with
Chani Grieve & Duncan Mckay
Wangapeka Study & Retreat Centre
This retreat is now FULL. Please contact Chani [email protected] to go on a waiting list.
“You need go no further than your own body to understand the Universe.” – Namgyal Rinpoche
Weaving together movement, meditation, art and science, in this retreat we will enter the studio/laboratory of our own human experience. We will observe, contemplate, explore, play, and come to understand some of the patterns that shape our own lives and all of life.
Our human bodies are the doorway to our personal, ancestral, collective and planetary history, and the vehicle for liberation in this life. They show us the way to remembering and realising our fundamental wholeness. Through our loving attention and intention, we will honor the intimate relationship between healing ourselves and restoring our world. As we align our human body with the self-healing mechanism of the earth body, we ourselves become the medicine so sorely needed in our world.
Join us as we embark on a restorative, creative, experiential and illuminating journey into our interbeing nature, to bring healing, insight, liberation, and joy to our lives.
This retreat will be supported by assistant teaching from Duncan McKay
In this retreat you will be supported by :
This retreat is suitable for adults of all ages. It may be of particular interest to those in healing/education/environmental/scientific/creative professions, people with health challenges needing a gentle, attuned and embodied approach to healing, and anyone curious about how the body guides our natural unfoldment into wisdom and compassion.
Chani Grieve was born into a dharma community in Tasmania, and has been a dedicated practitioner of meditation and body-centred modalities for over 17 years, sharing her experience since 2012. She graduated from the 4-year Feldenkrais Professional Training Program in Melbourne in 2013, and has been weaving movement and meditation together ever since. She works as a Feldenkrais Practitioner and Embodiment Trainer/Facilitator, and is passionate about sharing with people the power of working with the body to liberate our creativity, joy and full potential, by accessing the natural laws of growth and unfolding encoded in our bodies. Chani is a mum to a joyful and active toddler, and is now walking the awesome, difficult, and deeply satisfying path of motherhood, and the beautiful challenge of integrating the essence of our world’s wisdom teachings into the nitty gritty of everyday life.
Duncan is an experienced meditator, Tai Chi practitioner, artist and maker of jewellery. He lives in sunny Nelson with his partner Diane and makes and sells jewellery in galleries throughout NZ. He also works part time at the Nelson Library. Upon leaving High School he completed a degree in Geology and worked in this sphere for a number of years. He has maintained a strong interest and love for earth history and processes. It is this and the wonder experienced in observing the patterns in nature that drives the jewellery making process.
Since travelling with Tarchin Hearn to Central America in 1989, Duncan has maintained a dedicated meditation practice over the last 35 years. Duncan has attended a wide range of meditation retreats primarily at the Wangapeka Centre, and has studied with with Tarchin Hearn, Bonni Ross and many other Teachers. Another strong area of interest is the human body, our evolution over time and how we function in the world. He studied Tai Chi and Chi Gung in Auckland over a number of years, and has studied various forms of body work and massage. Maintaining a current Tai Chi and Chi Gung practice, body awareness and fitness is an important facet of his life.
The retreat takes place on the beautiful Wangapeka whenua nestled in stunning native forests with expansive views down the Wangapeka valley. The land itself provides a healing sanctuary surrounded by mature trees and offering the perfect environment for reflection and reconnection with nature.
Accommodation is included in the price of the retreat, with all rooms being comfortable and well-appointed with single beds and electric heating. Shared bathroom facilities are conveniently located close to all rooms.
All meals are included in this retreat to support the your well-being and focus. Our kitchen team prepares nourishing vegetarian food to sustain and delight you throughout your stay. Specific dietary requirements can be accommodated and self-catering is also possible if you prefer to bring and prepare your own food.
This teaching room is beautifully crafted and has been used for a wide variety of teaching for over 20 years. It has a wooden parquet floor and a pot belly stove to keep away winter chills. Set amongst beautiful mature trees, it offers a charming view looking down the Wangapeka valley, creating an inspiring environment for movement and meditation practices.
The original building at Wangapeka, the Main Hall serves as the heart of community life with its combined living and dining room, library, and welcoming wood burner. Tea, coffee, and snacks are freely available here throughout your stay. Whether you choose to relax in the cosy interior or step out onto the porch to enjoy the expansive views, this space invites connection and contemplation. The hall also houses the kitchen, bathroom facilities, and laundry for your convenience.
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