What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 10:15am 6pm - 7:15pm Tuesday 6:45am - 10:15am 6pm - 9pm Wednesday 9am - 10:15am 6pm - 7:15pm Thursday 6:45am - 11:45am Friday 9am - 10:15am 6pm - 7:15pm Saturday 9am - 10:15pm Sunday 5:30pm - 6:45pm

Retreats NZ

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Retreats NZ

Retreats NZ offers world class meditation and yoga retreats across New Zealand led by Susan Allen. Life-changing retreats in truly stunning locations. For you.

We specialise in sharing the age-old Buddhist practices in a practical and inspiring way. Retreats NZ is led by Susan Allen and offers yoga and meditation retreats around New Zealand. Susan has been teaching for over 20 years and running retreats for over 15 years. We would love to have you join us for one of our magical retreats. We choose the most stunning retreat centres in NZ for our retreats,

full nature immersions. The retreat programs offer an intelligent and structured approach to learning yoga and meditation. The intention is to facilitate a reset for you while also teaching a life-changing practice for you to take home with you. We teach a thoughtful hatha/vinyasa asana approach and a Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice.

10/08/2026

You don't need to be good at meditation before you start - that's backwards.

It is normal that the mind wanders. It is normal that the mind is busy with thoughts. That doesn't mean we can't train a better way to be. Upgrade the operating system.

Meditation shows the way.

Join Susan Allen for the upcoming Auckland Meditation and Yoga retreat 28-30 August, 2026.
Non-residential retreat at The Life Centre, Ponsonby.

Come and learn from one of NZ's most experienced teachers.
https://retreats.nz/auckland-meditation-and-yoga-retreat/

08/08/2026

The Living Path - Building a Meditation Practice That Endures.
Almost everyone has heard that meditation is good for them. Many people download an app, read a book or attend a course. They practise for a few weeks and experience glimpses of greater calm.

Then life gets busy.

The practice slowly fades away.

Usually this isn’t because people lack discipline. It’s because often the path of where you’re going, and how to get there is not immediately obvious, we need support.

Questions naturally arise.

“Am I doing this correctly?”

“Why won’t my mind stop thinking?”

“Should meditation feel peaceful?”

“What am I trying to develop?”

Without someone to ask, it’s easy to become vague or disheartened.

Meditation isn’t difficult, but it is nuanced and strategic. Learning alongside an experienced teacher and a supportive group makes all the difference.

The Living Path is a 9-month online guided meditation course and mentorship program designed for beginners and experienced meditators who want to establish a consistent, meaningful meditation practice.
Begins 15th September with Susan Allen

Read more here.
https://retreats.nz/meditation-course-new-zealand/

05/08/2026

The mind is your greatest technology.
There is a serious upgrade available.
Join us for our Auckland meditation and yoga retreat.
Deepen your understanding and practice. Make meditation a lasting and inspiring part of your life.
Ponsonby, Auckland non-residential retreat 28 - 30 August.

01/08/2026

Missing the human touch?
Learn meditation in-person from one of NZ's most experienced teachers Susan Allen.
Auckland non-residential meditation retreat 28-30 August.

Get offline, forget the meditation apps. Come and learn the life-changing practice of meditation with us in Ponsonby, Auckland.

It is true that meditation quietens the busy mind and lessens the obsession with thinking.
Come join this 2.5 day introduction to meditation and leave with a practice that is inspiring and interesting.
All info here
https://retreats.nz/auckland-meditation-and-yoga-retreat/

30/07/2026

Fed up with worrying or stressed about being stressed?
Auckland meditation retreat starts in 4 weeks, 28-30 August.

Meditation is a pro-active way you can move beyond these very boring and troublesome states of mind. Meditation has many therapeutic benefits with perhaps the most profound one being learning the skill of not always indulging in negative thought patterns.

This is not complicated but of course it takes practice. Rather than allowing the mind to get caught up in thought elaboration, in meditation we practice steering our attention away from thought to a chosen object of attention such as the breath, or sound.

With practice, and with care, we become more skilled at this. A sense of quietness and control descends on the mind.

This upcoming 2.5 day non-residential retreat will give you the time to develop considerable skilfulness around not chasing after thought.

A good teacher and a good technique guaranteed.

Next non-residential meditation retreat - The Life Centre, Ponsonby, Auckland 28-30 August
Come learn with one of NZ’s most experienced meditation teachers Susan Allen
Read more here
https://retreats.nz/auckland-meditation-and-yoga-retreat/

15/06/2026

A ONE-DAY INTRODUCTION TO MEDITATION RETREATS
Curious about meditation retreats but not quite ready to commit to a multi-day experience?

This coming Sunday we're offering a one-day Wanaka program designed as an introduction to the world of meditation retreats. You'll experience many of the elements that make our longer retreats so valuable: guided meditation, demystifying meditation, personalised Q&A, time to slow down, and the opportunity to reconnect with yourself away from the demands of everyday life.

Throughout the day you'll learn the foundations of meditation in a clear, structured, and practical way. You'll gain an understanding of what meditation is and the benefits from practicing, how to establish a practice at home, and how these simple techniques can reduce stress and cultivate greater ease and clarity in daily life.

Whether you're completely new to meditation or simply curious about what happens on retreat, this day offers an opportunity to pause, recharge, learn something meaningful, and experience the restorative qualities of retreat life in a beautiful Wanaka setting.

Wanaka Meditation Introduction
Meditation Essentials: A day of Stillness and Renewal
Sunday 21st June 9.30am - 4.30pm

https://retreats.nz/wanaka-meditation-introduction/

22/11/2025

Meditation online weekend course. 29-30 November 2026.
Susan Allen, Retreats NZ, has over 20 years experience teaching Meditation.
‘Calm Abiding’ or Shamatha will be the practice is taught over this weekend. Come and find out why so many are making Meditation a regular part of their routine.
All details here
https://retreats.nz/shamatha-online-weekend/

21/10/2025

I’m immersing in the ancient vibe of Buddhist monasteries up in northern India. Wow. The perfect place for Meditation.

11/10/2025

The beautiful tea plantations, Darjeeling, India
Amazing to be up here in the Himalayas.
The perfect spot for some meditation immersion

06/10/2025

Online meditation weekend 29-30 November
Shamatha means ‘calm abiding.’
Join Susan for this weekend online Shamatha concentration course. Two days to review and to deepen your calm abiding practice.

The Saturday and Sunday program will be an opportunity to do some in-depth practice in the shamatha field. We will use different concentration objects and cover specific strategies for calming the mind and bringing the mind to equanimity.

Because the shamatha practice can always be deepened, this weekend will be suitable for all levels of practice – beginner to advanced.

Susan is fresh back from retreat in the Himalayas, India. There she attended a 10 day immersive shamatha practice and is freshly inspired to share this path with others.

Address

Wanaka
9305

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 10:15am
	6pm - 7:15pm
Tuesday	6:45am - 10:15am
	6pm - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 10:15am
	6pm - 7:15pm
Thursday	6:45am - 11:45am
Friday	9am - 10:15am
	6pm - 7:15pm
Saturday	9am - 10:15pm
Sunday	5:30pm - 6:45pm

Website

http://www.retreats.nz/

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