The School of Modern Meditation — Freemans Bay, New Zealand

A meditation school and sanctuary studio in Freemans Bay, Auckland

On Monday evenings in a studio at 1 Howe Street, Freemans Bay, the room is lit by candles and the pace is slow. Candlelight Yin holds deep, passive stretches for flexibility and joint support, a way to unwind from the busyness of life. The School of Modern Meditation calls the space a sanctuary studio, "nestled in the bustling chaos of the city", which it describes as "a true metaphor for the meditative process and the wisdom of no escape." SOMM, as it is known, describes itself as New Zealand's first multidisciplinary school for meditation, yogic studies, breathwork and self-therapeutic modalities. The in-studio week also includes Wednesday Qi Gong, SOMM Flow (strength-building vinyasa folded into breathwork and meditation), and a Friday class that combines Yin Yoga, meditation and cacao. The school's phrase for these sessions is "gifts for your nervous system." The other room is online. The school calls the Online Ashram the heart of SOMM: daily meditation, breathwork and movement, practised in real time with people from around the world. The Meditation Club membership gives unlimited access to those livestream classes, which range from SOMM Fundamentals for beginners to Yoga Nidra, Exhale breathwork, Dynamic Breath and a SOMM take on Buddhist loving-kindness. A two-week Intro Pass, $39 NZD, covers both livestream and in-studio classes. Beyond the city, the school runs retreats. The Deep Rest Retreat is planned for Kawau Island, 45 minutes from Auckland: three nights, technology-free, led by Claire Robbie, who has taught meditation and yoga for over 15 years. SOMM also holds annual Silent Retreats and has run a day retreat at Heart Song Dance Temple, Bethells Beach, with Kanuka Yoga Space. A five-day ADHD wellness adventure is planned for November 2026. A Corporate Lighthouse Programme takes the practices into workplaces.

Traditions: Meditation, Breathwork, Yin Yoga, Qi Gong, Yoga Nidra, Loving-Kindness Meditation

Programs: The Meditation Club (livestream classes), Candlelight Yin, SOMM Flow, Yin & Cacao, Qi Gong, SOMM Exhale breathwork, Deep Rest Retreat, Kawau Island, Corporate Lighthouse Programme