Retreats
connection. creativity. community.
Our retreats follow rites of passage frameworks. A rite of passage is "an event or ritual that marks a transition in a person's life from one status to another." They have been used for thousands of years to support people to move through significant transitions.
Our retreats create space to be seen and heard. To be held through change. To transform and regenerate.
Drawing on the transformative power of storytelling, myth, movement and creativity, we gather to:
Pause. Step out of the current. Meet the quiet under the noise.
Reflect. Listen to old stories. Ask new questions.
Explore. What matters to you now? What might be calling you forward?
So you can move into life with renewed clarity and vision.
Our retreats offer space to:
Get out of your head and back into your heart
Discover and honour your unique gifts and strengths
Embrace change with clarity, courage and purpose.
2026 Retreats
01
Spark
Brunswick, Victoria
Spark is a transformational one-day rite of passage for women moving through life's transitions. An invitation to connect, reflect and tap into your gifts and strengths, so you can move into life with renewed clarity and vision.
02
Vision
Brunswick, Victoria
Vision is a transformational one-day rite of passage for women ready to imagine a life that feels deeply their own. An invitation to shake off the cobwebs, get beneath the noise, and begin to see what might be possible. What do you long to do with this one precious life?
03
Muse
Brunswick, Victoria
Muse is a transformational one-day rite of passage for women ready to rekindle their creative spark. Through storytelling, myth, movement and poetry, we will explore new ways of listening, knowing, seeing and being — sacred gateways that lead us back to the heart.
Programs
Simple practices for a happier, healthier life
01
Self Healing Qi Gong
CREATE GREATER HEALTH AND WELL BEING WITH SELF HEALING QI GONG
Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese practice that combines slow, intentional movements, controlled breathing and meditation to cultivate energy, support physical and emotional wellbeing, and calm the mind.
Self Healing Qi Gong is a powerful, enjoyable practise that opens energy channels in the body and rebalances the energy system. It helps release the blockages that obstruct your body's natural healing processes. Practising regularly will help you clear negative, habitual and restrictive patterns. You will see a wider range of choices and gain a more positive outlook on life.
02
Liturgies Of The Wild
MYTHS AS MAPS TO GUIDE US THROUGH LIFE’S CHANGES AND TRANSITIONS
Named after writer and mythographer Martin Shaw’s book Liturgies of the Wild, which argues ‘we live in a myth-impoverished age, cut off from the deep wells of story and meaning that once prepared us for life’s challenges,’ this six week series is an invitation to return to the ancient stories that have long helped us to make sense of life, navigate uncertainty and find our way through times of change.
Together, we’ll enter these stories as maps for our own lives. We’ll explore the myths that have shaped us, the stories we have inherited and the stories we are ready to rewrite. We’ll draw on their wisdom to spark active hope and resilience, and to seed community, connection, creativity and compassion.
A space to connect inwards. To connect outwards. And to remember that we are part of something much larger than ourselves.
03
Another Kind Of Freedom
HOW DO WE REALLY CHANGE? NAVIGATE THE BIG SEAS?
Named after Pema Chödrön's translation of the Buddhist book The Myth of Freedom, Another Kind of Freedom is an invitation to explore what becomes possible when we loosen our grip on old patterns and meet life with greater presence and awareness.
Through practical tools and embodied practices, we’ll explore ways to clear stress, cultivate presence and celebrate this precious life, with more freedom, spaciousness and joy.
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place around you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you.
Here's what participants are saying:
Testimonials
"I arrived exhausted and left remembering parts of myself that had been silent for years. Connection is clearly one of the best remedies for healing."
S.K
"Thank you Nicola for offering us such a rich and open hearted day. Arriving in the morning my nerves were almost unimaginable, not knowing anyone there, but by the end of the day I felt so grounded and connected to community. All my swirling thoughts of life seemed to have met like minded people and I was able to feel…"
Zoe S
"The most alive I have felt in years."
J.H
"I was lucky enough to spend a very special and deeply personal day at Spark, led by Nicola Lester, who is so talented and experienced over such a broad range of teachings and natural therapies. More than anything, Nicola has a rare and unique energy that touches all who know her and she quite literally shines from with…"
Karen S · Spark workshop
"I attended the SPARK rite of passage workshop at the beautiful Ballam Ballam building and was blown away by what can happen in a day with a group of open hearted people, guided by the thoughtful and insightful Nicola Lester. Nicola managed to hold the space with such generosity and kindness it was impossible not to fee…"
K. A · Spark workshop
- See all testimonials
Meet the facilitators
Nicola Lester
Nicola is a Rites of Passage and Circle Facilitator, an ordained Buddhist teacher, a Registered Shiatsu and East Asian Therapist, Qi Gong Instructor and Singer/Songwriter with a passion for transformation.
Tegan Crowley
Tegan is a performer, voice and movement artist who co-facilitates the days — bringing story, play and embodiment into the room.
Eartha Davis
Eartha is a woman of Ngāpuhi and Celtic heritage living on Wurundjeri land. She is the winner of the 2024 AAWP/Express Media Sudden Writing Prize and a 2026 Poetry In Action Ambassador. Her debut poetry collection, màthair beinn, is out now with Vagabond Press.
From the retreats
Fragments from the field.
2023 — 2025
Sign up
Reserve a place in the circle.
Circles are small and held with care. Share a few details and we'll be in touch within a few days with next steps.
FAQ
Questions & answers
Women of all ages. Women moving through transition, identity shifts and change. Women longing for joy, meaning, purpose, connection, compassion, community and creativity. For tenderness. Women who are ready to do things differently. Women who are ready to transform, grow and change. Women who are ready to thrive. Share their gifts. Sow seeds for a brighter world, for all.
Inner Place
You got a rite to:
create. transform. shape shift. rise. connection. possibility. active hope. resilience. essence. presence. insight. joy. compassion. potential. meaning. purpose. precious life. evolution. revolution. get free from the inside. share your gifts. embrace change. celebrate life. be here. now.
"Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life"
Another Kind Of Freedom
Nicola Lester
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Newsletter
Stay connected.
Occasional notes on new retreats, programs and practice.