Easter Coming Home to Yourself Retreat at Mana

The Easter Coming Home to Yourself Retreat is a three-night wellness retreat at Mana Retreat Centre in Coromandel, Waikato, New Zealand. Hosted and held by the Mana team over the Easter weekend, it combines yoga, meditation, Qi Gong, conscious dance movement and sound healing in a quiet setting, and it suits anyone who wants to pause, rest and come back to themselves, whether they arrive alone or with friends and family.

What to Expect

The idea at the heart of this yoga and meditation retreat is simple: meet yourself just as you are, with kindness, and give yourself room to pause, exhale and rest. The Mana team describes it as an organic, home-grown retreat, offered in a caring environment rather than a rigid program.

Each day follows a schedule with a variety of sessions, from gentle yoga and conscious dance movement to sound healing. You can deepen a practice you already have or try something new, and the sessions are open to all levels of experience. The weekend is built around three simple invitations: to pause, to explore a range of practices and classes, and to replenish by setting aside your to-do list and restoring balance to mind, body and soul.

Past guests describe the weekend as restful and nourishing, with facilitators who were present and supported connection among the group.

Your Teachers

Amrit Saraswati is the Centre Manager at Mana and a dedicated student and teacher of yoga and meditation. She completed her first yoga teacher training in 2012 and has spent the last decade learning, deepening and sharing traditional yoga practices in retreat centres around New Zealand. She teaches with compassion, authenticity and humility, and her calm, concise style lets people go deep within and have their own experience.

Hedwig Bakker grew up in the Netherlands, trained as a physical education teacher and worked as an outdoor instructor for 15 years before leaving in 2000. She travelled, then lived in India and Nepal for nine years, where she took part in Buddhist teachings and retreats and several charity projects. She has practised meditation for over two decades and has led meditation classes, courses and retreats since 2004. She is also a certified Holden Qi Gong teacher. Her approach is joyful, gentle and practical, with lightness and humour, and her classes suit people from all walks of life.

The Setting

Mana Retreat Centre sits on State Highway 25 near Coromandel, on the Coromandel Peninsula. Guests and the retreat team alike describe it as a beautiful, tranquil place to step away from everyday life, with land, food and practices that are tended with care.

Meals are wholesome vegetarian cooking, and guests regularly single out the food as nourishing and delicious. The centre is lacto-ovo vegetarian, so there is no fish or chicken, and it is an alcohol and drug free environment. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan diets are catered for.

Before You Go

The retreat runs from a Friday afternoon to a Monday afternoon, with three nights of accommodation included. The price covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the daily schedule of sessions. Massage appointments are an additional charge and need to be booked in advance.

No previous experience is required, as sessions are offered for all levels. Mana Retreat Centre acts as agent for the independent teachers: the teachers supply the teaching, and Mana provides accommodation and meals.

The retreat needs a minimum number of participants to go ahead, and Mana reserves the right to cancel if that number is not reached. Payment is taken in full at registration, and a cancellation policy with administrative fees applies, so it is worth reading it before you commit.