Body of Truth, Western Mysteries Retreat with Mira Riddiford

Meditations that nourish the creative,

at the Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre, June 19 to 26, 2015.

This retreat will be good for:

• Creatives – people who are in an arts, writing, music, dance, advertising, journalism or any creative idea based field and wish to honour and nourish that within them
• Meditators or people wishing to develop a meditation practise
• People in care fields or demanding careers who would like restoration from giving
• Students and activists who wish to learn good tools and life skills for community engagement
• People interested in self-care and good boundary (meals will be nourishing and healthy)
• People interested in developing mindfulness and being present
• People interested in having quiet time out from busy schedules

Together we will explore the Western Archetypes like the Magician, the High Priestess and the Chariot. Along with these expressions of wisdom, we will work through creative exercises, visualizations and gentle body meditations.
One need not be a creative to be on this retreat, but you may find creativity bubbling up during the retreat.

Mindfulness and the Muse

– discovering, empowering and nurturing the muse within.

There’s a well known saying “So much of the creative process is just turning up” it’s much the same with meditation and calm – the healthy creative process is through mindfulness. There will be calming sessions of Mindfulness in Movement to experience the many levels of harmony within the body. To balance the level of visualisation we will practice mindfulness, kindness, groundedness and presentness, and allow any creative blocks within us to gently, unlock and unfold. Other than class times, this retreat will be in silence to help relax the mind and body and give the inner chatter a break, so new creativity can have a chance to emerge and grow.

If you have trouble with sitting for long periods or are new to meditation, this would be an enjoyable retreat for you. For those who have done a great deal of meditation, these meditations can bring in some newness in, in a creative, light hearted way.

About Mira Riddiford

Mira is a meditation teacher based in Auckland.

She teaches mindfulness meditations that encompass mindfulness of breathing, a wonderful practise that allows the settling and absorption into calm.  Through these practises, a clarity and concentration is developed that is an ideal state to learn from.

Mira teaches Metta based practices, loving kindness meditations that allow the heart to open, relax and rejuvenate.

She also teaches Mindfulness in Movement, body based classes which are deeply restorative, which work well for releasing ongoing body tension, and settling the mind.

“In mindfulness an inner strength can be nurtured when we become fully engaged and accept what is really happening. This realness supports the health of our bodies, minds and hearts. We allow the present moment to enliven and nourish us. Given time this turns from a dry training, to an experience that fulfils a deep yearning to feel invigorated by life.”

Mira has given workshops for performance athletes on how to be with stress and anxiety when competing at the top level of their sport, and how to concentrate the mind and tune into their bodies signals for greater results.

Mira has run Workplace mindfulness classes. Having been a production manager, an account manager and a creative, she understands the demands of a professional career.

Mira has also taught for the Haemophilia Foundation of NZ on how to manage the anxiety of living with an ongoing life threatening illness. Mira has worked with the Mental Health Foundation to teach their Mindfulness Programme in Auckland.

Mira is delighted by the challenge and creativity of Vajrayana practices. These meditations help us to work directly with and address our humanness.

Mira has over two decades of experience, started intensively training in 1995, and was given authorisation to teach 12 years ago.

Mira works with people one on one, in family sessions and in group sits. She is LGBTQI friendly. Mira has two children, and understands the challenges and joys of busy urban living. Contact her on mindfulnesse@gmail.com for more information.