What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 10:15am 6pm - 7:15pm Tuesday 6:45am - 10:15am 6pm - 9pm Wednesday 9am - 10:15am 6pm - 7:15pm Thursday 6:45am - 11:45am Friday 9am - 10:15am 6pm - 7:15pm Saturday 9am - 10:15pm Sunday 5:30pm - 6:45pm

Retreats NZ

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Retreats NZ offers world class meditation and yoga retreats across New Zealand led by Susan Allen. Life-changing retreats in truly stunning locations. For you.

We specialise in sharing the age-old Buddhist practices in a practical and inspiring way. Retreats NZ is led by Susan Allen and offers yoga and meditation retreats around New Zealand. Susan has been teaching for over 20 years and running retreats for over 15 years. We would love to have you join us for one of our magical retreats. We choose the most stunning retreat centres in NZ for our retreats, full nature immersions. The retreat programs offer an intelligent and structured approach to learning yoga and meditation. The intention is to facilitate a reset for you while also teaching a life-changing practice for you to take home with you. We teach a thoughtful hatha/vinyasa asana approach and a Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice.

21/10/2026

GIVEAWAY
Do you know an Otago local that is in need of a five-day meditation and yoga retreat?
A friend, family-member or community hero that could do with a step back and supportive space to learn skills that will benefit them for life.
We are giving away one spot at our upcoming Wanaka - A Mind at Ease Retreat to a deserving local. Dates: 4 - 8 Nov. 2026.
To put forward your nominee:
Tag them in the comments section below.
Make sure you both follow our page.
This is a non-residential retreat where participants have the flexibility to find their own accommodation, coming together each day in this stunning setting, for learning and practice.
Suitable for beginners and advanced practitioners.
Giveaway announced on 26th October.
You are very welcome to nominate yourself :-)
Retreat info here.
https://retreats.nz/wanaka-meditation-and-yoga-retreat/

28/08/2026

Imagine waking each morning with a meditation practice that feels natural, inspiring, and deeply supportive. Not something you start with good intentions and gradually abandon, but a practice that becomes a true rhythm in your life.

The Living Path is a 9-month online meditation course designed for those ready to go beyond the basics. If you want a practice that brings greater ease, clarity, and unimaginable wonder to your unfolding life, this journey was created for you.

Why join us on the path?

- Move past the cycle of starting and stopping your practice

- Learn progressively over nine carefully structured months

- Connect with an inspiring, supportive community

- Build a mindful foundation that will nourish you for a lifetime

If you’re curious about the course but want to know a little more before committing, I’m holding a short, free online introduction two weeks before we begin.

It’s a low-pressure chance to meet me, hear exactly what we’ll explore over the nine months, and ask any questions you might have.

Free intro talk details:
🗓️ Wednesday, 2nd September
🕖 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Online)

Hit the link in our bio to register. Come along, have a listen, and see if The Living Path feels like the right fit for you.

https://retreats.nz/the-living-path-intro-talk/

28/08/2026

20/08/2026

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PRESENT?

Many people think that being present, means being mindful. If I’m angry - know that I’m angry. If frustration is arising - observe frustration arising. If I’m sitting listening to the morning birdsong in the garden - not being distracted but listening closely.

Each of these examples do demonstrate being present - but the deeper understanding of being present offers so much more.

Rather than just noticing anger arising, in meditation we explore concepts such as where does the anger arise from, how substantial or how fabricated is it? How and why does the anger continue, and one of the big questions, how does our identification with that anger perpetuate it? Just being present with the anger is not enough to liberate us from it, we need to do these deeper investigations.

Meditation is not just about being mindful to our experience, but rather coming to understand our experience. It is about examining and looking beneath the surface. In a world where so much can feel superficial and flippant, meditation offers the possibility of exploring an unimaginable depth of experience - a chance to deeply explore our human-ness.

And this is really at the heart of The Living Path.

The Living Path is a nine-month journey into meditation, the mind - your life. It isn't about simply learning a technique and trying to fit ten minutes of meditation into your day. It's an opportunity to radically change how you experience your life.

Over nine months we'll explore meditation progressively, building on what comes before and going deeper into how the mind works and how we experience our lives. You'll have guidance, practices to work with between sessions, and a group of people making the same journey.

The Living Path begins 15 September.

If you've ever sensed that meditation has something much deeper to offer than simply helping you feel calmer, The Living Path is an opportunity to explore that depth.
https://retreats.nz/meditation-course-new-zealand/

12/08/2026

What about depth?

Not wellness.
Not productivity.
Not mindfulness.

Depth.
Depth of attention.
Depth of experience.
Depth of relationship.
Depth of inquiry.
Depth of life.

The opposite of endless scrolling isn't calm.
The opposite of busyness isn’t doing nothing.
The opposite of modern life may simply be depth.

The Living Path is an invitation to live more deeply in an increasingly shallow world.

A 9-month online meditation mentorship offering from Susan Allen. Begins 15th September.

10/08/2026

You don't need to be good at meditation before you start - that's backwards.

It is normal that the mind wanders. It is normal that the mind is busy with thoughts. That doesn't mean we can't train a better way to be. Upgrade the operating system.

Meditation shows the way.

Join Susan Allen for the upcoming Auckland Meditation and Yoga retreat 28-30 August, 2026.
Non-residential retreat at The Life Centre, Ponsonby.

Come and learn from one of NZ's most experienced teachers.
https://retreats.nz/auckland-meditation-and-yoga-retreat/

08/08/2026

The Living Path - Building a Meditation Practice That Endures.
Almost everyone has heard that meditation is good for them. Many people download an app, read a book or attend a course. They practise for a few weeks and experience glimpses of greater calm.

Then life gets busy.

The practice slowly fades away.

Usually this isn’t because people lack discipline. It’s because often the path of where you’re going, and how to get there is not immediately obvious, we need support.

Questions naturally arise.

“Am I doing this correctly?”

“Why won’t my mind stop thinking?”

“Should meditation feel peaceful?”

“What am I trying to develop?”

Without someone to ask, it’s easy to become vague or disheartened.

Meditation isn’t difficult, but it is nuanced and strategic. Learning alongside an experienced teacher and a supportive group makes all the difference.

The Living Path is a 9-month online guided meditation course and mentorship program designed for beginners and experienced meditators who want to establish a consistent, meaningful meditation practice.
Begins 15th September with Susan Allen

Read more here.
https://retreats.nz/meditation-course-new-zealand/

05/08/2026

The mind is your greatest technology.
There is a serious upgrade available.
Join us for our Auckland meditation and yoga retreat.
Deepen your understanding and practice. Make meditation a lasting and inspiring part of your life.
Ponsonby, Auckland non-residential retreat 28 - 30 August.

01/08/2026

Missing the human touch?
Learn meditation in-person from one of NZ's most experienced teachers Susan Allen.
Auckland non-residential meditation retreat 28-30 August.

Get offline, forget the meditation apps. Come and learn the life-changing practice of meditation with us in Ponsonby, Auckland.

It is true that meditation quietens the busy mind and lessens the obsession with thinking.
Come join this 2.5 day introduction to meditation and leave with a practice that is inspiring and interesting.
All info here
https://retreats.nz/auckland-meditation-and-yoga-retreat/

30/07/2026

Fed up with worrying or stressed about being stressed?
Auckland meditation retreat starts in 4 weeks, 28-30 August.

Meditation is a pro-active way you can move beyond these very boring and troublesome states of mind. Meditation has many therapeutic benefits with perhaps the most profound one being learning the skill of not always indulging in negative thought patterns.

This is not complicated but of course it takes practice. Rather than allowing the mind to get caught up in thought elaboration, in meditation we practice steering our attention away from thought to a chosen object of attention such as the breath, or sound.

With practice, and with care, we become more skilled at this. A sense of quietness and control descends on the mind.

This upcoming 2.5 day non-residential retreat will give you the time to develop considerable skilfulness around not chasing after thought.

A good teacher and a good technique guaranteed.

Next non-residential meditation retreat - The Life Centre, Ponsonby, Auckland 28-30 August
Come learn with one of NZ’s most experienced meditation teachers Susan Allen
Read more here
https://retreats.nz/auckland-meditation-and-yoga-retreat/

Address

Wanaka
9305

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 10:15am
	6pm - 7:15pm
Tuesday	6:45am - 10:15am
	6pm - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 10:15am
	6pm - 7:15pm
Thursday	6:45am - 11:45am
Friday	9am - 10:15am
	6pm - 7:15pm
Saturday	9am - 10:15pm
Sunday	5:30pm - 6:45pm

Website

http://www.retreats.nz/

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