A Season of Fire, Reflection & Coming Back to Ourselves
Ah… these last few weeks have been quite a roller coaster of emotions.
I’m still digesting it all.
Sometimes life moves so quickly that we barely have time to understand what has happened before the next thing arrives. And sometimes, we are gently — or not so gently — reminded to stop, breathe and simply be with what is.
The last few months have been a very special chapter in my Ayurvedic journey.
Last year, I imagined bringing my dear teacher Vaidya Matheus Macêdo, to Australia. And this year, that dream became a reality.
Welcoming Matheus to Byron Bay for his first trip to Australia was incredibly meaningful to me. Not only because he is my teacher, but because Ayurveda has become such an important part of my life that sharing my reality, my family and my community with him felt deeply special.
Welcoming him into the beautiful Ayurveda Sangha East Coast of Australia here in the Northern Rivers, was something I will treasure.
And also The AGNI Protocol Retreat.
What can I say?
It was such a high — a dream coming true.
After months of planning, dreaming, organising and imagining how it would all feel, suddenly there we were.
A group of incredible people coming together with openness, curiosity and courage — ready to learn, connect, share and explore.
We explored Agni — the principle of digestion and transformation — through Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, mantra, silence, conversation, laughter and simply being together.
There were moments of deep learning, moments of stillness and plenty of joy.
It was special!
And I felt so grateful.
Grateful to Matheus for sharing his knowledge and presence.
Grateful to Ross for being such an important part of bringing the retreat to life.
Grateful to the Team and everyone who trusted us enough to come.
And grateful for all the little pieces that had to come together to make something that had existed only in my imagination become real.
But life has a beautiful way of keeping us humble.
Almost immediately afterwards, I found myself face-to-face with some of my own health challenges, pain and sadness.
It was confronting.
And yet, as I move through it, I can also see it as a kind of rite of passage.
A reminder that the path of Ayurveda isn't about reaching some perfect state where nothing ever hurts, nothing ever changes and life never challenges us.
Quite the opposite.
Ayurveda continually invites us to meet ourselves exactly where we are.
To observe.
To listen.
To adapt.
To accept what is here — while still taking responsibility for how we care for ourselves.
It reminded me once again of something I am constantly learning and teaching:
Coming back to who I really am, beyond it all.
Beyond the body.
Beyond the roles we play.
Beyond our successes and failures.
Beyond the moments when everything feels wonderful and the moments when it doesn't.
And through it all, I feel deeply grateful for the love that has surrounded me — for my boys, my family and my beautiful friends who have been there with such love, care and presence.
Sometimes we don't realise just how much love is holding us until life asks us to slow down enough to feel it.
And perhaps that, too, is part of health.
And then… we keep learning
One of the things I love most about Ayurveda is that the learning never really ends.
There is always another layer, another question, another perspective and another opportunity to become more curious about this extraordinary relationship between our body, mind, environment, habits and the natural world.
Through my studies with VIDA VEDA, we have now begun studying Svasthavṛtta, and I am particularly excited about this subject.
Svastha can be understood as being established in one's own healthy state, while Vritta relates to conduct, behaviour or way of living.
In Ayurveda, health is not simply the absence of disease. It is something we actively cultivate through the way we live.
Swastha Vritta explores the daily and seasonal practices that support health and help us remain balanced — our routines, food, sleep, movement, hygiene, mental wellbeing, relationship with our environment and the rhythms of nature.
It brings us back to a very simple but profound Ayurvedic question:
How do we live in a way that supports our own wellbeing?
Not only when we are unwell.
But every day.
I am also very much looking forward to continuing this learning with Ricardo Barreto, a wonderful teacher from Portugal, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Jamnagar earlier this year.
The more I learn, the more I realise how much there is to discover.
And perhaps this is one of Ayurveda's greatest gifts:
it plants seeds.
Seeds of curiosity.
Seeds of awareness.
Seeds that invite us to look at ourselves and the world around us a little differently.
A new chapter for VIDA: Panchakarma in India
And speaking of seeds…
One of the most exciting developments for VIDA has been growing quietly in the background.
I am very happy to share that VIDA Ayurveda is now partnering with Dr. Integra to offer authentic Panchakarma programs in India.
This is something very close to my heart.
My time in Jamnagar earlier this year was particularly significant. Being immersed in the clinical environment, learning alongside experienced Ayurvedic doctors and witnessing Panchakarma as a lived clinical practice deepened my understanding of just how profound this work can be.
Through our partnership with Dr. Integra, we can now support people from Australia and beyond who would like to experience a professionally guided 21-day Panchakarma program in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The program includes Ayurvedic consultations and ongoing care with the responsible vaidyas, daily clinical rounds and a structured Panchakarma protocol tailored to the individual's needs.
There are options for urban accommodation at Megdhara Hospital as well as a more rural experience in a village setting.
The intention is not simply to travel to India and receive treatments.
It is to create the conditions for a deeper Ayurvedic experience — with time, structure, appropriate therapies, nourishing food, rest and the guidance of experienced practitioners.
Our first VIDA intake group will begin on 4 January 2027.
This first group is particularly special to me because it represents the beginning: a bridge between my work here in Australia, my studies and relationships in India, and the traditional Ayurvedic clinical environment there.
If Panchakarma in India is something you have been curious about, please reach out to me directly.
I would be very happy to explain how the program works, what is involved, accommodation options, preparation before travelling, investment and whether this kind of experience may be appropriate for you.
Places for the January intake are limited, and I would love to have some time to speak with you personally before you make a decision.
January 2027 — Panchakarma, Jamnagar, India
Send me a message if you would like to receive the full information.
And now… Spring is calling
After everything these past weeks have brought, I also feel ready to share something much closer to home.
VIDA Spring Cleanse 2026 begins on 17 October, with our first Zoom gathering on 16 October.
This year, I am changing the way we approach the cleanse.
I want it to feel more personal, more intentional and more special.
Because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to Ayurveda.
We may be moving through the journey together, but we are not identical.
Our digestion is different.
Our constitution is different.
Our energy, circumstances, needs and challenges are different.
So rather than handing everyone the same list of rules and asking them to follow it perfectly, I want this year's cleanse to be about learning to listen.
To notice.
To make appropriate adjustments.
To understand what your body is communicating.
And to experience what happens when we create a little more space for digestion, rest, awareness and renewal.
The 10-day Spring Cleanse is completed from home and includes:
Comprehensive cleanse manual
Recipes and practical guidance
Daily emails and guidance
Daily meditation and gentle movement
Zoom gatherings
Supportive WhatsApp group
Individualised recommendations based on your pre-cleanse questionnaire
Guidance through preparation, cleansing and reintegration
You don't need to know anything about Ayurveda to join.
You simply need a little curiosity and a willingness to give yourself some space.
Investment: $195
For those who would like a deeper and more personal Ayurvedic approach, the Spring Cleanse + individual Ayurvedic consultation is available for $350.
The consultation gives us the opportunity to look more closely at where you are right now and how you might approach the cleanse according to your individual needs.
We begin on 17 October.
If you've been thinking about doing something for yourself this spring, now is a beautiful time to begin.
Send me a message and I'll send you all the information.
Looking forward to connecting.
With love,