The Good Index Visits: Prana Estate Retreat
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The Good Index team visited Prana Estate Wellness Retreat in Gloucester, NSW and we have put together a visit recap which breaks down the retreat into certain areas, includes real photos and a detailed overview of our first hand experience!
Retreat Category: Breathwork, Yoga, Mental Health
Location: Gloucester, New South Wales
Attendee: Women only, Men only and mixed options, Age: 25+
Good For: Adults only, who wish to immerse themselves in nature, practise and learn breathwork in a safe environment and enjoy glamping accommodation style.
Overview
We attended one of the women’s only retreats organised by Prana Estate Retreats and it was centred around self-growth, empowerment and you could really take as little or as much from each session and the schedule of the weekend as you like. This would be an ideal retreat of choice for those who are actively trying to do self development, tune in with their mental health and driven to make subconscious changes and implement a healthy routine.
The schedule had enough structure for people to know what was going on each day but enough fluidity to take things at your own pace. With most activities centred around slow movement, mental health and mind work you leave the retreat feeling very reflective, asking new questions and a sense of clarity.
Staff/Service
The Retreat was hosted on a property inland NSW by a family who accommodated each retreat guest with wholesome food, welcoming energy, comfortable accommodation and manicured grounds. They were very friendly hosts and gave the attendees plenty of space to enjoy the property and go through their internal reflections. The retreat organiser Camilla held space for all of the retreat goers, created a balanced itinerary and incorporated great breathwork guides and yoga teachers for each of the sessions. Camilla very naturally created a comfortable space for all of the attendees to let their walls down, be vulnerable and feel safe to share stories and deepen each experience.
Accommodation
Each attendee was allocated a glamping tent which was a twin share (2 single beds). The beds were very comfortable with ample warmth, plus space around the bedding for bags and other items. The glamping tents were great quality, a night of rain didn’t bother us and they were well equipped with a little light and some little extras. The eco friendly bathrooms were about 200m away, with the choice to follow a dirt road or a grass path to the facilities.
Food
The food was served in the shed nearby the fire pit and glamping tents and was a buffet of vegan food for attendees to serve their preferred quantity. Each morning there was breakfast provided which consisted of a simple but healthy spread of fruit, bread and muesli, lunch and dinner was one meal accompanied by a side such as bread for those who wanted a little extra.
Offerings & Activities
The itinerary was structured in a way that allowed a lot of reflection and processing after each session, with an emphasis on taking time in nature for yourself (which was easy to do when the retreat was set on such a beautiful property). The schedule began with a welcome and nibbles when everyone arrived, followed by the first introductory workshop set in the dome during sunset. This set the tone for the weekend and created a safe space and comfort between each attendee. We each received a goodie bag with a journal and crystals to help us feel grounded and ensure we had everything we needed to make the most of the weekend.
The first day was centred around the Cocoa and Breath work session and was bar far the most transformational process. Every attendee was feeling safe and comfortable to really let go and have the full experience, which was explained to us as the closest thing to a non-drug version of an ayahuasca experience. Every experience in the group was different, one of our team members it was the third time doing a session like this and felt the full effects and had a lot of personal realisations, full body and mind experience, the other member was her first time and had more visions and other attendees had bodily sensations. After this session there was an emphasis on taking time to reflect, journal and process the session in whatever way we felt we needed too. The schedule allowed for this time to ensure we had space to do what was needed and not rush into the next session.
Over the remainder of the weekend there was a mix of guided yoga and meditation which all filtered back to our breath work experience and our personal development journey.
To conclude on the final day we had a morning yoga followed by an intuition workshop which we were educated around the power of the intuition, things we need to know and real practical methods and testings you can do anywhere anytime to tune in with your intuition.
Facilities
The retreat was set on a property with the glamping tents set up side by side, close by was a fire pit and the shed which the food was served (at the bottom end of the property). The eco designed bathrooms and toilets were around 200m-300m away from the glamping tents. The showers had hot water and the toilets were composting friendly using the sawdust process. It is a chance to walk in nature between sessions, meals or using the bathrooms around the property. The bathroom facilities were up the top end of the property, right near by the dome. The dome was the space where all of the sessions were held, comfortably fitting 10 or so attendees for yoga, meditation, breath work and other self-development sessions. The dome really set the tone of the weekend as it was perched on the hill with the perfect vantage of sunrise, sunset and enjoy the sunshine during the day. We even had some rain on one evening which added to the atmosphere for our meditation session with the rain droplets hitting the dome all around us.
Attendees
This specific retreat of Prana’s was women’s only and the age range was predominantly women 35+, with families, children and/or working but in need of a break and wanting to make a change in their lives. They were all seeking answers and curious about personal growth.
Extra’s
There is no wifi available at the property and limited phone service, with Optus and Tesltra specifically having better signal. A digital detox was encouraged to fully embrace the experience with no distractions. In pockets of free time, explore the property, take a walk, stretch in your own time, reflect solo in the dome or lay in the sun and soak up some vitamin D.
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