Modern Life
Billabong Christmas gift buying explained
This year we are seeing a huge movement towards gifting experiences rather than things and we are totally on board. Often people buy gifts simply so that they have something to give and I know I am not alone in being given many gifts over the years that I never end up... read more
Benefits of bulk food purchasing at Naked Foods
Being an eco retreat, at Billabong we are always trying to reduce the amount of plastic that we use. There has been a big push in recent times towards bamboo toothbrushes, stainless steel straws and canvas shopping bags and that is great. But, one of the biggest ways... read more
Why do we find it so hard to do things that we know are good for us?
“There is no teacher that can teach us anything new, they can only help to remind us what we already knew.” Why is it we know many things that are beneficial to our wellbeing, however, for whatever reason we find it hard or challenging to do so? We know many of the... read more
Book: 12 Rules for Life
By Jordan Peterson, reviewed by Paul von Bergen # Warning: We have had reports that some people are offended by some of the things that this author has said in public. We make no judgement or support for the author. Below is simply a review of this one book # This is... read more
Book: This Naked Mind
Wow – this book is a game changer. This is going to do for alcohol what the Alan Carr book did to help millions of people come off the crazy addiction of smoking. I highly recommend listening to the audio book rather than reading it as the audio book is narrated... read more
Don’t search for happiness, create it!
I remember a few years ago walking past a colourfully painted mural of a rainbow sitting in a blue sky with a quote saying, “Don’t search for happiness, create it!” and I just stood in front of that mural thinking about what happiness means to me and whether I was... read more
Five reasons why parents should go on retreat, without the kids!
I am not going to lie, I don’t have kids. So perhaps I am not the best person to be writing this article. But, I have supported many students who are parents and I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of what it means to be a parent. You know: the guilt,... read more
Tips for a Conscious Christmas
Somehow 2018 has whizzed by and we are jetting towards Christmas at lightning speed. Given the state of our environment, the effects of the boom in social media and the increasing busy-ness of our lifestyle, it is more important than ever to be conscious of what we... read more
Why guys should be going on retreat
Statistically, women are much more likely to go on retreat than men. There seems to be a stereotype that retreats mean eating rabbit food, talking about your feelings and getting pampered. Although you can talk about your feelings if you want and, of course, we can... read more
Spring Rejuvenation Retreat
Sunday 2nd to Wednesday 5th September 2018 Spring is about to arrive and we want to celebrate! Join us for our special Spring Rejuvenation Retreat to welcome the end of winter and the start of spring with open arms. Spring is a time when we awaken from the winter... read more
Ten Ways to Practice Self Care in Spring
Spring is almost here! This is very exciting news as it means longer days and more importantly, warmer weather. Spring is traditionally a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. Did you know? In Australia we classify seasons in terms of calendar months which means... read more
Jill Bolte Taylor: Stroke of Insight
Incredible story of a neuroscientist who had a left brain stroke and experienced what is what like to inhabit a pure right brain consciousness. This gives an amazing insight into the right brain’s connectedness with the energy all around us and as humans become... read more
Yoga Dad presents What is Yoga?
Short video from Billabong Retreat founder Paul aka ‘Yoga Dad’ explaining why we all need to do yoga! read more
Farm Shop with a Heart
Warrah Biodynamic Farm at Dural supplies all of our organic fruit and vegetables and are a registered charity providing services to adults and children with disabilities in Sydney’s North West. They grow a wide range of certified biodynamic/organic seasonal produce,... read more
Book: Loving What Is
This book is extremely helpful if you ever find that you have disturbing emotional thoughts that are very hard to ignore or to get rid of. In this book Byron Katie gives format and formula for conversations which create breakthroughs and transformation. read more
Book: We’re All Going To Die
This is a beautiful joyful book that understands one of the keys to enjoying life is to come to terms with our own inevitable death. Written by an Australian medical doctor this book explains the wisdom that comes from reconciling ourselves with death, a skill that... read more
Book: You Can Heal Your Life
This book is designed to help anyone come to the realisation that we are the creators of our own suffering and we can be the creators of our own joy. This book has sold 50 million copies – think of all those lives helped. What a woman, what a life. Here are some... read more
Tea Time Meditation
How to Transform Your Tea Time Into A Meditation Practice by Billabong Retreat Basia Nowacki. Basia is a yoga and meditation teacher, known for her down to earth kindness, warm and calming spirit. She teachers and inspires acceptance of what is, living in the present... read more
Forest Bathing is Scientifically Good for You!
We were fascinated by this article about some scientific research in Japan that actually explains why hanging out with trees improves your immune function! The Japanese practice of forest bathing is proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce stress hormone... read more
How to Ease Your Stress by Paul von Bergen
Interview between Dr William De Jean and Billabong Retreat founder Paul von Bergen about how to reduce stress. read more
Instinct vs Impulse by Paul von Bergen
On first look, an impulse can feel very much like an instinct. It comes from inside and seems to drive you to do something. Instincts also come from inside but are more a general gut feeling that you should follow a particular path. Impulses are not always good for... read more
Film: The Living Matrix
An oldie but a goldie! Great film that explains the importance of understanding the power of placebo and the energetic field that we all inhabit. Features interviews with leading scientists including one of our heroes Bruce Lipton. View the trailer AND then support... read more
Kindness is King
By Paul von Bergen Compassion and kindness starts with the self. This is not narcissistic or self-centred but the best contribution you can make to the universe. When you love yourself you will project love to others. When you hate yourself this is what you will... read more
What Are Your Wellness Goals?
We just did some great research to find out what bothered people in their lives and we had nearly 5,000 submissions. It really seems that in today’s world many of us want to find a way to calm our busy minds, reduce the effects of stress and improve our energy... read more
Our Food Philosophy
We believe that good nutrition is one of the foundations of good health and longevity and that it should not be complicated. We serve wholefoods, as nature produced them, free from artificial pesticides, chemicals and antibiotics. We serve vegetarian food not because... read more
Life After a Retreat – What Now?
How many of you have been on a retreat, especially a Yoga retreat, experienced breakthroughs, learnt skills and come out revitalised and inspired to practice on the ‘outside’? In reality, this often proves more challenging than that first day you go back into the... read more
Setting Quality Intentions: Top Eight Tips by Paul von Bergen
By Paul von Bergen, Founder, Billabong Retreat Learning how to set high quality intentions rather than poor quality resolutions is an essential skill for anyone who wants to create change in their lives. How many times have you or someone else set a new year... read more
How to Make New Year Intentions Stick
It’s that time of the year where new resolutions and intentions are set, but how do we actually make them stick? Here are some quick and easy tips. Limit how many resolutions you have to three (If you accomplish them early, then add more) Work out how you’ll deal with... read more
The New Year: Are we evolving?
For many of us, the start of a new year usually marks the beginning of a new cycle. It is often a time of reflection on the various events that have happened in the prior year, what we have achieved or not, and the setting for new resolutions based on what we would... read more
Big Fat Lies by David Gillespie
By Paul von Bergen There is a lot of confusion out there at the moment about what exactly is causing the high rates of cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes that we are seeing particularly in the Western world. Certainly the trend over the past fifty years of... read more
Biology of Belief
By Paul von Bergen We have been fans of Bruce Lipton for a while now and the more we read and absorb, the more obvious and simple his teachings become. His core statement is that our thoughts affect our genes. We think thoughts which create emotional chemicals that... read more
How to Set Intentions or Goals by Paul von Bergen
By Paul von Bergen With the new year firmly established it is appropriate to reflect on the direction of our life and whether we are creating the reality we want. It is also a time when a lot of us set goals with the belief that this will more likely make them happen.... read more
Top Tips Supporting You Through Chemotherapy
Embarking on the road of chemotherapy treatment for cancer can be a difficult and trying time for anyone to endure. Having gone through chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer just over 5 years ago, here are some tips that I can offer to support you through... read more
Healing from Cancer
My Understanding During the time I was having chemotherapy, I attended a local movie premiere of Sex In The City. The evening was a fundraiser for breast cancer. Given the nature of the movie, the cinema was naturally full of women with the odd token male. As I looked... read more
Practice Makes Perfect by Paul von Bergen
By Paul von Bergen We have all heard this phrase a million times and know it to be true. It is a simple concept that us humans are able to grasp. We know for instance that if we practice a sport we will get better at it, if we practice the piano our skills will... read more
Reuse Water Bottles
Why yogis should use reusable water bottles. Yoga comes from the root Sanskrit word for yoke, which means to connect. This means connecting the different aspects of your being; your mind, body and spirit and connecting with your own nature, the nature of other people... read more
ABC Radio ‘Practice Makes Perfect’
ABC Radio ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ Great program about neural plasticity and the importance of regular practice – this is the science of why we need to do a daily yoga meditation practice! read more
A Beautiful Thing…
What a beautiful gift. From one human to another. The gift of life. Just watched the last ten minutes of a SBS documentary with Caroline Quentin, Passage Through India. It featured an incredible place where babies are brought into this world in a safe and loving... read more
City Life by Paul von Bergen
By Paul von Bergen Why is it that when we have all this space in the world, most of us like to cram in together in cities. Is it just because of work opportunities? Is it because of the arts? Do we think we will miss out on something otherwise? Perhaps we get a buzz... read more
Indigenous Wisdom by Paul von Bergen
By Paul von Bergen If you have read the article on perspective, then you will realize that the amount of time that Europeans have been in Australia is miniscule compared to the time that indigenous people have. About 250 years versus 40,000 years – 0.00625% of the... read more