Invest in Happiness: Meditation and Yoga Retreat with Susan Allen

This six day meditation and yoga retreat takes place at Mana Retreat Centre in the bush covered hills of the Coromandel, New Zealand. It is led by Susan Allen, who has taught meditation for over 20 years, and is for anyone who wants to deepen and refine a meditation practice, including complete beginners. Meals, accommodation and teaching are all included.

What to Expect

The days are built around meditation, with morning and afternoon practice sessions and discussion to support them. Optional yoga sessions are offered morning and afternoon, so you can join in as much or as little as suits you. There is also a Q & A where you can ask for personalised suggestions for your own practice, and free time for bush walking, resting, reading, sauna and simply being in nature.

The teaching follows a clear path through four themes:

- Concentration. You learn techniques to steady attention and notice sooner when the mind wanders, using objects such as the breath, body sensations and sound. These include methods for working with background thoughts and the dullness that can arise in sitting, which can help if your practice has stalled.
- Insight. Drawing on Buddhist meditation, the retreat introduces practices on the emptiness of self, thought and emotion. This does not mean having no self, thoughts or emotions. It means seeing for yourself that the mind constructs them, which can ease reactivity in relationships and loosen rigid views.
- Resting in awareness. You explore the difference between operating from thought and operating from awareness, looking at qualities such as spaciousness and connectedness, then practise carrying this off the cushion in conversation and out in nature.
- Personal guidance. Susan encourages you to notice which habits support your meditation and which do not, on and off the cushion, and gives each student personal suggestions to keep progressing.

You also take home a full set of meditation audio practices.

About Susan Allen

Susan Allen is regarded as one of New Zealand's most experienced yoga and meditation teachers. She has taught meditation for over 20 years and has a genuine passion for sharing the practice with others. A past participant describes her ability to teach a complex tradition as "an incredible gift."

The Setting

Mana Retreat Centre sits in native bush with views out to the islands, and is described as one of New Zealand's most popular retreat centres. It is on State Highway 25 near Coromandel, in the Waikato region. Accommodation is a single private room or a twin share room.

Food at Mana is lacto-ovo vegetarian, so there is no fish or chicken. The centre also caters for gluten free, dairy free and vegan diets. It is an alcohol and drug free environment.

Before You Go

All levels are welcome, and no prior experience is needed. The retreat runs from mid-afternoon on the first day to early afternoon on the sixth. Mana acts as agent for independent teachers: Susan provides the teaching, and Mana provides accommodation and meals. The retreat needs a minimum number of participants to go ahead.