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Shizuka Ryokan
Slip off your shoes and enter a world that is distinctly Japanese.
The simple Zen design of Shizuka Ryokan and ritualised routines quiet your mind and soothe your soul.
A steppingstone path through the garden is designed to slow life’s pace before you even reach reception. Take your time to notice the plants and small skinks that dart across the rocks in the warmer weather. A nakai-san will greet you on arrival and serve green tea. Take a moment to appreciate the rustic textural pottery of your teacup…sip gently…and appreciate the seasonal Ikebana arrangements. Allow yourself to pause, to relinquish distracting concerns, to celebrate the fact that this moment…with your travelling companion…in this place…will never happen again – ichigo-ichie – one moment one time.
Mindfulness is woven into the fabric of everyday life in Japan and never more so than the daily ritual of bathing…washing your body then sinking into the hot water and letting your mind become still. After a bath at Shizuka Ryokan, you might relax with a nourishing spa treatment, discover the age-old beauty secrets of the geisha with a facial or enjoy a healing shiatsu or reflexology treatment. Alternatively, we offer private yoga or meditation guidance. A short visit will have you wanting to return…perhaps with a friend…perhaps alone…perhaps for one of our Seasonal Retreats.
Step away from your daily life and enter the stillness of Shizuka Ryokan, where time passes slowly and you’ll find yourself taking in more of your surroundings, being more present, and finding your way back to yourself.
7 Lakeside Drive, Hepburn Springs 03 5348 2030 shizuka.com.au @shizukaryokan
