Lifestyle
A Gwinganna retreat changed my life
When Megan booked a solo retreat at Gwinganna, she wasn’t expecting a life reset, but her experience sparked 10 years of return visits and lasting change.
By Megan Burgess
I never thought a place could change the rhythm of my life. About 10 years ago, needing a break and not finding anyone to holiday with, a friend suggested going on a retreat at Gwinganna. I didn’t realise it then, but what I would learn on that retreat would slowly but surely rewire how I live.
Nestled in the hills of the Tallebudgera Valley on the Gold Coast, Gwinganna is more than a wellness retreat. It is a place where I’ve unlearned habits, uncovered truths I didn’t know I needed to hear and returned again and again. On that first visit, I didn’t go looking for ‘transformation’, but it found me anyway. From the way I move, eat and think, to changing my habits for the benefit of longevity, Gwinganna has gently rewired how I live. This is what I’ve learned, how it’s changed me and why I keep going back.
A day in the life at Gwinganna
The Gwinganna philosophy encourages returning our bodies to our natural circadian rhythm. While nothing is compulsory at Gwinganna, think of their process as restoring your body to its factory settings!
Qigong and hiking before breakfast
The day starts at 6am with Qigong, an ancient Chinese healing practice that combines gentle movements, controlled breathing and meditation. Looking out over the Tallebudgera Valley at sunrise is a simply stunning way to start the day and well worth getting up for.
Next up is a choice of hikes and walks before breakfast. Each day there is an option for a guided gentle walk or a harder option for anyone feeling more energetic. Over the course of your retreat, the walks become more challenging each day. For those on the longer retreats, the hike on the last day is not for the faint hearted, but worth the effort (and bragging rights at breakfast!).
Meals are communal at Gwinganna, designed to help you get to know others. After a shot of apple cider vinegar comes a complete organic breakfast designed to fuel you for the day.
After breakfast, we are off to stretch. A gentle stretch after breakfast helps kickstart digestion and supports a healthy gut.
The yin and yang of movement and change
Then the real fun begins with a variety of activities on offer. Some that are more yin (gentle, inward-focused and restorative) – think yoga, Pilates, Nia dance – and others that are more yang (active, outward-focused and challenging) like deep water running, weights or a spin class. You’re encouraged to listen to your body and choose activities that align with how you feel each day. And if your body needs something different, there are two pools (one heated, one not) and a gym available.
Morning tea comes next followed by a wellness seminar – this is one of my favourite parts of the day at Gwinganna. You hear from amazing specialists whose values are aligned with the Gwinganna philosophy on a topic related to the type of retreat you are on.
There are some things in life that you simply can’t unhear and it’s at these seminars that I learned life-changing things about the impacts of modern life on our bodies and our environment. The information led me to make pivotal changes across my life… more on that later.
Blissed-out down time
Then it’s time for a delicious organic lunch followed by an afternoon of rest and relaxation, when one of the most beautiful spas I have ever seen opens for treatments. The Gwinganna spa menu is extensive with an incredible selection of treatments, many that are exclusive to Gwinganna. And it’s not all massages either. From equine therapy, to a full Lomi Lomi, to colonic irrigation to tarot reading, I can honestly say, there is something transformative for everyone. A must on anyone’s agenda for the afternoon is spending time in the crystal steam room…
Dinner at 7pm concludes the day. Then it's time to head back to your room for a well-earned rest, ready to rise with the sun again at 5.30am the next morning for Qigong.
How Gwinganna has literally changed my life
The life education I have received from Gwinganna has profoundly changed my life. Here are some of the everyday changes I have made after being inspired during my retreat.
1. I’ve eliminated plastics and switched to a Keep Cup for my coffee
Before I went to Gwinganna I’m not sure I even knew what a microplastic was, let alone how easy it is for them to leach into our food, nor how pervasive plastic is. For example, I hadn’t considered that canned food has a plastic lining or that takeaway “paper” cups are lined with plastic or that what is particularly toxic is when we heat food in plastic. Ingesting microplastics and these leached chemicals has been linked to hormone disruption impacting appetite and metabolism, cell growth regulation and neurodevelopment.
Tip for longevity: Switch to glass containers and silicone bags for food storage. I also have two Keep Cups for my daily coffee and if I must use something in a can, I buy it and consume it quickly.
2. I switched to natural washing detergent and vegan skincare
Skin is the biggest organ in our body. Which means when you wash your clothes in chemical based products, then lather yourself with chemical laden products, all of these chemicals are absorbed into your body. Your liver then needs to work much harder to clear them away. Eventually if the liver is constantly exposed to toxins, serious damage can occur.
Tip for longevity: We ‘live’ in our washing detergent 24/7 (we wear the clothes we wash in it night and day). Change your washing detergent to a natural detergent and your skin and body will thank you.
3. I’ve eliminated added sugar
Eating foods with refined sugar or simple carbohydrates can lead to glucose spikes and insulin resistance, which over time can damage blood vessels and cause a range of diseases. While I love a sweet treat as much as the next person I now don’t add sweeteners to drinks and food like I used to.
Tip for longevity: If a recipe demands sweetness, I find an alternative to white refined sugar.
4. I’ve introduced more yin into my life
I was (and still am) a dancer and I love the gym (particularly the weight room). All of these are considered “yang” forms of exercise which focus on building muscle and improving cardiovascular health, fundamental foundations for healthy living and longevity.
But I have now learned to listen to my body more and find lasting restoration in stillness and mindfulness. I now work yin yoga, breathwork and sound baths regularly into my wellness routine.
Tip for longevity: Your gym membership (if you have one) might already offer classes that include yoga, Pilates or other forms of restorative exercise.
5. No electronics in the bedroom
Gwinganna reminds us that the bedroom is for two things only - sleep and sex. Nothing else. Besides the distraction that comes from doom scrolling through your phone, the blue light emanating from it disrupts the circadian rhythm and suppresses the secretion of melatonin causing disrupted sleep. Lack of sleep can be linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.
While I’ve never had a TV in my bedroom, my phone used to be my alarm clock. Now I use a sunrise alarm clock so my phone stays in another room at night.
Tip for longevity: Buy an old-fashioned alarm clock and keep your phone in another room at night.
The ripple effect
A retreat might sound like an indulgence, but for me it became something far deeper. Gwinganna didn’t just offer rest and relaxation; it planted the seeds of daily rituals, lifelong health habits and a profound shift in how I care for my body and mind.
It’s not about perfection. I still love my coffee and a glass of wine. I still get caught up in the stresses of modern life. But Gwinganna helped me tune into what matters most, and gave me the tools to keep showing up for myself, one day at a time.
And that kind of consistency, I’ve learned, is the real secret to longevity.
Feature image: Gwinganna/Nelly le Comte
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