Ten women. Four days. One of the most beautiful corners of the South Island.
The Guided Growth Autumn Reset Retreat gathered at Maruia Springs as the leaves were turning – arriving by late afternoon with the slightly dishevelled energy of women who'd travelled from different corners of the country to be somewhere that mattered. By dinner, it felt like they'd known each other for years.
What followed was four days of hot pools and head torches, of pre-dawn walks along a misty river and a sunrise nobody had planned for. Of yoga nidra after dinner and dry brushing before breakfast. Of the Wheel of Life session that asked each woman to take a deep look into the spokes of her own life – and a values evening that went longer than scheduled because nobody wanted it to end.
Tuesday 28 April – Arrival
Maruia Springs · Late afternoon
The group converged from around the country – some delayed by flights – and settled in by 5:30pm. With the evening already underway there was no rush, just the quiet business of arriving and letting the mountain air do its first gentle work.
Dinner together marked the real beginning. After the meal, Julie led a yoga nidra class that eased everyone into the retreat's rhythm. Andrea introduced the programme for the days ahead, the group shared a first introduction circle, and Andrea offered a gentle 40-minute talk on sleep tips – practical, unhurried, and well-received.
The three possible hikes were discussed, massage bookings were mentioned, and by 9:30pm most had drifted to bed. A handful found their way to the hot pools under the night sky.
Wednesday 29 April – The Slow Day
Mist and rain · A gentler pace
Four early risers pulled on head torches and set off on the Maruia Circuit Trail in the dark – returning with something you can only get from a pre-dawn walk along a river: the particular quiet of a sunrise seen before the rest of the world has woken up.
Between 7:30 and 8:30am, Julie offered gentle yoga for the group, followed by a soak in the pools before breakfast at 9:30. After breakfast, Andrea ran the Wheel of Life session – an hour that asked each woman to take a deep look into the spokes of her own life.
The afternoon was soft and unstructured; the Lewis Pass Tops could wait. Julie led a restorative yoga session before dinner, and the day closed with a yoga nidra relaxation class – the right ending for a rainy autumn Wednesday in the mountains.
Thursday 30 April – The Lake Day
Lake Daniels · Packed lunches · Sauna & massage
Anyone who wanted could rise early for the circuit trail again. Julie offered a punchier hot flow yoga session before breakfast – a noticeable shift in energy from the day before.
After breakfast, Maruia packed lunches: wraps, homemade slice, bliss balls, grapes – and Andrea added her own slice to the haul. Ten women loaded into two trucks and set off for Lake Daniels. At the halfway point, the group split naturally – half pressed on to reach the lake, half had already found what they came for and turned back.
Hot pools and saunas waited on return, along with massage for those who'd booked. The day wound to a close with a clay mask session in the sauna, dinner together, and then Andrea's values session – an hour that, again, ran long because no one was ready for it to end. Julie closed the evening with a lymphatic dry brush ritual and a preview of the morning ahead.
Friday 1 May – The Last Morning
Departure · Black Estate Vineyard
At 7:00am, five women gathered with Julie for dry brushing before a final soak or sauna. Some turned up to breakfast in their robes – a small and satisfying act of retreat-brain.
After breakfast, bags were packed, rooms vacated, and the group departed around 10:00am. The journey home included a final stop at Black Estate Vineyard, where Penny had platters waiting. Some enjoyed a glass of wine. Some quietly toasted something they couldn't quite name yet. Then back to the road – airport drops, home drops, and the particular kind of silence that follows a retreat well spent.
Don't come to escape your life – come to return to it differently.
What the retreat covered
- Sleep · Wheel of Life · Values
- Gentle Yoga · Hot Flow Yoga · Yoga Nidra
- Lymphatic Dry Brushing
- Nature Walks · Lake Daniels Hike
- Hot Pools & Sauna · Massage · Clay Ritual
- Honest conversation · Introduction circle · A great deal of laughter
The group
Amanda · Andrea · Julie · Sharon · Charlotte · Christina · Lisa · Ang · Emma · Anna Turner
Small group. Meaningful content. Beautiful setting.
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