Retreat Finder Tour Blog

Tour Completed!

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:10:00 +0000

The New Zealand and Australia tour of retreats is now complete!

15 retreats in New Zealand in 14 days - view map New Zealand Retreats
14 retreats in Australia in 16 days - view map Australia Retreats

In the coming months you will be seeing a great deal more retreats from these two wonderful countries on the site with a full expanstion to their own sister sites of
RetreatFinder.co.nz
RetreatFinder.com.au
In addition, with any luck you will also begin seeing videos of selected retreats on this and other sites.

Atisha Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:56:00 +0000

Myers Flat, VIC outside Bendigo, Australia

This darling but arid retreat centre is also a home to a Mahayana Buddhist (FPMT) monastery. The centre is in the process of completing a new building for accommodations that will prove to be simple but very comfortable.

Currently accommodations are small dorm style in the old gompa with room for camping under the trees.

The arid environment of the land is balanced by wonderful landscaping with many water elements and luscious plants.

The kitchen and bookshop make a lovely place to drop in an visit but call first to make sure they are open.

The Gompa (Meditation Hall) is quite large, supporting 40-60 people, and maintains a reasonable temperature with just windows and ceiling fans.

A magnificent large stupa is also in the process of being built but will be a few years until completion. In the mean time it is a wonderful opportunity to see a stupa being constructed.

Virupa Retreat Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Carwoola, NSW, Australia

Located on a windy hill just outside Canberra, ACT, Virupa is small retreat centre in the Buddhist Sakya tradition under the direction of Lama Choedak Rinpoche. Operating as Rinpoche’s main retreat centre for many years, SIBA, located just 4 hours away, is now offering the bulk of his retreats in the region.

Known mainly to locals and used mainly by Sakya practitioners Virupa offers three retreat huts that can be used for long term or short term use. However, if used for more than a few days, you must prove that you are under the direction of a teacher, as there are no resident teachers available.

The center also runs its own retreats about once a month. Many of the retreats focus on the introductory practice of Calm Abiding Meditation which is a great technique for increasing clarity of mind and the stability of attention.

While windy, the grounds offer stunning views, hearty walks and are occupied by a plethora of kangaroos.

The shrine room is quite a powerful place and tops out at about 25 people.

The centre is quite compact. The main building holds an office, small bookstore, kitchen and dining area.

The main accommodations are dorm style bunk beds.

The centre can be hired by like minded groups who can meet in the dining area, small lounge area, or use the shrine room is appropriate.

St Marys Towers Retreat Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:20:00 +0000

Douglas Park, NSW, Australia

Located less than an hour southwest of Sydney and 2.5 hours from Canberra, St Marys Towers Retreat Centre is a beautifully preserved retreat offered by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. With 1000 acres of land and many well marked tracks for wandering this center is close to nature.

Retreatants can partake of one of the centre’s programmed retreats, enjoy a personal self-directed retreat, or receive one hour of personal spiritual direction daily on a directed retreat. No matter which option you choose, all retreats at the center are in silence.

“Life’s Healing Journey” is a powerful retreat experience offered by the center that is based on the proven techniques used by Alcoholics Anonymous. During this retreat you examine your life and the areas you would like to improve and receive the support needed to make the changes you desire. Retreatants have reported powerful life changes occurring as a result of this retreat.

Accommodations are in single rooms with twin beds, a few with ensuite facilities. There are three meeting spaces that can be used for talks or space for personal reflection. There are separate rooms for spiritual direction and even a room for massage.

The facility is well maintained as one would expect from a historical landmark. The ceilings are high, the walls are sandstone and the floors are comfortably carpeted.

Groups of up to 45 can also hire the facility to hold retreats, but groups should be of a like mind to the retreat centre.

Vijayaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:24:00 +0000

Newtown, NSW, Australia

Located about 45 minutes outside Sydney this retreat of the FWBO Sydney Buddhist Centre is quite rustic yet appears well loved by its members at they return year after year on retreat. The Sydney Buddhist Centre holds about 25 programs a year here and also hires out the facility.

Starting its life as a temporary military barrack, the retreat has recently been brought up to modern code but the facility is definitely a work in progress. There are about 10 dormitory rooms that accommodate a total of 25-30 people. But if you are uncomfortable with camping or the crawling creatures of nature, this is not the retreat for you. If however, you would like to work on your attachments and aversions, the multitudinous cobwebs, stained ceilings and worn patchwork carpet will offer you excellent practice.

In contrast to the living spaces at the center, the meditation hall has been looked after with newer carpet, paint and is quite comfortable for a group of up to 20.

Satyananda Yoga Mangrove Retreat Center

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 09:29:00 +0000

Mangrove Creek, NSW, Australia

Located just 1.5 hours from Sydney in the Blue Mountains, this beautiful center with many newly renovated buildings sits along a salt water creek with a delightful swimming hole and under a hill with a wonderful cliff trail and views.

Satyananda Yoga, the largest residential retreat centre in the southern hemisphere, welcomes people of all spiritual backgrounds to their teachings which is considered an integral yoga which brings together many branches of yoga so that the whole person can develop and evolve. The staff of this vibrant healthy and warm hearted community range in age and backgrounds and easily convey the message that spirituality is both serious and fun.

Established in 1975, the center now runs programs on a variety of topics including wellbeing and vitality, Hatha yoga cleansing, yoga for the blues, yoga art and yoga dance, Kirtan, Ayervedic cooking and nutrition, yoga ecology and women’s spirituality, as well as in-depth courses in yogic studies and yoga teacher training.

Personal retreat are also available in which you create your own retreat, or you can join in on any of the daily activities or the entire schedule.

The daily schedule starts with a 6am yoga class followed by breakfast and chanting then an hour of karma yoga cleaning and optional additional karma yoga. The community gathers again at noon for relaxing Yoga Nidra then lunch and cleanup. Various activities round out the day.

With three delicious vegetarian meals and two tea breaks per day one is never want for food, even if you are diary free, gluten free, onion or garlic free.

Accommodations range from a single room with ensuite facilities to shared rooms with five beds and shared facilities. With the observance of Mauna (silence) each evening starting at 8:15pm and ending with morning chanting, what may seem like close physical quarters suddenly become ample.

The compact campus has wonderfully landscaped grounds and three meditation/yoga/class rooms in the main building. All buildings rely on the air conditioning supplied by nature and maintain focus on the environment with timed heaters sot that energy is not wasted.

But just because this is an ashram it does not mean that people are disconnected. A nice student room is provided for those who need computer access.

For those who are a bit weary of ashrams, I would like to share a bit of my personal experience at Satyananda. In a wonderful display of the centre’s spiritual inclusiveness there was chanting of the names of Jesus and singing carols on Christmas day even when the center was on staff holiday and closed to non-residents.

Mount Carmel Retreat Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Varroville, NSW, Australia

Located just an hour south of Sydney and accessible by train, the Discalced Carmelite Friars and Sisters of Mount Carmel Retreat Centre offer a wonderful opportunity to “come aside and rest a while.”

The centre offers weekend retreats throughout the year on a number of themes including ‘Praying with Carmelite Saints’, ‘What does God want me to do?’, as well as holiday retreats and a young adult retreat. The friars at Mt Carmel are quite jovial and welcome people from all backgrounds to enjoy their hospitality.

These programs include time to unwind and relax, reflect on the talks given, attend liturgy and prayer, and if requested time for spiritual direction.

If you wish for a more private retreat, the centre has two hard walled yurts with ensuite facilities and small kitchenette. Meals can be taken at the main center or self catered and the hermitages have heat and air conditioning. Retreatants can simply take time alone, or join the community in Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours, and silent prayer. Spiritual direction and sacrament of reconciliation are also available.

Occupying grazing land outside the city, the centre is very quiet with open views and a few walking tracks across the land. Built in the mid 1960s the accommodations are three stories of single rooms with shared facilities for total occupation of around 40. The rooms are simple and comfortable with a twin bed, desk, lounge chair and small wardrobe. There are also a few shared kitchenettes and lounge areas. However the only air conditioning is natures own breeze.

The Novitiate house may occasionally be hired by groups for retreats. The separate building has its own full kitchen for self catering, a large lounge area, a small meeting room, and accommodations for seven in single rooms.

Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre, Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Mount Wilson, NSW, Blue Mountains, Australia

This small center has a heart of gold. Set about 2.5 hours outside Sydney, nestled between the Blue Mountains National Park and the Wollemi National Park in Mt Wilson village, to come to SRMHC is to truly come away to yourself.

Set on 25 acres of gardens and rainforest this retreat is designed for you to take some quiet time to feed yourself on all levels.

The main house features the kitchen, small dining room and lounge area with cosy fire for winter, a double guest bedroom and a small book store. The centre pets are welcoming and make it feel like home..

The cabin holds one double and three twin beds within one room but is spacious enough that the shared rooming is comfortable. There is also a small kitchenette and lounge area.

Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre Blue Mountains and other worldwide centers are under the direction of Mata Yogananda Mahasaya Dharma who has devoted her life to Meditation, Healing, and guiding souls to Self Realization. The center is staffed by a beautiful gentle couple whose very presence is infused with love.

Every aspect of your stay is cared for so that all of your needs are met, but without staff being overbearing or intrusive. The delicious vegetarian meals can be made to meet your dietary requirements and are made and served with great love and attention that you can taste in every bite.

Retreatants are welcome to self direct their retreat, or they can partake of any of the centre’s offerings including: daily meditation and prayer, Natural Spiritual Healing treatments and diploma courses, progressive counseling for individuals and couples, Transformation Hatha Yoga classes, Natural Healing and Animal Healing courses, Pure Meditation course (includes the highest form of Raja Yoga including Kriya Yoga which can lead to Self Realization in this lifetime).

The natural environment is a strong part of this center and there are gardens with ample benches for contemplation as well as rainforest walks. But if you want a special treat, this is one of the few locations in Australia where one can experience fireflies, a wonderful surprise bonus to SRMHC’s annual Christmas and New Year’s retreats.

Brahma Kumaris Retreat Center- Blue Mountains

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:51:00 +0000

Leura, NSW, Blue Mountains, Australia

This large retreat center of the Brahma Kumaris is located about 2.5 hours outside Sydney in the Blue Mountains, and is easily accessible by car or train. The centre runs courses almost every weekend of the year focusing mainly on meditation, and occasionally hires our a part of their facility for other groups to use.

The centre consists of two areas each with a meeting space and accommodations but with one central dining area. The design and details of the entire centre is quite elegant and helps one feel comforted and cared for and relaxed to enjoy and imbibe the teachings. The food is vegetarian, simple and quite tasty.

The main meditation hall is a beautiful open space with comfortable carpeting and wonderful audio visual capabilities.

The second area is referred to as the Stone Cottage and is indeed just that, but has been renovated for comfort and a stunning glassed in porch has been added that overlooks the award winning garden. The gardens are wonderful to experience and include a small stream and waterfall.

The accommodations appear quite simple from the outside, but are plush and comfortable.

All courses are offered on a donation only basis. People who have taken a course with the center before are welcome to return on personal retreat or extend their stay for their next course with additional days for personal retreat.

Bodhi Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000

Tullera, NSW - just north of Lismore, Australia

This lovely small Vipassana retreat centre and monastery is home to Pannyavaro, the creator of Buddhanet.net and a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada tradition of Burmese master Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw.

The centre runs retreats 9 months out of the year and also hosts some wonderful teachers all on a donation only basis, as is the tradition.

Dorms are currently in a part of the shed with bunk beds; very simple and cozy as most of one’s time during retreat is spent in the meditation hall or in walking meditation.

The beautiful main house (built in the early 1800s) holds the shared kitchen, showers and toilets, and features a lovely deck with dining tables.

Bodhi Tree is in the midst of a major expansion with fundraising for a large hall, pagoda and accommodations in double rooms for 44 people. In reclaiming the land they have over the past few years already planed hundreds of trees. Please contact Buddhanet.net with donations to support this important project.

Samaya Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 06:58:00 +0000

Rosebank, NSW, Australia

This small retreat located in the hills above Byron Bay is an offshoot of an Osho Ashram (Ashram in the Bush) that is undergoing some transition. But the facilities have lots of potential and are good for certain small groups.

Personal retreats can either be completely self directed including use of the shared kitchen, or you can join in on the ashram activities such as eating together, daily meditation and several hours of karma yoga.

Facilities include a small meditation room, hot tub, sauna, 7km of walking tracks, sweat lodge, and a swimming hole. Toilets are composting, but clean and easy to use.

The shower block and kitchen are separate buildings and include cold showers for a refreshing end to a hot day.

Groups of up to 10 for indoor yoga or 25 seated meditation, with room for 25 people overnight can use the main house which features separate men’s and women’s dorms, the meditation/ meeting room and a small self catering kitchen.

There is also a lovely open and flat lawn for movement groups such as Tai Chi.

Presentation Spirituality Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:49:00 +0000

Manly, QLD - 45 minutes East of Brisbane, Australia

This small center located along the bay East of Brisbane has something for just about everyone. As part of the ministry of the Queensland Presentation Sisters PSC is a sacred space providing opportunities for diverse spiritual experiences consistent with the Catholic ethos and Presentation charism.

Come for a quiet personal retreat or to receive spiritual direction or counseling.

Join in on one of their retreats ranging in topic from “Walking a Sacred Labyrinth – A Journey to Nurture Spiritual Growth” to “Poetry Under the Mango Tree” to “Learning to Breathe Deeply into Our Soul”

There are two rooms that can be hired for group retreats, the largest is the Conference room accommodating around 30. There is a pull down screen for use with audio visual presentations.

The accommodations feature simple twin beds and serve around 20 in a two storey building. All buildings were constructed around 1950 and are carpeted for your comfort.

Food is provided as part of the retreat, and there is also a small self catering area for breakfast with a microwave and refrigerator.

Chenrezig Institute

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Eudlo, QLD about 2 hours North of Brisbane, Australia

Set in the wooded hills this wonderful Mahayana Buddhist Centre (FPMT) offers a range of retreat options.

You can drop by for a daily teaching, lunch in their wonderful cafe, ask a monk a question, circumambulate the stupa to help spread prayers of peace, or just come to soak up the mindfulness in this peaceful environment.

You can join in on one of their programmed retreats or take a personal retreat. Personal retreats can be as basic as just taking time for yourself to relax and possibly attend one of the daily (Wed-Sun) teachings or meditations, or you can have a more formalized retreat in a private hut in a silent area of the grounds with or without retreat guidance.

For general retreats accommodations include bed and breakfast style in the Sangha House or motel style, most have shared facilities. All are simple but clean and comfortable.

The cafe offers excellent simple vegetarian food at very reasonable rates; and if you need a pick me up for the next mediation session, the chocolate bars are inexpensive.

There is plenty of land to wander on and a magnificent Garden of Enlightenment. But be prepared for the walk up and down the hill, a great practice in slowing down, mindfulness and gratitude.

If you mind needs some more action, there is a wonderful and broad library with fantastic librarian assistance to find just what you are looking for.

And if you need a real change of pace, you can pop into their small shop for practice supplies, books and trinkets.

Chenrezig Institute is a rare chance to study and retreat in a monastic setting where everyone is welcome.

Groups of a like mind ranging from arts to healing can apply to hire the facility. There is a wonderful Community Room at the bottom of the main complex hill with wonderful wood floors and plenty of privacy. Note that the cafe and lodging are all up the hill and past the stupa, again, offering a great opportunity to practice.

Sanctuary at Mission Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 01:55:00 +0000

Bingil Bay, QLD, Australia

This eco lodge is located just 2 hours South of Cairns. Created in order to help save the rainforest, only a portion of the land is occupied by this elegant lodge.

With a large open room with wonderful wood floors and views into the rainforest, Sanctuary is just that for yoga and similar groups.

The resturant can cater to the needs of your group, and there is also a self- catering kitchen .

Accommodations include simple screened in huts that share facilities or cabins with a deck and private facilities.

It is less than a kilometer walk through the forest to the beach for swimming and sun, or there is a pool onsight for an invigorating morning swim, or relaxing afternoon cool down.

The entire facility features elegance in design, but it is in the jungle; so expect encounters with nature (ie bugs) and a raucous but wonderful wake aviary wake up.

Preview of the Australian leg of the tour

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Here is quick preview of the Australia portion of the trip

View Australia Retreats in a larger map

Next up- Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:16:00 +0000

Having completed a whirlwind tour of New Zealand, Alec is taking a wee bit of a break. The Australian leg of the tour will start around December 15th.

Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:44:00 +0000

Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand

Appropriately located in a residential neighborhood of Christchurch, everyone who comes here is considered family. But with only fifteen minutes to Christchurch city center and ten minutes to the airport, SRMHC resides in stillness and unconditional love.

Welcoming of people of all religions and no religion retreatants are can spend their time here just relaxing or they can attend the morning and evening meditation or one of the Transformation Hatha Yoga classes.

Also available are sessions in Progressive Counseling and Natural Spiritual Healing to help you relax and reconnect to your center, or help you move past an obstacle and embrace a new way of living that is a truer expression of your heart.

Personal retreatant accommodations are single or double rooms in the main house or a separate cottage and are attentively cared for in this well maintained retreat with the feeling of home.

The small grounds include ample spots for relaxing in the sun or shade and even include a pool.

Love is the overall theme here and the delicious meals are made to order to your particular dietary needs are just one small way to experience this.

Yoga Room

Healing Room

Whether you come to SRMHC for a weekend of relaxing, or seeking healing, you will find your time here creates a natural quieting and internal focusing that leads to a more open heart and life filled with greater joy.

Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:53:00 +0000

Wakefield, South Island, New Zealand

Situated along the boundaries to Kahurangi National Park and easily accessible from Nelson, Motueka and Golden Bay, Wangapeka’s focus and activities is on ‘inquiry’.

The lineage teacher for the center was Ven. Namgyal Rinpoché, a Canadian, whose teachings blended Theravada and Karma Kagyu traditions.

Personal retreatants at Wangapeka stay in huts that are self catering. However if staying longer than a week you need to prove that you are under the direction of a teacher, as there is no resident teacher at Wangapeka.

There is also an option for work exchange – three hours work per day plus food costs in exchange for lodging.

Bodywork groups and spiritual and /or religious groups are welcome to use the facility, but each group and retreat must be approved by the board.

Groups can use the Mediation Hall or the Healing Hut for classes.

Accommodations are available indoors for up to 25 people plus room for camping. Lodging includes single rooms, dorm style rooms and cabins.

Wangapeka also produces its own series of meditation retreats. Please see their website for their upcoming calendar.

Anahata Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:46:00 +0000

Golden Bay, South Island, New Zealand
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The long drive is worth the journey to spend time at this little retreat center with a great word of mouth reputation.

Anahata is named after the heart chakra and the beauty, joy and love in this center certainly fulfills its mission. But Anahata is not for the faint of heart. If you simply cannot live without flushing toilets and long shot showers, you should probably seek your yogic connection elsewhere.

Located in Golden Bay on New Zealand’s South Island, and next door to Abel Tasman National Park, Anahata brings you spirituality with a view. Incorporating all major aspects of the science of yoga into the daily schedule, including yoga asana (postures), chanting, karma yoga (a form of work exchange), and meditation, Anahata is an education centre and as such is great for people who have never taken a yoga class or who are well studied in the philosophy.

This young, vibrant and knowledgeable community focuses on the science of yoga to balance and harmonize the body, mind and emotions; it is not a religious practice and is therefore welcoming of people of all faiths or no faith.

There are several choices for retreat at Anahata. You can participate in one of the scheduled themed retreats or come on personal retreat. The personal retreats include several programs to choose from including: a personal self directed retreat in which you to set your own schedule and select among any of the activities, a yoga retreat where you follow the centre’s daily schedule, and a karma yoga retreat which is a form of work exchange. With each minute of the day mapped out, the centre’s schedule may seem overwhelming or restrictive, but the structure actually forms a wonderful container for your personal internal work and has the perfect amount of free time for personal reflection and study.

Anahata’s remote location sitting high atop a hill overlooking Golden Bay makes sustainability both a necessity and a choice. Water is pumped from their well and power is solar.

A good portion of the vegetables are grown on the land and recycled via the composting toilets (one of

which has a fantastic view).

Maintaining the simplicity of the yogic lifestyle the meals are basic but abound in both taste and nourishment.

Housing runs from the very basic caravan, to a luxurious straw bale cottage. Although some of the buildings may be a bit funky, the entire centre is very clean and well maintained. With only fifteen beds at the centre, there is also plenty of room for camping.

Anahata is a thriving cooperative community focused on education. To be there is to become a part of the community in which each person takes responsibility for some small aspect of the center (as small as washing your own dishes to larger long term projects) and attentively and respectfully offers care for each other’s well being. The result is a flow of nourishment that opens the heart to connect to others to the land and to deeply connect to ones own spirit.

Soul Sanctuary

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Pohara, Golden Bay, New Zealand
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Soul Sanctuary is an interconnected organic network of spiritual resources, offering personalized spiritual retreats in stunning Golden Bay, South Island, New Zealand. Retreats are for one person/ couple at a time and are completely customized. The emphasis of the work of Soul Sanctuary is on spiritual process and furthering people on their spiritual journey.

Maggie Holing, an evolutionary catalyst, offers a room in her home on a donation only basis for anyone of need of rest or resource along their path to higher consciousness. The Soul Sanctuary network of practitioners are available for anything from massage or spiritual direction, yoga classes, artistic critique or inspiration to energy therapy. There is also a wonderful and diverse reading library and walks along the beach are just two minutes away. Maggie offers the accommodations and her personal time as a labor of love, having created Soul Sanctuary because when she needed such a resource it was not available.

Pujjis Wellness Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:39:00 +0000

Nelson, South Island, New Zealand
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Winding back into a valley, you hardly know you are in Nelson when you arrive at Pujjis Wellness Retreat. At the gate a statue of Ganesha, remover of obstacles, welcomes you as you begin your healing at Pujjis Wellness Retreat with Arvind Pujji.

Blending eastern and western methodologies, Arvind is able to provide what is most needed for your unique healing. Retreatants select among a large menu of services including: fasting and detox, bodywork, yoga therapy, postural awareness, self awareness dialog, and relationship and marriage counseling.

(a large room that can be converted for many functions including yoga classes)

In addition there is a hot tub, sauna, hammock and beautiful flowing stream.

Pujjis Wellness Retreat can be whatever experience you desire, and if you get bored, staff can help you find activities in the area to enliven your time.

Delicious meals are prepared to each guest's needs and can be either vegetarian, include meat, or avoid any dietary restrictions. Blending intuition and wisdom, staff prepare the perfect meal to bring your body into balance. No matter your diet, or what you seek from your time at Pujjis, you will most likely walk away with one or more new favorite recipes to maintain your new found health.

There are only four accommodation rooms at Pujjis, two with ensuite facilities and two with shared facilities.

But don’t let the small size of the facility fool you. Pujjis Wellness Retreat has the feeling of a high end resort, but with the individualized attention that is impossible in a larger venue. The space is ripe with symbols to help you on your healing journey and is extremely well maintained with great attention to detail and comfort in an effort to help you have the most successful retreat possible.

Belmont Park Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Lower Hutt, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand
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Belmont Park Retreat (BPR) is a small, private retreat centre hidden away in a secluded picturesque valley only 15 minutes from central Wellington.

Offering two retreat cabins for private retreat, the Belmont Park Retreat focuses on Vipassana Meditation and has a visiting teacher once a week who is available for private consultations.

The meditation / teaching hall is separate from the main dwelling - ensuring maximum quiet, broken only by the sound of the bubbling stream. You will also encounter various species of native birds, doves, hens and even a tortoise that wanders the upper meadows!

One cabin has a small kitchenette. The second smaller cabin simply offers space for sleep and practice, with meals taken at the main house. Meals are vegetarian and prepared as organic as possible.

Run by a Naturopath and a Medical Herbalist the retreat has wonderful gardens and access to walking tracks in neighboring Belmont Regional Park.

Southern Star Abbey Guest House

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Hawke's Bay, Takapa, North Island, New Zealand

Kopua Monastery welcomes guests into its new guest house that was completed last year. Housing up to eleven people in five single rooms and three double rooms, including a wheelchair accessible room, Southern Star welcomes all.

There is no charge for accommodations or spiritual direction, but donations are accepted form those who can afford it. The rooms are booked up a few months in advance. Father Niko, the guestmaster, is a kind hearted man who is easy to speak with, no matter your connection to God.

The chapel and grounds were erected several decades ago as temporary structures, but continue to function today. In its plans for improvement the Abbey started with the beautiful guesthouse in accordance to its commitment of service.

Tauhara

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Taupo, North Island, New Zealand

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Located atop a hill overlooking Taupo Lake, Tauhara hosts groups of all kinds, hires out its space to other groups, and has space for personal retreats or even just a holiday break. The campus is attractive and well maintained with trails winding along offering amazing views of the lake.

While Tauhara approaches the feeling of a resort, the facility maintains a simpler and grounded focus. Tauhara offers several services such a massage, a very diverse library, wireless (but technology use is limited to specific areas), laundry and community evening activities.

The Sanctuary holds the space of Tauhara. This silent space offering views in all directions is void of any one focus spiritually or visually.

Offering three meeting spaces of various sizes, Tauhara provides just the right amount of space for more than one group to use the venue at a time without feeling crowded.

The Common Room sats up to 40 people and is a more relaxed space with carpet, a fireplace and big cushions.

The Main Hall seats up to 150 with walls of windows for natural light, and drapes when less light is needed

The Dining Hall seats up to 95 with amazing views overlooking the gardens. This space can also be used for meetings, with only minimal sound from the kitchen.

One and two bedroom cottage accommodation are available for a bit of privacy

The bulk of the accommodations are attractive dorm rooms.

Te Moata

noreply@blogger.com (Retreat Finder) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Tairua, North Island, New Zealand
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Although Te Moata is a Vipassana Meditation Centre, one could easily mistake it for an Ecology Centre.

The land and its non-human inhabitants are protected by law and are loving cared for by this organization. In addition to hiring out its venue for retreat groups, Te Moata also produces its own series of retreats primarily based around Vipassana and Dances of Universal Peace.

There is a wonderful flower garden for contemplation and a small vegetable garden. Meditation spots about abound on the land as do walking tracks. However, in keeping with the earth based focus of the center, the tracks here are rustic and more naturally rough than common walking tracks.

The main center is wonderfully designed around a central courtyard with three meeting spaces and dormitory accommodations around it.

The “dorm” accommodations have a great deal of privacy compared to other dorm rooms. The center is completely off the grid. Power is solar and water is pumped in from the springs. Audio visual needs are powered by a generator.

The center features three separate meeting spaces. One has hardwood floors and is referred to as the walking meditation room. Another is for seated meditation, and the third is a multi-function carpeted room that is wonderful for Dances of Universal peace and similar events.

The labyrinth is quite spectacular with its placement carefully chosen to take advantage of lay lines, rooted in crystals and containing hand hammered copper accents and hand made decorative elements, this labyrinth is very powerful.

Several goddess spaces have been created on the land including a goddess pool in the stream that is used for ceremonies and initiations.

For private retreats, there are hike-in rustic cabins with stunning views. What they cabins lack in phycial comforts, they more than make up for in peace and expansion offered by the views.

A rustic hike-in Barn is available for ecologically minded groups who are not in need of indoor plumbing. The space is very basic, basically camping with a roof, but provides a great container for nature groups.