…Embody Zen...
1 week of Yoga, Zenthai & Hotsprings
Join us for a transformative 7-night yoga retreat in Japan, from May 22nd - 29th, 2025.
Guided by Sally and Yuta, this journey blends cultural immersion and wellness practices.
Experience serene mountain hot springs, the tranquility of a Zen temple stay, and the vibrancy of Tokyo.
Embrace daily yoga and Zenthai sessions, enriching onsen baths, and delicious traditional meals.
Accommodation ranges from private to shared options including an alpine villa in a hotspring Village, a modern Ryokan in Tokyo, and a communal stay in a Zen temple.
Costs cover 7 nights' stay, most meals, and all travel during the retreat.
Registration requires a $500 deposit. Join us for a heartfelt journey into Japan's beauty and serenity.
The Details:
Duration: 7 nights, 8 days
Dates: May 22nd (Check-in from 3pm) to May 29th (Retreat ends 12pm)
Locations: Nagano, Chichibu, Tokyo
Accommodation Options:
Twin Share: Double bed or two seperate beds.
Solo Room: available at an extra cost
Private ensuite: the Tokyo Ryokan rooms include private ensuites. In Nozawa Villa there is the option to pay extra for a private ensuite, otherwise all rooms have access to the shared bathroom.
**Additional Information:**
Assistance available for solo travellers to find roommates.
One of the highlights of the retreat is the unique Zen Temple stay experience. At the Temple stay we will sleep communally in the temple on traditional tatami and futon. (May 26th & 28th only)
Pricing (in AUD):
Full Retreat Package:
$2450 per person: Twin Room with private ensuite in Tokyo Ryokan and shared bathroom in Nozawa Villa
$2900 per person: Twin Room with private ensuite in both Tokyo Ryokan and Nozawa Villa
Additional $450 for single room (not shared)
Deposit: $500 to confirm booking
INCLUSIONS:
7 nights accomodation:
— 4 nights stay in a Villa in the mountain onsen village of Nozawa - 13 free onsen bath houses to explore in the village!
— 2 nights stay in a Zen Temple in Chichibu mountain area, with private onsen, and many unique Zen experiences with the local Monk. We all sleep communally in the temple, on traditional tatami floor and futon!— The final night of our retreat we stay in a modern onsen Ryokan in Tokyo (traditional hotspring hotel).
Daily traditional Japanese breakfasts.
4 x group dinners including: Welcome dinner of delicious local farm produce in Nozawa Village, 2 Shojin Ryori dinners at the Zen Temple (Japanese monk cuisine), and our closing dinner in Tokyo.
Visit traditional garden in Tokyo, and witness the display of seasonal plants!
Visit an ancient Shinto Shrine
Morning Yoga with Sally each day - In some epic locations indoor and outdoor!
Afternoon unwind sessions each day: Yin Yoga with Sally or Zenthai Bodywork jams/guided flows with Yuta
All travel costs within our retreat itinerary are covered, including train tickets, private buses and shuttles. - Just organise your own flights and transport to our Villa in Nozawa Onsen Village!
Retreat gift pack and more….
“Embody Zen” Retreat Itinerary
We will be building in details and the offerings in the months preceding the journey. We hope the information below gives you a sense of what lays ahead, and look forward to questions you may have.
MAY 22nd: ARRIVAL DAY
Travel by bullet train or shuttle bus to the mountains of Nozawa! Check in to our Mountain Villa opens from 3pm- our home for the next 4 nights in the alpine hotspring village of Nozawa. Unwind with a yin yoga class, followed by a delicious group dinner together.
MAY 23rd: ONSEN VILLAGE
Delicious Japanese breakfasts are provided each morning at our Villa after morning yoga practice.
The lunches and dinners will be your own adventure while in the village over these days. There are a range of wonderful local eat outs to choose from, and you are welcome to use the kitchen at our villa and cook up a storm! The village has an abundance of fresh produce by the local farms. Various activities and day trips are on offer each day, including hiking, temple visits and Shinrinyoku (forest bathing). Each afternoon you will enjoy a Zenthai bodywork class with Yuta and Sally.
MAY 24th: ONSEN VILLAGE
By this point we bet you’ll start really feeling the charm and friendliness of the onsen village. A part from the daily breakfasts and Yoga and Zenthai classes, our days here include plenty of free time to simply wander around the village and make your way through the 13 free onsen bath houses sprinkled throughout the village.
MAY 25th ONSEN VILLAGE
MAY 26th: ZEN TEMPLE STAY
We check out of our Mountain Villa after yoga and breakfast, and we travel to another stunning mountain area for our stay in a very special Zen Temple.
There will be options to partake in calligraphy of spiritual zen buddhist scriptures, and/or a forest walk before our afternoon class of either yin yoga or Zenthai bodywork together.
Dinner is a Japanese Buddhist speciality: Shojin Ryori - delicious naturally umami flavoured, vegan Zen Buddhist cuisine. Bathe in the natural outdoor onsen under the stars before heading to bed.
*please note, this night is the one night we cannot offer private rooms - the temple stay is a very unique experience where we all sleep on traditional futons on the tatami floor in the temple.
MAY 27th: SHINTO SHRINE VISIT
Morning Zazen (Zen meditation) with the Monk in the Zendo (meditation hall), followed by a yoga practice together with Sally.
Delicious Shojin Ryori breakfast before we head to a breathtaking ancient Shinto Temple a little further up the mountain.
After exploring the temple, we travel back to the Temple stay for an afternoon of Zenthai practice, and another delicious Zen Buddhist dinner.
MAY 28th: TRAVEL TO TOKYO
After our Zen meditation, Yoga and breakfast, we will begin our travel down the mountains to Tokyo. Enjoy the hotel onsen after checking in to our Ryokan in Tokyo. In the evening we will head into the city for our final group dinner, followed by some sort of shenanigans like Karaoke!
MAY 29th: TOKYO
Enjoy a spacious morning to rest, pack, take the views of Tokyo from the rooftop onsen. Breakfast is a delicious traditional Japanese spread. Walk to a nearby Japanese garden to close our retreat.
MORE DETAILS ON THE ACCOMODATIONS! (photos coming soon)
Onsen Village Villa Stay
Our first 4 nights are in the Onsen Village of Nozawa. The Villa we stay in is walking distance to the village which consists of 13 free Onsen (hotspring bath houses). At the villa we will enjoy daily Japanese breakfast from fresh local produce! Most lunches and dinners will be your own adventure, you could try some of the local restaurants, cook up in the kitchen onsite, or use the village onsen kitchen to steam up a feast!
All the rooms at the villa are bright, large, and quiet, with lounge areas and magnificent outlooks on the surrounding mountains and village. There are 3 rooms at the Villa with private bathrooms. The other rooms share the communal bathroom - there are toilet rooms on each floor and shower rooms on the ground floor with separate cubicles for privacy. There are also 13 public onsens in the village which most people enjoy using!
Zen Temple Stay
From Nozawa we will take a private bus to an ancient Zen Temple in Chichibu, where we will be hosted by the Zen Monk there for 2 nights. Dinner and Breakfast are a unique experience here, delicious umami flavours, super healthy, vegan Shojin Ryori. This is Japanese Monk cuisine cooked in mineral rich broths of mushroom, seaweed and mountain vegetables.
The Zen Temple stay cannot offer private rooms. It’s a very special experience sleeping in the shared space of the temple on the tatami floor on futon mattresses! We will each take turns to enjoy the open air bathhouse here, an onsen(hotspring) filled bath under the stars.
Tokyo Ryokan Stay
The last night of the retreat will be spent in Tokyo in a “Ryokan” (traditional Japanese hotel). This is a unique style of accomodation, that includes an “Onsen” bath house (hotspring waters), and a set menu for breakfast - Japanese cuisine!
The Ryokan is in a very central location in Tokyo, with many things in the are to explore! We will visit a nearby Zen garden and we can also help direct anyone interested in visiting the Masunaga Zen Shiatsu School/Clinic (it’s a 30min train ride away).
The rooms at the Ryokan are modern and cozy (think Tokyo size), and include their own ensuite. There are twin share and single options.
*ONSEN CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE*
“Onsen” is the Japanese word for Hotspring. On retreat, there will be daily opportunities to go soak in an onsen, usually a public bath house that is filled with local onsen waters (hot steaming mineral rich goodness). These waters each have therapeutic properties that offer a multitude of benefits to our skin and general health and wellness and longevity!!
There are some rules around bathing in the public bath houses…
The main 2 being:
1. you must be completely naked,
and
2. you must not have any tatoos (small tatoos can be covered with a bandaid).
For those who do have tatoos, and/or are uncomfortable to go naked, there are other hotsprings we can direct you to where you can book a private pool for yourself. However please note that, the onsen in the Tokyo Ryokan stay, and the 13 free public onsen in the Village in Nozawa are both very strict on these rules.
FOOD, MEALS & DIETRY REQUIREMENTS
Every breakfast is catered for, and some dinners too.
Breakfasts will be traditional Japanese style, usually quite savoury including a range of vegetables, egg, tofu, fish, miso and rice, with tea or coffee.
Lunches and some dinners be your own delicious adventure, and at your own cost. We can suggest varying eat outs along the way, and in the Onsen Village in Nozawa you can use the kitchen in our Villa to prepare your own meals from the wonderful fresh produce on offer by the local farms!
We will do our best to meet dietary requirements. Be sure to communicate your dietary needs before paying your deposit, as sometimes in Japan it can be tricky to ensure certain food sensitivities can be met!
Additional travel costs and information
You will need to cover your own travel costs to the retreat (flights to Japan - Narita airport is most direct - and train/shuttle to our accomodation in Nozawa). Check in is from 3pm on May 22nd, and we finish the retreat at 12pm on May 29th.
Lunch and some dinners are not catered for. We can suggest recommended options in each location we visit! Get ready to try all the Japanese foods!!!
Extra optional activities and transport costs. This includes any site seeing during the free time that is not included in our itinerary, or any optional activities you might wish to partake in, like a cooking class, mountain biking, SUP boarding, getting a massage, visiting a private onsen, etc…
You will need to organise your own Travel Insurance.
Your passport requires at least 6months validity to travel overseas.
Once you’ve booked, we will send you our welcome PDF with more details on what to bring and hot tips for preparing yourself for travel in Japan!