Cambodia Retreat
11-18 September 2027
Les Manguiers, Kampot
Be like the lotus.
Rise quietly.
Grow towards the light.
Bloom without permission.
Let your peace be so strong that mud cannot touch it.
Welcome to the Heart of the Lotus Retreat
Seven years ago Alexandra Gartrell began dreaming of bringing together her two great loves — yoga and Cambodia. Now, in partnership with Yoga Teacher Lisa Matthews of Illuminenation, that dream is beautifully and finally alive. Alexandra has spent more than three decades in deep relationship with Cambodia and its people, and it is this rare, lived intimacy that makes this retreat something entirely unlike any other.
Alexandra has carefully and lovingly curated every detail — from your first night's rest in Phnom Penh to the riverside sanctuary that will hold us in Kampot — so that you arrive not as a tourist, but as a welcomed guest of the land and its people. September is the end of the wet season in Cambodia, a magical time to be here: the rice fields are lush and green in the lead-up to harvest. Lotus flowers are blooming in the waterways, thriving in the wet conditions that follow the rainy season.
It is a place and a season that mirrors the very heart of what we will explore together — the ancient, luminous teaching that from the mud, the most beautiful things rise. Come and join us and catch the opening of the first petals of the lotus with the dawn light.
Lisa and Alexandra have been yoga buddies for 10 years, ever since they met met at a Community Centre class Lisa was offering in Selby. They had both recently relocated to the hills area, and Alexandra was Lisa’s only student for many weeks. They laughed and giggled their way through the class and have known and loved and each other since! With a shared love of beauty, philosophy and storytelling - they are truly excited to collaborate on this exciting new adventure together.
“Out of the murky mud of life grows the purely beautiful lotus flower, trusting in its own unfolding.”
A Journey from Mud to Blossom
Revered as the Flower of Life, the lotus symbolises enlightenment, purity and the remarkable journey from darkness to light. This retreat explores how we too can rise from the mud which mires human existence to share our unique radiance with the world.
We will draw upon the 'No Mud, No Lotus' teachings of the Buddhist monk and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, who spent much of his life in exile from his beloved Vietnam, teaching the lotus flower to remind us of the power of purity, rebirth, hope and resilience.
Join us for seven transformative days of yoga, meditation, and deep inquiry as we journey through the natural unfolding of the lotus—from seed to flower—discovering how each stage mirrors our own path of awakening and growth.
Heart of the Lotus
Alexandra’s intimacy with Cambodia has fundamentally changed her as a person:
Alexandra has been warmed by the petals of a thousand warm smiles.
Softened by the giggles of many silly slap stick moments in local markets.
Prized open by thousands of stories of women’s struggles.
Stripped raw by injustices so hard to bear.
Humbled by courage in the face of few choices.
Reminded of the power of listening to show people that they matter.
Inspired again and again and again by warm generosity and playfulness,
To open and soften, to care, to give and be full of thanks.
The Lotus Journey
Day 1 • Presence
We arrive into this sacred time together. Like the lotus seed settling into the water, we bring ourselves home to our body, to pause, breathe, and simply be. Through spaciousness and gentle practice, we begin to release what we've carried and allow ourselves to truly arrive.
Day 2 • Seeds
The pure potential of surrender. Seeds grow with water, sunshine and warmth. They need to be nurtured to unfold. We explore what we're planting in our lives—the intentions, the choices, the seeds we consciously sow—and learn to trust the conditions that allow growth.
Day 3 • Mud
We cultivate an open friendliness and presence with what is difficult. Through the wisdom of the Four Noble Truths, we explore the power and potential of what we can and cannot see—the trust required to transform suffering, the alchemy that occurs when we meet the mud with compassion rather than resistance. Here, at the bottom of the water, germination begins.
Day 4 • Growth
The seedlings take root, pushing down into the mud and beginning their rise toward the water's surface. We explore how growth often requires us to go deeper before we can rise, how our roots determine our resilience, and how we harness the nourishment around us for the journey ahead.
Day 5 • Flower
We blossom into our radiance. Having made the journey through darkness, the lotus emerges pristine, untouched by the mud that nourished it. We celebrate what it means to shine authentically, to offer our unique beauty to the world without attachment or pretense.
Day 6 • Pollinate
The lotus shares its gifts. Bees arrive, pollen spreads, and new seeds begin their journey. We explore contribution, generosity, and what it means to let our growth touch and nourish others—not through striving, but through the natural overflow of our own becoming.
The Yoga and Embodiment Practices
Morning Practices
Sunrise Slow Flow — luxurious, accessible movement to awaken the body with presence; strength, grace and grounding for the day ahead
Somatic Movement — gentle, intuitive body-led exploration to settle into sensation and reconnect with inner landscape
Pranayama & Breathwork — daily breath practices to regulate the nervous system, open the heart and cultivate inner stillness
Japa & Mantra — sacred sound as a gateway to presence; repetition as a practice of devotion and returning home to the self
Meditation — threaded through morning and afternoon practices; drawing on metta and heart-centred traditions, with teachings from the Heart Sutra and Lotus Sutra as a living guide to the nature of awareness and the open, boundless heart
Philosophical Inquiry
Living Philosophy — drawing from Buddhist, yogic and contemplative traditions, ancient wisdom moves through every practice, every teaching, every shared moment. Here, philosophy is not studied—it is lived, breathed and embodied throughout each day
Guided Inquiry & Contemplation — journalling and reflective practice anchored to each day's lotus theme, inviting the teachings to move from the mind into the marrow
Afternoon Practices
Extended Yin Yoga Sessions — long-held, deeply therapeutic practice to soften resistance, release held patterns and restore the flow of prana through the meridian and fascial body; each session mapped to the day's lotus theme
Restorative Yoga — supported, nourishing postures for deep rest and renewal
Yoga Nidra — guided yogic sleep for profound integration and restoration
Each day flows in natural harmony with the elements and the arc of the lotus journey—the rhythm of the day itself becoming part of the teaching.
Meet Your Guides
Alexandra Gartrell
Alexandra’s dream of sharing the beauty of Cambodia, the richness of what she has learnt and who she has become over her long history with the country began 7 years ago. Now, she is bringing together two of her loves: yoga and Cambodia. Alexandra has practiced yoga for more than two decades and completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2008, just before the birth of her son. On graduating Alexandra began to teach, as a new mother however, she chose to focus on her home practice. Eight years ago she started teaching again locally in the Dandenong Ranges where she lives. Alexandra brings together a unique intimacy with Cambodia and a love of yoga, which she finds to be a practice that always makes sense no matter what else is happening in life!
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Alexandra has been blessed by the amazing love and warmth of the Khmer people for more than half of her life! Crazy as that sounds, Alexandra’s curiosity to explore a country isolated from the west for more than a decade in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, and her readiness for adventure, led to her arrival in Phnom Penh in July 1992. The Cambodian peace agreement had been signed and 22,000 United Nations peacekeepers had started to arrive in the country. Alex felt it in her bones, a historic moment was unfolding around her, and she wanted to be a part of it. To be near it, to feel it from the inside out and the outside in. A month later Alexandra met her Khmer family in a local restaurant, began to teach English to her now sister and dear friend, who in turn began to teach her Khmer. Now, Alexandra’s fluency in Khmer is one of her proudest and most unexpected achievements!
Alexandra has returned to Cambodia again and again - as a Phd student, research consultant, disability inclusive development advisor, and more recently as leader of immersive study tours for university students. She is deeply passionate about returning the love, warmth and kindness that has been extended to her over and over and over again. The Khmer people have inadvertently taught Alexandra to hold life gently and lightly, to love as generously as the monsoonal rains, to express care as deeply and fully as the most pungent Khmer fermented fish, and to nurture those we love as though we are growing the most beautiful field of flowers or cooking the most delicious lemongrass and kaffir lime sour fish soup.
Alexandra’s love of Cambodia and the Khmer people has rewired her English heritage where love is too often held in close, unexpressed and not given the space to generously fill the evening sky like a beautiful sunset over the rice fields. Her intimacy with Cambodia has fundamentally changed her as a person.
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Bachelor of Economics (Social Sciences)(Hons), University of Sydney, 1995.
Doctor of Philosophy, Flying on Hope: The lived experience of disability in rural Cambodia. University of Melbourne 2004.
Yoga Teacher Training, College of Adult Education, Melbourne 2008.
Reiki Level 2, Melbourne, 2015
Advanced Diploma of Group Facilitation, Groupwork Australia, Melbourne 2023.
Evolve Yoga Mentorship, Melbourne 2025.
Lisa Matthews
Lisa is a Senior Yoga Teacher nestled in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges, Victoria.
A heartfelt, nurturing teacher and holder of space, Lisa leads immersive yoga retreats and teacher training programs across the globe, from Bali and Sri Lanka to East Africa and now Cambodia. Her specialised training programs in Yin Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork and Philosophy guide students into a deeper, more embodied relationship with practice and with themselves. Alongside her beloved partner John, she facilitates leadership and wellness retreats designed to support leaders in evolving deeply, both personally and professionally.
Her greatest achievement, she will tell you, is her three extraordinary grown sons.
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As an experienced yoga educator and former studio owner, Lisa brings decades of dedicated practice and a deeply loving presence to her multifaceted role in the yoga community. Her journey as a facilitator and host began during a transformative season at an ashram in India, where she first discovered her gift for holding sacred space — coordinating workshops, events and courses with the kind of care that makes people feel genuinely seen and welcomed.
That time in India shaped something essential in Lisa. It lives in the way she creates retreat experiences that invite people to come home — not to a place, but to themselves. Through the interwoven practices of mindfulness, meditation, movement and contemplation, she holds space for that quiet, profound return to what is most true and alive within us.
Teaching from a deep well of experience and insight, Lisa offers certified teacher training programs and a comprehensive mentoring program that provides ongoing support for both aspiring and experienced teachers. She guides with compassion, fostering a connected yoga community shaped by the sacred space principles that have shaped her own path.
Her commitment to making yoga accessible extends well beyond the studio. Lisa has served on the board of a nonprofit dedicated to bringing yoga to at-risk and underserved communities — because she believes the healing gifts of this practice belong to everyone.
With a genuine love for collaboration, Lisa works alongside inspiring co-facilitators across yoga, wellbeing and leadership — united by a shared commitment to transformation, deep learning, and the beautiful unfolding that happens when people are truly held.
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Yoga Australia registered Level 3 Senior Teacher
Yoga Alliance registered RYT 1500 Senior Teacher, ERYT 500+
Offers Yoga Alliance CEAS (continuing education certified courses)
Evolve Yin Teacher Training offered annually (in Bali)
Evolve Mentorship Program (6 months)
Creative Dance Teacher 300 hrs
Light Space Yoga 200 hr Teacher Training Program Faculty Teacher
Former Director of Yogahood Australia
Certificates in Holistic Counselling, Life Coaching, Chair Yoga and Meditation teaching
Trauma Informed Certificate Course, Sounds True
Lisa has had the absolute privilege of studying and training with many inspiring local and international teachers from a diverse range of yogic styles and traditions. As an experiential learner, life remains her greatest teacher. She is constantly expanding the boundaries of her own limitations so that she can be the most loving, compassionate and positive influence on the world around her in service of the highest good for humanity.
Your Sanctuary:
Les Manguiers, Kampot
Les Manguiers — The Mango Trees — is a place of Khmer warmth and hospitality. Tucked away on the eastern bank of the Kampot River, this sanctuary unfolds across 800 meters of lush mango groves where the land meets the slow, luminous curve of the river. Les Manguiers offers you the opportunity to experience the grounded rustic charm of Khmer riverside bungalows.
Owned and tended to with deep care by Jean Yves and Phear, a French-Khmer partnership, Les Manguiers mirrors the meeting of cultures at the heart of Kampot itself. It has the soul of a family home rather than a resort — unhurried, unpretentious, and quietly beautiful.
Traditional wooden stilt bungalows nestle among the trees, each simple and intimate, with private bathrooms and open balconies where you can sit with your morning tea and let rural Cambodia wash over you — birdsong, the soft lap of water, the rustle of leaves in the warm river breeze. From the wooden dining deck that floats over the water, you will watch the sun descend behind the Elephant Mountains in skies of rose and amber — a ritual that, over the course of our week together, will become quietly sacred.
This is not a polished luxury resort. It is something richer — an authentic encounter with Khmer culture, hospitality, the land and the river.
Here, the lotus blooms
not in spite of the mud,
but because of it.
A Taste of Kampot
Cambodia's culinary landscape is a feast for all the senses, and nowhere is this more beautifully expressed than in Kampot.
Here, the flavours of traditional Khmer cooking — fragrant with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and the region's world-famous pepper — mingle deliciously with the lingering influence of French colonial cuisine.
Fresh, natural produce arrives daily from the surrounding countryside and the colour-drenched local markets, where vendors spill over with tropical fruits, river fish, and hand-picked herbs. The town itself has blossomed into a haven for food lovers, with charming riverside cafes, family-run eateries, and creative kitchens that honour local ingredients with both reverence and flair.
Whether you are savouring a slow breakfast over the river, wandering the market stalls at your own pace, or sharing a long, languid dinner under the mango trees, food in Kampot is an experience of genuine nourishment — for the body, the senses, and the soul.
What’s Included
One night's arrival accommodation at a boutique hotel in Phnom Penh (11th September), including breakfast
Six nights' accommodation at Les Manguiers in Kampot, in your own single-occupancy Khmer bungalow among the mango groves
Three special lunches included as part of your retreat package*
Daily morning yoga and meditation, and afternoon yin, restorative and yoga nidra practices - all held on our beautiful wooden-floor verandah shala, overlooking the river and the Elephant Mountains
Breakfast and dinners of nourishing Khmer and international cuisine at the on-site restaurant, prepared from fresh local ingredients
Philosophical teachings and inquiry sessions drawing from the philosophy of the heart
Sunrise practices with views across the river to the Elephant Mountains
A visit to a local, naturally luxurious day spa
Opportunities to explore local culture and countryside — river kayaking and the ancient town of Kampot
The companionship of kindred seekers on this lotus path
*Generally lunches are not included — we warmly encourage you to wander to the nearby town and discover some of the local delicacies for yourself. These spontaneous moments of exploration often become among the most treasured of the journey.
Day Spa
This is a place to set aside time and be genuinely cared for, held in natural abundance and the warm attention of the local women who welcome you here.
Your experience centres on a herbal steam and body treatment using products made from pounded aromatic traditional medicinal roots. The proceeds from your all natural treatment flow directly into a social enterprise supporting community development and opportunities for rural Khmer women and their communities across Cambodia.
JOURNEY INTO YOUR LOTUS HEART
Join us for this deeply immersive 7 night journey.
This retreat is open to just 9 participants, ensuring an intimate, transformative experience.
**Early bird discount available for bookings made before 1st January 2027 to secure your space.
Payment plans available on request. **
Your Own Khmer Bungalow
(Single Occupancy)
Early bird - $3,150 (Book before 1 January 2027)
Standard - $3,450 (from 1 January 2027, until spaces are filled)
Every guest has their own traditional Khmer bungalow - your own private space among the mango trees, with the river close by.
Each bungalow has its own character. Some have one bed, some have two, and others have a spare room as well - so you may find yourself with a little extra space to spread out, journal or simply be. Bungalows are allocated in order of booking, so the earlier you secure your place, the more choice you'll have.
The Invitation
This retreat is for those who sense there is more—more depth, more beauty, more truth waiting to emerge. It's for anyone who feels the call to journey consciously through their own becoming, to meet both the mud and the blossom with equal reverence.
You don't need to be experienced in yoga or meditation. You simply need to be willing—willing to pause, to feel, to inquire, and to allow the ancient wisdom of the lotus to guide you home to yourself.
Come and allow Cambodia to inspire and hold you as you unfold.
