Be well. When you need to escape from the stresses of life – retreat, retreat, retreat!
Yoga • RIGHT: Glamping in a teepee. BOTH © Auckland Unlimited
WOMEN’S RETREAT Te Wahi Ora, Piha, North Island
Our coastline is never too far away, so it’s easy to forget just how restorative the ocean can be. Te Wahi Ora is a beach-fronting retreat run by women, for women. Modest rather than flashy, relaxation is achieved by rest: by inhaling sea air and falling asleep to the sound of waves. Enjoy massage, wholesome food and selective counselling. The experience is welcoming yet effortless, with the beach just a skip away and the rare opportunity to do as much or as little as you like.
SILENT MEDITATION Dhamma Medini, Auckland, North Island
One hour north of Auckland but in some ways, in another dimension altogether, Dhamma Medini teaches Vipassana meditation over the course of ten, silent days. Regarded as one of India’s most ancient, albeit challenging methods of selfobservation, the technique is taught step-by-step, with food and accommodation included. 44
We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021
YOGA Anahata Yoga Retreat, Tākaka, South Island
Cradled in the forest with views across Golden Bay in Nelson Tasman, here guests stay in straw bale yurts, dorms and cottages. It’s totally off-grid so embrace the back-to-nature lifestyle and ditch the digital enablers (we’re talking smartphones). Replace your screen time with sauna sessions, yoga workshops and a weekly fire ceremony.
HOLISTIC Cape South, Hawke's Bay, North Island Sip on tea made with herbs from the garden before an hour-long hot-stone massage. Perhaps you've always been intrigued by reiki or reflexology? Or you'd like to sit down with a nutritionist and discuss your diet. At Cape South, there’s on-site apothecary, a yoga studio, infrared sauna and an outdoor swimming pool. The feel-good experiences stretch to the aesthetics, too: the homestead is French colonial in style and feels perfectly homely.
