He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata – Love for all people is a precious treasure

Join us at Te Moata Sanctuary, an off-grid wilderness sanctuary in the Coromandel for contemplation and immersion in nature and oneself (same thing!).

Simplicity, good company, and daily grounding in the heart of breath and yoga.

Whether you are new to yoga or a seasoned teacher, join world-renowned yoga teacher Mark Whitwell and friends for six days practicing together the profound principles of breath and movement, chanting and rest that are too often neglected from the modern yoga industry.

You ARE nature. If you look at a bird or a tree or a flower and see the beauty, this beauty is no different than what you ARE. You are the beauty. But we try to capture beauty with our mind. We try to “experience” the beauty; or maybe hold on to it, savor it and try to duplicate the experience. But the mind will never capture beauty. It cannot even capture experience. It is too slow. You are beauty so you don’t have to capture it. So! Relax and stop looking. The power of the cosmos is arising as you, as utter beauty, intelligence and function, and all things. Enjoy mother nature directly, in you as you. — Mark Whitwell

Enjoy the Yoga that is right for you – adapted to your age, health, culture, needs and background. Yoga adapted to the individual, not the individual struggling to adapt to Yoga. Where “the breath is the guru”.

Who is it for:

• those who have tried Yoga but feel “I like it but there must be something more to it”

• Yoga teachers who are disillusioned and want to go deeper in practice and teaching

• people with exisiting meditation or spiritual practice, needing a physical aspect that is intelligent & complementary

• anyone interested in the work or lineage of T. Krishnamacharya

• those wanting to make the breath the central feature and purpose of their Yoga

• those needing a ‘reset’ and a break from the usual routines and obligations to take stock and be in touch with themselves

PREREQUISITES

• an open mind, a desire to be there

• you do not need to be super flexible or able to do complicated things with your body

• it’s recommended to have read one of Mark’s books or have attended a workshop or online course before

• we don’t recommend initiating your Yoga while currently on some forms of mental health medication, please email rosalind@heartofyoga.com to discuss in confidence

This six-day retreat can be taken as personal retreat time, as a training/upskilling in yoga teaching (YACEP 50hrs), or as the initiation of a yearlong mentorship programme leading to teacher certification. For the latter please write to studio@heartofyoga.com for more details.

COSTS

Costs vary by accommodation choice and are per person, including all meals, six nights accom, all teachings and materials.

1. For a single bunk bed in shared rooms (with curtains around each bed) NZ$1100 (top or bottom can be requested, see pics)

2. For a private cabin or courtyard room to oneself: NZ$1300 each (limited availability)

3. For a private cabin or courtyard room shared by two people (twin or queen): NZ$1200 each (dependent on someone else also choosing this)

4. There are two lovely self-contained cottages, Earth Hut with two double bedrooms and Phoenix Cottage with one queen bedroom and another queen bed in the lounge. See Te Moata website link below for details and photos. These are an extra $90/night ($540 total) and need to be arranged as a group. Extra cost is for the whole cottage not per person.

Not included: transport to and from, linen (we are encouraged to bring our own, or it can be hired for $25)

Food is simple vegetarian, special diets (gluten free, vegan, lots of allergies etc) are an extra $10/day to cover the chef’s time.

Deposit is approx $250 to reserve your bed. Balance will be invoiced after the application is made and is due by one month before.

Questions? Please email studio@heartofyoga.com or you can Whatsapp Rosalind on +64277159538

For more images of the venue and rooms, please see https://temoata.org/accommodation-2/