National cohort
Retreats in Australia
Commercial meditation retreats, donation-based centres, and teachers who lead retreats — nationwide.
National cohort
Commercial meditation retreats, donation-based centres, and teachers who lead retreats — nationwide.
High country, anywhere in Australia — the national beat. Try widening the filters — the catalogue is small while we calibrate.
Clear filtersBookRetreats lists a three-day Compass yoga and sound healing experience at Hepburn Springs, Victoria. The page is the public source for location and format on this check.
BookRetreats lists a three-day Ease of Being weekend meditation retreat at Noosa North Shore, Queensland. The page describes a small silent-leaning meditation program with two nights' accommodation and vegetarian meals.
BookRetreats lists a three-day private 1:1 Return to Stillness retreat at Upper Burringbar, NSW — the Rise Temple property. The page describes a private, not group, immersion.
BookRetreats lists a five-day Elements of Yoga retreat at Kailash Ashram in Wartook in the Grampians. The page describes yoga and meditation in a dedicated ashram setting.
BookRetreats lists a five-day meditation and yoga Soul Retreat at Kailash Ashram in Wartook, Grampians, Victoria. The page describes a traditional yoga and meditation program with four nights' accommodation.
BookRetreats lists a five-day Stillness Speaks iRest Yoga Nidra retreat at Kenthurst in Sydney's north-west. The page is the public source for location and format on this check.
BookRetreats lists a five-day Four Yogas / life-as-sadhana retreat at Kailash Ashram in Wartook, Victoria. The page is the public source for this product on this check.
BookRetreats lists a six-day silent meditation retreat at Maitripa Retreat Center in Healesville, Victoria, focused on self-love, self-forgiveness, and self-acceptance. The page describes a guided silent program with five nights' accommodation.
BookRetreats lists a seven-day meditation retreat at Maitripa Retreat Center in Healesville, Victoria, described as a silent program on self-acceptance and coming home to yourself. Five nights' accommodation is included on that page.
Alan Bassal is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher in Sydney, chairman of Sydney Insight Meditators, and a founding director of the Insight Meditation Institute. IMA says he leads retreats in Wilton and Byron Bay; SIM lists him as a teacher of Deepening Into Stillness, a six-night residential retreat at the Brahma Kumaris Wilton centre in April 2026.
Anna Markey is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher based in South Australia, associated with Coast and City Sangha and local dharma groups at Goolwa and Port Elliot. dharma.org.au lists a two-night silent residential retreat she co-teaches at Glenbarr Homestead, Strathalbyn.
Atisha Centre is an FPMT Mahayana Buddhist education and retreat hub at Myers Flat near Bendigo, next to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion. The operator site lists teachings and courses open to the public.
Ben Isbel teaches residential vipassana retreats at Chenrezig Institute, Eudlo. Chenrezig’s 2026 event pages describe multi-day silent retreats he leads, and note his background in Theravada and Mahayana practice plus a PhD in the neuroscience of mindfulness.
BMIMC in Medlow Bath offers satipaṭṭhāna vipassanā retreats in the Mahāsi Sayādaw tradition. The centre is owned by the non-profit Buddha Sasana Association of Australia and lists residential retreats taught by visiting monastics and lay teachers.
BlueGreen Sanctuary is an exclusive-use retreat venue on about five acres at Newrybar in the Byron hinterland. The operator site lists a yoga shala, accommodation for small groups, and wellness facilities for visiting facilitators.
Bodhinyana is the Buddhist Society of Western Australia monks’ monastery at Serpentine, on 242 acres next to Jhana Grove. BSWA’s staying page offers short-term lay guest rooms (up to two weeks locally, four weeks interstate) on eight precepts; it states there is no formal meditation teaching program at the monastery.
Bodhipala is a Thai Forest monastery in the lineage of Ajahn Chah at Mount Pleasant, South Australia. The monastery site describes overnight guest stays (three-night minimum) on eight precepts; the FAQ says services and retreats are given freely and currently lists day-long meditation workshops rather than organised multi-day group retreats.
The Brahma Kumaris Blue Mountains Retreat Centre sits on 132 acres at Leura, NSW. The operator page describes weekend residential retreats from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, twin-share ensuite rooms, vegetarian meals, and programs offered without a set charge.
The Brahma Kumaris Illawarra Retreat Centre at Wilton, NSW, is a residential Raja Yoga meditation centre about one hour south of Sydney. The operator page says the site can accommodate up to 40 people for residential retreats, and that courses and classes are offered without a set charge, supported by donations.
The Brahma Kumaris Peninsula centre sits on 22 acres at Frankston South, Victoria, about an hour from Melbourne. The operator page describes residential retreats with time for bush walks, and states that courses and classes are offered without a set charge by a volunteer-run organisation.
Buddha Bodhivana is an Ajahn Chah Thai Forest monastery at East Warburton, Victoria, established by the Victorian Sangha Association. Overnight lay guests apply for an invitation at least seven days ahead, keep eight precepts, and join the monastic routine; the overnight page states the monastery currently trains male monastics only.
Byron Yoga Centre, founded by John Ogilvie, runs yoga retreats and teacher trainings on a property near Byron Bay town and beaches. No dedicated BookRetreats retreat SKU for this operator was confirmed on this check, so booking is via the centre site.
Carol Perry is a senior Insight Meditation Australia teacher with more than forty-five years in the insight tradition. IMA says she teaches retreats in Victoria and New South Wales and lives at Dharmananda community; Melbourne Insight Meditation lists her as a teacher of Open Heart, Open Mind, a seven-day silent residential retreat at Kallara Conference Centre, Boho South, from 30 October to 6 November 2026.
Charlie Chadwick is a Tasmania-based Buddhist practitioner who has been involved with Tashi Choling Dharma Foundation and Dorje Ling since the 1980s. dharma.org.au and the Deep in the Ground program page list him as co-teacher, with Lizzie Turnbull, of a seven-night insight retreat at Dorje Ling from 6 to 13 November 2026.
Chenrezig Institute is an FPMT Tibetan Buddhist centre in rainforest near Eudlo on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The operator site describes a residential community of monastics and lay students, with meditation, study programs, and simple guest accommodation.
Darwin Zen Group is a Diamond Sangha lay zen community meeting weekly in Darwin. The group’s What’s On page lists an annual residential sesshin in July in a bush setting near Darwin, following a silent sitting-and-walking schedule with dharma talks, interviews, and oryoki meals.
De-Tong Ling is an FPMT Tibetan Buddhist retreat centre on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The operator site describes individual retreat houses in bushland and occasional group retreats using FPMT programs.
Deep in the Ground is a seven-night insight meditation retreat at Dorje Ling, Lorinna, Tasmania, taught by Lizzie Turnbull and Charlie Chadwick from 6 to 13 November 2026. dharma.org.au lists it as dana-based, with venue-and-food fees from $450 scholarship to $770 single.
Dhamma Āloka is the Victorian Vipassana centre at Woori Yallock, about an hour east of Melbourne. It offers residential 10-day courses in the Goenka tradition with no course fee; expenses are met by donations from old students.
Dhamma Bhumi is the NSW Vipassana centre in Blackheath, Blue Mountains, teaching 10-day residential courses in the tradition of S.N. Goenka. Courses are offered without a course fee; costs are met by student donations after a course.
Dhamma Pabha is the Tasmanian Vipassana centre at Upper Dromedary, on the slopes of Mt Dromedary about forty minutes from Hobart. The official schedule describes a bushland site offering 10-day residential courses in the tradition of S.N. Goenka, with no course fee.
Dhamma Padipa is the Western Australian Vipassana centre in a rural setting about two hours from Perth, in the Shire of Brookton. The official schedule lists regular 10-day residential courses, with a meditation hall, shared accommodation, and optional camping; there is no course fee.
Dhamma Pāsāda is the Hawkesbury Vipassana centre at Lower Portland, NSW, teaching residential courses in the tradition of S.N. Goenka. The Australian directory and the centre schedule list 10-day and old-student courses at 991 River Road; there is no course fee.
Dhamma Rasmi ('Ray of Dhamma') is the Queensland Vipassana centre at Pomona on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It offers residential courses in Vipassana as taught by S.N. Goenka, on a donation basis.
Dhamma Ujjala is the South Australian Vipassana centre in the Clare Valley, about one and three-quarter hours north of Adelaide. The official schedule describes a dedicated site purchased in 2008 that runs 10-day residential courses in the tradition of S.N. Goenka, with no course fee.
Dhammagiri is a Theravada forest monastery in the Ajahn Chah lineage at Kholo, about forty-five minutes from Brisbane. The retreats page says it does not host group retreats; individual lay guests may stay on eight precepts in forest huts (men) or rooms in the main house (women, two at a time), with no payment required.
Dhammasara is the Buddhist Society of Western Australia nuns’ monastery at Gidgegannup, east of Perth. The BSWA staying page says a core aim is to offer lay women a firsthand taste of monastic life; day visitors are welcomed for the lunch dana. Guest rooms during the 2026 rains retreat are by invitation.
Diptipur is an exclusive-hire hinterland retreat house near Nashua / Bangalow. The operator site lists a yoga studio, meditation room, and accommodation for small groups, with a three-night minimum and organiser-provided catering.
Dorje Ling (formerly Illusion Farm) is a secluded retreat property in Tasmania's Lorinna Valley, operated by Tashi Choling Dharma Foundation. The booking page says it is available for group and solo retreats and has no resident teacher.
Emma Pittaway is an insight teacher in the Mahasi and Shwe Oo Min lineages and the principal insight teacher at Kuan Yin Meditation Centre in Lismore. BMIMC lists Remembering Awareness, a nine-day residential retreat she co-teaches with Patrick Kearney at Medlow Bath in November 2026; dharma.org.au lists the same program.
Jess Huon is an insight teacher who trained in monastic and forest settings and teaches regularly with Melbourne Insight Meditation. dharma.org.au profiles her in the Insight Network Teachers group; MIM lists Unbound: Freeing Up for Yourself & Others, a residential retreat she leads at Atisha Centre, Myers Flat, from 18 to 23 September 2026.
Jhana Grove is the Buddhist Society of Western Australia retreat centre at Serpentine, near Bodhinyana Monastery. BSWA lists guided residential meditation retreats; attendance is through the society, not a commercial affiliate.
Jill Shepherd is an insight teacher based in Aotearoa / New Zealand and the founding teacher of Auckland Insight. BMIMC lists Seeing clearly, finding freedom, a nine-day residential retreat she teaches at Medlow Bath from 8 to 17 January 2027.
Justine Mayer (Mugen Kai Roshi) is the Diamond Sangha teacher for Darwin Zen Group. The group’s About page records transmission from Subhana Barzaghi in 2017 and states that she leads teaching and meditation retreats; What’s On lists the group’s annual residential sesshin near Darwin.
Kadampa Meditation Centre Australia is the national Kadampa centre at 25 McCarthy Road, Monbulk, in the Dandenong Ranges, with on-site accommodation and a residential community. The operator calendar includes The Heart Sutra, a silent guided retreat on campus from 30 October to 3 November 2026.
Kailash Ashram is a dedicated yoga and meditation retreat centre in the Grampians, Western Victoria, directed by David and Raya Wegman. Book commercial SKUs separately; this page is the operator listing with a direct booking URL.
Karma Yiwong Samten Ling is a Karma Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist centre on Wiradjuri Country near Molong in the NSW Central West. The operator site describes a bush retreat with basic shared dormitory accommodation and group meditation retreats.
Kate Mutimer is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher in the Northern Rivers who also teaches as Kate Amy. IMA says she teaches residential retreats; Sydney Insight Meditators lists her with Alan Bassal as a teacher of Deepening Into Stillness, a six-night residential retreat at the Brahma Kumaris Wilton centre in April 2026.
Krishna Village is an eco-yoga community on the New Govardhana farm at Eungella, between Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. The operator site lists yoga, meditation, kirtan, and stay packages with vegetarian meals; booking is direct on this check.
Kusala Hermitage is a BSWA forest hermitage on 11 hectares at Roleystone, about forty-five minutes north of Bodhinyana. The location page lists accommodation for up to four sangha and two lay guests, a daily dana meal at 11am, and occasional half-day retreats on site.
Lizzie Turnbull is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher based in the Byron Shire who guides the Flowing Mountain Meditation Group in Brunswick Heads. IMA says she teaches retreats; dharma.org.au lists 2026 residential programs she leads at the Brahma Kumaris Wilton centre and at Dorje Ling in Tasmania.
Louise Taylor is an Insight Meditation Australia dharma teacher living in Tasmania and founding member of Radiant Mind Insight Meditation. IMA and dharma.org.au list her as leading residential insight retreats, including a nine-day retreat at Dorje Ling in January 2027.
Lumeah by the Creek is an exclusive-use group accommodation and wellness-retreat venue at Terania Creek in the Byron hinterland. The operator site lists a homestead and cabins on six acres with private creek frontage.
Maitripa Centre in Healesville is a Yarra Valley venue for hire, hosting retreats, workshops, and conferences. The venue-hire page lists two halls, vegetarian catering, and bedrooms for up to about 60 people.
Mal Huxter is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher in Lismore who trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand in the late 1970s and teaches mindfulness, loving-kindness and compassion on retreats. BMIMC lists a silent Mindfulness of Breathing residential retreat he teaches at Medlow Bath from 22 to 30 May 2027.
Mary McIntyre is a Brisbane-based psychotherapist, MBSR and insight meditation teacher, and MTIA teacher trainer. OpenGround and MTIA pages list her as a residential silent-retreat co-facilitator.
Melbourne Buddhist Centre is a Triratna community in Brunswick that also runs multi-day residential retreats in the country. The retreats page lists public and members’ programs; the public Buddhafield camping retreat at SkyRock, Nulla Vale, runs 31 October–3 November 2026 with daily meditation, dharma talks and vegan dinners.
Melbourne Insight Meditation is a not-for-profit insight sangha that runs weekly sits in Melbourne and residential silent retreats in Victoria. The 2026 calendar includes Unbound at Atisha Centre (18–23 September) and Open Heart, Open Mind, a seven-day noble-silence retreat at Kallara Conference Centre, Boho South (30 October–6 November).
Melbourne Zen Group is a Diamond Sangha lay zen community based at CERES in Brunswick East. The group runs weekly sits and periodic residential sesshin; past sesshin have been hosted at venues such as Maitripa Centre.
OpenGround and the Mindfulness Training Institute list a seven-day silent Four Foundations of Mindfulness retreat at Hartzer Park, Burradoo, taught by Timothea Goddard and Mary McIntyre. The December 2026 MTIA page published sliding-scale residential fees.
Panditarama Sydney (PSMC) in Horsley Park teaches satipaṭṭhāna vipassanā in the Mahāsi lineage. The operator site lists weekly sittings plus short and longer residential retreats.
Patrick Kearney is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher in the Mahasi Sayadaw lineage who has been a full-time mindfulness-meditation teacher for over twenty years. IMA says he conducts residential and online retreats; dharma.org.au lists a September 2026 two-week residential retreat he co-teaches at BMIMC.
Perth Insight Meditation Group organises two Theravada vipassana retreats a year at BSWA’s Jhana Grove in Serpentine. The retreats page lists When Awareness Becomes Natural, a nine-day silent residential retreat with Alexis Santos on 6–15 November 2026, with registration open; a weekend option is also offered.
Prema Shanti is a yoga and meditation retreat in the Daintree Rainforest, about two hours north of Cairns. The operator FAQ describes a flexible stay (typically two nights minimum) with morning yoga, guided meditation, vegetarian meals, and no Wi-Fi; booking is direct by phone or email.
Radha Nicholson is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher based in Bangalow, northern NSW, and a guiding teacher for Bay Insight in Byron Bay. IMA says she teaches insight retreats in Australia and India; dharma.org.au lists a September 2026 residential program she leads at Sangsurya.
Renata Malinauskas is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher in Byron Bay who leads residential insight retreats for Sydney Insight Meditators. IMA says she completed the Insight Meditation Institute’s four-year Dharma Teacher Training; SIM lists her as the lead teacher of The Inner Rhythm of Being, a five-night residential retreat at the Brahma Kumaris Wilton centre in June 2026.
Rise Temple offers private breathwork, meditation, and 1:1 retreats on 45 acres at Upper Burringbar in the Byron hinterland. The operator site describes tailored private and couples immersions rather than large group programs.
Robyn Gibson is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher on Djaara Country in central Victoria and a committee member of Melbourne Insight Meditation. IMA says she leads multi-day retreats; MIM lists her as a teacher of Open Heart, Open Mind, a seven-day silent residential retreat at Kallara Conference Centre, Boho South, from 30 October to 6 November 2026.
Rocklyn Yoga Ashram, operated by the Yoga Association of Victoria, sits near Daylesford on the edge of the Wombat State Forest. The association site lists weekend and mid-week Satyananda yoga retreats with meals and standard accommodation included in published fees.
Sanctuary of Stillness is the BSV residential retreat centre at Newbury, Victoria, linked with Newbury Buddhist Monastery. BSV describes monastic-led 9-day, 5-day, and weekend retreats in noble silence, plus self-retreats for experienced practitioners.
Santi is a Buddhist nuns’ forest monastery in the NSW Southern Highlands at Bundanoon. The monastery site says it is primarily a monastic dwelling rather than a lay retreat centre, but experienced lay practitioners may apply to stay and join the daily work-and-practice routine; teachings, food, and accommodation are offered without a set charge.
Stream Entering Monastery (Tu viện Nhập Lưu) is the Plum Village practice centre at Porcupine Ridge, near Daylesford. The monastery page locates it at 530 Porcupine Ridge Road and welcomes day visitors on Thursdays and Sundays; the staying page invites overnight guest practice for a weekend or longer, with a suggested contribution of $70 per night covering meals and utilities.
Subhana Barzaghi is a Diamond Sangha Zen Roshi and insight meditation teacher who has led Zen and Insight retreats in Australia and New Zealand since 1991. Her site lists 2026 residential programs including an October insight retreat at Sangsurya and the Melbourne Zen Group spring sesshin.
Sunnataram is a Thai Forest monastery on bushland at Bundanoon, NSW, next to Morton National Park. The monastery site lists silent weekend meditation retreats in English with sitting and walking practice and vegetarian meals.
Suzie Brown is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher who co-founded Melbourne Insight Meditation in 2009. IMA says she teaches retreats with Sydney Insight Meditators and Melbourne Insight Meditation; SIM lists her as a teacher of the High Country Walking Retreat, a seven-night residential program at Pygmy Possum Lodge, Charlotte Pass, in February 2027.
Tara Frances is a co-founder of Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre. BMIMC says she has practised vipassanā for 30 years in Burma, Nepal and Australia with Sayādaw U Pandita and other senior teachers, and lists an Easter residential retreat she teaches at Medlow Bath from 26 to 29 March 2027.
Timothea Goddard is founding director of OpenGround and Director of Training at the Mindfulness Training Institute – Australia & New Zealand. Public profiles describe her as an MBSR, insight meditation, and psychotherapy teacher who leads residential silent retreats.
Ayya Vīrañāṇi is a Burmese-lineage nun who teaches mettā and vipassanā retreats. BMIMC lists Metta for Vipassana, a two-week residential retreat she teaches at Medlow Bath from 10 to 24 October 2026, and a two-month vipassanā retreat she co-teaches there in 2027.
Victor von der Heyde is an Insight Meditation Australia teacher who has taken dharma teaching roles since the mid-1990s. IMA notes he was a co-founder of Sydney Insight Meditators; dharma.org.au lists a September 2026 residential retreat he co-teaches at The Gathering Place in Canberra.
Donation-based centres are always no-commission — we never take a cut of dana.