Lorna Jane Clarkson, the Australian entrepreneur, fashion designer, author and podcast host, acquired the property with her husband, Bill, in late 2025 with a vision to expand her 30-year-long active living philosophy into something tangible. <\/p>\n
For Clarkson, SOMA Lorna Jane places women\u2019s wellness front and centre, offering a maximum of 20 guests at a time the opportunity to rest, reconnect and recharge. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a woman genuinely invests in herself, everything around her changes,\u201d Clarkson says of the immersive experiences on offer at SOMA Lorna Jane. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve watched it happen for three decades and it never stops moving me. So, whether it\u2019s a small shift at home or a few days with us, my invitation is simple: put yourself back on the list. You\u2019re worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In this exclusive interview, Lorna Jane reveals what to expect at the newly opened retreat, why self-care isn\u2019t selfish and what keeps her passionate about the health and wellness industry three decades on. <\/p>\n
ASHLEIGH COMETTI: It\u2019s been more than three decades since you entered the activewear market. What inspired the decision to launch SOMA Lorna Jane? <\/p>\n
LORNA JANE CLARKSON: Lorna Jane has never really been about the clothes. From day one, it\u2019s been about changing the way women live \u2013 through active living and the daily practice of move, nourish, believe. What I kept coming back to was this idea of making that philosophy something you could step inside, not just read about. <\/p>\n
Bill and I had been looking for the right property, and when we found this one, we just knew. SOMA Lorna Jane lets us take everything we\u2019ve always believed and make it tangible \u2013 a place where a woman can arrive, slow down, and leave with the tools to keep living well. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a departure from what we do. It\u2019s the fullest expression of it.<\/p>\n
Dappled light spills into the geodesic dome at SOMA Lorna Jane. <\/p>\n
AC: SOMA was established seven years ago and has built a reputation as a leading wellness retreat. How have you managed to put your unique stamp on it?<\/p>\n
LJC: I have huge respect for what was already built here, so I didn\u2019t want to change its soul. The land, the stillness, that was already extraordinary, and I\u2019ve protected it. What I\u2019ve added is a distinctly feminine lens: a space where a woman can truly relax and reconnect with herself. <\/p>\n
Someone who\u2019s been before will still feel that same calm, but softer, more considered \u2013 like it was made for her. We\u2019ve kept it intimate, just 10 rooms, and woven \u201cmove, nourish, believe\u201d through everything \u2013 the morning movement, the food, the quiet moments for reflection. <\/p>\n
My stamp is really about intention. Every detail is there to help a woman come home to herself.<\/p>\n
AC: What gaps in the wellness tourism market are you aiming to fill with the tailored retreats you offer?<\/p>\n
LJC: Wellness has treated women like we\u2019re all the same for too long, and we\u2019re not. A woman navigating her hormones is having a completely different experience to one whose nervous system is running on empty. The gap was specificity and depth. <\/p>\n
Most retreats send you home feeling great for a week, then real life catches up and you\u2019re right back where you started. I didn\u2019t want that. <\/p>\n
Each of our retreats goes deep on one real conversation women are having \u2013 hormonal health, a frazzled nervous system, longevity \u2013 led by genuine experts, and every guest leaves with tools she can actually use. <\/p>\n
A retreat shouldn\u2019t be an escape from your life. It should give you a better way to live it.<\/p>\n
AC: Beyond offering reset packages to the public, SOMA Lorna Jane offers a corporate wellbeing programme. Why do you believe it\u2019s important for high-powered professionals to take time out to hit the reset button? Has this been one of the keys to your own business success? <\/p>\n
LJC: You can\u2019t pour from an empty cup, and the women who need to hear that most are usually the ones running hardest. High achievers are brilliant at pouring into everything else and terrible at putting themselves on the list. But stepping back to reset isn\u2019t indulgent; it\u2019s strategic. When you prioritise yourself, you show up with more patience, more presence, more clarity, and that changes everything you touch. <\/p>\n
For me, it\u2019s non-negotiable. I\u2019ve run this business for three decades, and my consistency with my own health has been one of the biggest reasons I\u2019ve been able to keep leading. Our corporate programme is for both men and women, and exists to give teams that same permission.<\/p>\n
AC: If you had to design your perfect day spent at SOMA Lorna Jane, what would this look like? <\/p>\n
LJC: It starts early \u2013 movement first, maybe yoga under the dome as the light comes up. After breakfast, there\u2019s time to learn something new from one of our experts. Then a nourishing lunch, followed by time in the sauna and plunge pools, and a bespoke treatment in the day spa. In the evening, dinner together, then a sound bath or a cacao ceremony to close the day. <\/p>\n
Simple and purposeful, that\u2019s my idea of luxury now.<\/p>\n
The communal area at SOMA Lorna Jane overlooks the infinity pool.<\/p>\n
AC: What is one of the biggest misconceptions the modern woman faces about living well today? <\/p>\n
LJC: That it has to be extreme to count. So many women think wellness means punishing workouts and an all or nothing standard they\u2019ll never reach, so they give up before they start. It breaks my heart, because it\u2019s just not true. It\u2019s built from small, consistent shifts \u2013 a daily walk, real food, a good night\u2019s sleep. <\/p>\n
The other big one: thinking that taking care of yourself is selfish. It\u2019s not. It gives the people you love a better version of you. <\/p>\n
My message hasn\u2019t changed \u2013 start with one small thing, make it doable, trust the process. You\u2019re worth the effort.<\/p>\n
AC: With activewear, podcasts, publishing and wellness retreats now part of the Lorna Jane brand, what other markets would you like to conquer? <\/p>\n
LJC: Honestly? I\u2019m far less interested in conquering and far more interested in going deeper. After 30-plus years, I\u2019ve got no desire to chase bigger, faster or louder. <\/p>\n
What excites me now is depth \u2013 doing what we do more meaningfully, and meeting women through more of their lives, not just more markets. <\/p>\n
We\u2019ll keep growing the podcast, keep writing, keep evolving SOMA Lorna Jane. But the real ambition is longevity for the brand, and for the women who trust us. Get that right and everything else takes care of itself.<\/p>\n
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