A 5-day Restorative Retreat
28 July – 1 August 2018
facilitated by Damalaya Agnijanma, Elizabeth St John-Ives, Jocelyn Kennedy and Amrita Bhakti
$430 (includes 4 nights accommodation and delicious vegetarian food)
Plus Dana/Koha for the facilitators
About the Retreat
Our usual busy way of life can give us a sense of feeling stuck or overwhelmed, like there is a fog around us. We may feel distanced from the very natural part of ourselves that wants to be clear, breathe easy, and be at peace.
We all need time away from our usual routines to relax and rediscover our most essential selves in a supportive environment. This retreat is led by four experienced facilitators who are coming together to offer their understanding of how we can all live closer to our healthy, inherent humanness. Together, they facilitate a profound experience of contemplation and restoration to help all return to a more natural, easeful and open state.
Parting the Clouds is an immersive retreat drawing on a wide range of practices including yoga, mindfulness meditation, periods of silence, music, 16:8 intermittent fasting, restorative nutrition, journal writing, conscious communication, group sessions and optional personal sessions. The purpose of these practices is to allow the clouds to part, the stress of daily life to fall away, and the body and mind to soften into natural vitality and stillness.
From this state you will enjoy a clearer view of yourself and what really matters to you.
These practices are offered on the basis that everyone is already okay. There is nothing you need to get right or fix about yourself. The purpose of this retreat is for you to re-discover and feel the truth of this. These practices are tools to help you slow down enough to feel and hear your real voice and inner-knowing — your own authority.
You will be coming to Tushita Hermitage, a place that has been established with the intention of supporting this process. A tranquil and beautiful environment, the Hermitage is infused with the Life practice of all those who have come to understand or want to understand their original and natural state of harmony and unity.
Benefits of this Retreat
- Spend time with experienced and compassionate facilitators who care deeply about helping each person reconnect with their own natural intelligence
- Participating in a range of simple practices that can be taken back into daily life
- Allow your body and mind to rest and breathe easier
- Appreciating your body/mind in its natural state as the basis for self-awareness
- A chance to deeply relax and consider what is most important to you
- Greater awareness of the ways you block your inner knowing
- Opportunity to let go, unwind and soften
- Improved sense of wellbeing
Who is this Retreat Suitable For?
- Anyone who wants to have time away from their usual routines, to slow down and deepen into re-connecting with themselves.
- Anyone simply wanting to to revitalise and replenish their wellbeing
- Anyone who may be feeling stuck or frustrated in their lives, but who suspect that a more easeful life is possible
- Anyone wanting to take time out from the demands of their life and rediscover their deepest values
- Anyone wishing to consider changes in life direction in a deep and supported way
What is Included on This Retreat
- 4 nights accommodation
- Healthy vegetarian meals and refreshments
- A beautiful and supportive setting
- Structured sessions and time for yourself
- Pick up from Kerikeri or Taipa (see details below)
Retreat Facilitators – Damalaya Agnijanma, Elizabeth St John Ives, Jocelyn Kennedy, Amrita Bhakti
Damalaya Agnijanma has always had a deep and abiding passion for the well-being of humans. Having studied in spiritual institutions around the world, she is now a Tushita Mystery School facilitator, encouraging people to understand their own inherent life-value and feel the confidence that comes when we breathe back into the source of ourselves. Her intuitive empathy and compassionate humour offer supportive and inspiring company on the path of relaxation into the natural state.
Elizabeth St John-Ives is an experienced chef and has a Masters degree in human development, however much more importantly, she is undertaking a raw and uncompromising exploration of existence as a human. She undoubtedly knows that humans naturally are vital, spontaneous, wonderfully erratic…mirroring all other life forms in these qualities. She is exploring in a non-theoretical way (in a lived way) why we are typically living in dull, repetitive, robot-like ways, rather than living our natural, easeful, vital disposition which is full of constant wonder at existence itself.
Jocelyn Kennedy is the founder and director of Communication for Life and has over 25 years’ experience in group facilitation, mediation, personal growth, teaching, and community-building.
With her understanding of what has created the hard edges of “you” and “me”, she is committed to helping people soften their hearts and allow the feelings of separateness to dissolve.
Her teaching style is playful, humorous, and direct.
Amrita Bhakti has a longstanding passion for leading Dances of Universal Peace, chanting, music and singing as a way of celebrating Life Itself. With many years’ experience in guiding groups and individuals, she is committed to supporting people to feel their innate worth without solely judging themselves based on their achievements. Warm hearted and genuine, her disposition is quiet and present.
“The facilitators of this retreat are exceptionally unusual in their outlook and practice of their lives. Over and above their worldly credentials, their qualifications are Life given qualities that are at the heart of all of us but most often, because of the pursuit of material things and theoretical knowledge training, we forget and do not honour.
Each one, for many years, has taken on the admirable task of studying under the guidance of Life wisdom teachers who live at the Hermitage. What this means is that they incorporate the basic principles that are the basis of natural Life unity and non-separation to nurture their everyday practical bodily life to keep expanding their understanding of who they are.
This unique study perspective is essentially shown through their disposition and attitude of openness and inclusiveness to all human beings.
Participants will have the rare opportunity to experience facilitators who through increasing self -responsible study of their own bodies Life, have obtained knowledge about how we can all live here closer to our healthy inherent humanness. They share this direct form of communication through the understanding of their essential ok-ness of themselves and that of all humans.
They offer security, humour and easy curiosity of your life within an “unproblematic” environment and are well versed in their own body’s understanding of the need for time out from society and all of its stressful rituals and at times overwhelming obligations. Through the specific tools given on the retreat they offer their understanding for the necessity of profound living to integrate all levels of wellness to balance out these stressful obligations.” – Arohananda Ma (Teacher, Tushita Hermitage)
Venue
The venue for the retreat is the beautiful Tushita Hermitage in Peria Valley, Northland. Set amongst the sub-tropical vegetation, Tushita Hermitage is a unique and safe sanctuary with plenty of space, shared communal areas and areas to spend time alone, should you wish.
Accommodation and Meals
On-site accommodation and meals are provided for you. Accommodation is generally in shared rooms. Some single rooms are available on application, for an extra $20/night. There are modern and clean showers and toilets.
Price
This retreat is $430 plus dana/koha for the facilitators. The $430 covers all your meals, accommodation and venue facilities. The facilitators fee is not set and consists entirely of your Dana offering. Dana (meaning generosity) invites each person to offer according to their means and what the retreat has been worth to them. Dana payment is given at the end of the retreat. This can be in cash, cheque or by internet banking – an account number will be provided. (Please note: there is no Eftpos at Tushita Hermitage)
Retreat Details and Bookings
Start Date and Time: Saturday 28th July 4.00PM
Finish Date and Time: Wednesday 1st August 2.00PM
Location: Tushita Hermitage
Price: $430 plus koha/dana for the facilitators
Payment required: Full payment is required by credit card to secure your booking
Refunds: 80% Refunds are available up to 2 weeks prior to retreat commencing. 50% refunds are available from then.
Accommodation and Meals: All included
How to Book: Get Tickets Here.
Questions: Complete the Contact Form here.
Getting There and Transport
The Tushita Hermitage is located at Oruru Road, Peria Valley in Northland
By Car
You can reach the Tushita Hermitage by car. Off street car-parking is provided.
We can help you with contacting others for car-pooling if you are happy for your email address to be shared with other participants.
By Plane
The nearest airport to Tushita Hermitage is Kerikeri. Air New Zealand provides regular flights to and from Kerikeri via Auckland. Pick up and drop off can be arranged from Kerikeri airport to Tushita Hermitage for $25 per person each way.
If people are arriving on flights within approximately two hours of each other, we will co-ordinate one pickup.
Alternatively – if you arrive at Kerikeri airport in the morning – another option is to take the shuttle into Kerkeri($12), and then take the 12.35pm Intercity bus from there to Taipa.
By Bus
Intercity provides transport from most NZ centres to Taipa. Taipa is about 20 minutes drive from Tushita Hermitage. Free pick up and drop off can be arranged from Taipa to Tushita Hermitage.
Pick up and drop-off
If you require pick up and/or drop off from Taipa or Kerikeri , please contact us at least 1 week before your course or retreat starts so it can be arranged. You can contact us here.
