Mindfulness and Meditation, Snorkeling and some gentle Yoga with Susie Spinks : November 4 – 11, 2023
per person
This is a mind-expanding, but at the same time thoroughly practical, week of the three components of the title: Mindfulness and Meditation, Yoga, and Snorkeling. It is suitable for all levels, from beginners to teachers of meditation. For meditation teachers, there will be an extra hour set aside on two days for a mentoring session, as well as unguided meditation sessions.
The snorkeling makes for a very special part of the trip: a wide variety of hard and soft coral, abundant fish life, and glorious warm waters. And a snorkel trip becomes a unique meditation of its own.
There’s science in all three. And there’s a transcendent aspect to all three. Read on……


“I attended the Mindfulness, Meditation, Yoga and a little snorkelling with Susie Spinks retreat in Fiji last week. It was a wonderful experience. I couldn’t imagine a better combination. It was brilliantly done. Susie is a very good teacher and it is a pleasure to be in her company. I highly recommend her meditation sessions and her retreats. I will be a returning participant of the paradise course retreat and I plan on booking Susie’s meditation teacher training course.”
Nicole Stevenson, Darwin – 2022
Summary & Pricing
Dates: November 4 – 11, 2023
Programme: Daily early morning gentle yoga practice. Daily mindfulness and meditation practice. Daily snorkeling excursions. (The full daily programme is given in the Programme tab above.)
Suitability: you should be able to swim 150 metres in the open sea unaided.
Excursions and extras: Village meke dance; tapa making demonstration.
Food: Mixed menu.
Itinerary: Arrive Savusavu Saturday. Retreat starts Sunday morning, ends Friday evening. Depart Savusavu Saturday morning after breakfast.
Price:
Rear bure standard room: Shared room: Aus $1950 / Single room: Aus $2450
Non-participating partner price (if sharing your bure): AUD$1300
Front ocean view bure: Shared room: Aus $2350 / Single Aus $2900
Traveling with non-participating partner Aus $1550
This is a mind-expanding, but at the same time thoroughly practical, week of the three components of the title: Mindfulness and Meditation, Yoga, and Snorkeling. It is suitable for all levels, from beginners to teachers of meditation. For meditation teachers, there will be an extra hour set aside on two days for a mentoring session, as well as unguided meditation sessions.
The snorkeling makes for a very special part of the trip: a wide variety of hard and soft coral, abundant fish life, and glorious warm waters. And a snorkel trip becomes a unique meditation of its own.
There’s science in all three. And there’s a transcendent aspect to all three. Read on……
About the Course
Mindfulness and Meditation and the science behind it.
There is now a huge amount of research showing the benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation. It has been shown to reduce stress, improve our concentration, our memory, thinking creatively and flexibly, and even build more brain cells. It increases our positive emotions, builds empathy and emotional intelligence, makes us less anxious, and more accepting of ourselves and others, and leads to better relationships. But have you ever wondered how? If so, this course is for you.
You will learn what Mindfulness and Meditation are, and understand what is actually happening in your brain when you meditate, and why it is so effective that even companies are implementing it in the workplace.
A combination of workshops and practices will teach you the different types of meditation and by practicing each you will discover which are the most effective for you personally.
The guided sessions will include:
- breath meditations
- mantra meditations
- mindfulness body scan
- open-awareness meditations
- loving-kindness meditation
- meditation for compassion / self-compassion
The workshops and discussions will include:
- what is meditation and why does it benefit us?
- stress – the physiology of what is happening in your body and how meditation helps
- what is mindfulness and how is it different from meditation?
- what are emotions?
- what is happiness and how can we create it?
Snorkeling
Fiji is renowned for the abundant marine life of its reefs: colorful fish, hard and soft corals, mysterious invertebrates – all in the clear warm waters of the South Pacific. Suspended in the waters above this wonder world is entrancing, mesmeric…..it’s a floating meditation, an opportunity to immerse yourself in another aspect of our planet. It is deeply and wonderfully complementary to the rest of the week.
What To Bring
Here’s materials you’ll need to bring.
- Rash vest for sun protection (you might like to bring a full body lycra suit for even better protection)
- Reef shoes
- Snorkels, masks and fins are provided although if you have your own you might prefer to bring them
- All equipment for meditation / yoga is supplied (mats, bolsters etc)
Accommodation

You’ll stay with us at Daku Resort, Fiji.
Accommodation is packaged with your course, and there are a variety of comfortable lodgings available during your stay with us at Daku Resort. Upgrades to your accommodation are available, however, costs may vary with different accommodation options.
Additional Adventures

What to do in your free time.
We’ve arranged a number of excursions as part of the course (see Programme tab on the menu bar above). We also offer a range of other activities inside and outside of Daku Resort (please note that unless they are part of the programme, some activities, such as massages and those requiring equipment hire, may have additional costs).
Meet your instructor.

Meet Susie Spinks.
Susie is an accredited meditation teacher with the Meditation Association of Australia. She is the founder of Sydney Institute of Meditation and teaches the Meditation Teacher Training Course. You can read more here
After starting a regular meditation practice in 2011, Susie witnessed a transformation in herself. She realised that the practice of meditation had translated into real life for her in that she no longer held on to emotions or thoughts that would have previously bothered her. She could let them go. She no longer dwelled on things, constantly thinking about them. She didn’t lie awake at night bothered by something. Anger wasn’t as intense and much shorter lived. She realised she was happier and more content.
After this self-revelation she became very interested in finding out how mindfulness and meditation work to bring about this change. She is particularly interested in the science of what is happening in the brain.
Susie has past experience of teaching Maths in high schools. This training and experience has given her the ability to express information in clear, concise and easy-to-understand terms.
And finally, she is an avid snorkeler and has created this course with an eye to bringing together two of her great passions.
Included
AccommodationAll Workshop FeesDining & MealsEquipment & SuppliesLectures & ExcursionsTransfers from Savusavu AirportNot Included
Alcoholic BeveragesFlights/TravelNon-Course ActivitiesTravel Insurance
Saturday
- Arrive at Daku Resort
- 4.30 pm Late afternoon snorkel outside the resort
- 6.30pm Fijian Welcome ceremony
- 7:00pm Dinner
Sunday
- 7.00 – 7.50am Gentle yoga practice
- 8:15am Breakfast
- 9.30 Guided snorkel trip
- 1:00pm Lunch at Daku Resort
- 4.30 Mindfulness and Meditation introduction
- 6:00pm Happy Hour
- 7:00pm Dinner.
Monday
- 7.00 – 7.50am Gentle yoga practice
- 8:15am Breakfast
- 9.30am Mindfulness and Meditation
- 11.15 am Optional snorkel outside Daku
- 1:00pm Lunch at Daku Resort
- 2.00pm Craft display and tapa (Fijian decorated bark cloth) making demonstration
- Optional trip to town to see the market
- 5:30pm Optional unguided meditation
- 6:00pm Happy Hour
- 6.30 Pearl farm lecture
- 7:00pm Dinner.
Tuesday
- 7.00 – 7.50am Gentle yoga practice
- 8:15am Breakfast
- 9.00 Guided snorkel trip
- 1.00 Lunch
- 3.00pm Meditation teachers' mentoring session
- 4:30pm Visit to Naidi village – meke (traditional dance).
- 6:00pm Happy Hour
- 6.30 Marine life lecture
- 7:00pm Dinner.
Wednesday
- 7.00 – 7.50am Gentle yoga practice
- 8:15am Breakfast
- Guided snorkel trip
- 1:00pm Lunch at Daku Resort
- 4.30 Mindfulness and meditation
- 6:00pm Happy Hour
- 7:00pm Dinner
Thursday
- 7.00 – 7.50am Gentle yoga practice
- 8:15am Breakfast
- 9.30 Mindfulness and Meditation
- 11.15 am Optional snorkel outside Daku
- 1:00pm Lunch
- Free afternoon
- 5.00pm Meditation teachers' mentoring session
- 5:30pm Optional unguided meditation
- 6:00pm Happy Hour
- 7:00pm Dinner
Friday
- 7.00 – 7.50am Gentle yoga practice
- 8:15am Breakfast
- Guided snorkel trip
- 1:00pm Lunch at Daku Resort
- Free afternoon
- 4.30 Mindfulness and Meditation
- 6:00pm Happy Hour
- 7:00pm Final dinner