writing for healing

Once again the sun shone for us in Springbrook as our group of wonderful women writers gathered to relax, write, feast and connect at the beautiful Theosophical Society Education and Retreat Centre high above the bustle in the Gold Coast hinterland.

We wrote up a storm and shared our stories, connecting heart to heart, writer to writer, learning from each other and growing in our skills and abilities to get those stories out of our heads and onto the page.

The weather was so beautiful we even had a session outside on a picnic blanket, listening deeply to the stories of the ancestors of this spectacular country, the Yugambeh people, and our own ancestors with their own stories to tell.

Chief cookie, the fabulous Gay Liddington, whose own memoir will be published in 2024 – WATCH THIS SPACE – tempted us all with delicious treats, and what a treat it is to walk into the kitchen at the end of a long day writing to smell a feast ready and waiting. THANK YOU GAY!

This retreat, we saw many repeat retreaters reconnecting and other new friends finding their writing gangs. Writers need other writers. When we are deeply immersed in our own stories, we can’t see our way through what can seem like a tangled forest of words, but other writers can look at our mess from a different angle and clearly see the path through the trees for us.

We laughed and we cried together, wrote, talked and even sang. We relaxed and stretched our bodies with yoga and indulged in healing bodywork treatments by the amazing Monique De Goey of Reconnect Holistic Bodywork.

Each one of us, yours truly included, came away feeling refreshed and renewed, with new ideas for our stories, a clear path ahead and writing companions to cheer us on and pick us back up again if we fall.

As Heidi would say, “I knew the mountains would make her well!”

Here’s what some retreaters had to say.

“A beautiful space of learning, reflection, sharing and mutual honouring of our stories.”

Retreat participant October 2023

“This had been such a wonderful experience for me. I love being in community and experienced wonderful community this weekend. The writing workshops were inspiring, exciting and ignited my creative side again.”

Retreat participant October 2023

“Thank you for all the inspiration, warmth, listening and LOVE.”

Retreat participant October 2023

As is traditional, we finished our retreat with collages – here are some of the beautiful results!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these retreats are only as special as the women who come along. I love how women come together and lift each other up. THANK YOU to all the wonderful women writers who made this retreat such a beautiful experience for us all, me included.

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person in the world, getting to uplift and inspire others for my job!

Would you love to come along to the next memoir retreat? Dates are already set for next year’s Memoir and Life Writing Retreat – MAKE A NOTE – 18 – 20 OCTOBER 2024. You can book in HERE by paying your deposit. Hurry repeat retreaters are already signing up! Prices have gone up as retreat costs have risen along with everything else. I’ve created a tiered system for the waged and unwaged but if you’re still burning to come, but can’t see your way through to paying that much, DROP ME A LINE and I’ll see how we can help.

And, just quietly, a new JUST WRITE RETREAT of 4 or 5 nights is planned for early April, 2024. More on this soon!

Vietnam Relax and Write Your Journey Retreat is fully booked and we’re all getting super excited, but places are still available for Bali! I cannot wait to get back to the divine Bali EcoStay to swim in our own waterfall and fall asleep every night to the gentle lull of running water. Tempted? Check it all out here – you’ll have the time of your life!!

Remember to sign up for my monthly newsletter if you’re not on it already. A special treat is planned for Christmas! Only available to subscribers.

Lots of love

Edwina xx

Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Is your creative spirit in need of some TLC? Always wanted to go to Vietnam but don’t like traveling alone?

Renew your love of writing and life next February in stunning world heritage Hoi An in Vietnam for a yoga and writing retreat which will get your year off to an inspiring and uplifting start. HEAVENLY HOI AN 2 – 7 FEBRUARY 2024.

After the bliss of our Bali Retreat – see the rundown here – Kerstin Pilz and I are now set to explore Vietnam. Kerstin lived in Hoi An for years so we’ll have an, almost, local to guide us around. Kerstin is also busily preparing for the release of her first creative work, her memoir Loving My Lying Dying Cheating Husband which Affirm Press is launching in March 2024. WOOHOO! So we’ll have live access to all Kerstin has learnt about writing memoir and the publishing process, as well as my twenty plus years and five publications worth of experience plus over ten years teaching creative writing at UQ! Kerstin is an ex Uni lecturer in literature so you’ll have a wealth of writing experience to tap into.

Yes, there will be informative, practical, inspiring and useful writing workshops, but this is also a retreat to renew YOU as a whole person. This retreat also features YOGA!

I’ve been practising yoga daily for 30 years now, the greatest blessing of my life, and I love sharing the joys of this life-healing practice on retreats. Kerstin is an experienced yogin too, and has spent many months at meditation retreats as part of her own healing journey – hear all about it in her TED TALK. So every morning on retreat with start with gentle yoga in a beautifl open air shala over the river. How magical is that? And most evenings we’ll wind down from all the learning and writing with some guided meditations and pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) specifically designed to help you relax and calm your nervous system.

Writing and yoga, but wait, there’s more and no, it’s not steak knives. How about a Vietnamese cooking class after a tour of a local farm? Or would you prefer a slow boat ride down the river to the heart of the old town for dinner at the local night markets, lit up with preparations for TET (Vietnamese New Year). All the sights and sounds and smells and tastes of an exotic culture, full of smiling faces, in the company of fellow writers and kindred spirits. A tarot reading to help guide you forward and inspire your spirit. Fun and laughter with new friends and even the option to travel on and explore Vietnam further with other retreat guests!

Not only that, we’re staying in gorgeous resort-style accommodation at An Villa and Annica Villa, far from the bustling crowds, right on the river. Beautiful ensuite rooms, manicured tropical gardens, pools, delicious Vietnamese meals prepared especially for us on premises, lots of secret nooks to sit and write and everything is included! You can come along to all the sessions, or if you’d rather you can sleep for days, potter and journal in the over-river shala or hide away in your room and write like a fury!

Sound like the answer to your prayers? It is! I am so excited to be offering these international retreats with my dear friend Kerstin. Our Hoi An adventure is going to be truly heavenly! I so hope you can join us. Prices start at $2550 EARLY BIRD, ALL INCLUSIVE (except flights and transfers) but hurry early bird prices end soon!

For detailed info and to book see HERE.

Places are filling fast, so book your spot now by paying your deposit. I’m super excited about this one. I haven’t been to Vietnam in 30 years and I’ve never been to Hoi An, so come with me for the adventure of a lifetime and a life-changing, heart opening retreat guaranteed to get you writing! Whether you’re an old hand or a newbie, this retreat has something for everyone. ALL THE INFO HERE.

If you have more dash than cash we can work out a payment plan that makes it all possible.

Who’s coming?

Me!!