Summer Yin and Pranayama Retreat 2027

This Summer Yin and Pranayama Retreat is a three-night glamping yoga retreat at Ananda Phillip Island, in Rhyll, Victoria, led by Dr Karina Smith and Dominique. It brings Yin Yoga and pranayama together over a long weekend in summer, in a small group of no more than twelve. It suits anyone who wants to rest, reset and set a clear, grounded tone for the year among kindred company, in the open air near the sea.

What to Expect

The retreat runs from an afternoon arrival to a mid-morning departure four days later, with three nights on site. The theme is "rise and radiate": the bright, clear yang energy of summer supports a gentle, unhurried start to the year.

Each day includes mindful flow yoga and yin yoga, practised in a converted barn, with pranayama woven through the program. Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine discussion sessions add context for how the seasons and the body relate. Between practices there is room to walk, read, journal or meditate. On the first day you arrive, settle into your tent and share an evening meal in the communal kitchen. The middle days balance practice with free time, and one evening gathers around the outdoor fire pit looking over Westernport Bay. The last morning brings a final shared meal before departure.

Walks through the neighbouring Oswin Roberts Wilderness reserve and other nature-based activities are optional.

About Dr Karina Smith

Karina Smith is a Melbourne-based Doctor of Chinese Medicine and a Yin Yoga teacher, teacher trainer and educator. After a lifetime of dancing and years working on productions, shows and festivals, she found yoga as an unexpected source of restoration, and her relationship to movement shifted from performance to something private that nourished mind and body. She trained with the Australian Yoga Academy in Prahran and at the Shantarasa Institute in India, completing a 350-hour teacher training at each, and has also studied with Bernie Clark and Paul Grilley. A teacher for more than a decade, she has taught at Melbourne studios including Yoga Flame, West Side Yoga and Estuary, and lectures for the Australian Yoga Academy. In 2018 she launched her own Yoga Alliance Australia accredited Yin and Functional Anatomy teacher training.

Dominique co-hosts and co-teaches, bringing her own experience in pranayama alongside Karina's Yin Yoga.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at "The Barn" at Ananda Phillip Island, twelve acres of tranquil farmland beside the Oswin Roberts Wilderness reserve on Phillip Island. The newly converted barn holds the practices, and the venue accommodates twelve guests.

Everyone has a private, fully appointed luxury glamping tent. Indoor and outdoor showers, toilets and community spaces with open fireplaces are shared across the property. Meals are vegetarian and prepared in line with Ayurvedic principles, served from a communal kitchen overlooking green rolling hills. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all provided.

Before You Go

The program does not set a required level of experience. It combines mindful flow with yin yoga and pranayama, so if you are unsure whether it suits you, check with the hosts before booking. The retreat is held in English.

Included are your private tent, all meals, the daily yoga practices, the Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine discussions, access to bush walks and nature activities, and use of the showers and fireside spaces. Travel to and from Phillip Island and personal expenses are not included.