Hearts Wide Open Retreat - Australia

Hearts Wide Open Retreat is a kirtan and chanting retreat for anyone who wants to sing, sit in stillness and open the heart in good company. It runs for two and a half days at Durrumbul Hall, near Mullumbimby in the Byron Shire of New South Wales, Australia, and is led by the husband-and-wife musicians Lulu and Mischka. No experience is needed. The weekend is drug and alcohol free.

What to Expect

The retreat moves through chanting, ritual, stillness and meditation, and movement, with more chanting between. Lulu and Mischka describe it as a prayer for an affordable, blissful and deeply felt weekend built from the practices they love most: mantra, prayer and heart songs, sound meditation, and the resonance found in silence.

It begins on Friday at 5pm with arrival, followed by dinner and a welcome at 5.30pm. Evening chanting runs from 6.45pm to 9pm.

Saturday opens at 9.30am with a tea ceremony that leads into song meditation. Lunch is at 12.30pm, and the afternoon is free for the beach or a wander through Mullumbimby. Dance starts at 4pm, then an afternoon session of ritual and more chanting at 4.30pm. Dinner is at 6pm and evening chanting runs from 7.15pm to 9.15pm.

Sunday starts at 9.30am with movement, meditation, dance and morning chanting, then a celebration ritual and closing. Farewells wrap up around midday, with the schedule listing a 1.30pm finish. Times are subject to change.

Past guests describe space to come and go as they need, room for big feelings, and a tone that stays light rather than heavy.

About Lulu and Mischka

Lulu and Mischka make heart songs and chanting music, and lead retreats and workshops built around the same practices. Their Hearts Wide Open chanting retreats have been held in Australia, Germany, Finland and Turkey, and they blend chanting with yoga, chi gong, breathwork, earth rituals, dance, stillness and meditation. They also run couples retreats, a Soul Retreat that brought together yoga, drumming, dance, chant and Thai massage with other presenters, and a week of sailing around Hervey Bay and Fraser Island. Their offerings include an online course, Sister to Sister, and a 10 Days Voice & Breath training.

Lulu is also a yoga teacher and holistic therapist based in the UK, with thirty years of experience across many styles of yoga, particularly those that support healing, flexibility and strength alongside a connection of mind and body.

The Setting

Durrumbul Hall is a much-loved community space that has hosted many conscious gatherings. It has a main hall, a covered deck that wraps around, a lawn, a fire pit and bush all around. Mullumbimby is five minutes away, Brunswick Heads beach about fifteen minutes by car, and Byron Bay about twenty-five.

There is no accommodation on site. The nearest camping is Mullum Showgrounds, a five-minute drive away. Airbnb and hotel options in Mullumbimby and Main Arm are five to ten minutes from the venue.

For flights, the closest airports are Ballina Byron Gateway and Gold Coast (Coolangatta). The Byron shuttle bus, which also runs from Brisbane, can drop you in Mullumbimby, about ten minutes from the venue.

Before You Go

No prior experience or prerequisite is required. Come with an open mind and a willingness to open your heart. The retreat is held in English.

The price covers all sessions from Friday evening to Sunday midday, plus three meals: Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and Saturday dinner. The food is vegetarian, gluten free and mostly vegan. Accommodation, transport, camping fees and any other meals are not included. Pricing is tiered across three levels so that people can choose according to their financial circumstances.