No Agenda. No Whale Music. Here's How a Retreat at Little Farm of Calm Works.
You've probably thought about going on a retreat at some stage, and talked yourself out of it because the whole thing sounded a bit much. The sound baths. The mandatory sharing circles. The Ayurvedic food with flowers on top. The vague promise that you'll leave "transformed." The price tag that made your eyes water and all the photos of people wearing white, smiling at each other with their mouth open..
Fair enough. We'd have talked ourselves out of it too.
So we try very hard NOT to be all that. And to make sure that we are 100% transparent about who we are and what we do here.
That being said, Little Farm of Calm is a wellness retreat in regional Victoria, about two hours from Melbourne unless you get stuck behind a convoy of caravans on a long weekend. In which case it’s two and a half.
We are run by a physiotherapist and an exercise physiologist. We are on a working wildlife shelter and farm. We rescue wildlife. We cook everything from scratch. And we will never, ever make you sit in a circle and share your feelings with strangers unless you genuinely want to.
There's No Fixed Schedule. That's Deliberate.
Most retreats hand you a timetable on arrival. You are expected to be at the sound bath at 7am, the breathwork circle at 9am, and the group sharing session after lunch. If you skip something, then you miss out
We don't do that. You have options.
Everything at Little Farm of Calm is available to you. Nothing is compulsory. You can do every session, or you can do none of them. You can spend the whole weekend reading by the pool, sleeping in, sneaking in some extra wellness sessions or watching the kangaroos. That is a completely legitimate use of the retreat, and we will not make you feel guilty about it.
5 acres dedicated to all things wellness. All in beautiful Benalla
What's Included (Everything)
No add-ons. No tiers. No upselling at check-in. Here's the full list of what's available during your stay:
Aerial Yoga — Yin and Flow
Taught using silk hammocks suspended from the ceiling — which sounds alarming if you've never done it, and genuinely isn't. Aerial Yin focuses on long, supported holds that decompress the spine and target the connective tissue. Aerial Flow is more dynamic — think strength, balance, and a bit of an upside-down adventure. Neither requires any prior yoga experience. Beginners come every retreat.
Reformer Pilates
Clinical pilates on proper reformer machines, designed and led by a physiotherapist with an eye on what your body needs — not just what looks good on Instagram. Good for improving strength, posture, and core stability. Particularly good if you sit at a desk all day and your body knows it.
Float Therapy
Floating in a private tank of warm, saturated Epsom salt water. The water is body temperature. It's dark. It's quiet. Your body is completely supported and completely weightless. For a lot of people, it's the first time in years they've experienced complete physical stillness. Some people find it deeply meditative. Some people fall asleep. Both outcomes are fine. There is no wrong way to float.
If you've never floated before — and most first-timers haven't — we'll walk you through exactly what to expect before you get in.
Magnesium Salt Pool and Mineral Salt Spa
Two separate things, both worth knowing about. The magnesium salt pool lets your body absorb magnesium transdermally while you soak — good for muscle recovery, sleep quality, and the general sense that someone finally turned the volume down. The mineral salt spa is a separate heated spa, also mineral-rich, great for sitting in for longer than you'd normally justify. Both are outdoors. Both are excellent.
Red Light Therapy
Medical-grade red and near-infrared light therapy, which uses specific wavelengths of light to support cellular repair, reduce inflammation, and assist with muscle recovery. There's also decent evidence for its effects on skin tone, collagen production, and hair — which tends to be a bonus people weren't expecting. The research has improved substantially over the last decade. This isn't a spa gimmick. Sessions are non-invasive, straightforward, and usually about 20 minutes.
Massage and Myofascial Release
Manual therapy sessions focused on releasing tension in the fascia — the connective tissue that runs through your entire body and tends to become tight and restricted when you're stressed, sedentary, or just running on empty. This isn't a fluffy relaxation massage (though it does feel good). It's targeted work on the structures that are limiting your movement and contributing to your pain.
Cold Plunge and Heated Pool
Cold water immersion isn't for everyone, and nobody's going to pressure you into it. But if you're curious, the evidence on cold plunge for recovery and nervous system regulation is solid. We have both a cold plunge and a heated pool, so you can contrast them or just stick to the warm option. Your call.
Bike Tour and Paddleboard Yoga
For the guests who want to get out and move. Guided bike tours through the local area, and paddleboard yoga on the water for a full-body balance challenge. Weather-dependent, and completely optional.
Self-Defence Workshop
Led by Darren, who is an internationally recognised presenter in the Tony Blauer self-defence system and has trained law enforcement and the Australian Defence Force. You are welcome to sit through the whole thing with a hot chocolate (or mulled wine) in hand and get as much or as little hands-on as feels right at the time. Nobody will make you throw anyone. The workshop is practical, accessible, and frankly interesting regardless of your fitness level or your feelings about self-defence. It comes up in almost every review we get.
"I've Never Done Any of This Before"
Good. Most of our guests haven't either.
Every session is designed and led by AHPRA-registered practitioners — a physiotherapist and an exercise physiologist, between them carrying decades of clinical experience. This isn't a yoga teacher who did a weekend course and decided to run retreats.
That said, we're not here to be your clinicians for the weekend. You are the best judge of what your body can and can't do. Our job is to make sure every activity is safe and accessible, to offer options and modifications, and to help you find what you can do rather than tell you what you can't. If you mention a dodgy shoulder or a recent surgery, we'll listen — and we'll work with it.
You do not need to be fit to come. You do not need yoga experience. We have had guests in their 20s and guests in their 70s, guests in peak physical condition and guests recovering from long-term illness. If you're unsure whether the retreat is appropriate for you, ring us — that's what the call is for.
The Food
Everything is cooked in-house from scratch, using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. All meals, snacks, and beverages are included. Dietary requirements are handled — please just let us know in advance.
There are a lot of vegetables involved, because we think vegetables are excellent and there's genuinely good evidence behind some of the menu choices we make. We just don't make a big deal of it, because food that comes with a lecture isn't as enjoyable as food that just tastes good. If you want to add salt, add salt. If you want cheese, there will be cheese. The goal is hearty, delicious, real food — cooked properly and eaten at a table with other humans. Most people find this quietly restorative on its own.
Great company and delicious food are all part of the experience
The Animals — and Why It's Not Just a Backdrop
We run Wildside Wildlife Shelter — a registered wildlife rescue and rehabilitation operation — from the same property. Which means at any given time there are kangaroos, wombats, native birds, and various other animals in care on the property. We also have goats and pigs, who are firmly in the therapy animal category and very much aware of it.
Guests interact with the wildlife as part of daily life at the farm. Not in a staged, here-comes-the-photo-opportunity way — more in a this-kangaroo-has-decided-to-follow-you-on-your-walk way. It is, as more than one guest has noted in their reviews, unexpectedly one of the best parts of the experience. There is something about proximity to animals that does something for the nervous system that no therapy session can fully replicate.
If wildlife interests you, we can tell you plenty. If it doesn't, you can easily exist at the farm without ever interacting with a marsupial. Though you'd be missing out.
Questions We Get Asked Every Time
How far is Little Farm of Calm from Melbourne? Approximately two hours by car. We're in the Benalla region of rural Victoria. Driving directions are on the website, and we're happy to help coordinate shared transport if you're coming with a group.
Is this suitable if I haven't exercised in years? Yes. Come exactly as you are. We're registered health practitioners used to working with bodies at every stage — including bodies that have been thoroughly neglected. Nothing is going to hurt you, and nothing is mandatory.
What if I have a chronic health condition or injury? Get in touch before you book and tell us. Seriously — ring us. We'd rather have a five-minute conversation upfront than have you arrive uncertain. We'll be straight with you about whether the retreat is a good fit and what adjustments might apply. Having a physio on-site isn't an afterthought here — it's the whole point.
Do I have to do everything? No. You can do all of it. You can do none of it. You can spend the whole weekend reading by the pool and sleeping in. You are an adult and we will treat you like one.
Is there group socialising? Do I have to interact with other guests? There are shared meals and optional communal activities, but there is no enforced bonding, no welcome circles, and no expectation that you will make lifelong friends with the other guests. Some people do. Some people prefer to keep to themselves. Both are completely fine.
Are the retreats alcohol-free? Yes. There's no alcohol on retreat. This is not a moral position — it just doesn't mix well with float tanks, cold plunge, and early morning yoga. You'll sleep better and feel better for it.
Who Little Farm of Calm Is For
Honestly? People who are tired. People who need a break. Carers. Mums. Those feeling the effects of burn out and stress.
Not necessarily just physically tired — although that too. People who are mentally depleted, quietly overwhelmed, or just running on fumes for longer than they'd like to admit. People who know they need to do something but can't quite face the idea of a conventional wellness retreat. People who want to feel better but don't want to be lectured, pressured, or sold a lifestyle.
People who have tried to book a retreat before and been put off by the language, the price, the vibe, or the requirement to wear linen.
We are two people who spent decades working in evidence-based healthcare and got fed up watching people get sold things that don't work. We built the retreat we couldn't find anywhere else, on five acres in regional Victoria, with a wildlife shelter out the back. Come and see if it's for you.
Ready to have a proper conversation about it?
The best thing you can do is ring us. We'll tell you honestly whether we think it's the right fit, what dates are coming up, and what to expect. No pressure, no sales script.
Call or text: 0417 057 056 Email: [email protected]
If you email and don't hear back within two business days, please follow up — or just call. We're running wildlife rescue alongside everything else, and emails occasionally go missing. The phone doesn't.
Little Farm of Calm offers weekend wellness retreats (Fri–Sun), 4-day long weekend retreats, and 7-day wellness, wildlife and yoga retreats in the Benalla region of Victoria, approximately two hours from Melbourne. All retreats are all-inclusive. Led by AHPRA-registered practitioners.
