Growth in Kathmandu: What a 28-Day Nepal Massage Retreat Taught Me About Healing and my passion
- Symon Carter
- Nov 16
- 3 min read
The moment I landed in Kathmandu, I won't lie but I felt very overwhelmed, scared and uneasy... This was a completely new experience for me and i had never been to a country like this before. For the first few days I was very nervous and insecure to go out and walk on my own. But that all changed once i started stepping out with classmates and I started to feel more comfortable, and I started to see the beauty of the country and the people...
I didn’t go to Nepal to escape.
I went because something inside me knew there was more of me that needed to grow and expand, stepping in to the uncomfortable is where the best growth and change take place.
So, I packed a bag, boarded a flight, and landed in Kathmandu, a place that hums with both chaos and serenity.
I had signed up for a 28-day yoga and massage Diploma retreat at the Institute of Natural Medicine — a program that promised not just physical training, but spiritual refinement.
The Slow Unfolding
Each morning began at sunrise, the city still half-asleep beneath the mountains.
We’d gather on the rooftop to meditate as prayer flags fluttered in the wind, whispering mantras to the sky.
The schedule was simple but profound: yoga at dawn, massage practice through the day and 3 vegan meals throughout the day to really clear, clean and nourish our body.
No distractions, no noise — just breath, movement, stillness.
I learned about the energetic anatomy of the body, the connection between massage therapy and prana (life force energy), and the delicate relationship between giving and receiving.
But more than that, I learned about surrender and shared my beautiful Hawaiian Massage gift with the amazing people in my class from all around the world.
What Growth and Stillness Teaches
In Nepal, I discovered that healing isn’t always about doing.
Sometimes it’s about not doing — about allowing.
Back in Adelaide, life had always been movement — clients, appointments, goals, deadlines.
But here, in Nepal and leading up to my arrival here, I learned that Growth and stillness is where clarity begins.
It was humbling to realise how much the body mirrors the mountains — strong on the outside but holding deep stillness within.
I'm so used to being on the fast-paced momentum of life that I have found it hard to just stop, be in the moment, find stillness and really be grateful for where I am today and how far I've come and acknowledge all my incredible achievements.
🌄 External Reference: Institute of Natural Medicine – Nepal
The Inner Work
During my stay in Nepal, I read something that stayed with me:
“Healing begins the moment the healer stops trying to fix.”
That line pierced straight through me.
It made me realise that my role as a massage therapist in Adelaide isn’t to repair people — it’s to create space for them to release, to remember, to return to themselves.
This is the essence of what I brought home from Nepal: The practice of presence without pressure.
The gift of space without judgment.
Returning to Adelaide
When I came back to Australia, everything felt different — lighter.
My treatments became slower, deeper, quieter.
There was more breath between the movements, more listening between the strokes.
My clients noticed.
They’d say, “Your massages feel different now — like there’s peace behind every touch.”
That’s Nepal.
That’s the mountains breathing through my hands.
Now, when people come to Hawaiian Fusion, they’re not just receiving a massage in Adelaide — they’re experiencing a fusion of everything I’ve learned: the rhythm of Thailand, the grace of Bali, and the overall growth and stillness of Nepal and my whole trip.
🔗 Internal Links:
A Personal Reflection
Sometimes, we need to step out of our own lives to see them clearly.
Nepal reminded me that silence is not empty — it’s full of answers.
It taught me that transformation doesn’t always roar; sometimes, it whispers.
And when you finally stop chasing what’s next, you begin to feel what’s now.
That’s where the healing lives.
And that’s what I bring home to every client who walks into my studio — the peace of the mountains, shared through touch.
🌺 Experience the stillness for yourself and let the wisdom of the Himalayas guide you back to balance.
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