Anneli Knight recharges at Byron Bay and discovers yoga, surfing and much more…

There is something magical about Byron Bay. There is some intoxicating ingredient that this East Coast peninsula has been drenched in.

It might be a visible ingredient: perhaps it’s the dolphins that smile as they splash in the waves or the vast selection of surf beaches with their neat sets and perfectly delivered breaks. It might be the photogenic pandanus palms that fringe the coastlines or the luscious mountainous hinterland that frame the region.

Or it could be a more esoteric, magical inclusion. Afterall, Byron Bay is sunrise country. The light-house-capped peninsula marks the most Easterly point of mainland Australia – meaning this land is the first in the country to be kissed by the morning sun’s rays.

There is an East Arnhem Land word in Yolngu language “Buku-Larrnggay” which means “the feeling on your face as it is struck by the first rays of the sun”. Byron Bay is a place to bathe yourself in this feeling.

I was told this area’s Indigenous owners, the Bundjalung, used to know the cape as a healing place, a place to visit only for a short while before moving on. It is easy to understand that Byron Bay has been a place of “retreat” for tens of thousands of years.

I had never been on a retreat before coming to Byron Bay for a week-long surf and yoga retreat. And even as I travelled to the Samudra retreat I was prepared for the surfing, I was prepared for the yoga and was excited about the healthy, organic, vegetarian food, but I hadn’t actually thought about the fact I was going on “retreat” – and what this would mean.

In fact, it took a few days before I even realised the impact a retreat can have.

A surf and yoga retreat is the perfect retreat for an energetic person. I was so busy with the physical and mental slog of three hours of Ashtanga yoga (sunrise and sunset sessions) and two hours of jumping around in the surf and trying to jump up on, and stay up on, my surf-board, that the retreat aspect of it all kind of snuck up on me on your while I wasn’t expecting it, and took me by wonderful surprise.

I became so entirely exhausted, in a muscle-rejoicing-energy-fuelling kind of way – that I was forced to take some time out, and just Sit. And to soak up the incredible vistas over Cape Byron from the hill-top mansion set amid a banana plantation. And then my mind began to dance and dream and celebrate and unwind and play and explore and reflect. It discovered new ways to resolve old challenges, began plotting inspiring plans and sending a cleansing whoosh through my thoughts and memories.

This was all helped along by the congo-line of vibrant, supportive foods. Samudra takes you on a culinary festival through macrobiotic, raw, Ayurvedic and organic whole foods, grains, sprouts, and fruits in such enticing flavours that it’s hard to believe these meals are also good for you. And they play an important part in the rejuvenation process.

I was so inspired by my week on retreat that I came home with a new surf board and resolute plans to master the sport, I bought a yoga mat and began (and have kept up) regular Ashtanga yoga practice and incorporated some healthy tips into my cooking and eating.

I also returned home with plans to get back to Byron Bay as quickly as possible, for another dose of whatever that magical ingredient is on this cape that you just don’t find anywhere else. I’m sure it’s something potent in those first rays of sunshine.

Byron Bay Retreats

For the active and energetic:

Samudra

If you’ve ever wanted to learn to surf, improve your surf skills or explore new surf breaks, Samudra is your dream come true. There is just about no way that you can spend a week at Samudra and not improve your surfing ability. The Ashtanga yoga and health food aspects of Samudra are designed to support you as a surfer, nurturing you with core strength, balance and high energy. Byron Bay is the perfect place for a beginner surfer to experience Samudra because there’s usually a good baby wave somewhere around (and because it is such an amazing place to be). Samudra also holds surf and yoga retreats for intermediate and advanced surfers in the Maldives, Morocco and the Australian West Coast for those looking to expand their skills and explore some of the world’s most exciting breaks.
www.samudra.com.au
 
For the creative and reflective:

Funkey Forest

For a more cerebral and spiritual emphasis, the Funkey Forest offers a variety of retreats in its centre set high in the misty hills of the Byron Bay hinterland. Even the experience of getting to the centre, through creek crossings and exhilaratingly steep climbing roads, is transporting.
The Funkey Forest holds a range of retreats throughout the year, ranging from creativity retreats to fasting, detox or nutrition retreats and yoga, meditation and massage retreats.
www.funkeyforest.com

For a quick dip:

The Kiva Spa

If you would just like to dip your toe into “retreat land” – a good place to start is Kiva Spa, located in Mullumbimby, in the Byron Bay hinterland. This Balinese spa is just off the little town’s main street but an hour here transports you to a dreamy, floaty space. Starting with the wood-fired sauna, you can shed layers of dead skin and dreary thoughts, in the dimly-lit, low-roofed, round-room. Then you can choose between the plunge pools (an invigorating refreshment straight from the sauna) or a hot spa. For an extra indulgence, you should treat your warmed-up and unwinding muscles to a massage.
www.byron-bay.com/kiva

For the celebrity-spotter:

Gaia Retreat and Spa

It is most likely that anyone who talks about going on retreat to Byron Bay will be asked, at least once: “Are you going to Olivia Newton-John’s retreat?”. So, at the very least, you should know that this retreat exists.
www.gaiaretreat.com.au