Yoga with Rose

21/10/2025

I find it quite difficult to explain why we choose to almost exclusively run silent meditation retreats. I know for some people it seems like such a weird thing to do (and I was DEFINITELY one of those people before my first retreat).

I have run a few and participated in many regular yoga retreats, and they're lovely and lots of fun and can be so powerful, but there is something very different that happens with the silent backdrop. And it is something that also, oddly enough, feels natural.

Humans throughout the ages have sought silence and solitude to bring clarity, creativity, peace, a sense of depth and wisdom. The slightly weird thing about these retreats is that we go into silence together as a group - but that in itself becomes very precious, as you'll hear in this video.

What I experience in silent retreats, how they have transformed my little world, and why I am so passionate about them, is something I still struggle to put into words. But I think Mish, Mel and Kirk did such a beautiful job at articulating different facets of it. We've left this video long so that those are interested can get more of a feel for it.

If you are interested, or if you do have questions please feel free to DM me.

There are 8 spots left for our New Year Retreat (8–12 Jan, Byron Hinterland). These retreats tend to fill up with repeat guests (turns out there are other weirdos like me who love silence), so if you’re even a tiny bit drawn to it, don't wait too long.

https://www.rosecousens.com/jan-26

13/10/2025

I'm really quite chuffed that we've managed to schedule a retreat at the start of a year.

There's that old phrase "new year, new year" which I think is now used somewhat ironically (or maybe not, maybe it is still used sincerely, I'm just often not up to speed with such things).

Anyway, these retreats are not about finding a "new you". These retreats are about finding, and being with that same "you" whose been with you since you were a child. That "you" that gets neglected, that we distract and disassociate ourselves from with all our tricky numbing devices and our incessant busy-ness, that "you" we don't treat as kindly as we could. This is a chance to be kind to that "you". To rediscover how very beautiful You are. To remember that at your core, there is sweetness and joy and love and aliveness and enthusiasm and creativity and even peacefulness.

And HOW GOOD we are now retreating in the impossibly trendy Byron Bay area. Since it’s now very close to home in Yamba, it feels like the natural next place to bring some sweet, much needed silence amidst alllll the clutter.

We’ll be on a 170 acre property complete with magnesium pool, infrared sauna, ice bath, and a springwater dam to cool off 😎.

We’ll be adjusting the schedule slightly to make best use of the surrounds and the sunrise - so retreat repeaters, expect an earlier start, and longer breaks for basking.

We’ll also be joined by a brilliant Ayurvedic Cook, Emily from Ahara Rasa.

Here's a little info about the retreat, but much more detail can be found on the webpage: https://www.rosecousens.com/jan-26

🔥 HOT TIP: Far North Queensland friends - Jetstar has direct flights between Cairns and Gold Coast Airport, which is just a 30–45 minute drive away 😉.

11/06/2025

I really love a 5-Day Silent retreat. It doesn’t have the same intensity as a 10-Day retreat, but it is enough time to drop fully into the silence and sink into a whole lot of peace, and very often, experience profound clarity and insight.

We introduced this format in response to requests over the years from 3-Day retreat participants in QLD wanting more time, but for whom 10 days is too tricky to fit in.

So, NSW friends here we are: our first 5-Day Retreat down South ☺️

Alistair Johnston and I will be co-facilitating, and we will be taken care of once again by the brilliant team at Happy Buddha Retreats.

(Silence and meditation aside - this retreat is worth it just for the food 😋).

We heard recently that Australia is statistically the worlds most burnt-out nation (according to a 2024 study).

My big hope is that through these retreats (and through the work we do at Soma Cacao) that we can help bring awareness to the reality of chronic stress, and equip people with the tools to bring things back into balance.

When things are in balance, a whole new world opens up ✨.

I’ve also learned from guiding so many people over the years that most people do not know, or do not remember, what it feels like to be at peace.

This is one of the big and important gifts of a silent retreat: we may directly experience our natural state - which is innately peaceful.

You can understand a little more about this through reading this selection of testimonials from past participants 🤍

Feel free to message me if you’d like some more information, or visit: https://www.rosecousens.com/retreats/p/aug-25

06/06/2025

Dear friends,

Alistair Johnston and I are hosting a 5-Day, 6-Night Silent Meditation Retreat in the Blue Mountains, from August 27 - September 2.

This is the last retreat we have scheduled for the year, and our first longer retreat in NSW.

We would really love to see you there.

We've only just popped this on online and started spreading the word, so there are still plenty of spots available 😊 If you know someone in your life who could use some stillness, gentleness, a digital detox, and/or plenty of tools to crack open their heart or alleviate stress - please feel free to share.

https://www.rosecousens.com/retreats/p/aug-25

23/02/2025

23/02/2025

Here are the details for our two upcoming retreats in Australia 😊

I've included in this post the daily schedule, to give you an idea of what these retreats actually entail, and also a selection of testimonials to give you a feel for the potential impact of the experience.

Alistair Johnston will again be facilitating alongside me 🎉.

We'll continue to offer these retreats by conscious donation.

This means that only the price of the meals and accommodation is fixed, based on the actual cost of the venue/food/catering. The cost of the program itself is up to you. This is how I've been running these retreats since 2021, which has been a beautiful exercise in trust and flow. I'm so glad that we can continue offering them in this way, which is very much thanks to the support and love and integrity of many of you.

If you have any questions at all send me a message, or you can find much more detailed info on the website 🫶

https://www.rosecousens.com/upcoming-retreats

01/10/2024

My sister introduced me recently to the concept of glimmers, which are positive triggers that prompt a moment of gratitude, peace, love, or joy.

Meditation tells us that anything can be a glimmer. Everything comes from the Presence at the heart of things, so everything points a path back. Every spring flower is a sparkle in the eye of life, every smile, and every sn**ch of music. Equally, every sadness offers a path back to peace. Every grief is an opportunity to draw closer to love. Every challenge is a glimmer of a future joy. Every loss is a flicker of tender gratitude for a gift we once had.

In retreat there is no need to manufacture glimmers. We simply stop racing and chasing, and allow the water to smooth, until we see the light glimmering on the surface.

For Alistair and me, the best glimmers come at the end of retreat. It makes our hearts sing to hear all the marvellous and unexpected ways in which the silence touched people. It gives us such pride and joy to know people leave our retreats feeling a little fuller, brighter and bolder than they were when they came.

Thank you to all the friends - old and new - who joined us at retreat this year. We’ll be away for a few months to fill up our own cups and tend to our own flames. The work we do on ourselves feels so much more meaningful knowing that soon we’ll be back to share it with you.