At The Concierge Collective we are always looking for amazing suppliers of great products and services to present to our clients. That could be sourcing the best electrician or finding a way for our ultra busy clients to relax.
I’ve had friends tell me for years about the incredible experiences they’ve enjoyed at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, and I thought ‘this is something I need to share with our clients and readers.’
I spoke with the team at Gwinganna about how we could connect our clients with their lifestyle retreat. The response I received was, ‘you won’t know until you experience it yourself’.
So a few weekends ago I packed my bag and headed down to the beautiful Tallebudgera Valley. Needless to say the traffic was a nightmare on a Friday afternoon, so I did arrive in a fairly heightened state of anxiety. I should also add that I have been working very hard this year (as we all have) and was a prime candidate for a Gwinganna experience.
Once you come over the driveway and arrive atop the gorgeous mountain you immediately start to feel the stress leave your body. I was greeted by the lovely Lyndsey who checked me in and had me in a buggy on the way to my Orchard Room faster than you could say yoga-pants.
I could go on about the lovely rooms and incredible organic food, plethora of activities and to-die-for spa treatments, but that would just repeat what thousands other happy guests could tell you.
What I really wanted to know was, would an experience at Gwinganna reduce my stress levels, stop my head from buzzing and genuinely get me to relax, properly relax.
Could it in turn do the same for The Concierge Collective clients?
I was recently told by a colleague that everything I do is fast. My work is fast, and what I consider to be my ‘leisure activity’ is fast; I am training for a half marathon. She is right. Nothing I do is slow, everything is at ultra high speed. Whilst I love everything I do; nothing is bad stress, that kind of pace will eventually take its toll whether you like it or not.
I was, to be honest, quite sceptical that just 48 hours in one place could achieve such an outcome – it was a big ask.
Night one told me I was in the right place. Our gorgeous Program Director Kay spoke about having the right balance of Yin and Yang in our lives. I was clearly all Yang and no Yin. I had no balance.
Over the course of the next 48 hours, I made myself choose the opposite to what I would normally do, to introduce more Yin and see what it felt like. It started with drinking tea instead of coffee (yes they do allow coffee on some weekends). I chose vegetarian meals instead of meat. I chose Qi Gong and a bush walk instead of the gym session. And I chose reading by the pool instead of a spin class. And of course, I indulged in the lush spa treatments, seriously the best I’ve ever had.
It felt good… no, it felt great!
By Saturday evening, after I almost fell asleep in the Guided Relaxation session, I was in total bliss mode.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d organised to have Gumnut Babies sprinkle a magic dust over their sleeping guests, because when I woke on Sunday morning I felt like my old self.
The further day of Yin activities on Sunday reinforced the absolute necessity to focus on that special place between Yin and Yang to achieve that perfect balance.
Gwinganna call this “pressing pause”.
“By pressing pause, you can reflect on your life. You can look at where you can create some space, some more quiet. It’s vital you remember that you can be busy but be relaxed; you can be productive and not be stressed.
Pressing pause is about stepping back and viewing your life from a different perspective. From an alternative, relaxed space you can see where you need the commas and the full stops, the exclamation marks and the question marks. Pressing pause is about creating paragraphs, spaces and chapters in your life story so it has a purpose and it makes sense.”
I can honestly say that there is no better place to pause that Gwinganna. I’ll be back.
We would also like you to press pause too. We have arranged for you to enter a draw to win a 2 night stay in the Orchard Suite accommodation at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, just head on over to our Facebook page to enter.
Share the link so your friends can enter too – you might like to share your experience with a friend or partner.