The Circle Program
Opening Ceremony and Welcome to Country
10am - 10.30am, free session
As the day begins, the community gathers in a gentle circle to arrive, breathe and set shared intentions for the hours ahead. We take this moment to give thanks to the local Dja Dja Wurrung people, and any visiting First Nations People, who have cared for, protected and nurtured these lands for thousands of years, and continue to do so today.
Our sound healers will open the space, offering a soft, resonant welcome that settles the body and invites presence. Together, we acknowledge the purpose for which we are gathering: to learn, to listen, to move, to heal, and to contribute to a festival held with heart.
Cultivate Health
and Harmony with Qigong
10.30am - 11am, free session
Explore the ancient Chinese art of Qigong - a powerful practice for cultivating “Qi”, our vital life force energy. Through gentle, flowing movements, mindful breath, self-applied massage and meditation, Qigong encourages the harmonious flow of energy throughout the body, supporting balance and wellbeing of body, mind and spirit. Come and experience this beautiful practice to discover how Qigong can help you cultivate greater vitality and harmony in everyday life.
Michelle Teunon is a Qigong teacher and Kinesiologist with over 15 years’ experience sharing Qigong as a powerful pathway to greater health and wellness on all levels. Michelle discovered Qigong after seeking solutions for years of chronic pain following a car accident - it changed her life and has created a deep passion for sharing this ancient wisdom to help others reconnect with their own innate vitality and
cultivate greater health, harmony and wellbeing.
Introduction to
Body-Mind Centering®
11.10am - 11.40am, free session
This session will offer an introduction to Body-Mind Centering® (BMC®), through guided movement improvisation, and gentle and playful embodied inquiry. Body-Mind Centering® is a somatic practice based on the embodiment of anatomical and developmental movement principles. Through utilising a body-based language, body-systems can be explored with applications including movement, voice, touch, breathwork. As a practice Body-Mind Centering® can increase ease of movement, explore re-patterning possibilities, offer opportunities for mindfulness and relaxation, or for creative inquiry.
‘In Body-Mind Centering® we are the material, our bodies and minds the medium of our exploration. We are each the study, the student, the teacher.’ Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen, founder Body-Mind Centering®
Mandy Field is a somatic movement educator and therapeutic arts practitioner based in Castlemaine, Djaara Country, and facilitates weekly Somatic Movement Labs, monthly workshops and individual sessions.
Slow Flow Yoga
with Love Tribe Yoga
11.50am - 12.20pm, free session
A gentle, beginner-friendly yoga practice centred around grounded, mindful movement and breath. Moving slowly and with intention, this nourishing practice invites you to soften, settle and reconnect with your body. No previous yoga experience needed, just come as you are.
Love Tribe Yoga is a small, intimate yoga shala at The Mill in Castlemaine. We offer multiple classes every day, with a wide range of practices including Flow, Slow Flow, Hatha, Restorative, Yin and Yoga Nidra. Our teachers each bring their own experience, knowledge and approach, creating a diverse offering with something for everyone, from complete beginners to experienced practitioners.
The shala itself is designed as a place to slow down and settle. From the moment you walk through the doors, soft lighting, calming scents, beautiful props and a simple, uncluttered space invite you to leave the outside world behind and turn your attention inward.
Improv Theatre Movement with Julieta Mateo
12.30pm - 1pm, free session
A lively 30‑minute community ensemble session led by Julieta Mateo, inviting you to discover the joy of being fully present. Through simple improv exercises grounded in play, collaboration and support, you’ll explore listening, saying “yes,” generating ideas, taking risks and building collective agreement. This complimentary session is designed to help you loosen up, step outside your comfort zone, and express yourself with confidence - all while having fun and connecting with others.
Julieta Mateo is a movement practitioner from Argentina via Spain, passionate about life, embodiment and the art of being present. She is a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner through the Australian Guild and a qualified Yoga Teacher with more than fifteen years of experience teaching with awareness, across Hatha, Classical and Vinyasa traditions.
Play is at the heart of her work. Julieta is devoted to sharing and exploring new perspectives that help people reconnect with instinct, curiosity and inner freedom, ultimately supporting a better quality of life through embodied practice.
Hatha Yoga with Renée
1.50pm - 2.20pm, free session
Feel strong, spacious, centred and serene. Slow flowing sequences and gently held postures allow space for a powerful enrichment of connection between body, mind and breath.
Students will be encouraged to foster an enjoyment of inhabiting their own unique bodies exploring mindful movement and relaxation techniques. Suitable for all levels of experience.
This session is proudly presented by FOLK Gym is a new all-inclusive space opening soon in Castlemaine.
Renée Willner
www.instagram.com/indiyoga_therapies
FOLK Gym Instagram
Festival reflections with the Director and the Heart Trust
2.30pm - 3pm, free session, everyone invited
As the festival day begins to settle into its golden glow, the community is invited to gather for a gentle, reflective conversation held between our Director and members of our Heart Trust. This shared moment offers space to acknowledge the wonderful practitioners who have joined this event, the energy woven throughout the day, the workshops, the connections, the quiet breakthroughs, the laughter, the courage, and the collective intention that shaped the inaugural Golden Wellness Festival.
Together, we will explore what it means to build a festival rooted in care, reciprocity and community wellbeing, honouring the many hands and hearts that brought this vision to life. This closing reflection is an opportunity to pause, breathe and recognise the impact of what has unfolded, a celebration of the trust, creativity and shared humanity that made Golden come alive. A warm gathering before the Closing Ceremony begins.