The phrase parental burnout might illicit an eye roll from some (although, according to The Parenthood, 74 per cent of Australian women feel stressed balancing work and family commitments), but in the weeks leading up to my retreat I felt like I was nearing its peak.
A combination of the ping, ping, ping of school WhatsApps, calendar updates, daycare emails, lunch boxes to pack, meltdowns to manage (mine included), as well as balancing the pressures of a busy job – my mind felt like it had hit scroll and I didn’t know how to stop it.
But the first thing I learned when I landed in Bali for a Healing Goddess Retreat was that the word Ubud means medicine.
Here, amid the verdant rice paddies and lush jungle, where greenery abounds and plants tower over you like gods, the Balinese prioritise the mind-body-soul connection above all else. It was time to slow down, and a Bali wellness retreat was the answer.
HEALING PATH
Founded by Chelsea Ross in 2003 as the world’s first women-only surf and yoga retreat, and now evolved into the wellness focused Goddess Retreats, guests get to choose from a curated list of different packages – from Wellness, Fitness and Healing – which are all personalised, depending on what each guest wants to experience during the six-night luxury stay.
Hoping for an immersive, spiritual adventure, I chose Healing, which promises to blend “ancient wisdom with modern wellness”.
This included going on an Eat Pray Love spiritual trek, with the highlight being a water purification ceremony at a secluded temple, a laughter-filled cycle ride through traditional rice paddies, embarking on an emotional Quantum Energy Healing Session and an eye-opening Tarot Card Reading – an unforgettable mix of spiritual exploration and adventure!
COMING TOGETHER
And while for some it might seem unnerving to go on a female-only retreat with 13 complete strangers, there was something undeniably magical about coming together with a group of women who’d travelled from all over the world. Some were navigating divorce, others dealing with grief or childhood traumas, preparing to have a baby, or simply wanting to experience solo travel.
Each day amid Bali’s stunning rice paddies, we did sunrise yoga, indulged in unlimited spa treatments, floated in the villa’s stunning saltwater pools, ate incredible food, journalled, and manifested, swapped stories of healing therapies, past boyfriends and book recommendations.
There were no rules – apart from that we couldn’t lift a finger – only a suggested schedule of spa treatments and potential excursions to fill our lazy, sun-drenched days.
And while we came together to swim, sauna, eat delicious food and belly laugh over life, the retreat struck the perfect balance of bringing people together but also giving them the space to drift away as needed.
MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
Despite having only just met, in just a few days a sense of community had taken shape. We were Zen, joy-filled and ready to giggle. It was the ultimate girls trip – and there was none of the compromises that can come from holidaying with your nearest and dearest.
As we gathered at the retreat’s closing cacao ceremony – where we let go of all the things we no longer wanted to hold on to – we all said the same thing. Above all else, the trip had given us the chance to make meaningful connections with like-minded women, to have the headspace to think about our lives and to relax. And that’s just priceless.
Goddess Retreats hosts immersive seven-day programs in Seminyak and Ubud, spanning surf, fitness, pilates, padel, wellness, and healing experiences. A new flexible retreat experience will join the portfolio from April 2026. To find out more or book, visit goddessretreats.com
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
