Australian School of Meditation and Yoga: Gold Coast Blog: Piping hot coals, black eyed peas, shiatsu massage and fresh country air, what do these four things have in common?

Trick question? Most definitely not. There were abundant amounts of these at our Balanced Life Retreat on Saturday. Each month the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga hosts a rejuvenating and uplifting one day retreat in the Tweed Hinterland at the Nadia Retreat Centre.

This month the winter weather was kind to our retreaters. It was a gorgeous day, full sun, not a cloud in the sky. Just 15 minutes inland from the Coolangatta airport (what Coolangatta airport? We don’t even see it now on the drive thanks to the zippy Tugun Bypass) we could already tell we were back to simple living when there was a road block due to half a dozen mellow grazing cows on the road. A few turns left and right from Kennedy Drive and we arrived. It is always a pleasure to step from the car and be instantly transported from the hustle and bustle of the busy, transient Gold Coast to a serene and spacious country retreat property.

With enough time before the retreat started we were able to wander through the maze of meditation gardens and organic fruit and vegetable patches. The colours of the rainbow seemed very dull compared to the vibrant textures and shades of colour found in the exotic meditation gardens. Sitting underneath a Balinese straw hut, the retreat hadn’t even begun and we were already experiencing a sense of inner peace and calm.

The meditation hall welcomed us with crackling and warmth from the fire. We started the day with a meditation and relaxation session to help calm the mind and relax the body. The session included lots of deep diaphragmatic breathing of the fresh invigorating country air, mindfulness meditation and Gauranga breathing meditation.

Feeling very enlivened, we headed to the garden and found a patch of sun amongst the bananas and winter Magnolias. Here, Jodie guided us through a Qi Gong (pronounced chi kung) class. Qi Gong involves slow, soothing body movements to accumulate, circulate and work with chi or subtle energy in the body. We learnt simple yet effective exercises to improve the overall health of the body and mind. Qi Gong is also used as a therapeutic intervention and is a component of the Chinese martial arts training.

With a deep sense of relaxation yet alertness we returned to the meditation hall for another session. This time we practiced Yoga Nidra (progressive full body relaxation) and J apa Meditation. These practical techniques can be used everyday to help deal with stress and anxiety.

By this time our bellies were grumbling. After being tortured all morning by the sensational aromas floating from the kitchen it was time to enjoy a beautiful banquet in the garden. Each month there is a different culinary theme – this retreat the focus was simply wholesome food. There was such a variety of root and stalk vegetables, pulses, soup and cheeses, salads and Italian breads, that no one could possibly go hungry. There was something to satisfy everybody’s tastebuds.

Just when we thought that we possibly couldn’t eat any more, it was time for a vegetarian cooking class, alfresco style. Barney (our head volunteer chef) taught us how to whip up an amazingly tasty, ridiculously simple vego brekkie. The perfect substitute for the traditional farmers breakfast (sausages, bacon and eggs): sautéed mushrooms, spinach, ricotta cheese, black Russian tomatoes, haloumi frying cheese and basil. Then we had ourselves seconds (I mean thirds) for lunch. I whipped this up for my brekkie on Monday morning after the retreat and was surprised how simple it really is, it took me less than 20 mins to cook up an incredible tasty and healthy breakfast which kept me going to 2:30pm that day.

We headed back inside for a meditation session. Some very talented and inspiring musicians lead us through beautiful chanting of sacred mantras, a spiritually satisfying meditation practice. Margaret (The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga senior instructor) shared a famous yoga parable with us about a boatman and a traveller. It demonstrated the necessity of leading a balanced life and cultivating an inner spiritual happiness.

Any aches or pains in the body where addressed in the next session. We paired up and swapped a Shiatsu massage with a friend. Jodie taught us a comprehensive and easy Shiatsu routine that we can use on friends, family and ourselves. Shiatsu is a non invasive style of Japanese massage that involves applying pressure to particular sections of the body to correct imbalances and promote and maintain good health. The massage component of the retreat is always one of my favourites, it is an ingenious way to meet new people and learn something new and exciting. The massage workshop for the September retreat will be a Tension Relieving Neck and Shoulder massage.

The day finished over a cup of chai tea and a slice of carrot and walnut cake. Chai is my favourite hot drink especially during winter – this was a creamy, caramel blend that instantly warmed the whole body. Everyone said their goodbyes and many people booked in for our next retreat. Slowly everyone made their way home with a full belly, a sense of balance and rejuvenation and a retreat pack so that they could go home and incorporate the yoga lifestyle into their daily routine.