As I have been growing over the time, I have come to realize the importance of self-love and taking care of myself both physically and mentally. Living in a fast-paced world, like Sydney, where you have a full time job, the usual blogging stuff, you’ re a wife, a daughter, a friend and the daily chores can be overwhelming. Long story short, I needed some time off to unwind, relax and realize my inner peace.

So, when I was offered a stay at Billabong Retreat which is an epitome of serenity and relaxation, I thought this is the best opportunity to grab. The offer was favorable because Billabong Retreat is just 45 km from Sydney which means it can be a perfect weekend getaway. Bish and I were super excited and the next we found ourselves was packing our essentials and reaching the Retreat on Friday night.

Friday Night:

It was already dinner time and we were late. So, we went directly to the cafeteria where organic whole food was served. We loved it but honestly, I fell in love with the vegan desert they served.

I knew, this was our first step towards eating clean. The Retreat meals are served on the principles of slow – seasonal, local, organic wholefoods. They are so pure and yet so tasty. I never knew that the organic veggies can be made so tasty.After our dinner, we went to our room. We stayed at the “Lodge Twin Private Room ( ensuite + A/C)”.

First Impression of the room: Tidy, clean, earthy vibes . The moment you enter the room, you will have a sense of stability and calmness.

Saturday:

We woke up early and the day began with a Morning Yoga in the most gorgeous yoga room. The trainer was easy and well trained. I learned a lot from her that yoga is all about being comfortable in your space. Its about drawing your positivity and strength to yourself. After the 1-hour yoga session (light session), we headed for a clean, vegan organic breakkie- perhaps the most delicious and nutritious breakkie I had in a while.  I was already feeling calm and so relaxed. The fireplace kept us warm and cosy. We then attended the Yoga workshop where the aasanas of surya namaskar was taught to us by breaking every step . This was really very useful.

Post the session, Bish and I explored the serenity of the place. The chirping birds, the mirror like lake and the greenery around. The air was so fresh and we felt energetic and calm. Bish and I spent a quality time in the Recreational area built above the pond. I let my body loose onto the bean bags and let the sun shine on me. It was then time for lunch at 12 and honestly after lunch, we dozed off to a peaceful afternoon nap. This is quite unusual as we retrain ourselves from sleeping in the afternoon. But when I discussed this with my yoga trainer, she said- Listen to your body. The body knows what it has to do. We spent the noon listening to a flute music and simultaneously coloring some patterns which apparently is another form of meditation . The evening was quite, and we got a chance to talk to like minded people.

Sunday:

The day again started with a boost of cleansing and detoxifying yoga session. This day ,we also attended a workshop that explained the 5 Niyama and Yamas of Yoga .We had a discussion around it. This was a very fruitful discussion on how to bring positivity back to your everyday life. I was already feeling detoxed, clean and motivated. We then had our yummy nutritious lunch and then unfortunately it was now time to check out.

The only tip I would like to give you guys is to plan your return ahead in time in case you are taking a public transport. The frequency of trains from Vineyard station to City is after every 30 min(on weekends). So if you miss 1 train, you will have to wait (on weekends). The location of the Retreat from the Vineyard station is also 15min, so please keep this into account. Otherwise you would end up in a situation like us where we had to wait for the cab to arrive for 17 min and when we reached the train station, the train had left just 3 min back. It was a real bummer.

But anyways, the stay at Billabong retreat was definitely a much-needed break to detoxify and relax. Bish and I have decided to stay there once every 3 months- if not stay at least go for a day outing. For people going to Billabong Retreat for a day outing, I would suggest you joining the 7 AM yoga class because the next yoga session at 9 is more of a workshop. Retreats like Billabong are needed in our society today because we humans have become a digital slave, social media heavy consumers where our minds never get rested up.

Details:

Link to Billabong Retreat – Here

Link to NSW Trip Planner – Here