THE ART OF REST — A REST RESIDENCY IN Japan
4 nights / 5 days — Kitakaruizawa, Japan
1 to 5 December 2026
There is a version of Japan that most people never slow down enough to find.
It is quieter than you expect. Softer. The forest in early December still holds the last of its colour, layers of amber and gold and that particular red that does not look real until you are standing inside it.
And then the onsen. Mineral water sourced from a volcano. The kind that leaves your skin genuinely different.
Five days in a private villa in Kitakaruizawa. Ninety minutes from Tokyo. Ancient forest. Volcanic hot springs. A tiny group of women.
This is Japan from the inside.
What these five days actually feel like
You arrive in your own time. The villa is already warm. The forest is already waiting.
Mornings begin with breath and the particular silence of Japanese winter forest at dawn. Local tea held in both hands. The steam from the onsen rising into cold air. Gentle movement that asks nothing of you except to arrive in your body.
Days unfold slowly. Forest bathing walks through mossy trails and layered colour. Long afternoons sitting among the trees with nowhere to be. A creative workshop with a local craftsman where you make something with your hands that carries this place home with you. Sound sessions where Himalayan bowls are placed on the body and the vibration reaches somewhere that words cannot.
Evenings soften into sound and stillness. Locally sourced seasonal Japanese meals eaten slowly around a shared table. Conversations that only happen when everyone has finally stopped rushing.
And the onsen. Again and again. Because once you have soaked in water that has travelled up through volcanic rock for centuries, everything else feels like it can wait.
"I don't even know where to start. What Zara created was something I didn't know I needed until I was in it.
I've been back home for a while now and I'm still using what I learnt. The practices have quietly become part of my everyday. That doesn't happen after most experiences.
My only wish was that it was longer.
The attention to detail, the pace, the way the whole retreat was held, it was clear that every single element was considered. I felt genuinely cared for from the moment I arrived."
Alexia - Guest from The Art of Rest Retreat 2025“I was going through a rough time and was under a lot of stress before attending the retreat with Zara. the retreat was out of this world! zara is sweet and considered all details. it was such a sensory experience. the moment i arrived i felt rested, the space was architecturally incredible, the food was so nourishing, everything was gentle, the movement, the breath, the sound baths from floating to vibrating on our bodies. the gift bag.. gosh where do i stop?
honestly if you want to fill your cup then this is the place to do it. highly recommend mellow habits retreats”
Steph - Guest from The Art of Rest Retreat 2025
Day One — Arrive
The forest is already here
Guests arrive in their own time, ninety minutes from Tokyo. The villa waits hidden in ancient forest, volcanic boulders and moss. The onsen is warm. The pace asks nothing of you. Over a slow dinner and easy conversation something shifts. Strangers become familiar. The weight of everything you have been carrying begins quietly to lift.
Day Two — quieten
The forest teaches you how to slow down
Breath at dawn. Local tea in both hands. A forest bathing walk through layers of colour that stop you mid step. An unhurried lunch. Long afternoon hours among the trees, sitting still while the nervous system finally catches up with the body. Evening sound immersion. The onsen after dark. You do not set an alarm.
Day Three — Soften
Your hands remember things your mind forgets
A slow breakfast. A creative workshop with a local craftsman, making something by hand that carries the memory of this place home with you. Mossy afternoon hikes through ancient forest. On body vibrational sound massage. Somatic movement. Long hours of doing nothing with complete intention. By evening something has shifted in a way you cannot quite name. That is exactly right.
Day Four — immerse
Let Japan do what it does best
A visit to a nearby onsen town. The ritual of mineral bathing that has been practised in these mountains for centuries. Seasonal Japanese meals. The particular depth of conversation that happens when a small group of women have been still together for long enough to stop performing. An evening sound immersion as the forest darkens.
Day Five — Carry Home
You leave with more than you arrived with
A final morning of breath and tea. The group comes together one last time not to present or process but simply to acknowledge what has moved through these five days. You leave with practices you will actually use. Not because you have to but because your body will ask for them. You do not return to the same version of yourself. You return knowing what rest actually feels like. And that is everything.
Who It’s For
Women who carry a lot quietly.
Who feel tired even when life looks good from the outside.
Who have been saying they will do something like this for years and keep finding reasons to wait.
Who are drawn to Japan not just for what it looks like but for what it feels like to be inside it.
Who want something that stays with them long after they land back home.
This residency is intentionally very small. Never more than six women. Not because of the villa. Because the kind of depth that happens here requires intimacy.
You do not need to know anyone before you arrive. By the time you leave you will know people who understand exactly what you were carrying when you walked through the door.
No experience with sound, breathwork or movement required. Everything is gentle, guided and optional.
What’s Included
Five days four nights in a private villa in Kitakaruizawa inside an exclusive gated resort surrounded by ancient forest, volcanic boulders and moss
Private onsen with mineral rich volcanic hot spring water sourced from the mountains
Locally sourced seasonal Japanese meals, breakfast lunch dinner and snacks
Daily breathwork and sound sessions
On body vibrational sound massage using Himalayan singing bowls
Forest bathing walks through autumn forest
Creative workshop with a local craftsman
Somatic fascia movement sessions
Tea ceremonies for sensory grounding
Sleep ritual evenings
Visit to a nearby onsen town
Curated meditative objects to take home
Downtime and unstructured rest
Integration and closing circle
Your only role is to arrive.
“This was one of the most grounding, restful days I’ve had in my entire life. Zara led us through several movements of rest, and from the moment we stepped foot in the house, my nervous system felt safe to just be.
I can’t wait to come back again soon, and would highly recommend anyone who needs a break from the everyday rush of life, to spend a day with Zara and have your cup filled.”
Shauna - Guest from The Art of Rest Retreat 2025the space
Traditional Japanese experience. Futon on the floor, shoji screens. Shared with one other woman.
Payment plan available with a deposit of $500 Australian dollars.
Your own single bed in a shared room $4000 Australian dollars.
Early bird pricing ends August 1st, 2026.
Pricing is in Australian dollars.
Payment plan available with deposit of $800.
Book the entire room just for you $4800. Share the bed with a friend for $1500. Please email us so we can add them manually.
Early bird pricing ends 1st August, 2026.
Pricing is in Australian dollars.
About Your Host
This residency is guided by Zara, the founder of Mellow Habits.
This residency is guided by Zara, the founder of Mellow Habits.
There is something about Japan that stays with you in a way that is almost impossible to explain before you have been.
It is not the temples or the food or the landscapes, though all of those are extraordinary. It is something quieter. The way every small thing is done with complete intention. The way the forest feels like it is holding you. The way autumn layers colour upon colour until you are standing inside something that does not look real.
I went in autumn. And something in me exhaled that I did not know had been held.
The minerals in the onsen left my skin different. Not clean differently. Different differently. Like feeling nourished from the inside.
I have wanted to bring The Art of Rest to Japan ever since. Because Japan already knows what we are trying to remember. That slowness is not laziness. That beauty is not decoration. That rest is not a reward.
December in Kitakaruizawa. Ancient forest. A tiny group of women. An onsen fed by a volcano. The last of the autumn light.
I cannot wait to share this one with you.
With love and calm,
Zara
detailsspace
The villa has three bathrooms shared between guests. Showering is a communal experience in the traditional Japanese style, three showers together in an open onsen room. Bathers are welcome. This is how Japan bathes and it is part of the experience rather than a compromise.
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Travel
Guests arrange their own flights to Tokyo and Shinkansen(bullet train) to Kitakaruizawa is approximately ninety minutes from Tokyo.
Retreat accommodation for 4 nights, 3 meals each day with snack and retreat activities are covered. Any other activities or treatments are additional.
Guests are responsible for Japan visa costs where applicable. Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Please wait for written confirmation before booking flights.
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Cancellation & Transfers
Cancellations more than 30 days before the residency are refundable minus the deposit.
Cancellations within 30 days are non refundable due to villa and supplier commitments.
If you can no longer attend you may transfer your place to another guest at no penalty.
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Exclusivity
This residency is limited to six women to preserve depth, spaciousness and personalised care.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Most women who come to Mellow Habits retreats have never done a sound bath, a breathwork session or a somatic movement class before. Everything is guided, gentle and completely optional. You do not need any experience. You just need to arrive.
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This residency is designed for solo travellers. Most guests come alone. The small group size means connection happens naturally and without effort. By day two you will not feel like strangers.
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Mornings begin slowly — gentle movement or breathwork, a nourishing breakfast, time in nature. Afternoons include sound sessions, somatic work or tea ceremony. Evenings are designed for rest and integration. There is structure but there is always space. Nothing is rushed and nothing is mandatory.
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Intentionally a lot. Long lunches. Afternoons with nowhere to be. Time to read, walk or simply sit. The unstructured time is not empty — it is where the deepest rest happens.
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We hear this often. The women who hesitate the longest are usually the ones who need it most. This is not an indulgence. It is five days of deliberate investment in your nervous system, your sleep and your capacity to show up for everything and everyone in your life. You will leave not just rested but more resilient. More able. More yourself. Most guests describe it as the best money they have ever spent on themselves. Not because of what they experienced while they were there. But because of how differently they moved through life when they came home.
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Absolutely. Many guests add days before or after to explore Tokyo. Just let us know and we can suggest where to stay and what to see.
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We will send you an email with all the details but to get you started pack light, loose, comfortable clothing you can move and rest in.
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Cancellations more than 30 days before the residency are refundable minus the 30% deposit. Cancellations within 30 days are non-refundable due to villa and supplier commitments. You are welcome to transfer your place to another guest at no penalty.
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The best way is to get in touch directly at rest@mellowhabits.com. We will confirm availability and send you everything you need to know to make your decision.
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Absolutely. If you would like to talk through the retreat before committing Zara is available for a short call to answer any questions and help you decide if this is the right fit for you.
Send an email to rest@mellowhabits.com with the subject line Japan retreat and we will find a time that works.