Experience the beauty and serenity of Japan without leaving Australia, find your Zen, reconnect to your purpose and immerse yourself in nourishment for body, mind and Soul on this incredible experience.

Step away from the busy noise of everyday life and immerse yourself in a sanctuary of serenity, creativity, and renewal. This 4-day retreat invites you to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and experience the profound benefits of mindfulness through gentle creative practices, restorative experiences, and the timeless wisdom of Japan.

Located in Hepburn Springs, in the heart of Spa Country, Victoria, your retreat unfolds at Shizuka Japanese Ryokan & Wellness Retreat, a traditional Japanese accommodation offering elegance, peace, and an atmosphere of deep stillness. Here, mindfulness is cultivated not only through stillness, but also through creativity, cultural immersion, and a return to nature.

Guided by Creative Mindfulness teacher and Japanese craft & culture afficionado, Prue Simmons, you’ll be gently led through artistic practices designed to open the door to calm, clarity, and presence. Explore the wonders of Japanese shibori and eco-dyeing, mindfulness and creative play with watercolour painting, mandalas and handicrafts, with each practice becoming a pathway to deeper self-reflection and ease.

Alongside creative sessions, you’ll be introduced to the Japanese concepts of ikigai – discovering joy and meaning in daily life – and nogomi – finding balance, harmony, and fulfilment within yourself and your world. These teachings will support you in exploring what truly nourishes you, helping you to align with a more centred and purposeful way of living.

Between creative and reflective practices, you’ll be nurtured with exquisite food and restorative experiences to replenish body, mind, and spirit:

• Nourishing Japanese meals by our resident Japanese chef

• A spa massage to release tension and restore energetic balance

• A soothing sound healing session to deepen relaxation

• A forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) experience guided in the surrounding bushland

• Daily mindfulness and meditation practices for stillness and self-inquiry

• Gentle movement and breathwork to encourage balance and flow

• Unlimited access to the private outdoor Japanese onsen, to soak in the healing magnesium-rich waters

Each delicious meal is a celebration of Japanese tradition and tastes, lovingly prepared by our resident Japanese chef. Dishes are both nourishing and exquisite, offering a culinary journey that supports your wellbeing and delights through the tastebuds throughout the retreat.

Every guest room is a traditional tatami room with its own private garden and deep Japanese bath, allowing you to continue your retreat experience in solitude, reflection, or quiet restoration.

This retreat is for anyone longing to step out of their everyday to de-stress, find inner peace, and embrace stillness - or those wishing to journey deeper into mindfulness, balance, and purpose. Whether you arrive seeking clarity, inspiration, or simply a pause from the busyness of life, you will leave feeling renewed, grounded, and uplifted.

No artistic experience is required. This is not about perfection, but about creative play, gentle experimentation, and self-discovery, guided with warmth and care. All that is needed is an open heart and willingness to step into stillness.

This exclusive retreat offers a rare opportunity to rest, reflect, and realign in exquisite Japanese-inspired surroundings with a small, intimate group of like-minded souls.

This is YOUR day to settle in, relax and get ready for the creative exploration that you will enjoy over the coming days. The Retreat officially begins in the evening of the first day at 6pm, to allow everyone the time and space to travel from near and far to arrive at the Retreat venue. However, if you can arrive earlier, you can check into your room and start your Retreat experience anytime from 2pm.

Settle in, relax in your room, immerse in the bath with Yuzu bath salts, journal, wander the local walking trails, explore the surrounding Spa Region of Hepburn Springs and Daylesford or just sip Japanese tea overlooking your private garden.

This day is for YOU, to enable you to let go of the craziness of life, the hustle and bustle of the world and calm your mind ready for mindful, meditative creativity.

In the evening, we will come together as a group for the official start of the Retreat, to get to know each other and to set our intentions for the weekend. A light Japanese meal will be served.

After a delicious cooked Japanese breakfast, it’s time for our creative juices to flow. In the morning, you will delve into colour and creativity as we explore the significance of Self Love, Soul Purpose and Spaciousness.

During the morning we will delve into the Japanese concepts of ikigai – discovering joy and meaning in daily life – and nogomi – finding balance, harmony, and fulfilment within yourself and your world. These teachings will support you in exploring what truly nourishes you, helping you to align with a more centred and purposeful way of living.

After a sumptuous Japanese lunch, we will explore working with our hands enjoying ancient textile handicrafts to connect to a deeper part of ourselves.

This afternoon will also offer you the opportunity to connect in with your senses and nature through a guided Forest Immersion Experience. Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese art of 'forest bathing' allows you to connect with nature and the the landscape with all of your senses, awakening a greater sense of Self.

Afternoon tea will be served to ensure your bellies are happy as you explore creativity throughout the afternoon.

In the early evening, we come together for an amazing Omakase Japanese banquet dinner. This sumptious multi-course meal celebrates the skill of the Japanese chef with a range of delicious dishes created from fresh seasonal produce in an exquisite journey of taste.

Evenings are free time for relaxing or crafting in the lounge area, soaking in the private outdoor Japanese onsen or retiring to your room for a luxurious bath and an early night.

Today is an opportunity to deepen into serenity and solace as you find your meditative flow, let go of expectation and enjoy creative play.

After a delicious Japanese breakfast, you will reconnect with yourself through a guided meditation and gentle energetic movement and breathwork.

The morning will be spent creating at the Japanese dye pot, as we deepen our understanding of the importance of letting go of expectation and reconnecting to nature through Japanese shibori techniques and natural dyeing using handcrafted Japanese earth dyes.

Our delicious chef-prepared lunch will keep our energy going for an afternoon of creative exploration, with more dye activities and other creative practices as you continue exploring and relaxing.

Spa treatments will also be scheduled for this day for the ultimate relaxation and a delicious freshly baked afternoon tea will also be enjoyed.

In the evening, we will celebrate our day of creativity with another incredible specially prepared Omakase Japanese banquet dinner, to nourish our bodies and tantalise our tastebuds!

The rest is free time to spend on creative practices, socialising, soaking in the private outdoor onsen or relaxing for our final night at the Ryokan.

Another delicious traditional Japanese breakfast to start our final day, followed by a gentle movement session to reset our energy and presence in the space.

The morning will be spent exploring colour therapy, using watercolour pens and paints to find flow and freestyle creativity, as well as tapping into mindfulness practices and self reflection.

A final Japanese lunch will be enjoyed together as our amazing, immersive experience draws to a close and we emerge from our cocoon of serenity and back into the hubbub of the world outside.

The Retreat will conclude after lunch, where we bid farewell to each other and return to our lives and the hustle and bustle of the real world. (Truth Bomb: You won’t want to leave!!)