Date

28 Dec 2024

Time

All Day

Garden of Mindfulness Family Retreat 2024

Journey through the mindfulness looking glass with us! Nurture the wild creative within and enhance your and your family’s wellbeing through play and nature exploration.


A morning class will give the adults time to learn and practice a range of contemplations based on the above themes, while the children enjoy fun activities with our children’s coordinator.

In the afternoon families will have time to practice mindfulness and kindness together as well experiencing the joy of a range of nature archetypes and fun activities, such as forest walks, river swims, homemade water slides, badminton and bubble play.

The Garden of Mindfulness is a family retreat for all ages. Inclusive of all families, it is an opportunity to become familiar with the benefits of being in the present moment and unfolding through play and exploration. GOM offers a rare opportunity to share a retreat space with our families.

This year GOM will run for 7 nights from 6pm 28th December 2024 to 2pm 4th January 2025. We ask that people attend the whole retreat if possible. If you have any skills or talents you would like to contribute please let us know.  We look forward to sharing this retreat with you and your family. For further information, Contact Course Manager Lara Cusdin: laracusdin@icloud.com

Following the previous ten years of successful teachings, Mira Riddiford will be leading the morning adults’ classes and afternoon family explorations.

About Mira Riddiford, the Mindfulness Teacher

Mira is a meditation teacher who runs ongoing classes, retreats and professional workshops throughout Australasia, and her online classes have participants joining in from Europe, Asia and North America. With near 30 years of daily practice, she has been trained through retreat work, study and apprenticeship. Mira has taught mindfulness in education at primary and secondary level, as well as to school teachers. Her modern, warm and engaging style breathes life into these meditation teachings. Mira is respectful of diversity, is LGBTQI friendly, and her family will also be participating in the retreat. She looks forward to meeting and meditating with you.

Retreat Fees 2024/25 (includes accommodation, food and resource fee). Please bring cash for Teacher’s additional Dana/Donation.

Adults 14+ (per person): $683
Children (per person): 5 -13 years:  $235
Children (per person): 4 years and under: free

Members of Wangapeka

Adults 14+ (per person): $613
Children (per person) 5 -13 years: $235
Children (per person) 4 years and under: free

*Please note* You need to be a member for 1 year before membership rates apply.

If finances are an obstacle for you and your family attending GOM there is the Sangha Support fund.

The Sangha Support Fund is available for anyone needing financial assistance with accommodation in order to attend retreats at Wangapeka.

For more information on applying please contact the office caretaker: wangapekacentre@gmail.com

Dana for the Mindfulness Teacher:  So people from different income brackets can benefit from this retreat, no set fee is put on Mira Riddiford’s teachings. Please give generously according to your means, taking into account Mira has a family to provide for. You could use as a guide $20 – $60 per day (with the understanding that everyone’s circumstances are different).

Have further questions? Contact Course Manager Lara Cusdin: laracusdin@icloud.com for further information.

If using Paypal please add 5% of the total cost and include with your payment to cover Paypal’s fees – many thanks.

To register please fill out our online registration form, please fill in one form per person

Register now

*Please consider becoming a Wangapeka member – click here for details.

Lara Cusdin

Organizer

Lara Cusdin
Email
laracusdin@icloud.com

Welcome to the Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre. People visit from all over the world to meditate and enjoy the peace of this remarkable destination. The Wangapeka is a purpose built retreat centre, with fresh clean air and beautiful vistas. It is very quiet and ideal for respite, stress relief and deep meditation. We have a meditation hall, solo retreat huts, a main hall for dining and community, and a fully catered kitchen and an onsite vegetable garden.

The Wangapeka Study and Retreat Meditation Centre is a Universalist centre home to a wide range of teachings, paths, and studies. Retreats are held on Mindfulness, Vipassana, Insight, Heart based practices, Loving Kindness, Calm-abiding, Metta, Compassion, Conscious Movement, Nature, Forest Walks, Yoga, Dance, Feldenkrais, Wellness, Wellbeing, Archetypal Integration, Western Mysticism, Non-Duality, Zen, Dzogchen, Mahamudra, Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings with Empowerments and Sadhana Practice.

We are located in the foothills of the Southern Alps overlooking the Wangapeka River, about an hour and a half drive SW of Nelson, in the South Island of New Zealand.

We have meditation retreats throughout the year, have huts available for solo retreats, and welcome bookings from external groups. There are also opportunities available to work on our land. Come and enjoy this uniquely vibrant and peaceful centre.

355 Wangapeka River Rd
R.D.2. Wakefield 7096
New Zealand
Phone: +64 3 522 4221
wangapekacentre@gmail.com

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