RETREATS – FOR ALL SEASONS & REASONS
My retreats are lovingly created to invite you into a deeper experience of the seasons and of yourself. Through movement and stillness, nourishing food, medicinal plants, shared learning, creativity, and gentle self-exploration, you are encouraged to reconnect with the naturally rising energy of the seasons.
These retreats offer time and space away from the demands of everyday life — an opportunity to pause, reflect, and listen inwardly. Within a safe and supportive environment, you are held and nurtured while allowing yourself the freedom to explore what may be ready to shift or change.
Retreating can bring awareness to patterns, habits, or beliefs that may no longer serve you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. It can also awaken the quiet desire for change —
even when you may not yet know where to begin. By creating space for reflection and connection, retreating gently supports you to recognise what may be ready to be released and the emerging of new possibilities.
When you step away from everyday life and make time to truly listen to your body, mind, heart, and spirit, wonderful things can unfold. Retreating often brings insight, clarity, and renewed perspective, helping you cultivate meaningful changes and return to daily life with a deeper sense of connection and intention.
Seasonal Afternoon Retreats
Afternoon Retreats are gentle, nourishing gatherings designed to encourage you to pause,
reset, and reconnect with the natural rhythm of the seasons, the natural rhythms of
yourself.
Intentionally spacious and restorative, they are an invitation to step away from the pace of
everyday life and immerse yourself in seasonal practices that support balance and
wellbeing.
Each retreat weaves together elements such as:
- seasonal aromatherapy and botanical wisdom
- gentle qigong movement guided visualisations,
- being held in a safe space in which to rest
- discussion, reflection and shared learning
Together, these practices create space in which to feel supported, as you tune inward, and
align with the energetic shifts within and without. Simple seasonal practices you can take
home into daily life.
Afternoon Retreats at Nu Studio in 2026
Autumn 2 May 1-5pm
Winter 4 July 1-5pm
Spring 5 September 1-5pm
Summer 7 November 1-5pm
High Country 5 Elements Retreat
High in the quiet expanse of the mountains, this retreat invites you to journey through the Five Elements — Wood (Spring), Fire (Summer), Earth (Late Summer), Metal Autumn), and Water (Winter) — exploring how each expresses itself within nature and within you.
Over the course of the weekend you will be guided through movement – qigong practices, visualisations and guided reflections designed to balance and restore the element energies that Influence your wellbeing. There is spacious time for stillness, rest, solitude, quietude, for reflection, connection to self, to nature, to the elements, for simply sitting looking at the expansive views and breathing in the mountain air. Time for gentle walks in nature for lake bathing, earth bathing, sun bathing, moon bathing, star gazing.
The 5 Elements guide us in living in alignment with the 5 seasons of the natural world, for recognising the cyclical flow of growth, transformation, release, rest and renewal within nature and within ourselves. By connecting with and cultivating balance of these in the
setting of the vast sky and quiet earth you can be guided to deeper alignment, balance and harmony within yourself.
Weekend Retreats in the High Country in 2026
25-27 September 3pm Friday until 3pm Sunday
30 October – 1 November 3pm Friday until 3pm Sunday
20 November – 22 November 3pm Friday until 3pm Sunday
Seaside Retreats
A range of retreat experiences are offered by Isle Erasmus, owner of The Longhouse Wellness Centre. These retreats are grounded in the simple yet powerful principle of living in harmony and flow with life, embodying wellbeing as a natural way of being.
As part of selected retreats, I offer sessions in aromatherapy and Qigong, drawing on botanical knowledge and the wisdom of the seasons. These sessions are created and guided by me to support balance, deepen connection with nature, and encourage a gentle
return to the rhythms that sustain wellbeing.
Together, these offerings create opportunities for rest, learning, and embodied experience within the nurturing coastal environment.
Day and overnight options to retreat by the sea in 2026
May dates TBC
July dates TBC
RETREAT VENUES
Nu Studio
Nestled in the heart of Otepoti Dunedin, my seasonal afternoon retreats are held in the beautiful, light-filled studio of Nu Yoga. This urban sanctuary offers a calm, grounded environment that supports rest, reflection and reconnection. Nu is known for its inclusive, accessible approach to movement and wellbeing. This beautifully aligns with my philosophy at the Aromatherapy Dispensary – that you are so welcome to be there actually as you are.
The space is warm, spacious and intentionally simple – wedded floors, natural light, soft textures and an atmosphere that is welcoming from that moment you step through the door. Its a place where the nervous system can settle, the breath deepen and the pace of everyday life slips away so you can soften and open up to the experience of being in a space with the focus on just yourself.
High Country
Nestled in the heart of the high country, Twizel is a perfect retreat space, under expansive skies, native plantings, mountain ranges and fresh air. This setting offers a balance of comfort and simplicity — a place where the stillness of nature supports deep rest and reconnection and elemental nourishment. The Five Element Weekend Retreat is held at a private home close to the Twizel township — a peaceful sanctuary nestled in the heart of the Mackenzie Basin.
The home itself is warm, spacious, and intimate — allowing our group to gather comfortably while still offering quiet corners for solitude and reflection. Natural light fills the living spaces, and the simplicity of the setting supports a return to what feels essential.
This is not a commercial retreat centre, but a private, grounded space that allows us to soften into connection — with nature, with the elements, and with ourselves.
The Long House
Nothing soothes the soul quite like a walk along the beach — slipping into your Blue Mind, sleeping deeply beneath a star-studded sky, and being lulled by the steady rhythm of the ocean while surrounded by breathtaking coastal views.
Leave your shoes at the door. This is barefoot luxury in the seaside village of Karitane — the perfect setting to step away from the busyness of everyday life and retreat into nature. This is an extensive historic property that has been thoughtfully and sensitively renovated, blending modern comfort with a biophilic design that honours its natural surroundings. The result is a space that feels both luxurious and deeply connected to the landscape, offering guests an authentic and meaningful retreat experience.
The Longhouse is truly a home away from home — a place to slow down, rest deeply, and restore.
For more information about Seasonal Retreats at The Longhouse
WHAT TO EXPECT
My retreats are designed to provide a supportive environment with teachings, practices, herbal teas, tonics, and aromatherapy oils that encourage you to tune in and listen deeply to your own unique needs.
Wherever you are in life right now, you are warmly welcome. There is no “right way” to arrive at a retreat and no expectation that you need to be a certain way beforehand. Simply bring your courageous heart and a willingness to show up for yourself. I acknowledge and understand that taking time our can bring feelings of not being deserving, vulnerability or uncertainty. These feelings are honoured with care and compassion, and I create a nurturing space where you can simply be as you need to be.
During the retreat you will be nourished with fresh, lovingly prepared nourishing food. You will be gently encouraged to explore new experiences — whether that is trying a new food, practising Qigong or visualisations, engaging with aromatherapy, or enjoying the ritual of herbal tea. While it is natural to feel resistance when trying something unfamiliar, you will be guided with sensitivity and respect, allowing space for curiosity and openness to emerge.
I can also facilitate Retreats at your venue or to create personalised Retreats for individuals and groups of friends.
Connect with me and let’s make it happen!