Gaelle Pettifer

I’m pretty happy to be back on my walks and to have the weather turn towards the end of Winter so I have time sitting in the gardens in Mansfield.

The cold hits me directly and I suffer not only physically as it goes deeeeeeep into my bones but mentally I struggle when it’s cold. I just don’t do well! This winter hasn’t been as bad as others thankfully, but uncomfortable enough to almost hold my breath for 3 months!!

Anyway with Spring firmly in the air and Surya’s warmth against my skin once again, I feel rejuvenation taking place! Hey and right behind me in my usual place of grass residence, they’ve planted a gum tree, so they’ll be some shade soon enough.

How are you doing, does Winter give you the blues too? Gx

When creating the altar for sessions I share, I usually begin with what’s in the garden.

I like a centre candle on a holder that gives it some lift. Making sure there are different heights and density to the arrangement is enough to hold the intention of inviting an example of nature’s sacred existence.

There were plenty of earth altars during Mama + Me camp to infuse the simplicity and welcoming essence of nature’s gifts to the camp goers. Check out for what she made in the afternoon session and contact Mel to book into the next one!

Mantras seep deeply into the spaces of the body and if space is not present, mantras will encourage them to be there.

Why is space so important? It’s where the flow occurs. When you’re jammed up, resistant, immovable or stuck, we need space so that sustenance, nutrition and of course the rasa of love can be enjoyed.

Here at the end of the session at Mama + Me Camp, Mum’s and their girls curled up and gave space for allowance of care, soothement and connection to take place. Meanwhile the peace vibes soaked into the space they created thanks to their softness of acceptance.

Mama + Son Camp is in October if you’d like to encourage this kind of experience with your boy!

Sacred sound has a profound effect on how we connect.

Remembering our connection to nature wraps us up into the creative power that propels us to interact from our deep inner truth of peace.

During Mama + Me Camp, the power of sound calmed the entire group towards feeling into the presence of peace. One girl even expressed how she remained quiet and engaged the whole session which was contrary to her usual state of being.

Calmness is the anchor for growth and the reverberation of mantra, harmonium, singing bowls and chimes was enough to make incredible change!

I’m thrilled to be part of the next Mama Camp, so reach out to if you’re interested in attending one with your child or even better, a camp for Mamas to fully sink into retreat!

One of the ways we utilised peaceful practices at Mama + Me Camp was the benefit of using appropriate physical touch.

I briefly took the girls through a couple of techniques I teach on my Restorative Yoga With Massage Training. This was to give them ways to be able to approach and have closeness with their Mum in a way that would develop connection, something we often lack in interactions these days.

The ways the Mums were really able to feel the gentleness of their daughters was beautiful and the girls expressed how it felt being able to give Mum caring attention.

In the rush to achieve, to get things done and to keep on top of things, we often let the natural interactions of checking in with each other pass. Here we can see how important moments of calm are in providing us with an environment where depth in relationships can develop.

These images were taken last weekend at Mama + Me Camp and over the next few days I’ll showcase the incredible opportunity I was given to share peaceful practices with the participants!

I began the session personally welcoming each Mum and Daughter, smudging them with a mixture of herbs and resins to provide a sacred context for the time we were spending together.

Smudging clears the energy of spaces and as the smoke settled and permeates it creates a protective layer of intention and care.

After the welcoming ceremony we all went inside and sat with the intention of calm as Mel introduced the session and I opened with an incantation before we began our mantra circle.

It’s very special to have these images documenting our time together as I’m always the one behind the camera or involved with presenting, thank you Mel and your wonderful daughter and team for making me so welcomed!

I found this picture from the retreat I ran in Bali in November 2019. It was a time when momentum with retreats and trainings was building and I felt the promise of an assured year ahead was in place. It was a great feeling to have as opposed to the struggles I had as a single parent trying to get through each day.

Then hit the hideous bushfires that cancelled the first retreat planned for January 2020, the lockdown killed the 2nd retreat for June and after assembling the largest number of trainees for 350hr YTT, my teacher training group disintegrated.

I didn’t recover. Lockdowns impacted my mental health severely and it took absolutely drastic measures on my part to change how I was.

I spent a long time in India and almost the same amount of time in Bali and those collected experiences alongside studying the principles of Ayurveda, Yoga and Meditation, I have been in the deepest healing immersion of my life.

If you’ve read this far, you might be interested to know I am considering running a retreat in Bali next year. This retreat will include daily classes with asana, mantra, meditation and will have plenty of free time to soak the atmosphere of secluded jungle luxury. Excursions will also include a visit to a water temple for purification and renewal. Pricing will be @$3k+ each.

This will be an opportunity to build awareness and practices that can and will, sustain health and wellbeing.

Side note, I’m also wondering if I’ll run a 5 day training the week before. I’ll only move forward if there is a glimmer of interest!

This is the earth altar mandala created for yesterday’s Mama + Me camp on the Mornington Peninsula.

The mandala is an opportunity for recognition of Divine bounty and wonder. It was mostly put together as everyone came in for the session so hopefully it became an example of how simple they can be to put together and how impactful they are in establishing a quality of how special moments spent in communion is.

My favourite flower of all time, Daphne got a sweet look in for this expression along with native greenery, lavender, rose, gerbras and gorgeous white jonquils and mandarins for darshan.

The girls and their mamas got to choose the flowers and greens they wanted to have as keepsakes at the end of the session in a lesson of how cyclic patterns of creation, experience and endings are part and parcel of all that we do.

I hope to have images of the session in process soon with a deeper exploration of the connections we made.

The honour I feel in being able to share practices of peace with others is unexplainable. The wellbeing of who we are is always in development, as it is with me, so thank you Mel for asking me to come back and offer space for practices of calm!

The mantra I opened the session with as an incantation is the one you are listening to now, Gx

The colours of our landscape always astonish me and I’ve represented many times the textures and illuminances that have captured my attention.

The time spent on the beach last week was a connected one. Walking along the boardwalks didn’t draw me to anything other than the activity, but having time to gather the senses and engage, well that had impact.

Back in the coziness and ongoing freshness of the Mansfield winter, I’m happily returning to established routines.

Yesterday I had the privilege of holding mentor space for the and in a couple of weeks I’ll be presenting a session for These connections hold special places in my heart and I’m very grateful for their trust! Most days though are spent studying with as I discover the incredible gift to life that Ayurveda is.

In the meantime, school goes back tomorrow and I’ll have preciously held time with my sweet son in the car!

Gx

My sojourn on the Central Coast has ended with a meandering day along the local coast line with .

Mantras, cuppas, incense, candles, tarot readings, yoga, crocheting and knitting arvos, has made my birthday week worth the train trip up here!

It’s been a long while since making Humble Chai, I think it was around 2018/9 that I used to sell it.

Since spending time with Marissa this past week, we’ve been developing brews for Ayurvedic health and also made up a delicious Golden Milk concoction for our night time drink along with the chai which is brilliant for the afternoon!

Studying Ayurveda has me back in the kitchen happily and is healing the time I have spent away from it. Creating spice mixes and healing tonics that can be simply consumed, creates a gateway towards wellbeing that’s easily attainable in small increments!
Gx

Happy 58 Birthdays to me!

Thankful for a sea breeze and sun warmth for this day. A yoga class and tasty lunch is always a good way to pass the time and that’s what ventured out for today!

RESTORATIVE YOGA WITH MASSAGE TRAINING

I’m seeking interest to run this training for you. It will be 3 days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Mansfield and I’m looking at the beginning of August.

The healing possible through appropriate touch and pressure is scientific and literally palpable. The matrix of information running through the body will respond to authentic care and compassion when it is provided in a safe and reliable space and this is what I teach.

You will learn a series of restorative poses and how to approach each person with individual attention through massage pressure.

No prior experience is necessary, you do not even have to be a yoga teacher. You can use these techniques on friends and family, integrate them into skills you already have or truly scale up your yoga classes!!

I am taking a wait list now as the interest and enquiries build, so please let me know if you’d like to attend. Gx

Would you like to be part of a nurturing Women’s Circle and Restorative Session?

I have a session brewing in my heart, (which is where they begin) that centres around coming together to build confidence around decision making, (or intuition as it’s known!).

We would share food, share our voices and have time to rest deeply in the company of each other support.

I’m considering 2.5hr-3hrs is better than 2hrs because I always misjudge timeframes and I want you to truly feel seen, heard and understood.

If this would interest you, I will give you a discount if you bring a friend. Historically I’m very sensitive to collecting numbers to attend offerings. I’m bound by algorithms and target audiences seeing what’s on offer, so to assist the process, I will pass the gratitude on to you!

For those of you who know I am studying Ayurveda, I have just successfully passed my mid year exam!!!!

You may already know that I put cardamom in my coffee to counter act the bitterness which is not good for my constitution, today I’m adding a wee stick of cinnamon too.

Spices change what is difficult for our digestion and cinnamon adds some digestive sweetness and fire to my daily cup… cardamom is the non negotiable though, have you tried it?

When I made silver and gem jewellery in India I bathed each piece in the holy Ganga River before selling them.

This mala I created spent time in a little tributary that makes its way to the Delatite River. I chanted a mantra in the mist of the bush to develop its energy.

I have enough to create 4 more of these mala beads.

They have the most beautiful Rudraksha in them. They’re smooth and delicate and feel amazing between your fingers or around your neck. There are counter beads made from Rhodonite and a Turquoise guru bead.

If you’d like a mala made for you do let me know, I would love to infuse the power of peace into one for you too!

Savouring the warmth of the room and the nature inspired colours of the props today as it’s nearly 2 weeks since we shared our Day Retreat in Mansfield.

Apart from making our own mala beads which has been a beautiful way to connect with the Divine, we also individually made up our own essential oil roll on.

Using oils that create warmth for this winter period, we developed our medicine as we smelt and felt into what we would need in terms of the over all balance of scent.

Using mine every day, not only keeps me connected to the women who attended the retreat, but also to the intention behind it which was to feel supported and cared for.

Small acts of intention allows for moments of presence and that helps with life! What do you do to stay grounded and connected to your spirit?

Textures of my day.

Grounded, exposed and airy, a bit like me! I remember coming back after my first trip abroad and being wowed by the colours of Australia. I had my Irish boyfriend with me and showing him the bush was exhilarating for me, although probs not so much for him, he was a bit of fish outside his fishbowl!

The textures and colours that surround me are always something that not only inspire me, but connect me to that which is beyond the day to day tasks. They remind me of graceful being.

A dose of sweetness!

Returning from my trip to the bush the other day where I recorded a japa mantra by the river for the Welcoming Winter retreaters, the afternoon sun was glowing with these beauties.

I wheelied the ute around and went back to say hello and capture their curiosity.

Cows are sacred mothers in India. They are given free will on where they walk and are cared for like children if they have a specific home. I watched a very humble boy care for his cows each morning and night for a month when I was there in 2022. His admiration and dedication to the duty he undertook in the ownership of his cows was remarkable.

There is a graciousness in the reverence of love.

RESTORATIVE YOGA WITH MASSAGE TRAINING.

I’ve been approached by a couple of people to take this training again so I’m wondering if you might be interested?

It is held over 3 days Friday-Sunday and includes a sequence you can use and adapt for specialised group sessions, general yoga classes or 1:1 work.

As a qualified yoga teacher trainer and massage/body worker with 28 years experience, I have crafted a training and workbook that will immediately add value to what you already offer.

Contact me if you’re curious!

Big shout out as always to my models and .collective who stepped in for the pics when I first put the manual together in early 2019. I’ve been teaching this as a stand alone offering and as part of my 350hr teacher training since 2015, 10 years of peaceful bliss!

Ahh the nectar of Cacao!

On retreat last Sunday we all took turns in grinding the spices in the mortar and pestle and every one took part in the carving of the cacao which I had bought back with me and was made from raw cacao beans in Bali.

At the stove, I added the ghee, some maple syrup and a wee bit of vanilla, an extra dose of spice mix, some water and almond milk. We sprinkled with the edible rose petals for true ceremonial power and drank to our peaceful intentions.

There was enough for some take home packages too so the reinvigoration of connecting to calm practices could be reinfused later.

In our Welcoming Spring Retreat on Sun 25 August, we will be making Chai from scratch, yep, my fave bevvie (after coffee made with cardamom), let me know if you’d like to be a part of a day of peaceful practices!

After being approached to run Women’s Circles, Restorative Sessions and embodied Yoga Classes, I thought I’d let you know that I’m open to travel to your studio, your girls weekend or to your retreat, to hold connection and space.

Whatever the session is i facilitate, peace, calm and opening to your incredible individual qualities is at the heart.

My yoga classes are soulful and embodied. We don’t rush through poses, we feel into every morsel of who we are and express through quality movements, stillness and breath.

Women’s Circles can include voice activation and singing, intuition practices and sharing held stories.

Restorative Yoga with Massage and Sacred Sound is an opportunity for participants to experience being cared for like never before, where your deep self is nourished and appreciated.

Om Circles lift our hearts together as we harmonise our spirits with Mantra

And of course my signature training since taking a break from leading 350hr teacher training is the 3 day training for Restorative Yoga with Massage.

Interested in Sound Healing! I also run a day training in creating Sound Stories, another well loved training where you learn the science of sound, the use of sound bowls, Chimes, drums, shakers, etc. to develop a soundscape to use during Savasana or as a backdrop to a yoga class or just to enjoy for peaceful gatherings.

I encourage you to contact me or pass on my details to those who might be interested!
Gaelle 0447 550 994
[email protected]

Sunday’s Welcoming Winter Women’s Day Retreat was sooooooo soulful and nourishing, I can’t even begin to explain it.

What a beautiful studio we got to retreat within, ’Yoga in Mansfield’ was the ideal environment and all the incredible food we shared was all cooked onsite making our time together like a cocoon of love.

Not all who attended are taggable so generally this is a shout out to the women who want deep connection. It’s a thank you to women who desire something other than being on the everyday treadmill. It’s acknowledgement of women who are prepared to step in towards healing and resetting how their body operates.

Welcoming SPRING Women’s Day Retreat is going ahead for Sunday 25 August 2024. If you want in on this incredible experience, I’m ready to lock in payments to ensure your attendance!

Eye pillows aren’t something a lot of yoga teachers use I’ve noticed as I’ve looked into studio spaces and kits other teachers have, but for me they’re imperative.

Anyone who has been to one of my trainings knows the respect I give to eye pillows, there’s an art to their application and also to how they’re cared for and stored.

I made a whole new bunch of them (I reckon I’ve easily made over 200 in my time of supplying them to studios and selling them to practitioners), for this Sunday’s Day Retreat for Women.

Why do I think they’re important? They act as support for introspection during Savasana and provide moments of Pratyahara, (which is withdrawal of the senses). A yoga class invites the practitioner to involve the action of our 5 senses, so when it’s time to be in Co**se Pose, the comfort of the eye pillow, assists with the action of being quiet in mind, body and spirit, which also is an action. Too often we are expected to switch between actions without truly considering what that actually means.

Savasana isn’t the reward of a yoga class, a proficient teacher will lead you in the pose like any other and I find that props, (which I love), such as eye pillows, really add to the total experience!

A rare sighting of my one and only on the camera!

Our walk through the bush encouraged discussions around ways to spend time together in nature more often. The sounds, the beauty, the peace, the wonder, oh gosh the wonder of it all filled up our senses and returned us to town later with its tranquility deep within.

Time spent in nature has been so healing for me and most days I am drawn to spend time with her one to one, it’s like she welcomes me back and says, ‘how are you today?’ My reply is always, ‘so much better now, thank you.’ There is something like a relief in being returned to the spaces of peace that open the spaces within to calmness!

I bought back these gorgeous cups and the cacao from my last trip overseas. I’d already begun planning our upcoming day retreat while I was there and knew I wanted to make sharing the brew a special part of making sacred intentions.

We’ll be making the drink together, chopping up the hardened cacao paste and grinding the spices that we’ll add to enrich the flavour and the potency of the concoction.

With just a week now to go until our peaceful time together, be sure to reach out if you’d like to join us next Sunday, x

To attend next weekend’s Women’s Day Retreat you don’t need to know how to do yoga or meditate, don’t need to ever have chanted a mantra before or sat in circle with women before.

The purpose for me during this retreat is to lead you to the core of your being through movement, food nourishment, focussed activities, restorative practices and inner harmony through the sharing of our voices.

What you’ll receive throughout the day are ways to deeply embody your true essence of peace. You will be honoured, heard, attended to, seen, appreciated and served, woman to woman, heart to heart and I welcome your attendance.

Sun 19 May 8am-5pm $375 all inclusive. DM me for details at attend, x

‘Yoga in Mansfield’ is a beautiful studio space in the High Country town where incidentally, I opened my 2nd yoga studio back in 2000!

This gorgeously appointed space is where we will be gathering for our Welcoming Winter Women’s Day Retreat in just a week and half!

The floors are engineered oak, the very same I put in my NSW cottage renovation in 2020, so I really like them! Adding to the delight is that some of the walls have been artistically painted adding to my absolute happiness in the energy output it imbues. It is flourished with plants which echoes my last yoga space in Albury NSW and so all in all, I’m thrilled to be offering our retreat here in the heart of Mansfield VIC.

If you’re interested in more info about the retreat, please let me know! Alternatively, if you’re local and you’d be interested in regular classes with me, send me a message!!

Do asanas need to be difficult for them to be fruitful?

With extensive trainings in Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Massage, Meditation and Music (and I do mean extensive) my reasoning for teaching asana over the past 28 years has definitely changed.

The answer I would provide is no, asana practice does not need to be difficult. My interest now is in the embodiment of our true self. Beneath the Noise was the name of my podcast a few years ago and the sentiment remains. Who are we when it’s just us, with a deep intention for meaningful connection and practices that reveal our truth, who are we?

During our Women’s Day Retreat there will be a portion of our time together, whilst the cacao is brewing, that we will move to embody who we are. You don’t need to have experience because you most likely won’t have attended a class like this before. It’s for you, as a woman, to appreciate how amazing you are without labels, job titles or expected responsibilities. It will be a time for you to breathe into who you are.

If you are interested in a day to embody yourself as a woman with immense value, let me know, I’d love to have you join us!

Wooohooo, the countdown has begun until our Women’s Day Retreat in Mansfield begins.

What an enriching day is planned for you to enjoy being nourished and cared for. Far from being a quick fix, this day is the antidote for daily living pressures and a way to completely allow the benefits of calmness to override common stresses.

I’m very happy taking payment plans for those who wish to use this option and welcome any questions you have regarding the day!