Welcome! The Wangapeka Study and Meditation Retreat Centre in New Zealand

The beautiful Wangapeka Study and Retreat Meditation Centre runs retreats and events throughout the year. We welcome external bookings and solo retreats.

View our Programme

Upcoming Events

4 - 9 August 2021

Body of Wisdom, Body of Love with Chani Grieve
13 - 15 August 2021

Life As It Is 2021, a Family Friendly Community Retreat
20 - 24 August 2021

Chenrezig Meditation Retreat with Mark Schrader
27 - 29 August 2021

Exploring Kaitiakitanga of the Wangapeka Whenua with Rob McGowan
15 – 19 September 2021

Sanctuary in Uncertainty with Jeremy Logan & Kanya Stewart
6 - 17 November 2021

Bodhi Seeds Retreat 2021 - Awakening Through Our True Nature
20 – 27 November 2021

Foundations of Samadhi: Düntün (Seven-day) Retreat with Jakob Leschly
13 - 19 December 2021

YAR: Embracing Life - A toolkit for living with Wisdom and Compassion
28 December 2021 – 4 January 2022

Garden of Mindfulness Family Retreat: Star Wars & Lucid Dreaming

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Recent News

The Wangapeka on Instagram

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Rastus is taking care of business while Hadleigh a

Rastus is taking care of business while Hadleigh and Malu are away <smile> 😀

Not so subtle land caretaking! <heart> # Photo Ha

Not so subtle land caretaking! <heart>

# Photo Hadleigh Tiddy

It's a work week! # Photo Hadleigh Tiddy

It's a work week!

# Photo Hadleigh Tiddy

**Visioning Hui March 2021** Kia ora Wangapeka Co

**Visioning Hui March 2021**

Kia ora Wangapeka Community,

We spent an enriching weekend at the Centre on the 27th and 28th March which marked the next phase of an ongoing consultation and visioning process for the Board of Trustees and the wider Wangapeka Community.

People were asked to capture some of the essence of the weekend after three sharing circles over the weekend, in three different headings -- Keep Doing, Stop Doing, and Explore. Here are photos of the "Whiteboard & Post-It-Notes".

Here is a link to the full report. https://wangapeka.org/visioning-hui-march-2021/

**Transforming our Emotions – Relating Compassio

**Transforming our Emotions – Relating Compassionately in the World**

with Mark Schrader and Kath Mitchell

Friday 16 (5pm) – Tuesday 20 July (2pm)

Is it possible to harness the intelligence of our emotions so we can connect, relate and live more fully? Emotions can create both difficulty and beauty in our communication – leading to ill feeling and confusion; harmony and mutual understanding. Is it possible to meet all of our emotions, with kindness and interest so as to reveal the wisdom aspect of the emotion to guide us – to bring forward healing in new and wholesome ways together with openness in our communication.

We are always in relationship, constantly communicating both verbally and non-verbally with friends, partners, whanau, colleagues, shop assistants, pets and other creatures, earth, food, breath, sleep, our minds… everything. Our question is: how can we be with all this and maintain a sense of well-being?

This course is for anyone interested in developing wholesome relating and communication; to ignite greater compassion in your experience of life. It is about kind and deep listening within yourself and with others.

Together we will practice meditation to help develop deeper calm and insight, and to reveal our interconnectedness with all of life. There will be periods of silence and individual reflective time to allow you to connect more fully with your own inner wisdom as well as creative opportunities to engage with the themes within the group.

Our shared search is set in the awesome beauty of the Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre. The facilitators, Mark Schrader and Kath Mitchell, are experienced teachers who bring enthusiasm, humour, creativity and care to the group.

# More

* The full course description - https://wangapeka.org/event/transforming-our-emotions-2021/

* Register - https://wangapeka.org/registration-form/

# Photo image: Adam Gonzales on Unsplash

Melting Frost # Photo Sarah Baldwin July 2021 #w

Melting Frost

# Photo Sarah Baldwin July 2021

#wangapeka #retreat #buddhadharma #meditation

A whole bunch of #dronephotos # Photos Fraser He

A whole bunch of #dronephotos

# Photos Fraser Heal

**Chenrezig Meditation Retreat with Mark Schrader*

**Chenrezig Meditation Retreat with Mark Schrader**

Aug 20 @ 5:00 pm – Aug 24 @ 2:00 pm

4 days (or 2-day weekend option)

This is an experiential meditation course that focuses on developing compassion for oneself and therefore for others. Both beginners and those wishing to deepen their meditation practice are welcome to attend. Each day we will meditate together as a group as well as having space for people to practice independently. Throughout the retreat we will touch into a variety of themes such as: Refuge – where is my place of safety?, Wholesome livelihood – what is an ethical life?, connecting into one’s heart-felt aspiration – what is most important to me in life?. Questions arising spontaneously from those attending will also be explored. As a way of supporting participants to deeply benefit from the retreat there are periods of silence built into the course.

**Chenrezig Meditation** – this is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation that embodies the union of wisdom and compassion. It is an exploration of rich symbolic imagery alongside sound (mantra) that enables us to connect deeply with these two qualities. The facilitator, Mark Schrader, is an experienced teacher who brings enthusiasm, creativity and care to the retreat. It is the 8th year that Mark has offered this course at Wangapeka.

The course is limited to 14 participants so registering early is advisable. There is an option of attending just the weekend rather than the full 4 days —please enquire.

# MORE INFORMATION

For more information please contact Kath Mitchell (Course Manager) mitchell.kath@gmail.com

# About Mark Schrader

Mark has a respectful style of teaching that encourages each person to touch into their own inherent wisdom. He teaches with humour and kindness. He began working in the field of Mental Health about 20 years ago and currently works as a counsellor in Nelson where he lives with his partner, Kath.

# REGISTRATION

To register please fill out our online registration form

https://wangapeka.org/registration-form/

Beautiful flowers at Wangapeka. It's called "Nake

Beautiful flowers at Wangapeka.

It's called "Naked Lady"

# Photo Hadleigh Tiddy

**Holistic Clearing Meditation with Bonni Ross**

**Holistic Clearing Meditation with Bonni Ross**

*An Anti-Paralytic Practice for Human Liberation 2 – 4 July 2021*

For awakening, you should have an understanding of what you are trying to do. You must start with clarity. You should know that you are moving toward liberation. This meditation is designed to help you to face and begin to transform the causes of paralysis: blocks, lacks and “do your own thing” strengths. This can purify, balance and strengthen your being in order to meet the sheer, naked potential of the essence of consciousness residing in you.

First taught by Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche in 1985/6 as “meditation for beginners”, it became clear as Rinpoche continued to expand on the practice over several years that it has much in common with the advanced meditation of ‘dredging’ in mahamudra.

Everyone in reasonably good physical and mental health may attend; an indomitable curiosity is important and some prior training in concentration meditation would be helpful, but is not a prerequisite.

# Costs

Members: $177
Non-Members: $197
Included: Food, Accommodation, Resource Fee & Cooks Fee.
Not included: Dana to Bonni.

# Dana

An offering can be made to the teacher, traditionally at the beginning of the retreat, and is a profound practice in itself. Please bring cash if you would like to make a financial contribution. Giving as generously as you can enables Bonni to continue sharing the precious Buddha dharma for the benefit of all.

# Bonni Ross

Bonni began exploring the teachings of liberation in the early sixties. In the mid 70’s she met her principal teacher, Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche, whose direct, eclectic teaching and example are central to her life. The encouragement of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, teachings from many great Buddhist masters, and innovative westerners have had direct influence, as well as artists, composers, scientists, poets, dancers, philosophers and mystery writers too numerous to mention. Her inspiration comes from “ordinary” people who demonstrate exceptional courage in the midst of great suffering.

# More Information

Karen waihoraorganics8@gmail.com

# Registration

https://wangapeka.org/registration-form/

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