Immersive Retreat.
Connection | Energetics | Movement
A deeply restorative women’s immersion in Victoria - two nurturing nights of gentle movement, energetic healing, transformative practices and heart-centred connection.
The retreat offers you the guidance, practices and environment to feel supported and witnessed as you reconnect, reclaim and cultivate aspects of yourself.
Your own unique expression is welcome this weekend as we all co-create a deeply felt and memorable experience, guided by our individual and collective innate wisdom.
You can expect opportunities for:
Transformation and reflection
Self-devotion and connection
Harmony and restoration
“My weekend at Kinglake was a deeply restorative experience. Kirsty held the space with her warmth and wisdom, supported by co-facilitators who enriched each activity with care and creativity. I left feeling grounded, inspired, and truly seen.”
— Sharon (Retreat 2025)
In 2026 we return to the beautiful Kinglake for the 6th year of retreats
Choose your retreat weekend
24 - 26 April
24 - 26 July
Retreats are curated from the heart and consider the astrological alignment, collective energies, and accessibility for all participants. These retreats welcome all women who feel the call to be part of this deeply magical shared experience.
Please be aware that retreat weekends (April & July) differ slightly in the program and guest facilitators.
Only four cottage bedrooms left — April and July dates filling fast; trust the call and secure yours today.
Created, hosted and facilitated by Kirsty Saunders - Spinal Energetics Practitioner, Retreat Facilitator, Intuitive Healer, Yoga & Meditation Teacher with over 15 years experience in the Health and Wellbeing sector. Kirsty is joined in attendance by special guest facilitators.
“I’m feeling lighter and clearer than I have in years, maybe ever. Thank your from my soul, please never stop your amazing work and never for a moment forget the changes you are making to each of us.”
— Heather (Retreat 2025)
Connection.
Connection is the foundation of this retreat.
You will be gently guided to connect
• within yourself,
• with nature,
• and with one another
…to cultivate a deep sense of self-belonging, community, and presence.
When we move through times of change, challenge, or unprocessed experiences, we can become disconnected from parts of ourselves — leaving us feeling overwhelmed, fragmented, dissociated, scattered, or simply cut off from self and from life.
The retreat practices offer soft, supportive opportunities to reconnect, reclaim, and cultivate harmony and wholeness — at your own pace, with kindness.
Integration is woven into the weekend.
Intentional leisure time between practices gives you space to simply be — with yourself, with the land, and with the other women.
This spaciousness allows the body to process and integrate shifts with compassion and self-awareness.
Integration continues gently in the days and weeks after the retreat.
Our inner nature is deeply interconnected with the outer world — the astrological movements, the seasons, the cycles of the earth.
Aligning with these natural rhythms supports our inner harmony.
Over the weekend we honour and connect with the elements of nature and the land, using essential oils as a gentle doorway into connection and embodiment.
You will be invited to reflect on and attune to your own internal rhythm.
While the retreat centres on your personal reconnection, its deepest potency often arises from the collective energy of women who are present with themselves and with each other.
Collective themes frequently emerge — creating a powerful thread of healing.
In witnessing another woman, we often witness parts of ourselves.
Together we hold a safe, supportive space where every woman can feel truly seen and heard.
Spinal Energetics.
Spinal Energetics is woven gently throughout the weekend.
As a Spinal Energetics practitioner, Kirsty brings this powerful yet soft modality into the retreat — often combined with her Reiki training and intuitive healing gifts.
Spinal Energetics sees you as a vibrant, multifaceted being — embracing every layer of who you are: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and beyond.
It honours your unique journey — your ancestry, your stories, your body’s wisdom — creating a safe, nurturing space for deep self-discovery and holistic release.
This is a somatic practice of collaboration:
together we co-create a gentle flow of energy and safety in the body,
so that your innate wisdom can be felt, expressed and embodied.
You can expect:
• A clear demonstration of Spinal Energetics
• Group healing sessions where the collective field amplifies the work
• The option to book a private 1:1 session with Kirsty during the weekend (additional cost)
Many women feel lighter, more spacious, more aligned — as old tension, resistance, and stored stories soften and release at their own pace.
There is no forcing, no pushing — only allowing.
The body knows exactly what it needs, and we listen.
The deepest healing often unfolds in the shared field — where the collective energy of present, open-hearted women creates a powerful thread of witnessing, support, and transformation for each of us.
Movement.
Movement invites a gentle return home to the body
We welcome intuitive, authentic movement — allowing the body to feel, process, and release what it may have been holding for so long.
Through gentle yoga guided by breath and embodiment, we listen deeply to what the body is asking for in each movement - moving slowly, consciously and honouring the wisdom within our bodies, we invite the stored tension, emotions, and stories held in the tissues to soften and move.
This is not about performance or perfection — it is about permission:
permission to feel,
permission to let the body lead.
In these moments of embodied presence, we often discover forgotten parts of ourselves — joy, grief, power, tenderness — waiting to be met with compassion.
For the July retreat, this is enriched by guest facilitator Soph from Pohss Studio, who guides freeform dance and intentional movement — honouring emotional connection, self-discovery, and the liberation that arrives when we stop performing and simply begin to feel.
We also step outdoors for a gentle guided walk through Kinglake National Park to Masons Falls, deepening the connection to nature and supporting the integration of the retreat practices with a reflective, quiet walk.
Expression.
This is a space to truly be yourself. As you embrace your own unique path, your presence naturally creates a safe haven for every woman and her experience and expression.
The July retreat concludes with a facilitated Art Therapy integration process, hosted by Jodie Davies, specialist women’s Psychotherapist and Facilitator. The workshop will be the perfect emotional integration of the retreat, inviting you into a process of reflective and embodied self-inquiry with a creative - expressive practice.
The April retreat includes an inner voice journey with singer, healer and vocal alchemist Samsaruh. Sam will take us on a beautiful vocal and sound journey to connect us with our inner voice and expression. You will receive, and deeply feel, her vocal sounds and guidance through your body, heart and soul!
“Full of healing energy, safety from everyone and a compassion and acceptance that can not be described, only felt because it ran so deep and connected to what i needed to connect with that weekend. It made me feel relaxed and peaceful and grounded. Exactly what i needed.” Lisa (Retreat 2025)
“I felt supported, nourished and valued through my retreat experience, and loved the balance of quality experiences on offer that supported me to rest, to reflect, to release, to connect, to be witnessed, to receive, …energetically, physically and emotionally” Jodie (Retreat 2025)
Group Ethos & Safety
There is a like-hearted energy that is present on every retreat. The women co-create the energy which is shared by the group, which comes from presence, respect and compassion with oneself, with each other and with the program offerings which have been intentionally curated to create a sense of emotional safety.
The facilitation can support you to identify, feel and move with any feelings of vulnerability.
Participants are encouraged to listen to their own bodies and needs, to participate in the program with integrity and discernment. This also means using the leisure time as an opportunity to integrate the activities and practices to support the nervous system and body systems.
There are also health contraindications which should be considered before participating in some of the retreat activities and practices.
Please read the group ethos and safety agreement.
Group Healing
When we come together in a nurturing space with the intention to connect with ourselves and the collective consciousness there is a great weaving of healing potential for one and all.
The collective healing capacity is felt deeply by a retreat container, a beautiful co-creation of what is needed for one and all, and which has ripple effects out into our lives, relationships, and the wider community.
Location & Accommodation
Kinglake is located on the top of the Great Dividing Range and is surrounded by National Park.
Located only 75 minutes from Frankston and Melbourne CBD and 45 minutes from Ringwood.
The retreat is held at Karma Kinglake which is an easy walk into Kinglake township and a short drive from the National Park, St Andrews Market and two beautiful waterfalls.
The entire venue will be for retreat guests only, with self contained accommodation, two communal spaces for practices, classes and dining. Surrounded by trees and land, it is absolutely beautiful in the cooler weather with individual and shared fire places and comfortable spaces.
Accommodation options
Two bedroom cottage which can accommodate 2-3 people; There are two individual bedrooms each with double bed. One room can be booked as a twin share with a split double bed (two small single beds). The cottage also has a kitchenette, bathroom and living space with a fire place.
Studio apartment with double bed, bathroom and kitchenette. Accommodates one person.
Suite accommodation with two queen bedrooms, two ensuite bathrooms and a living space with fire place. Accommodates two people.
Guest Facilitator in April
-
Samsaruh
Samsarah is known for her Sound Healing & Music Medicine, and her own self-produced healing music. She’s topped the Triple J Radio charts multiple times. Her offerings evoke a naturally transcendent experience through offering space, sound and intention that allows one to dive inwards. Often described as a deep soul reconnection and healing experience. Her process also invites you to learn the ancient knowledge of sacred vowels and vocal toning as a tool for self-healing and balancing the chakra system.
Guest Facilitators in July
-
Soph from Pohss Studio
Soph is a passionate creator and embodiment guide on a mission to reconnect people to their bodies through freeform dance, intentional movement, and deep expression. Through her work at Pohss Studio, she creates spaces that honours emotional release, self-discovery, and the liberation that comes when we stop performing and start truly feeling.
-
Jodie from The Essential Self
Jodie is a specialist Women’s Psychotherapist, Facilitator and founder of The Essential Self (essentialself.com.au) supporting Women’s Growth and Care through emotional awareness, creative - expressive practice, and embodied self-inquiry. Her work invites women into the slow, sacred process of emotional embodiment, cultivating foundational self relating capacities that make a fundamental difference in their lives.
Retreat 2021
“Kirsty has the ability to make everyone feel welcome, loved, heard and valued. It was perfect for mind, body and soul”
Retreat 2025
“I attended the Kinglake retreat 2025, one word to describe this experience is “MAGICAL”. Kirsty is an amazing authentic healer. She nurtures, supports and holds space for women in need of grounding and healing.”
Program activities.
The retreat program activities are optional and you are encouraged to make the weekend yours by design
Listed below are the retreat practices and activities*
Welcoming circle
Guided meditations and breath practices
Sound journey with crystal singing bowls and other sound healing instruments
Spinal Energetics demonstration
Group Spinal Energetics Healing
Opportunities for silence & reflection
Yoga classes focused on breath and gentle movement
Restorative Yoga - no movement
Purifying fire ritual and journaling prompts to shift old narratives and emotions and cultivate space for true connection and alignment
Embodied movement and dance facilitated by Pohss Studio - July only
Gatherings for social connection, reflection and consideration
Gentle walk in the National Park to Masons Falls
Creative integrating art therapy process with The Essential Self - July only
Sound journey & vocal experience with Samsaruh Music - April only
Integration and leisure time
The use of essential oils and aromatherapy healing
Optional activities**
St Andrews Market Saturday 10am -2pm
Book a 1: 1 Spinal Energetics appointment with Kirsty
Book a massage onsite with local massage therapist
Participation in an Equine workshop on Saturday afternoon. Connect with horses through emotional regulation and mindfulness, hosted off-site at The Matanya Effect in Kinglake. This 2 hour workshop is a unique and insightful experience. This is not horse riding.
* These are subject to change slightly
** Optional activities are at an additional cost
All equipment needed for practices can be provided e.g. yoga mats, eye pillows, bolsters and cushions.
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Nourishment through food
Be nourished with catered meals for the whole weekend.
Breakfasts provisions
An individual dinner will await you in your accommodation on Friday
Saturday lunchbox
Saturday communal dinner with some wine available
Sunday lunch is a nourishing soup
A cold pressed juice of your choice
Herbal teas and coffee pods
Morning tea, fruit and snacks
Meals will be vegetarian and dietary requirements can be accommodated.
Bookings
Investment includes two nights accommodation, all meals and retreat activities & classes
Created, hosted and facilitated by Kirsty, with the addition of selected program workshops run by guest facilitators.
Arrival is from 2pm on Friday
Departure 3pm on Sunday
$950pp twin share bedroom
$1100pp individual bedroom
$1200pp studio
Payment plans are available upon request. Secure your place with a deposit.
There is the option to purchase an additional night of accommodation on the Sunday evening. To be arranged during the booking process.