THE JOY LAB
Where neuroscience meets movement, mindfulness and connection.
Sunday 15 November 2026
10am to 4pm
Soul Centre, Omaha
Joy is an important part of being human. We find it through movement, music, creativity, mindfulness, nature, laughter and connection with others.
But what is joy, how do we experience it in the mind and body, and can we create the conditions for more of it to emerge?
Join senior psychologist Fiona “Fi” McKay and multidisciplinary facilitator Wendy Douglas for a playful and nourishing full-day retreat exploring both the science and the embodied experience of joy.
With so much pain, uncertainty and conflict in the world, it can feel difficult, or even inappropriate, to speak about joy. But joy does not require us to look away from suffering or pretend everything is wonderful.
Joy can exist alongside grief, anger, fear and uncertainty. It can reconnect us with what matters, restore our inner resources and help sustain our capacity to care for ourselves, one another and the world around us.
The Joy Lab brings together psychology and neuroscience with mindfulness, yoga, movement, music, reflection and connection.
This will not simply be a day of talking about joy. You will be invited to notice it, remember it, move with it, express it and experience it with others.
WHAT WE WILL EXPLORE
Across the day, Fi and Wendy will guide you through:
• The psychology and neuroscience of joy
• How joy is experienced in the mind, body and nervous system
• What can support or inhibit our capacity for joy
• How small positive experiences can influence what happens next
• The relationship between joy, meaning, values and choice
• Mindfulness, accessible yoga and joyful movement
• Music, reflection, conversation and connection
• Practical ways to cultivate more joy in everyday life
The day will balance learning with direct experience, allowing time to move, listen, reflect, laugh, connect and discover your own pathways into joy.
No previous yoga or movement experience is needed. Everything will be invitational and adaptable. You do not need to feel joyful when you arrive and you will never be required to share anything personal.
Come exactly as you are.
WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY
• An accessible understanding of the psychology and neuroscience of joy
• Greater awareness of how joy is experienced in your mind, body and nervous system
• A clearer understanding of what brings you alive and what may get in the way
• Practical tools for nurturing greater joy, meaning and connection in everyday life
• A renewed appreciation for the small moments that make life feel more alive
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Sunday 15 November 2026
Time: 10am to 4pm
Venue: Soul Centre, Omaha
Early bird price: $195
Full price: $245
A nourishing lunch, including vegetarian options, and afternoon treats are included.
Spaces are limited to 16 participants.
Book here: https://events.humanitix.com/the-joy-lab
MEET YOUR FACILITATORS
FIONA “FI” McKAY
Fi is a senior registered psychologist with over 16 years of experience in private practice and as a mental health consultant in primary healthcare. Her holistic therapeutic approach brings together Eastern wisdom and Western science.
She is passionate about helping people reconnect with their unique strengths and values and supporting them towards greater balance, resilience and joy.
Fi has practised yoga and meditation for the past 30 years. Following the loss of her mother and a horse-riding accident that resulted in spinal and brain injuries, she discovered what she describes as the “holy trinity” of her healing: yoga, meditation and the cultivation of joy.
WENDY DOUGLAS
Wendy Douglas is a yoga teacher, life coach, DJ, celebrant and experienced facilitator whose work is grounded in movement, music, creativity and human connection.
With more than a decade of yoga teaching and over 20 years of personal practice, Wendy creates warm and welcoming experiences that invite people to connect more deeply with themselves and one another.
Her background in broadcasting, music, wellbeing, event curation and corporate facilitation gives her a distinctive ability to bring energy, playfulness and meaningful depth into a room.
Wendy believes that movement need not be serious to be transformative, and that music, play, presence and collective experience can open powerful pathways to joy.