On the first day I was getting ready to drive into Melbourne to experience GURNER Group’s newest wellness club, SAINT Black in South Melbourne, I felt mentally and physically drained. As I chased my two-year-old around the house, trying to hold her still long enough to tie her hair into pigtails, I closed my eyes and whispered a silent prayer to the GURNER Gods – “Please, give me strength and energy.”
I had been invited to experience SAINT Black as a member during the club’s opening month, after GURNER Group launched their fifth Saint Wellness Club in Melbourne in late July. Their largest club to date, it spans 2,000sqm of wellness, recovery, bio-hacking and co-working space across three levels.
I’d been lucky enough to visit SAINT St Kilda and Saint Haven Toorak a few times previously – and I say lucky because I’m so aware of what a privilege it is to access these kinds of life-changing facilities, especially all under one roof. While anyone with the financial means can join a gym or pilates studio, book into a bathhouse or breathwork class, join a private members club, or track down the latest biohacking technology, nowhere else offers all of these experiences in one place, for one membership fee.
On my previous visits, the team had always coordinated my schedule, and everything was pre-booked and organised for me as a guest. This membership with SAINT Black was my first time having the full member experience, including use of the custom Saint app, which lets members book classes, appointments and workspaces, while also providing club news and community event invitations. I loved having access to this “choose your own adventure” wellness experience.
On my first day, head trainer Luke gave me a tour of the new club. Of course, I knew the space would be beautiful and meticulously designed like the others, but the scale of South Melbourne is genuinely breathtaking – even before stepping onto the gym floor, the largest of all the Saint clubs.
Performance Coaching
After my tour, I met with Performance Coach Mia McDonald, who would be my private coach for the next month. We sat down for an honest conversation about where my body was at two years postpartum and what I hoped to achieve. I shared with her my silent prayer for strength and energy.
“Alex came in aware of the importance of strength training for women as they move through their lifespan,” Mia reflects.
“The focus for our sessions was building on Alex’s basic foundations: learning fundamental movement patterns, improving core control, and creating confidence with strength training. Our sessions were not about lifting the heaviest weight, but about developing awareness of her body, moving with correct technique, and seeing the impact that consistent strength training could have on many aspects of her life.”
I explained to Mia how exhausting I found the constant wrestling with a toddler – the strain during nappy changes that felt like acrobatics routines, and simple movements like lifting my daughter out of her cot. With pain came frustration, and I found myself snapping at Elsie because my body wasn’t coping with the demands of toddler mum life. And of course, with that came mum guilt.
Mia’s warm enthusiasm came without judgment, and she helped me find not just strength, but confidence in my body. “Exercise selection was intentional, building on fundamental movement patterns like squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, and core stability,” Mia shared.
“Load was kept manageable so Alex could focus on technique first. We gradually introduced bodyweight, dumbbell, and even barbell variations to encourage progression across sessions. By focusing on the fundamentals, we built a strong foundation for her to continue strength training well beyond our time together.”
A month later in our final session, this was me – with strength, determination, and the most encouraging trainer – lifting 25kgs (double Elsie’s weight!) in a Barbell Hip Thrust.
Classes
SAINT Black currently hosts over 100 classes a week, spanning Reformer Pilates, Mat Pilates, Yoga, Strength & Conditioning, Breathwork, Meditation and Sound Baths.
My first class was Awaken Kundalini Flow with Emma, scheduled every Friday night. I usually gravitate to slower-paced yoga, so the description intimidated me slightly: “This dynamic class weaves together breathwork, meditation, mantra, and kriyas to awaken your vital energy and ignite your inner radiance. Expect a faster-paced, uplifting experience designed to elevate your mood, expand your awareness, and leave you feeling invigorated and alive.”
Usually, the only “vital energy” I can summon on a Friday night is the dash to the door when the pizza delivery arrives, so I walked into class unsure if I’d make it through the dreaded downward dog after a long day. To my delight, there wasn’t a downward dog in sight.
Emma guided us through repetitive movements and mantras, each held for a few minutes until they grew challenging, the chanting urging us to push on. “Everything is an invitation,” she reminded us. There was no pressure to push through pain – yet her gentle encouragement, the collective chanting, and the beautifully moving prayers and songs in the background lifted us to a new level.
With eyes closed, I couldn’t see what anyone else was doing, but I could feel the energy rising as the chanting grew louder and more powerful. Emma invited us to let go of something we’d been holding onto – a limiting belief, a stuck feeling, or a negative interaction – and to move through it. We pushed, we chanted, we released. Afterwards, one woman told me she had cried.
I also joined some incredibly restorative sound healing and breathwork classes at SAINT Black, sending my WHOOP heart rate measurements so low that I’m almost convinced I might have slipped into a coma in one sound healing.
On my final visit before my membership ended (sobbing!), I brought a friend along on a guest pass – Ultimate Members receive four per month. We joined Connect Breathwork with Danny on a Saturday morning, a class inviting “a calming journey, incorporating light movement and foundational breathing techniques to create a harmonious connection between mind, body, and spirit.”
Danny led us through two rounds of breathwork, each ending with a two-minute breath hold. I’d never tried this before, and was surprised by how calm I remained and how long I could hold without panic. While I didn’t quite reach the full two minutes, the breath holds took me to a place I’d never experienced before – a purple, floating, safe place I didn’t want to leave.
Recovery
SAINT Black offers world-class recovery and longevity treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy, IV infusions, Best Cellf PEMF mats, and lymphatic drainage paired with red light therapy, as well as the ancient bathhouse that offers a complete sanctuary for members.
Most days, my hardest decision was which treatment to schedule for the afternoon. The hyperbaric chamber sharpened clarity and focus – in one session I wrote 600 words of an article in a blur of concentration inside the chamber, barely remembering what I’d written when I read it back later.
The Sunlighten mPulse Infrared Sauna can be privately booked for 45 minutes bathed in red light. I cherished these sessions not only for recovery but also for the gift of uninterrupted, phone-free solitude. No emails, no toddler, no doomscrolling – just meditative music, warmth, and stillness.
Every infrared session I would look across the hallway to the cryotherapy room and watch brave members put on their protective wear, choose a song to distract them through the headphones, and step into the cool space, set at -87c. Three minutes passed slowly, even for me as a spectator from my balmy 55 degree sauna, but everyone jumped out at the end radiating positivity, energised by the experience. While I didn’t end up booking a session over my membership, I’m setting myself a challenge to do it one day!
My regular go-to was the Best Cellf PEMF mat. Overwhelmed by unwritten articles and a never-ending to-do list, I would opt for the Mental Clarity & Cognitive Function setting. Tucked under a Hommey blanket with LED light on my face, those sessions offered a true mental reset.
In addition to the recovery treatments available on level seven, Black and Ultimate members of SAINT Black have access to an exclusive rooftop wellness retreat called SANA where they can relax in the sun by a lap pool, enjoy a signature Fire & Ice class in wood barrelled ice baths and outdoor sauna, all overlooking the city skyline. This is one major perk of SAINT Black over the other clubs, and set to be the place to be once the weather warms up.
Restaurant, Social & Co-Working
On the ground floor, SAINT Black’s co-working space, bar, and restaurant make it easy to spend the whole day at the club – which I often did.
“Our members are united in their passion for health, longevity, and social connection, so we’ve created this club to have hospitality, dining, and socialising at its core,” says Tim Gurner, Founder of GURNER Group.
Living in Torquay and travelling in for my sessions at SAINT meant it was a better use of my time to settle in for the whole day. I would drop Elsie at daycare and arrive mid-morning, enjoy brunch and a coffee (or cognitive cacao and lion’s mane latte) in the restaurant and co-working space while checking in on emails, before starting my training with Mia or joining a class.
Afternoons almost always began with an Anti-Inflammatory Mango & Coconut Yoghurt smoothie. Honestly, I’d join SAINT just for this – made with kaffir lime and turmeric for inflammation, probiotic yoghurt, and vitamin C-rich mango, it’s both delicious and healing.
What I love most about eating at a Saint restaurant is the trust – you never need to second-guess the menu. No seed oils, no processed fillers. Just whole, organic food that you know is nourishing without compromise.
Becoming a Member
On my final visit to SAINT Black, I felt proud of the strength I’d built and deeply restored after five hours of breathwork, bathhouse, and compression boots. With more than a little sadness that this couldn’t be my everyday, I left grateful for the experience.
A week later, my WHOOP age crept up 0.3 years – proof that the impact of a wellness offering like this is profound, and if Tim Gurner doesn’t open a club in Torquay, I’ll die. Jokes aside, I kept a close eye on my WHOOP throughout my membership (more on this later), and the results confirmed what I felt – life as a SAINT member is truly transformative.
I envy those lucky enough to be full-time members, and I can’t recommend it more highly. If you’ve been considering it, SAINT Black still has limited memberships available, by application only. Visit www.saintprivateclub.com.au to apply. And once you’re in – trust me, order the Mango Smoothie.
The author of this article was hosted by Saint Black for a complimentary membership experience. All opinions expressed are based on the author’s personal experience. The content in this article published by The Paige is provided for entertainment and general information only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be relied on as such.
