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Seasonal Yoga Retreats Shizuka Ryokan

 

The Seasonal Yoga Retreats combine the ancient wisdom of seasonal living, yoga practice, delicious and healthy Japanese food, and shiatsu massage.

Join us at Shizuka Ryokan for two days of yoga, seasonal Japanese meals, accommodation and fun. With Renee Willner as your guide, immerse yourself in the ancient practice of yoga. Explore physical postures, breath work, meditation and deep relaxation.

We have chosen practices which suit beginners and experienced alike. Furthermore, shiatsu, a type of traditional Japanese bodywork, is on offer. Along with the carefully curated menu, our intention is that you experience a restorative retreat to help you embody the autumn season.

Shizuka Ryokan is Australia’s only traditional Japanese Ryokan Wellness Retreat. We are located in Hepburn, a place renowned for its healing waters. Simply being surrounded by the Japanese gardens and the quiet of a traditional ryokan is a grounding experience.

According to the five elements theory the seasons are governed by the five elements: fire, water, earth, wood and metal.

Summer is governed by fire which is associated with expansion.

This is the time of fulfilment; the trees are green and fruit is plentiful. In our yoga, we look at these aspects and try to replicate them by practising softer postures, and focusing on the voice and breath. There is more communicative paired and group work designed to elevate our mood; relaxation and meditation are also important.

Summer is a time for eating light foods that assist with cooling our bodies. These should be fresh and colourful and overcooking is to be avoided. Fresh salads, stewed or baked fruits, and moist, round grains which become fluffy—such as millet, tapioca, couscous, corn, polenta and pearly barley—are ideal.

We may be drawn to the bitter flavour of burnt food, to what’s been barbecued or tossed on a fire. Eating foods that have been cooked quickly helps to support the heart and small intestine. Hot, spicy foods that promote sweating and make us aware of the rising of our inner fire are also recommended. Look to hot climate cuisines for recipe inspiration.

Make fruit infused waters all summer long choosing from pomegranate, passionfruit, purple grapes, watermelon, cucumber and mint. Sip them, unrefridgerated, throughout the day to stay hydrated and topped up with essential nutrients.

Sprouted Mung beans are another summer food that you can add to salads to cool the body, relax the liver, and keep your skin protected during the sun season.

Late summer is ruled by the earth element. During the late summer, there is a strong sense of gathering energy to the centre, of settling and mulling over what has been learnt. This is a special time, between the summer and autumn, as it signifies where we stand – whether grounded, nourished and supported, or chaotic, anxious and disconnected.

If we care for ourselves and create health through our digestion and our actions, then we will feel grounded and balanced moving forward. During the late summer we continue with summer cooking styles but begin to incorporate quick oil sautéed dishes. We reduce the use of matchstick cutting and grated vegetables in our salads and use slightly larger, chunkier cutting such as longer, wider strips for root vegetables, whole leaf greens or bite sized cubes. Whole sweet corn from the garden nourishes our spleen and stomach to revitalise our energy.It is important to stay connected to the season now. We can avoid pre-empting autumn’s cooler weather by avoiding food that is too heavy in nature.

We may be tired during this transition season from our busy socialising and the effects of the hot summer. Paying close attention to weather changes, and matching our cooking strategies to them, can support the vitality of our immune system. This helps us to meet the cooler weather and prevent the colds and flu that herald the seasonal change.

Autumn is ruled by the metal element. Autumn is about feeling strong and is a time for shedding outgrown patterns and beliefs.

During autumn we turn to foods that support our lung health. Pungent vegetables such as wasabi, watercress, cabbage, turnip, horseradish, pepper, onions and garlic are wonderful at this time of year. As the weather grows cooler it is beneficial to eat more soups and stews made with seasonal vegetables. (You can often see Yuchan, the cook at Shizuka Ryokan, collecting pine mushrooms from the nearby pine groves at this time of year which she adds to her delicious Autumn Hot Pot.)

Autumn is the time to turn inwards, sleep a little longer, practice letting go, and create a time for meditation and relaxation.

Winter is governed by water. Becoming internally focused is important during winter; it’s a time for contemplation and resolve, preparation and coming to rest.

Warm foods that are baked or stewed for a long time are ideal. Dishes should be oilier, fattier and saltier than at other times. If you eat meat, this is most appropriate season to do so, especially fish. Nuts, buckwheat, lentils, and barley stews should be a feature. Mushrooms, cabbages, cauliflower and daikon support our bone structure, which is mediated by the kidneys. Soy-based products such as miso, gomasio, tamari and shoyu should be used because, along with the other recommended ingredients, they draw the body’s energies deep.

Keep up hydration by drinking warm water and herbal teas during the day.

Support collagen production by eating plenty of dark leafy greens and seeds and nuts each day to fill out and hydrate dry skin. Eating soups with sea vegetables will also plump out your skin and boost collagen.

Walnuts and sesame seeds build our Kidney energy and benefit hair and skin lustre. They also work to lessen dark circles under the eyes.

A large part of our yoga practise during this season will be based on giving expression to the flowing, dissolving energy associated with this element. This is a dormant time of the year when deep changes take place. Plants lose their foliage and sap flows deep, establishing roots and buds that will later flourish. We should feel encouraged to follow this pattern by internalising our energy and examining our depths.

Spring is ruled by the wood element and rising energy. Spring is about rejuvenation and growth.

During spring we turn to foods such as freshly-picked, organic vegetables, and bean sprouts, celery, sorrel, rocket, young beets, Dutch carrots, and asparagus. It is time to decongest the Liver from the heavier slow cooked comforting foods of winter. Cooking times are shorter, little salt and oil are used. Less of everything is the general principle as we need to shed from our Winter body.  Do this as a gradual strategy that mirrors the weather shifts. On warmer days choose lighter veggie based stir fries and when the chill sets in, return to the slow cooking styles. Give the Liver a break by progressively phasing out rich and processed foods in preparation for the approaching hot summer weather. Using the seasonal citrus fruits in your water and cooking will support the Liver to decongest and enliven your skin.

Wood governs the joints, so yoga postures at this time focus on twisting, on promoting loosening and flexibility.


  • Twin share $1,065 per person (bring a friend)
  • Private room $1,495

About the instructor

Renee’s long interest in how the mind, body and spirit interact found its perfect expression in yoga, which she has practised for over 20 years. As a teacher she takes a holistic and fun approach that allows individuals to find what they need in the practice, in a safe, supportive and fun environment. Following the birth of her daughter, Renee sought a holistic approach to exercise that could integrate all her passions- healing, nature, embodiment, spirituality, music, empowerment & authentic expression- so she fell in love with yoga!

A Yoga Australia member, her extensive training includes: 500hr Purna at Byron Yoga Centre, Scaravelli, Feldenkrais, Donna Farhi, Yoga as Therapy- Doug Keller, Yoga of Birth- Anahata Giri and Rainbow Kids Yoga.

Renee is an experienced massage therapist with specialised training in pregnancy massage and deep tissue therapy. Her holistic massage treatments incorporate a range of clinical and energy healing techniques including shiatsu. Her background in luxury spa management and training ensure an exceptional client experience every time.

To book your place for a Seasonal Yoga retreat please call (03) 5348 2030 or email us at [email protected]

2022 Late Summer Yoga Retreat to traditional Japan (in Victoria)

Yoga in the Dojo

The 2022 Late Summer Yoga Retreat is BOOKED OUT. Bookings are now open for the following 2022 Seasonal Yoga Retreats:

Autumn: April 3 Sunday & 4 Monday, check-out Tuesday
Winter: June 19 Sunday & 20 Monday, check-out Tuesday
Spring: September 18 Sunday & 19 Monday, check-out Tuesday
Summer: November 13 Sunday & 14 Monday, check-out Tuesday
Late-Summer (2023): February 19 Sunday & 20 Monday, check-out Tuesday

The Late Summer Yoga Retreat combines the ancient wisdom of seasonal living, yoga practice, delicious and healthy Japanese food, and shiatsu massage.

Join us at Shizuka Ryokan for two days of yoga, seasonal Japanese meals, accomodation and fun. With Renee Willner as your guide, immerse yourself in the ancient practice of yoga. Explore physical postures, breathwork, meditation and deep relaxation.

We have chosen practices which suit beginners and experienced alike. Furthermore, shiatsu, a type of traditional Japanese bodywork, is on offer. Along with the carefully curated menu, our intention is that you experience a joyful and energetic retreat to help you embody the late summer season.

Shizuka Ryokan is Australia’s only traditional Japanese Ryokan Wellness Retreat. We are located in Hepburn, a place renowned for its healing waters. Simply being surrounded by the Japanese gardens and the quiet of a traditional ryokan is a grounding experience.

Oriental wisdom tells us to follow the seasons for a long and healthy life.  According to this view, the seasons are governed by the five elements: fire, water, earth, wood and metal. Late summer is ruled by the earth element. During the late summer, there is a strong sense of gathering energy to the centre, of settling and mulling over what has been learnt. This is a special time, between the summer and autumn, as it signifies where we stand – whether grounded, nourished and supported, or chaotic, anxious and disconnected.

If we care for ourselves and create health through our digestion and our actions, then we will feel grounded and balanced moving forward. During the late summer we continue with summer cooking styles but begin to incorporate quick oil sautéed dishes. We reduce the use of matchstick cutting and grated vegetables in our salads and use slightly larger, chunkier cutting such as longer, wider strips for root vegetables, whole leaf greens or bite sized cubes. Whole sweet corn from the garden nourishes our spleen and stomach to revitalise our energy.It is important to stay connected to the season now. We can avoid pre-empting autumn’s cooler weather by avoiding food that is too heavy in nature.

We may be tired during this transition season from our busy socialising and the effects of the hot summer. Paying close attention to weather changes, and matching our cooking strategies to them, can support the vitality of our immune system. This helps us to meet the cooler weather and prevent the colds and flu that herald the seasonal change.


  • Twin share $864 (Early Bird if booked before 7 January) / $990
  • Private room $1,122 (Early Bird if booked before 7 January) / $1,350

About the instructor

Renee’s long interest in how the mind, body and spirit interact found its perfect expression in yoga, which she has practised for over 20 years. As a teacher she takes a holistic and fun approach that allows individuals to find what they need in the practice, in a safe, supportive and fun environment. Following the birth of her daughter, Renee sought a holistic approach to exercise that could integrate all her passions- healing, nature, embodiment, spirituality, music, empowerment & authentic expression- so she fell in love with yoga!

A Yoga Australia member, her extensive training includes: 500hr Purna at Byron Yoga Centre, Scaravelli, Feldenkrais, Donna Farhi, Yoga as Therapy- Doug Keller, Yoga of Birth- Anahata Giri and Rainbow Kids Yoga.

Renee is an experienced massage therapist with specialised training in pregnancy massage and deep tissue therapy. Her holistic massage treatments incorporate a range of clinical and energy healing techniques including shiatsu. Her background in luxury spa management and training ensure an exceptional client experience every time.

To book your place for a Seasonal Yoga retreat please call (03) 5348 2030 or email us at [email protected]

Collage of yoga teacher Lard Skalman combining phorograph of Lars with images of red summer flowers

2020 Summer Seasonal Yoga Retreat at Shizuka Ryokan

The Summer Seasonal Yoga Treat combines the ancient oriental wisdom of seasonal living, yoga practice, macrobiotic cooking and Japanese shiatsu massage. Join Lars Skalman and Cate Peterson for a weekend retreat at Shizuka Ryokan.

“According to the Oriental view of the cosmos everything, including the seasons, are governed or described by what are known as the five elements. These are: fire, water, earth, wood and metal. Summer is governed by fire which is associated with expansion.”

Join us at Shizuka Ryokan for a delicious weekend of summer yoga, delicious vegetarian food and fun. Shizuka Ryokan is one of Victoria’s premier wellness retreats. Located in Daylesford spa country, simply being surrounded by the manicured gardens and the quiet of a traditional ryokan is a grounding treat. Shiatsu, a type of traditional Japanese bodywork, is on offer.

From Friday until Sunday afternoon we practice yoga, mindfulness and technique to fully embody the summer season. We have chosen practices that suit beginners and the experienced alike. Along with the carefully curated menu, our intention is that you experience a joyful and energetic start to the season.

Summer is a time for eating light foods that assist with cooling our bodies. You will learn the principles that guide food preparation in this season and techniques and practices to take your health into your own hands. Learn and work on your heart and small intestine meridians to help you unblock and clear your pathway to pristine health and the excitement of the new.


  • Twin share $890 (Early Bird) / $990
  • Private room $1,150 (Early Bird) / $1,350

About the instructors

Lars Skalman worked in top end restaurants in Sweden and Sydney for
 20 years until he became interested in macrobiotic and wholefood cooking. He has extensive experience cooking on yoga retreats, where his somewhat unorthodox approach to macrobiotics has made it easier for people to alter their attitudes toward healthy eating. He is also a yoga teacher and shiatsu therapist.

Cate Peterson has over three decades’ experience as a Japanese yoga teacher, meditation teacher, occupational therapist and masseuse. Her work with individuals and organisations through United Nations World Yoga Day, YogaHive and Get Off Your Asana is all about bringing yoga practice to full fruition in Australia, so that it can take its place in addressing our communal health.

Dates to be announced.

SAORI weaving on a loom at Shizuka Ryokan

SAORI retreats at Shizuka Ryokan


Thursday 31st March – Sunday 3rd April

Thursday 12th May – Sunday 15th May

Thursday 4th August – Sunday 7th August


Further 2022 dates to be announced

Shizuka Ryokan will be rife with creativity and sustainability in 2022 when Prue Simmons returns to teach three-day SAORI workshops. SAORI is a type of Japanese weaving.

Prue Simmons is the founder of the Dyeing to Weave Studio, and is one of just three SAORI teachers in Australia. She was taught traditional Japanese weaving and natural dye techniques by Toyomi Harada in the mountains on Honshu, Japan.

Prue is interested in sustainability, natural dyes, up-cycling and environmentally friendly textiles. Prue and her partner run White Stone Farm in Central Victoria. On the farm they raise llamas and use their fleece to weave beautiful pieces.

To learn more about SAORI you can read the blog post on Shizuka Ryokan’s Japanese culture blog.

To reserve your spot please visit the Dyeing To Weave Studio website here.

Scallops with soy sauce and yuzu made with a traditonal Japanese recipe

Seared scallops with soy and yuzu

Another traditional Japanese recipe from the Shizuka Ryokan kitchen.

Serves 2

scallop shells, for serving
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tsp organic soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
2 tsp drinking sake
2 tsp yuzu juice
10 scallops
10g fine quality butter (Danish)

wakame seaweed for garnish

Pour boiling water on wakame and set aside.

In a small jug, mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, sake and yuzu juice. Set aside.

Heat frypan until hot. Add butter.

Sear scallops for approximately 1 minute on first side, turn scallop, fry for 30 seconds. Pour sauce from jug into pan. After 30 seconds, remove scallops from pan and set aside.

Stir sauce until it thickens.

To serve: Place scallop shell on a plate of pebbles. Put one scallop in each scallop shell on a bed of wakame. Spoon 1 tsp of sauce over each scallop.

Vegan variation: Replace butter with Nutelex and scallops with the stems of king oyster mushrooms. Example in the recipe photograph at the rear.


Japanese Cooking

Seasonal Eating: the Japanese way

The five element philosophy teaches that one fosters health by eating foods that correspond with the seasons. The five element theory originated in China and spread to Japan. The theory is based on five seasons. Each season corresponds with an element, environment, organ pair, flavour and emotion. (The five elements relate to each other in terms of cycles but we won’t go into that now.)

Foods to support the kidneys and bladder during winter

Winter is the season of the kidney and its partner organ, the bladder. Chinese Medicine considers that kidney deficiency is an underlying cause of many ailment, including frequent urination, lack of energy, memory loss, lower back and knee pain, heel and ankle pain, swollen ankles, low libido, impotence and severe menopausal symptoms.

The appropriate flavour for this season is salty. Try to incorporate foods that taste salty such as seafood, beans, bone broth, miso, tamari, and pickles.  Beneficial foods include flax, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, black sesame seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, barley, millet, and deep green vegetables. The herb Rehmannia is of benefit here.

At Shizuka Ryokan, in winter we serve yuzu scallops. Scallops are the perfect tonic for the kidneys.


Image: pinterest.com.au/MOONABEANS/ Yuzu bath Japan Japanese culture onsen

The five seasons: Japanese traditions

Japanese culture honours the seasons. Japan is a mountainous country of islands stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China and Phillipine Seas in the south. Japan experiences five distinct seasons due to the wide variation in geography and climate: summer, autumn, winter, spring and tsuyu—the rainy season. The Japanese pay close attention to the blessings of each season, and practices have evolved to honour seasonal change.

Starting around Shogatsu—the New Year—icy winds bring snowfall to a large area of Japan stretching from Hokkaido Island in the north to the Hokuriku region of Honshu, the main island of Japan. (It does not snow in Okinawa Island in the south.) Heavy snowfall does not start until later in the year, sometimes in February. On the north island up to four metres of snow may fall in a season.

Spring is sakura—cherry blossom—season. The blossoms start to flower in the south in Okinawa, and the blossom season travels northward. The cherry blossom season only lasts for a few weeks, but spring typically lasts from March to June.

Next comes tsuyu—the fifth season. It pours rain. The start and end of the rainy season varies, but people usually avoid travelling to Japan during the last two weeks of June.

After tsuyu—the rainy season—ends the whole of Japan, with the exception of the northern island Hokkaido, enters a season of high humidity and temperature. Summer runs from July to September. Miyazaki mangoes and Kyushu papayas appear at the market. Typhoon season ravages Okinawa in the south.

In autumn, leaves change colour to gold and red, and people forage for mushrooms and harvest rice, apples, nashi and persimmons. Momijigarimaple viewing—is the tradition of visiting areas where maple trees have turned red. The days gradually grow darker and colder and autumn turns to winter once more.

At Shizuka Ryokan we have adopted the Japanese practice of honouring the seasons, with a southern hemisphere twist. In the guestrooms, flowers are changed in accordance with the seasons. Two seasons ago, our gardener planted cherry blossoms, with the aim of celebrating hanami—the cherry blossom festival—at Shizuka in the spring.

We have a seasonal yin yang go gyo yoga retreat with Lars Skalman and Cate Peterson planned for spring that ties in perfectly with the five seasons of Japan. Shizuka’s shiatsu practitioners are trained in five element shiatsu—a philosophy that encapsulates the Japanese concept of the five seasons.

At the time of writing, our menu reflects the seasons, with delicious edible pine mushrooms gleaned from the pine grove just outside the kitchen. 

In Japan during Touji–winter solstice–people take yuzu baths. Winter solstice falls on June 22 in Australia this year. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit. Yuzu baths are believed to purify the body and soul. Here at Shizuka, we foster the Japanese yuzu bathing tradition by providing yuzu & hinoki bath salts with each overnight booking.

Matcha shortbread on Japanese plate.

Green tea shortbread

People have been known to fall in love with Shizuka Ryokan when they taste the matcha shortbread that we serve upon arrival.


250g butter (room temperature)
¼ cup caster sugar
⅓ cup cornflour
⅓ cup icing sugar
Rind from one grated lemon
1-2 teaspoons of matcha green tea powder
2⅓ cups of gluten-free plain flour


Heat oven (fan forced) to 160°C
Cream butter and sugar. 
Add vanilla essence, lemon rind, cornflour, icing sugar and matcha.
Beat until well combined and creamed. 
Fold in flour and mix well. 
Roll out on floured surface until required thickness. 
Use cookie cutter to cut biscuit shapes. 
Place on baking paper on tray. 
Keep rolling and cutting until finished.
Cook in oven for approximately 30 minutes.  Cool on tray