Samantha Bijok Austral Yoga

23/10/2025

I recently co-facilitated a 2 night teen retreat with The Yoga Foundation for the young women of Lillian’s, a service supporting girls aged 13–17 who’ve experienced homelessness, trauma, or family breakdown.

Over three days, we shared nature walks, yoga games, gentle flows, restorative pajama yoga, somatic tools and creative moments like building a nature mandala from leaves and sticks gathered on our walk. 🍂🌿🍁

There was laughter, reflection, connection and a fire ceremony, to symbolically release what felt like needed burning 🔥 followed by marshmallows under the stars 😋✨

This retreat was close to my heart. As someone who left home very young and has walked my own path of healing, it was both tender and deeply rewarding to hold space for these girls, to offer a glimpse of safety, belonging, and joy through yoga, nature, and community.

I'm grateful to and the incredible team at Lillian’s for the work you do every day 🙏

10/10/2025

Sunday is almost upon us 🧡🌄🧡

It’s always such a joy when Sonika and I come together to plan our day. Our creative sparks fuel the flame of energy that we’ll soon infuse into Radiant Dawn 🔥

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Margaret Atwood

That’s exactly how we feel, alive, grounded, and full of gratitude for the work that will soon bear fruit.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” Audrey Hepburn

Spring 🌱 the season of the Wood element, liver and gallbladder meridians, and new growth. We explore how this invites us to plant seeds of renewal, to move energy, and to open toward possibility. 🌿

03/09/2025

🌅 Radiant Dawn: Spring Healing & Embodiment Retreat

🌿 Set your intentions for the vibrant season of renewal with us. We begin the day with a ☕️ Sacred Cacao Ceremony while watching the 🌄 sunrise, aligning with the elements of spring and wood, and honoring the powerful third chakra, Manipura. Through this practice, we invite the essence of growth, confidence, resilience, and the fierce yet tender force of spring’s rebirth.

🧘‍♀️ Let Sonika and Samantha guide you on a healing journey with Moving Fascia Releases (MFR), paired with a Spring/Liver/Manipura Yin Yoga practice. This gentle yet profound session incorporates MFR balls to help release fascia and stored tension, clearing the way for fresh energy and self-awareness.

🕉️ Experience an active Kundalini Meditation, to awaken the solar plexus within, igniting your inner power and confidence. Followed by 🎶 chanting, where the sound vibrations create healing ripples that open and awaken the chakras, especially Manipura. Feel this energy infuse your full life force energy.

🤝 Engage in a Conscious Connected Practice. An encounter rooted in safety, consent, and mutual respect. Fostering healthy boundaries and learning to truly receive what you desire.

🌬️ Calm your mind and deepen your integration with breathwork designed to release unspoken resentments and anger, particularly associated with the liver, facilitating emotional renewal and rebirth. The retreat concludes in a soothing 🪘 Sound Bath to nurture and ground your blossoming energy, aligning with the forces of spring.

As Harriet Bleinfield beautifully describes:

"Wood is as forceful and determined as the wind, as supple as a spreading eagle stretching into a bright cloudless sky. Spring, a time of rebirth, sudden growth, and rapid expansion, marks the ascendance of this power. Movement surges to the surface, bursting through the confinement of winter. This burgeoning of activity stirs tumultuous feeling. The change is expected yet unpredictable."

12/08/2025

I’ve started a MeetUp group to bring together locals in our area for connection, inspiration, and shared experiences.

It’s still in the early stages, but my vision is a space for motivation, mindset, and movement – a mix of meetups, workshops, conversations, and activities that get us feeling more connected and alive.

This will be a free community where I will be encouraging locals with their own skills to contribute and/or collaborate with me.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, you can join here https://www.meetup.com/motivation-mindset-movement

I’ll also be transitioning this to a Facebook group soon so it’s easier for everyone to connect and keep the conversations flowing. So I'll share that too. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss further.

Welcome to the Motivation, Mindset & Movement Meetup! Come join us as we explore the power of positive thinking, goal-setting, and physical exercise to improve our overall well-being. Whether you're looking to boost your motivation, reshape your mindset, or get moving with like-minded individuals, t