Winter Solstice Day Retreat
Sunday 21 June 2026, Amethyst Lodge, Hout Bay, Cape Town, 9am to around 4pm
Early Bird: ZAR 999 Normal Price ZAR 1250
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.
The turning point.
The moment the darkness stops growing and something shifts, quietly, without announcement, back toward the light.
For thousands of years humans have marked this day.
Gathered.
Let go of what the dark has been holding.
And moved, consciously, deliberately, into lighter days.
We felt it was the right day to gather.
Vayu is the Sanskrit word for wind.
For the breath that moves through all living things.
For the invisible force that connects the inner world to the outer one.
This is the first Vayu retreat. A small group. An honest day.
A chance to step out of the noise, move with the rhythms of the earth, and come back to yourself.
The Day
We begin together at Amethyst Lodge with some ceremonial cacao before heading into the mountains above Hout Bay for a morning hike to a waterfall.
Rada will lead us through the landscape, and when the moment calls for it, for some guided meditation, breathwork and gratitude practice along the way.
Nature has a way of doing half the work before you even begin.
On the way up we gather what we find, leaves, stones, flowers, bark, and build a mandala together at the waterfall.
A collective act of presence, creativity and intention.
No experience necessary.
Just attention.
At the Lodge using somatic breathwork and conscious connected breathing we work with the breath and observe what the body wants to release.
Creating space where there was tension.
Finding the stillness underneath the noise.
Michael will guide the journey, holding the space and beating the drum when the moment calls for it.
We sit in stillness, observe, relate, integrate, appreciate.
We prepare lunch together, something simple and nourishing in community.
We close with integration, time to sit with what arose, share if you want to, and carry something real back into your life.
We aim to finish around 4pm or whenever the moment arises.
We move to the rhythm of the earth and the solstice, and leave when called.
Whats Included
Gratitude practice with Cacao "Ceremony"
Morning hike to a waterfall in the Hout Bay mountains
Breathwork in nature
Mandala building with natural materials
Somatic Breathwork and Conscious Connected Breathwork journey
Community Lunch
Integration circle
Full day at Amethyst Lodge, Hout Bay
The Details
Sunday 21 June 2026
Location: Amethyst Lodge, 4A Garron Ave, Hout Bay, Cape Town, 7806
Start: 9am Finish: Around 4pm
Capacity: Spaces Limited Booking Essential
Early bird: R999 available until Tuesday 9 June
Full price: R1250 from Wednesday 10 June
Spots are limited by design.
Once 10 spots are filled that's it.
"Let's Connect" Whatsapp Link for bookings (+27 61 506 6480)
or alternatively email: michael@breathofchang.com
Enquiries to book to stay at Amethyst lodge before and after retreat please let us know
Is this for you?
You don't need any experience with breathwork, yoga or cacao ceremony. Only an open heart and mind
You just need to be willing to show up, for the day, for the practice, and for yourself.
This is for you if: You've been running on empty and need a genuine reset
You want to mark the solstice with something meaningful
You're curious about breathwork but haven't experienced it in a group setting
You're ready to let go of what the dark has been holding and move into lighter days
Your Hosts
Michael Lowman is a certified breathwork practitioner based in Cape Town.
For five seasons he ran The Yoga Shack in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka, a loved wellness space on the east coast of the island, where he worked with the breath, the body, movement, cacao and dance ceremonies and the ice bath with thousands of people from around the world.
Before that and in between, he spent five years sailing on boats across oceans, including a full Atlantic crossing, which has a way of teaching you things about presence, trust and the nervous system that no classroom can replicate.
When he's not in a session you'll find him in the ocean, surfing, body surfing, free diving or cold water swimming.
Occasionally you'll find him with a hula hoop on fire.
Both are legitimate forms of nervous system regulation and he will defend that position.
He is also a former admitted attorney with a Master's in Environmental Management from UCT, which is his way of saying he came to this work as a sceptic, tested everything on himself first, and only teaches what he knows to be true.
Simple to learn. Hard to live. Chang through the breath.
Rada Binovska has partnered with Mike to organise this retreat. She is a newly certified Breathwork Practitioner, trained with Bodhi Breath, and a multi-creative whose work spans writing, art, community building, travel, and event creation.
An author, occasional artist, organiser, people-connector, and instigator of numerous projects, journeys, and gatherings, Rada has always been passionate about bringing people together in meaningful ways.
She owns a boutique travel design and concierge business and is a qualified guide with more than a decade of experience in the luxury travel industry. Her work has taken her across Southern and South-East Africa, creating bespoke experiences and facilitating transformative journeys for travellers from around the world.
Cape Town has been a lifelong passion. Its extraordinary natural beauty, environmental harmony, mountains, oceans, and wild spaces hold a special place in her heart.
This retreat represents the first step in weaving together her diverse life experiences into a new offering, one dedicated to creating authentic human connection, fostering a deeper relationship with nature, and nurturing a community built on genuine wealth, mutual support, and love.
Through breathwork, shared experiences, and conscious connection, Rada hopes to help create spaces where people can move beyond the ordinary and rediscover what truly matters.
This Winter Solstice Retreat is small by design. The work requires space, presence and trust.
That doesn't happen in a crowd.
Breathe. Reset. Realign.
Guided by the rhythm of earth, fire, water, and wind, our retreats follow the ancient cycle of the seasons.
The Winter Solstice Retreat marks the longest night of the year, a natural invitation to turn inward, release what no longer serves, and meet the returning light with intention.
Through conscious breathing practices, movement, stillness, and shared experience, we create space to reset physically, mentally, and emotionally.
As the earth rests, so do you.
This is not an escape from life, but a return to presence.
Breathe. Reset. Realign.
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