6 Day Heart Awakening Silent Meditation Retreat

Join us in exploration of the innate Silence of our being in this 6 days retreat, including 5 full days program with meditation, deep relaxation and self-exploration while observing noble silence(mauna)

This duration of retreat offers further insight into the practice of meditation as well as more time to embrace both the philosophy presented and the richness of experience. The duration is enough for one to really tap into stillness and have a taste of deep meditative states.

All retreats are suitable for beginners and for experienced meditators equally.

Dates: 26th September - 2nd October 2024

26th September (Thursday) is the arrival day, with time for registration, accommodation, dinner and an intro session - arrival around 5pm

1st October in the evening coming out of silence

2nd October morning practice, breakfast, integration, time to pack & departure by 11am

Food:

The retreat will be catered with freshly prepared simple yet nourishing vegan meals to support the practice of meditation.

Three meals daily, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Small snacks and tea might be also available throughout the day and dinner upon departure and breakfast before leaving are also provided

No meat, dairy, coffee or refined sugar is served which facilitates detox and rejuvenation for the body

Please indicate on the registration form if you have any food allergies or special dietary needs (there is a surcharge of $10 per day for any special dietary requirements that will require additional food being purchased and prepared)

Accommodation:

Private or shared (twin or four beds) rooms available.

The retreat venue is a beautiful old homestead surrounded by lush gardens on a 10 acre property where we can take walks and feel close to nature, sitting by the pond or walking through the Goddess path in the Totara forest.

The venue is easily accessible - only couple of kms from SH1 into the country.

Pick ups can be arranged from the town of Otaki or the train station of Waikanae Look up www.stratheanretreat.nz

Daily Schedule:

6.30 – 8.30 – Meditation sessions (with breaks)

8.30 – 9.15 – Breakfast

9.15- 10 - Karma Yoga

10 – 11 – Teachings

11.10 – 13.00 – Hatha yoga and meditation

13.00 – 16.00 – Lunch and rest, time for walks or journalling

16.00 – 16.50 – Yoga practice (relaxation/pranayama)

17.00 – 18.30 – Meditation sessions (with breaks)

18.30 – 19.30 – Dinner

19.30 – 21.00 – Questions and answers / Evening Practice

PRICING:

6 nights and 5 full days with 3 vegan meals/day:

~ shared room - $980 

~ private room (in the main house or a small cabin) - $1150 

(all bathroom facilities are shared)

~ Bedding hire: $60 per bed- includes sheets, duvets and towels - one off cost

~ Special diet surcharge - $40 (includes GF and food allergies/ intolerances)

~ EARLY BIRD price - get $60 off the price with all bookings before the 1st May

~ Return retreaters discount - $60 off the total

*** All prices include GST

Accommodation is allocated on first in-first served basis. 

If your preference is for a private room, and you're unable to book one, please register your interest in case of cancellations.

Booking & Payments Policy:

A non-refundable (but transferrable) deposit of $150 NZD is to be paid upon subscription. Please do that via the ticketing system below or with a bank transfer into account number 38-9018-0117320-01.

In case of cancellation for unforeseen reasons up to 3 weeks prior to the retreat, the deposit will be withheld as a credit towards another retreat minus a booking fee of $50. Please read the information about the retreat below carefully as well as the guidelines of the retreat to make sure you want to commit. You can find teh guidelines here: https://www.heartawakening.org/silent-retreats

The rest of the retreat fee is due up to a week before the retreat starts.

Limited spaces 

For more info, please contact Radha 

email: radha.heartawakening@gmail.com phone: (+64) 020 4077 5534

*WHAT IS A SILENT RETREAT? A silent retreat means that everyone participating observes mauna, noble silence. No conversations, but also no use of phone or any devices, not even reading. This external vow of silence may seem harsh or difficult, yet it is actually a very natural and normal once begun and inevitably brings an experience of deep peace. In an environment with less information intake, the mind gets the chance to quiet down and meditation is more natural and easy. Being in silence is a very unique, deeply purifying and enlightening experience. It creates space for a deep insight and a proper reset for the mind and the emotions.

*WHY MEDITATION? Meditation is known for thousands of years as one of the most powerful practices, within and outside of spiritual context. It is good not only for creating a state of calm or relaxation, but also is the best known path to self-knowledge and self-love. When we retreat into silence beyond mind, there is an unmistakable feeling of being back home, in the heart of being, a sense of connection and purpose.

*WHY "HEART AWAKENING"? The retreat is held in the tradition of Hridaya Yoga. Hridaya (meaning the Spiritual Heart) is a spiritual path based on the philosophy of non-duality, advaita, and the teachings of the great Indian sage Ramana Maharishi. Nevertheless, it combines techniques from all authentic spiritual traditions (Kashmir Shaivism, Buddhism, Sufism, Yoga, Christian mysticism) and sacred poetry reading in order to provide a broad and comprehensive view in the search for the Self. A search that starts and ends in the Heart.  Awakening of the Heart and through the Heart - a path of revealing love as the very essence of our being. Just as Rumi said, "Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there"

*WHY DO A RETREAT? Creating a quiet and supportive environment, a group retreat is the best way to immerse yourself into Self Enquiry and silence and reap the benefits of it. How often do we take time for ourselves? With no devices on, and no agenda, with no scattered information for our mind to process? A silent retreat is possibly the only way to truly experience deepening in our meditation practice, purification on all levels and the chance for insight and actual inner transformation. In the space of a retreat where all is provided and catered for you, pure food and no intoxicants, you can allow yourself the treat to just Be, rejoice in the wisdom of the Heart, heal and restore.

*WHAT CAN I EXPECT? The sessions of the retreat include presentation of techniques from different meditation and mystical traditions and the time to practice them, inspirational talks sharing the vision of Non-duality (Advaita Vedanta) and a daily Hridaya hatha yoga practice to relax the body and harmonise the energies. A retreat suitable both for beginners and for people with an established practice, looking for expanding the their practice . It opens the doors to he practice of Hridaya meditation and provides you with the tools to establish your own meditation practice. Hridaya meditation has proven benefits on all levels of our being - physical health, mental clarity, emotional release, deeper self-knowledge, loss of anxiety and rekindled spark for Life, lived in alignment with our innermost truth and with an open heart. There might be some challenge faced in the process, yet a retreat is always a very rewarding experience with something to offer for everyone's specific needs. It can be a great way to reset, to restart, and it can provide with time for contemplation and a quality decision making.

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TESTIMONIALS:  

"I learnt to meditate along with a number of tools and a beautiful background of theory. It was so incredibly valuable to have such an opportunity to practise consistently for a solid period of time while also rolling around the theory behind it in so many different ways to help with understanding. The learning very much extended to learning about myself and the people that I can find at all times. I learnt to understand what is ego and what is Self and to process/ love thoughts and emotions that came from the ego." - Alex, Ukraine/ NZ 

"The retreat has been immensely healing. The environment combined with relative education/ philosophy, and an absolutely passionate and well trained teacher all made for a wonderful and transformative experience. I learned that I love my life as it is and that meditation can help me to ease my anxiety and bring forth an interconnectedness and acceptance that I’ve been longing for my whole life." - Angela, Australia 

"The retreat was incredible. Truly magical and inspiring. Life changing. A finding of the self. A wonderful gift. More than I imagined. A coming home to me and a space that allowed me to do so. I learned that everything I longed for is here, within me, accessible to me. I learned about my true self and ways to access my true self in the heart." - Vanessa, NZ

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The Heart Awakening silent meditation retreats are inspired by the Hridaya yoga and meditation silent retreats

For more information about Hridaya Yoga and the Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreats held worldwide, visit http://hridaya-yoga.com