Strathean Retreat Centre,
212 Old Hautere Road,
Otaki, Kapiti Coast, near Wellington

Take time to settle into the stillness and allow yourself to uncover the natural ease and wisdom of your own inherent Heart. In this 7-day retreat, we follow a guided rhythm of breath work, qi gong, nature connection and mindfulness practice as a means to down-regulate the nervous system and prepare for meditation in its true sense, which is to settle back into the Truth of who we really are, the Source, the Knower, Beingness itself. We follow a full and structured programme for the first 3 full days, followed by a more spacious 3 days, during which you can find your own rhythm of practice, reflection, writing and rest, between scheduled sessions. There will be emphasis on understanding your own nervous system, the impact of trauma, and cultivating familiarity with the parasympathetic state.

The retreat will be mostly in silence for participants, but there will be plenty of guidance, tuition and input, and a session each day dedicated to sharing insights and questions and practising mindfulness in relation to others. The first afternoon and evening and the last morning after we break the silence will offer the opportunity to interact and connect with each other in the traditional way of words!

There is a 4 day option for the retreat, leaving on Friday after lunch. For costs, please scroll down.

benefits

• Drop your responsibilities and story for a week to let go, relax and deepen into the ground of your own Being

• Fully oxygenate your body on a daily basis

• Understand the patterns you may be holding in your nervous system, and how to release them

• Increase vital energy (qi) in your body

• Gain awareness of the habit patterns of mind that interfere with and undermine your inherent happiness

• Access a toolbox of practices you can use to prepare for meditation in everyday life

• Enjoy better sleep and reduce anxiety

• Access an easier, more focused mind and greater mental, physical and spiritual well being.

you will be offered:

• Meditation guidance

• Guidance for present-moment awareness, in stillness and movement

• Breathing practices for fully vitalizing the body and down-regulating the nervous system

• Daily qi gong warm ups and stretches

• Daily programme of scheduled meditations, interspersed with qi gong

• Guided enquiry meditations

• Instruction in a lovely flowing qi gong form you can take home and practice daily for improved health and ease.

• Evening Feldenkrais ‘awareness through movement’ lessons

• Time for rest, writing, walking, being in nature, reflection…

• Optional 1:1 session with Rachel

  This retreat is a wonderful way of calming your body, replenishing your energy, and cultivating joy and well-being. If you have the tendency to lose yourself in over-thinking, or would simply relish time for balance and restoration, join me in this beautiful and supportive setting, and in a warm, cosy retreat centre, for a blend of meditation, nature conneciton, breath and qi gong practices.

Qi gong is an ancient Taoist system designed to improve the flow of energy in the body, create vitality and concentrate the mind. The qi gong practices we will learn include qi gong warm ups, qi gong self-massage, a compassion practice, and a moving form. These will be practices you can take away and use at home to relax and revitalise your body and mind.

You are welcome to join as much or as little of the scheduled programme as you wish; this is a retreat in which none of the usual social expectations are placed on you.  It offers you a very rare chance for you to come home to the OK-ness of yourself, just as you are. We will begin each morning with stretches and meditation before breakfast, and finish each evening with a Feldenkrais lesson to relax the nervous system and fine tune awareness of the body. There will be time out for reflection and walking, and vegetarian meals are all provided. Much of the retreat will be in silence for participants, as a way to allow you the rare opportunity of really coming home to yourself, though there will be times for questions and sharing reflections/insights.

We begin with a light meal at 6pm on Monday and finish after lunch on the following Monday (Anzac day). You may arrive any time from 4pm on Monday 20th

There is no religion, dogma or belief systems proposed in this retreat.  Emphasis is given not to theory, but to your own experience.  The retreat is suitable for beginners, and for those with experience in mindfulness meditation and qi gong.

$850 plus DANA*

$850 is the basic fee which covers registration plus accommodation and delicious vegetarian meals).
DANA* is for the facilitator’s time, travel, guidance, retreat programme and individual session).

*What is DANA?
Dana, meaning generosity, is based on the principle of self-responsibility, and invites each individual to develop their own capacity to be generous according to their means. It is a payment to the facilitator which reflects an exchange of energy equal to what you feel to have received and what you can afford. It takes into account that teaching mindfulness is the facilitator’s sole way of earning money in the world.
Dana can be paid in cash (there will be a dana box), or by bank transfer after the retreat.

If you can’t come for the 7 days, there is an option to come for 4 days (Monday to Friday inclusive). This option carries a fixed fee of $760 which covers Strathean’s costs plus the facilitation fee (there is no dana for this option).
The retreat is designed for 7 days and, to receive the full benefit, i suggest you come for the entire time.

PLEASE NOTE
If you enrol for the 7-day retreat but then decide - either within 48 hours of the retreat starting, or during the retreat - to only attend for four days, we cannot reduce your $850 fee, because we will have already catered for you. You will also be Invoiced a fixed facilitation fee of $320 for the 4 days you attend.

$760 includes 4 nights' accommodation, meals and tuition
There are a limited number of single rooms available, for a surcharge of $20 per night. The two ensuites carry a surcharge of $30 each per night.

If you prefer to pay a $300 deposit to secure your place, please contact Rachel via email to arrange this via bank transfer. The balance is due 20 FEB. Please note that people who have paid in full receive priority for single room requests.

Benefits of a residential mindfulness retreat:

• More vital energy (qi) flowing in your body

• Greater awareness of the ways you block your inherent happiness

• Opportunity to let go, relax and unwind

• Better sleep and improved wellbeing

• Improved mental/emotional balance

This is a hugely valuable opportunity to create more intimacy with yourself. There will be time for you to reflect, to write, to consider.... to eat healthy vegetarian food... to be still.... and to benefit from the input of an experienced mindfulness and qi gong guide.

people say, about residential retreats with Rachel:

‘This was my first retreat experience… Having struggled for so long to be able to meditate, with Rachel’s support and guidance I was able to do so which was - well - wonderful! I’ve come away with a sense of settledness and hopefulness that I can weave this into my daily life.’
- E. W, social worker, Wellington

I've learnt some great techniques on how to slow down in a world that is going a million miles an hour."
- Sharyn Pask, Auckland

‘Rachel is a fabulous teacher with a very warm and easy manner who has wonderful insight whilst still being a ‘real’ human. I’m sure the qi gong, breathing and meditation techniques will be really useful in my everyday life.’
- Jo, Wellington, Government worker and ultra-marathoner

‘The retreat has been such a positive break away from the rushing and stretch of my busy life. It is such a … format … adapterd around what the group and individuals brought. I feel so ready and excited to take what I have learnt back into my home, familly and worklife, keeping myself at the centre.’
- Megan Savage, coach, holistic nutritionish, massage therapist, Wellington

"The combination of meditation and movement/body work with (mostly) silence was perfect for this 50-year old man. I left the retreat feeling lighter, moving slower and with an unfamiliar quietness in my head."
- R C, Wellington

"I enjoyed the balance of qi gong dynamic meditation, the sitting-still meditation, the mindfulness walking and the artistic offerings of poems, music and dance… The meditation sessions held a 'sit with me' invitation and the number of sessions during the retreat helped deepen my meditation practice. And I learnt the importance of returning my mind from wandering and that this was a natural occurrence.
"I liked the rhythm of life on the retreat with bells calling us to meditation and meals. I found the practice of being together in silence together both novel and refreshing. I feel I have experienced mindfulness practice that I can take from the retreat to my everyday life. A heartfelt thank you for sharing your wisdom, life experiences and spiritual practice, Rachel."
- G Henderson, Wellington

The retreat has the perfect combination of silence, meditation and movement. Movement that can work for all abilites!’
- T S., academic learning advisor, Wellington

‘i loved the gentle wisdom of Rachel’s teaching, and I have felt totally able to be myself and to be unconditionally accepted. it has been incredibly valuable.’
- D, G, Paekakariki

‘Rachel offers a lovely, warm, lively space in which you can become acquainted with your own mind and body."
- C. Maidment, Hutt Valley

the art of mindfulness retreats cancellation policy:

• Full refunds, minus a $50 administration fee and the Humanitix booking fee, if applicable, are provided up to 2 weeks before any course or retreat starts.

• 50% refunds are provided (minus the Humanitix booking fee, if applicable), if you cancel within 2 weeks and up to two days of a course or retreat starting

• No refunds or transfers are available within 48 hours of a retreat starting

• You may transfer your booking to a later retreat, and there will be a 10% admin fee (10% of the cost of the cancelled course) incurred

• If a deposit has been paid to secure a place, $50 of that deposit is forfeited per person in the case of any cancellation prior to 2 weeks before the retreat