
We wanted to recognise the contributions of women in our community. Whether it was through their involvement in community activities, the efforts they put in at their place of employment or the unpaid work done at home with families.
It was amazing to have such an incredible group of women come together. It was incredibly rewarding to see women who give so much to others, take time to give back to themselves.
The elements of wellbeing and happiness
Professional
Work/profession/career satisfaction and fulfillment
High levels of work satisfaction and fulfillment can contribute to your health. Satisfaction can be achieved through having confidence in your work, role clarity, work life balance, training as well as feeling appreciated, respected and supported by your manager and peers. Working for an organisation that aligns with your personal values, skills and strengths also enhances your feels of engagement and fulfilment. This helps you cope with the demands of your job and protects you against stress and burnout.
Psychological
How you feel and why you feel the way you do
There are a few aspects to consider. Your temperament - levels of optimism, gratitude and resilience. Your childhood living environment - how nurturing, stable and loving it is or was. Relationships with your parents/caregivers, siblings and peers. Various chapters in your life are important as well - education, career/employment, intimate relationships, peers and social connections.
Nutritional
This isn’t just about food, but the products you use too
Consider what you’re eating and what products you’re using in your home and on your skin. Let’s start with food. You are what you eat. Whole food eating is a great start. What’s whole food? Foods that have no or very little interaction with, humans and technology. Sounds purist, but the smaller number of people that have handled the food you buy (processing, preserving, packaging, storing) the better the quality. Bonus, it’s better for the environment too. Spend more of your time in the fruit and vegetable section and less time in the aisles. Brands invest significantly in marketing agencies to emotionally manipulate you into buying their generally unhealthy, processed foods. Now to products you’re using. Good gut health is essential for wellbeing. Emotional stress, anxiety or depression can activate your sympathetic nervous system (the primitive adrenal survival response of flight, fright or freeze). This reduces digestive function and compromises gut health even if you consume the healthiest foods. So, to ensure that digestive function isn’t hindered further, consider what you’re using. Chemicals can be ingested when breathing and absorbed through our skin, our largest organ and our first line of defence. It gets bombarded with cleaning products, skin creams, make-up and various other chemicals. Try switching to natural skin care, mineral make-up and chemical free cleaning products.
Physical
This includes your structural health and how much you move your body
Posture, ergonomics and how much you move your body each day can play an important role in your physical health. For example, sitting at a desk all day or living a sedentary lifestyle can pose significant health risks. Exercise is more than attending a fitness class. It needs to include movement that is supportive and adaptive to your unique and evolving needs. Research is starting to support the idea that being active throughout each day is essential, not just a few blocks per week. The health benefits of exercising are immense. Exercise releases endorphins, relieving depression, stress, anxiety and muscle tension.
If we think holistically, then the best exercises are ones that support links between physical movement and emotional/psychological wellbeing. Such as yoga, tai chi and martial arts.
Spiritual
For some this isn’t an integral part of their wellbeing, for others it’s fundamental
Having a spiritual or religious belief can create a great sense of comfort and assurance. You may feel comforted by a regular practice. It can also have strong connective power that brings people together on a regular basis. Offering a sense of commonality. Something to share, discuss, guide and feel part of. Many people turn to this support when they are feeling sad or alone. Spirituality is an individual choice and with respect, we believe each person is entitled to make their own decisions around their religious or spiritual beliefs. For some people it isn’t an integral part of their wellbeing, for others its fundamental.
Social Engagement
Social Engagement, connectedness and feelings of belongingness is important for wellbeing.
Whether you are an introverted or an extroverted person, having strong social connections or feeling part of something outside of your own company has great benefits for your health. Contributing something to your community, work place or people in need can help you feel more socially connected and accepted. It can increase your levels of self-worth, self-esteem and strengthen your identity and make you feel like you belong, are supported and less alone.