RISE THROUGH GRIEF RETREAT
WHITSUNDAYS
We welcome you with open arms to our
Rise Through Grief Retreat
Whitsundays
17 - 21 JUNE 2027
(4 nights)
A Sanctuary for Your Grief
Your grief deserves a place to be seen, heard, and held.
Grief touches every part of who we are…
body, mind, heart, and soul.
In a world that rushes us to move on, struggles to understand our grief, and can leave us feeling incredibly alone, this 100% grief-informed retreat offers something profoundly different.
A sacred pause
A place for your grief
A space to be held
A community that truly understands
A chance to deepen the connection with your loved one
A gentle return to yourself
Whether your loss is fresh or decades old, this is a space where you can feel deeply, rest fully, and be supported through the messy, beautiful, and transformative journey of grief. Sometimes the greatest comfort is simply being with people who understand.
You are not broken… you are grieving. And you are so welcome here.
The Retreat Venue
Nestled amongst the breathtaking beauty of the Whitsundays, Yangaro is a truly special place to slow down and breathe. Located just minutes from Airlie Beach, this beautiful estate is surrounded by lush mountains, the sparkling Coral Sea, and the calming sounds of nature. It offers a peaceful sanctuary where you can step away from the demands of everyday life, gently tend to your grief, find moments of quiet reflection, and reconnect with yourself.
Yangaro is a luxurious estate with beautifully appointed ocean-view villas with swimming pools, direct beach access, and a secluded cove to explore. While the setting is undeniably stunning, it’s the feeling of peace, privacy, and calm that makes it such a beautiful place to gather, rest, and take time for yourself while grieving the loss of a loved one.
Throughout the retreat, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, whether that’s watching the sun set across the ocean and behind the mountains, listening to the waves roll in, sitting quietly beneath the palms, taking a walk along the beach, or simply enjoying basking in the sun by the pool.
Only a 30-minute scenic drive from Proserpine Airport, Yangaro is a truly magical place… the kind of place that invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and give yourself the time and space you deserve to gently navigate your grief.
A Retreat Created for Your Grief Journey
The Rise Through Grief Retreat has been thoughtfully designed and created to support you as a whole person, recognising that grief affects us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. You will experience a gentle balance between grief support, restorative experiences, and time for yourself.
Each day flows naturally, with guided sessions intentionally spaced alongside opportunities to rest, reflect, connect with others, or simply enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The quieter moments between sessions are an important part of the retreat experience, providing space to process and integrate what you have experienced without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. This balance creates a retreat that is both supportive and restorative.
Throughout the retreat, you will move through a blend of evidence-informed grief support and holistic practices that will help process your grief and nurture your overall wellbeing. Every session has been carefully considered to complement the next, creating a gentle flow that allows you to engage with your grief while also allowing time for self-care.
You will be supported by qualified and compassionate facilitators who bring both professional expertise and lived experience of grief. Together, we create a sacred space where you can feel safe, supported and accepted exactly as you are. There is no expectation to share more than you are comfortable with, no pressure and no timeline for how your grief should look, and tears are very welcome. You are encouraged to experience the retreat in the way that feels right for you.
Our hope is that you leave feeling supported, understood and gently restored, with practical tools, meaningful connections, and renewed resilience as you continue navigating your grief beyond the retreat.
Where grief is felt, witnessed, and honoured with compassion, healing takes root, and transformation softly follows.
What’s Included
Four nights luxury 5-star accommodation at Yangaro, a secluded estate near Airlie Beach, Whitsundays.
A refreshing welcome refreshment and grazing platter on arrival.
Three fresh and nourishing meals daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert), plus a morning snack and afternoon tea. This also includes dinner and dessert on the first night, and breakfast on the last morning. Catering to all dietary requirements.
Welcome gift box filled with thoughtful heart-centred goodies.
Daily grief-informed sessions, including mindful grieving yoga, meditation, art therapy, and music therapy.
Nurturing evenings designed to soothe, restore and relax.
Daily sacred group circles for connection, remembrance, and honouring our loved ones.
60-minute relaxation, deep tissue or stone massage at Yangaro’s day spa.
30-minute thermal therapy session - sauna, steam room, cold plunge. (Additional sessions can be booked).
Exclusive access to three ocean-facing villa swimming pools.
Exclusive use of the clubhouse relaxation lounge, pool and jacuzzi surrounded by tropical gardens each afternoon (if you would like a change of scenery).
Aromatherapy workshop - create your own scent using essential oils.
One-on-one conversations and support with Melissa (Retreat Facilitator) and Misty (Retreat Support).
Private beach access and secluded cove, nestled between lush mountains.
Plenty of peaceful spaces for personal reflection, restoration, and solitude.
Assistance in planning travel to and from the retreat, and suggestions of where to stay and things to do and see if staying longer in the Whitsundays (such as Whitehaven Beach or a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef).
60-minute post-retreat debriefing session with Melissa (Retreat Facilitator) via video call.
What to Expect
Compassionate Grief Support
Be gently guided by compassionate and qualified grief practitioners in a safe, supportive and non-judgemental environment where you can explore your grief at your own pace. Our holistic approach acknowledges that grief affects every part of you - your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Throughout the retreat, you'll experience:
Guided group sessions to explore your grief alongside others who truly understand.
Opportunities for one-on-one conversations with facilitators for additional support.
A space where every emotion and every moment is welcomed with compassion, without expectation or judgement.
Holistic Grief-Informed Practices and Healing Experiences
We have carefully curated grief-informed sessions, workshops and experiences designed to gently tend to your grief, support your nervous system, encourage emotional expression, help shift and process grief, and nurture your whole self. These include:
Mindful Grieving Yoga and gentle somatic movement.
Restorative movement and relaxation.
Meditation and mindfulness practices.
Art and music therapy.
Reflective journalling.
Gentle breathwork.
Aromatherapy essential oil blending.
Tribute ceremony to honour loved ones.
Rest, Nature and Renewal
You will be surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Whitsundays, and will have time to simply breathe, rest and reconnect with yourself. You will experience:
Stunning ocean views and tropical surroundings.
Relaxation by the ocean-view and garden pools.
Peaceful spaces for quiet reflection.
Time to simply be, without pressure or expectation.
Connection and Community
One of the most healing aspects of grief is feeling seen, heard and understood. Within a compassionate community, you will find connection, understanding, and the reassurance that you're not alone. You will be able to:
Share your loved one's story, your grief, and your experiences if and when you feel ready.
Connect with others who truly understand the profound impact of loss.
Build meaningful friendships that often continue long after the retreat ends.
Wellness and Self-Care
Nourish your body as gently as you nurture your heart. You will have the opportunity to slow down, restore your energy, and immerse yourself in wellness activities that promote relaxation, ease tension, and support your overall wellbeing, such as:
Therapeutic and relaxation massage.
Thermal wellness experience to encourage relaxation and support nervous system regulation.
Delicious, nourishing meals prepared with love to comfort and restore both body and soul.
Holistic practices and practical tools to continue supporting yourself after the retreat.
Whether your loss is recent or you’ve been carrying it for years, this retreat offers a chance to reconnect with yourself and find hope in a supportive community.
A space to pause, to feel, and be held in the quiet unfolding of your own journey.
Luxury Accommodation
The accommodation has been thoughtfully selected to offer a beautiful balance of comfort, luxury, and peacefulness. With a selection of private king and queen rooms, as well as twin-share rooms available, you can choose the accommodation option that best suits your personal needs, preferences, and budget.
Set across three stunning ocean-front villas, each room features a private ensuite and offers either breathtaking ocean views or peaceful garden or mountain surrounds. You'll also have access to three villa pools overlooking the palm trees and the Coral Sea.
Each villa also offers beautifully furnished living areas, comfortable lounges to relax in, spacious outdoor patios with stunning ocean views, and plenty of peaceful places to sit with a cup of tea, read a book, connect with others, or simply enjoy some quiet time as you take in the beauty of the Whitsundays.
With a blend of modern luxury, comfort, and tranquillity, our retreat venue is a place where you can truly slow down. It's a peaceful space to tend to your grief, rest, restore, and reconnect with yourself.
The Facilities
At Yangaro, you'll have access to a range of beautiful facilities designed to help you slow down, unwind, and care for yourself throughout your retreat. You may choose to enjoy the sauna, steam room, cold plunge, jacuzzi, multiple private pools, day spa, fitness centre, or simply relax in one of the peaceful lounge areas. Each offers its own gentle invitation to pause, breathe, and reconnect with yourself.
Grief isn't experienced only in our hearts and minds. It can also be carried within our bodies, often showing up as tension, exhaustion, restlessness, or a sense of heaviness. These moments of rest and self-care offer an opportunity to gently release some of that weight, soothe your nervous system, and give yourself the compassion and nurturing you deserve.
Beyond the facilities, the natural beauty of Yangaro becomes part of the healing experience. Surrounded by lush gardens, mountain views, and the calm waters of Funnel Bay, you'll have plenty of opportunities to spend time in nature.
Together, the beautiful surroundings, thoughtfully designed spaces, and shared experiences throughout the retreat create a nurturing environment where you can slow down, feel supported, reconnect with yourself, and move through your grief in your own way and in your own time.
Guiding You Through Grief & Holding Space for Your Healing
Meet Melissa
Founder of Holistic Grief Wellness
Rise Through Grief Retreat Facilitator
Melissa is the founder of Holistic Grief Wellness and the creator of the Rise Through Grief Retreats, which is a space born from her own deeply personal experience with loss. After the sudden passing of her husband in 2021, Melissa embarked on a life-changing path of deep grief, healing and self-discovery. Her grief cracked her open, but it also awakened a powerful calling to help others who are walking a similar path.
As she searched for retreats that honoured the full experience of grief, ones rooted in holistic healing and led by qualified, compassionate professionals, Melissa discovered a gap. She noticed how limited and rare these spaces were. Inspired to help fill that need, she created a supportive, sacred environment where grievers are welcomed just as they are, embraced with compassion, and offered practices to gently nurture the mind, body, and soul.
Melissa brings together lived experience and extensive professional training. She is a qualified Holistic Grief Counsellor, Creative Arts Therapist and Group Facilitator, Mindful Grieving Yoga Therapist and Group Facilitator, Yoga and Meditation Teacher, and Sound and Vibrational Healing Practitioner. With deep empathy and authenticity, she walks alongside those navigating the heartbreak of loss, offering comfort, insight, and gentle guidance.
She believes strongly in the mind-body-spirit connection and in the power of community. Through group storytelling, creative expression, somatic movement, mindfulness, stillness, and nature, Melissa supports grievers to feel into and move through their grief and reconnect with themselves and others in meaningful ways. She knows how overwhelming, confusing and lonely grief can be, and she is here to remind you that healing is possible.
You will find safety, warmth, understanding, and compassion in Melissa. She would be honoured to support you through your grief and healing journey and invites you to join her at the Rise Through Grief Retreat, a sacred space where your grief is welcome and understood.
Heart-Centered Support
Meet Misty – Retreat Support & Aromatherapist
Misty brings a compassionate and nurturing presence to the retreat, offering holistic support grounded in care, wisdom, and understanding. She brings over a decade of experience as a palliative care nurse, walking alongside individuals and families through some of life’s most tender moments. She is also the founder of White Elm, providing bereavement support and end-of-life care.
Misty’s understanding of grief is not only shaped by her professional experience but also by her own personal journey. Having lost her father and brother, she brings a heartfelt understanding of the challenges, emotions, and complexities that can arise through grief and loss.
With a background in holistic counselling and aromatherapy, Misty combines evidence-based care and intuitive support to create a space where you can feel safe, seen, and nurtured. She offers a steady, compassionate presence, holding space for your grief, your stories, and your healing, ensuring that you don’t feel alone and feel supported as you reconnect with yourself and begin to gently rediscover a sense of wholeness.
Nourishing Your Body & Soul
Meet Ally – Retreat Caterer
Our retreat caterer, Ally, is passionate about creating wholesome, soul-nourishing meals that gently support your healing. With a deep understanding of how food can bring ease and restoration, she prepares fresh, seasonal dishes that nurture both body and spirit.
Here, meals are more than just food, they are part of your healing journey. When we’re grieving, it can be so easy to forget to care for ourselves, especially around eating well. That’s why the food at this retreat is intentionally designed not only to nourish but also to comfort.
Every meal is crafted with love and intention, using high-quality ingredients that cater to a variety of dietary needs. From warming and grounding meals to light and revitalising dishes, and sweet treats, Ally ensures that each bite is both delicious and supportive of your wellbeing.
Throughout the retreat, you will be held and nurtured through food that offers warmth, balance, and nourishment.
This retreat is an investment in yourself…
in your grief, your heart, and your healing.
A unique and deeply meaningful experience where you are held and supported with compassion.
Grief is exhausting, and we tend to put our own needs last. This retreat offers the opportunity to focus on you. Alongside meaningful grief support sessions and workshops, you will have time to relax, enjoy the stunning surroundings, nourish your body, mind, and soul, and experience the restorative feeling of a true luxury getaway, because after all you have been through, you deserve this…
Spots are limited.
All ages and genders welcome.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the Rise Through Grief Retreat, please feel welcome to book a complimentary video or phone call with Melissa.
This is a gentle, no-pressure space to talk things through and see if this retreat feels right for you.
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SAFE SPACE FOR HEALING
Our retreat offers a sacred and judgment-free environment where you can express your grief and emotions openly and work through your pain without fear of criticism or misunderstanding.
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CONNECTION WITH OTHER GRIEVERS
You will be surrounded by others who are also experiencing a loss which helps to reduce feelings of isolation. Sharing stories and hearing others’ experiences fosters a sense of understanding and belonging.
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SELF-CARE
Dedicated time to reflect, rest and nurture your wellbeing through relaxation, nourishing meals, gentle movement, mindfulness, creative outlets, spa treatments, nature, and connection with spirit.
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HOLISTIC & THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITIES
Our grief-focused retreat includes mind-body practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, journalling, arts therapy, sound healing and eco therapy to help you process your grief.
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RENEWAL OF HOPE
Through reflection and support, you will gain a sense of renewed hope, clarity, and the tools needed to continue in your grief healing journey, learning how to live after loss with meaning and joy.
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TRANSFORMATION
Transform your pain into resilience and purpose by finding peace and a deeper connection to yourself through self-compassion and self-love, and embracing the possibility of growth and renewal.
