Meditation, contemplation and retreats in Australia

People use "spiritual" practice to mean many things. This page describes, in plain terms, the main meditation and contemplative traditions practised in Australia, how classes and retreats typically run, and what to ask before booking, with a state-by-state directory of long-running meditation and retreat centres.

This is a free, non-commercial reference page. It is general information only and is not health advice. It makes no claims about health effects of any practice. Anyone with a health concern should see a registered health practitioner. This page is not affiliated with any centre or organisation listed, and listing is not an endorsement or recommendation. It sells nothing. Check current details with each organisation's own website before booking.

The guide

What the main practices are, where they come from, how sessions and retreats are usually organised, and how to find a group.

Meditation: a family of practices

"Meditation" covers many different practices that come from different religious and philosophical traditions. Most involve sitting (and sometimes walking) while directing attention in a particular way, such as to the breath, to bodily sensations, to a word or phrase, or to a visualisation. Each tradition has its own aims, vocabulary and teachers, so it helps to know which tradition a centre follows before you go.

Vipassana (as taught by S.N. Goenka)

Vipassana centres in this lineage teach in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin as taught by S.N. Goenka. Courses are residential and ten days long, running from the evening of arrival to the early morning of departure, and are led by assistant teachers using Goenka's recorded instructions and discourses. Students keep "noble silence" until the last full day, hand in phones and other devices, stay within the grounds and follow a timetable that starts with a 4:00 am wake-up bell and runs to about 9:30 pm. Simple vegetarian meals are provided. The Australian centres state that there is no charge for teaching, food or accommodation, and that costs are covered by donations from past students.

Zen

Zen is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition centred on zazen (seated meditation). Groups usually meet weekly for periods of zazen, sometimes with walking meditation in between, and hold half-day sittings (zazenkai) and multi-day silent retreats called sesshin. Several Australian Zen communities, including the Sydney Zen Centre, are affiliated with the Diamond Sangha, a lay lineage founded by Robert Aitken Roshi.

Tibetan Buddhist and other Buddhist centres

Tibetan Buddhist centres typically combine study of Buddhist texts with meditation, chanting and ceremonies (pujas), often led by a resident Tibetan teacher and monastic community; Chenrezig Institute in Queensland, for example, is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Theravada forest monasteries offer silent retreats that mix sitting and walking meditation, chanting in Pali and Dhamma talks, and usually run on donations (dana). Other centres, such as those of the Triratna Buddhist Community and Fo Guang Shan-affiliated temples, run evening classes, day retreats and weekend retreats open to beginners.

Mindfulness: the secular stream

Much of what is now called "mindfulness" in workplaces and courses traces to a secular eight-week programme (known as MBSR) developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the late 1970s. It draws on Zen and Theravada Buddhist practice, hatha yoga and other sources, but is taught without religious content. The standard format is an eight-week course of weekly group classes, an all-day session usually held in silence, and daily home practice with guided recordings. Many later mindfulness courses borrow this structure.

Contemplative and prayer traditions across faiths

Most religions have their own contemplative practices. In Christianity these include the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola, offered by Jesuit retreat centres as silent directed retreats of a few days up to the full 30-day Exercises; Benedictine monastic life, where guests stay at a monastery and may join the community's rhythm of prayer; and Christian meditation as taught by the World Community for Christian Meditation, whose groups meet for a short teaching, about 30 minutes of silent meditation and time for sharing. Raja Yoga meditation, taught by the Brahma Kumaris, is another example with its own centres in Australia. Other faiths, including Judaism, Islam and Hinduism, have their own contemplative traditions, usually taught through local congregations and communities.

Retreats: day, weekend and residential

A day retreat is usually a structured day of guided sessions, meals and periods of silence, with no overnight stay. Weekend retreats add one or two nights' accommodation, often shared or dormitory-style. Residential retreats run from several days to several weeks and are often fully silent, with a fixed timetable, simple (usually vegetarian) meals, limits on phones and reading, and an expectation that you stay for the whole retreat. Costs range from donation-only to set daily fees that include meals and accommodation, so check what is included before booking.

Community groups and classes

If a residential retreat is a big first step, most traditions also run weekly classes or sitting groups in cities and regional towns, often in a temple, church hall, community centre or online. These are usually an hour or two, low-cost or donation-based, and a common way to get to know a tradition and its teachers before committing to a longer retreat.

What to bring and how to prepare

Centres publish their own guidance, but common items are loose, comfortable clothing in layers, a shawl or blanket for sitting, a torch for rural sites, toiletries and any regular medication. Some centres provide cushions and bedding; others ask you to bring your own. Many ask applicants to complete a form in advance and to mention any dietary, medical or accessibility needs, and some expect you to read and agree to a code of conduct before you arrive.

Directory

Long-running Australian meditation and retreat centres from several traditions, grouped by state. Each entry was checked against its own website.

What is listed. Only centres whose own website could be fetched and checked are included. Descriptions are limited to what each centre's own site states. The list is not complete, is in no particular order within each state, and leaves out many good local groups.

Not an endorsement. Listing is not a recommendation, and this page is not affiliated with any centre below. Programmes, costs and booking rules change, so confirm current details directly with each centre.

Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement. Links are to official websites as published at the time of checking.

Questions to ask before booking a retreat

Plain questions worth asking any retreat centre or organiser before you commit, especially for a residential or silent retreat.

What does it cost, what is included, and what are the refund and cancellation terms, in writing?

Some retreats are donation-only, others charge a daily rate. Get the total, what it covers (meals, accommodation, teaching) and the cancellation terms in writing before you pay anything.

Who leads the retreat, and what is their training and background?

Ask which tradition or lineage the teacher trained in, for how long, and who they are accountable to. Established centres can usually answer this plainly.

What does a typical day involve?

Ask for the timetable: wake-up time, hours of sitting, meal times, rest periods and any work duties. A 4:00 am start and ten hours of sitting is very different from a gentle weekend.

What are the rules on silence, phones, reading and leaving early?

Many retreats ask you to hand in your phone, keep silence and stay for the full programme. Know this beforehand, and ask how someone can reach you in an emergency.

Can you meet my dietary, medical and accessibility needs?

Ask about meals, sleeping arrangements (shared rooms, bunks, stairs), the sitting options available, and whether the site is suitable for your mobility. Many centres ask you to disclose these needs on the application form.

Is the centre affiliated with a wider organisation or religious tradition?

Knowing the affiliation (for example a Buddhist lineage, a religious order or a secular course provider) tells you what will be taught and gives you somewhere to raise concerns.

Is there an application form or code of conduct to agree to?

Longer and silent retreats often require an application and agreement to a code of discipline. Read it before applying so there are no surprises on arrival.

About this page

spiritualhealth.com.au is a free, non-commercial reference page published by Radiant Life Distributors Pty Ltd, Adelaide. It is independent and not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any centre, religious organisation or teacher listed. Listings are not endorsements or recommendations, and inclusion is free; no centre has paid to appear. The page is general information only, not health advice. Information was checked against each organisation's own website in October 2026; programmes, costs and rules change, so confirm current details with the organisations linked above.