Tree of Life
Wood, Work and Wellbeing for Veterans and First Responders
Tree of Life is a four-week residential program built around practical work, daily routine, meditation, yoga, community living, and time on the land.
It offers veterans the opportunity to step away from everyday pressures, develop healthy rhythms, build confidence through meaningful activity, and strengthen their connection to themselves and others.
Applications are now open for the inaugural Tree of Life pilot program, commencing in Spring 2026.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Program at a glance
A one month residential program for veterans and first responders, designed to support wellbeing, purpose, connection, and daily rhythm through meaningful work, community life, and time on the land.
Who is it for
Veterans of the ADF / first responders seeking steadiness, purpose, connection, and a mind / body reset after service.
Format
A four-week residential program, with structured weekdays and spacious, lightly held weekends for rest, reflection, nature, and integration.
Pilot Intake
Inaugural Tree of Life pilot, commencing Spring 2026
Cohort Size
Small cohort of up to 6 Veterans (pilot program for ex-serving ADF members.)
Location
Wartook, Victoria, on the edge of the Grampians
Program Model
Wood, Work and Wellbeing
Focus
Daily rhythm, practical service, wellbeing, meditation, yoga, meaningful work, community life, and time on the land.
THE NEED
Why Tree of Life exists
Many veterans leave service with a stoic temprament; discipline, courage, practical skills, and a deep instinct to contribute.
Yet after service, those strengths do not always find a clear place in civilian life.
The transition can bring a loss of structure, a sense of isolation, or a feeling that purpose has become harder to find. For others, it may involve stress, anger, burnout, emotional numbness, mental and physical challenges and the sense that everyday life no longer feels meaningful.
Tree of Life exists to provide a grounded environment where veterans can step away from daily pressures, return to a simple rhythm, work with their hands, practise stillness, live in community, and reconnect with a sense of usefulness and direction, equipping themselves with practical life, and wellbeing tools.
At Kailash Foundation, we don’t see individuals as broken and needing to be fixed.
Our aim is to help participants contextualise their service inside a broader understanding of life so that they may recapture steadiness, meaning and purpose.
PROGRAM MODEL
Wood, Work and Wellbeing
Tree of Life is built around three practical foundations: Wood, Work and Wellbeing.
Together, these create a simple and grounded model for supporting veterans to rebuild rhythm, confidence, connection, and purpose through meaningful participation in daily life.
Wood
Wood represents the land, the trees, the workshop, and the act of making something real.
Participants may take part in forest management, timber work, firewood preparation, land care, basic workshop activities, maintenance, and practical projects suited to the season and the needs of the property.
Working with trees and wood is physical, grounding, and honest. It connects participants to natural materials, useful skills, and the satisfaction of visible progress.
Work
Work gives the program structure and purpose.
Participants contribute to the daily life of the property through practical service, shared responsibilities, and meaningful tasks.
Through this work, participants experience the satisfaction of contributing to something beyond themselves while rebuilding rhythm, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of purpose.
Wellbeing
Wellbeing is supported through evidence based practices such as daily meditation, yoga, breath work, rest, shared meals, time in nature, and honest community life.
The practices are simple and accessible, offering practical ways to cultivate steadiness, attention, self-regulation, and reconnection in an environment free from distraction.
They invite a grounded approach to caring for body and mind, supporting greater balance, presence, and resilience in everyday life.
PROGRAM EXPERIENCE
What participants do
Participants live as part of a small residential community, follow a steady rhythm, contribute to the property, take part in daily practices, and engage in practical work suited to the season, the land, and the needs of the group.
During the program, participants may take part in:
- Meditation and stillness practices
- Yoga, breathwork, and physical regulation practices
- Land-based work and property care
- Timber, firewood, gardening, maintenance, and workshop activities
- Shared meals and household responsibilities
- Group reflection and honest conversation
- Time in nature and personal reflection
- Preparation for returning home with clearer routines and practical tools
The Tree of Life program is active, structured, and grounded.
Participants are expected to contribute to the rhythm and responsibilities of the group in a respectful and willing way.
It is a month of living, working, practising, and serving together as part of a shared community experience.
DAILY RHYTHM
A typical day
Morning
Meditation, yoga or breath practice, breakfast, and preparation for the day.
Mid-morning
Practical work period: land care, timber, gardening, workshop, maintenance, or service tasks.
Midday
Lunch, rest, personal time, and recovery.
Afternoon
Second work period, learning session, personal reflection, mentoring, or time in nature.
Evening
Dinner, group reflection, meditation, quiet time, and preparation for sleep.
Night
Rest and recovery.
The rhythm is deliberately simple.
The strength of the program comes from doing the right things consistently, in the right environment, with the right support and accountability.
ELIGIBILITY
Who Tree of Life is for
Kailash Foundation offers a range of programs for those who serve, their families, and people in need.
Tree of Life is the Foundation’s dedicated residential program for former serving personnel. The inaugural pilot is designed specifically for veterans of the ADF who have completed military service and are seeking a grounded period of rhythm, purpose, connection, and practical reset.
Former emergency services personnel who are interested in future Tree of Life intakes are also welcome to contact Kailash Foundation or submit an expression of interest.
Are you in need of support?
Tree of Life may be suitable for veterans who:
- Are seeking steadiness, purpose, connection, and renewed direction
- Are experiencing isolation, loss of rhythm, burnout, or difficulty adjusting after service
- Are interested in practical work, service, meditation, yoga, or time in nature
- Are able to live respectfully in a small residential community
- Are willing to contribute to shared responsibilities and daily tasks
- Are stable enough to participate in a non-clinical residential wellbeing program
- Are open to simple practices that support attention, regulation, reflection, and reconnection
Participants do not need prior experience with meditation, yoga, woodworking, or land-based work. What matters most is willingness, respect, and readiness to participate.
Tree of Life is a small residential community, so suitability and safety are considered carefully before a place is offered.
SAFEGUARDS
Suitability and safety
Tree of Life is a residential wellbeing program, not a clinical treatment service or crisis accommodation.
Because participants live together in a small community, Kailash Foundation considers suitability carefully before offering a place. This protects the applicant, the group, the staff, and the integrity of the program.
Tree of Life is non-clinical
Tree of Life is best suited to people who are stable enough to participate safely in a shared residential environment and take part in the daily rhythm of the program.
The program may not be suitable for someone who is;
- currently in acute crisis,
- requires intensive clinical care
- is unable to safely live in a small group setting
- needs a level of support beyond what Kailash Foundation can provide.
Participation in Tree of Life is not a replacement for medical care, psychological treatment, medication, crisis support, or ongoing professional care.
Where appropriate, applicants may be encouraged to speak with their treating doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, case manager, or support person before attending.
Our intention is to offer a safe, grounded, and respectful environment where participants can take part meaningfully and receive the full benefit of the program.
LOCATION
Held in Wartook, Victoria
Tree of Life is held in Wartook on the edge of the Grampians National Park in Western Victoria, 3.5 hrs drive from Melbourne.
Our land and venue is a key part of the program;
- Participants stay in modest residential accommodation on Kailash Foundation’s 100 acre permaculture farm and retreat centre.
- Accommodation is in private rooms with shared communal spaces.
- Participants will share in the daily life of the property including cooking and cleaning
- The mountains, trees, sheds, gardens, firewood, weather, meals, work, and quiet spaces all support the process of returning to simplicity, steadiness, and connection.
Tree of Life is not delivered in a classroom or clinical setting; it takes place in a real environment where daily rhythm, practical work, community life, and time on the land are an integral part of the program.
ACCESS
Funded places
Kailash Foundation seeks to make Tree of Life accessible to suitable participants by reducing financial barriers wherever possible.
Places in the inaugural Tree of Life pilot are fully funded for eligible participants through Kailash Foundation and its Major Program Partner, SSAA Vic.
The inaugural pilot is supported through donations, sponsorships, grants, and program partners who believe in creating practical pathways of support for veterans.
Funded places are available for eligible participants.
This support helps cover the real costs of delivering a four-week residential program, including;
- accommodation,
- meals
- materials
- program delivery
- property use
- equipment
- supervision
- practical infrastructure required to run the program safely and well.
Applicants will be advised of available funded or subsidised places during the application process.
Our intention is that cost should not be the reason a suitable veteran is unable to attend Tree of Life.
APPLY OR REFER
Application and referral process
Tree of Life is a small residential program, so every place is offered through an application and suitability process.
This helps Kailash Foundation understand each applicant’s background, needs, expectations, and readiness to safely participate in the program.
Apply for Tree of Life
Veterans who are interested in attending Tree of Life are invited to complete an expression of interest.
After receiving an application, Kailash Foundation will review the information provided and arrange a conversation to discuss suitability, timing, expectations, and available places.
Submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee a place, but it is the first step in the application process.
Refer someone
Referrals are welcome from family members, peers, veteran organisations, community groups, health professionals, and support networks.
A referral does not guarantee a place. The person being referred must be willing to participate and complete the application process themselves.
PARTNERS
Partners and supporters
Tree of Life is made possible through the generosity of people and organisations who believe that veterans deserve practical pathways back into strength, purpose, connection, and contribution.
Partner support helps Kailash Foundation provide fully funded places for eligible participants and meet the real costs of delivering a four-week residential program safely and well.
Support for Tree of Life may contribute to;
- accommodation
- meals
- materials
- equipment
- program delivery
- property use
- supervision
- the practical infrastructure required to support participants throughout the program.
Kailash Foundation gratefully acknowledges the donors, sponsors, and program partners who help make this work possible.
Their support allows veterans to attend Tree of Life without cost being a barrier.
Major Program Supporter
Kailash Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of SSAA Victoria in helping establish the inaugural Tree of Life pilot and making fully funded places available for eligible veterans.
