What’s happening at Te Moata?
The overwintering period is nearly behind us and retreats will be underway again in a few weeks.
The retreat season opens with an introduction to Insight Meditation led by Andy Spence, on August 27th to 29th. There are still places available on this retreat.
The following retreat is the Te Moata Celebration Party, on September 10th to 12th. This free weekend has only a few places left, accommodation-wise, so you do need to be quick if you're hoping to join us.
AN INTRODUCTION TO INSIGHT MEDITATION (Aug 27th to 29th) is led by Andy Spence.
Andy has been engaged in meditation practice for more than 30 years and has studied with a number of teachers over this time mainly in the insight tradition. He has been leading meditation groups in Auckland and Waiheke Island and is mentored by Sharda Rogell.
He says that: “My practice was initially inspired by the need to come to terms with strong emotions and a rich world of sensations. This has given me a firm basis for investigation and insight into personality and the nature of awareness. I have a strong interest in bringing both the personal development and spiritual dimensions together into a balanced practice. Relationships have been a very important and formative element of my practice as it is through relationship that real presence comes into being.”
Andy's career has been in the field of conservation for most of his working life and this informs his understanding of the dharma of life. He is married with one daughter.
AN INTRODUCTION TO INSIGHT MEDITATION with Andy Spence
Designed for those still establishing a practice, these two days of mindfulness will help ground an understanding of Insight Meditation and form a foundation for ongoing daily practice.
DANA RETREAT
Dana for teacher (please offer your payment at end of retreat)
Dana for Te Moata $100 - $140+ to be paid on registration
Awake in the Wild
We would like to make a special song and dance of profiling Mark Coleman’s November retreat at Te Moata.
This will be the first time internationally acclaimed Mark Coleman leads a retreat in NZ!
We would be keen to hear from anyone inspired to help sponsor part of the airline ticket needed to bring Mark to Te Moata.
AWAKE IN THE WILD – An Insight Meditation retreat (Nov 23-28) is led by Mark Coleman (USA)
Mark Coleman has been engaged in meditation practice since 1981, primarily within the Insight meditation (Buddhist) tradition. He has been teaching meditation retreats since 1997. His teaching is also influenced by his studies with Advaita Vedanta and Tibetan teachers in Asia and the West, and through his teacher training with Jack Kornfield. Mark primarily teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California, though he also teaches nationally, in Europe and India.
He leads backpacking retreats, nature-based retreats, and teaches retreats for environmental activists. Mark has a counseling practice, where he integrates his studies of psychotherapy and meditative work. He is the author of “Awake in the Wild – Mindfulness in Nature as a path of Self-Discovery”, published by Inner Ocean Publishing, November 2006. Mark has been an avid hiker, and backpacker for most of his life and spends much of his time in the outdoors. He lives in the woods in Marin County, Northern California. To find out more visit Mark’s website www.awakeinthewild.com
AWAKE IN THE WILD – An Insight Meditation retreat with Mark Coleman (USA)
Nowhere is the power of contemplative silence and meditation more profound than when surrounded by the beauty of nature and the pristine environment of Te Moata will support this. On this silent Vipassana retreat, we will explore the inner world of
mindfulness meditation through various Buddhist practices - the capacity to be present and awake to ourselves, our environment, reality and what it means to live a life of wakefulness and compassion.
DANA RETREAT
Dana for teacher (please offer your payment at end of retreat)
Dana for Te Moata $250 - $300+ to be paid on registration
Check out the re-vamped website
In our April newsletter we put out the call for a volunteer willing to take on the task of updating and refreshing the Te Moata website.
Our huge thanks and gratitude to Linde Rosenberg who has put in long hours doing a wonderful job of re-vamping the site. As well as many updates, there are great new pages for you to check out under the tabs ‘Sacred Sites’, ‘Guardianship’, ‘Volunteering’ and ‘News”.
Te Moata Cottages available for overnight rental
If you are keen on spending some time at Te Moata outside of scheduled retreat times, the opportunity now exists for stays in the Te Moata cottages dotted around the centre. This is subject to availability so contact Dave and Jessie to discuss timing.
The winter rate is a suggested dana of $35 per person, per night, with no extra charge for children.
Dave and Jessie’s Update
It has been (and continues to be) wet and wintry at Te Moata, however lots has been achieved as the weather allows and with the help of our excellent Wwoofers. A start has been made on cutting the new track across the Manui Basin and more will be done but it’s been a real challenge fitting this into the weather. Most of the time it either is raining, it has been raining and the tracks are really slippery, or it’s about to rain but we should be able to get a few hours work in!!
The new traps to go around the far side of the basin have been built and are ready to be put in when Wayne Todd cuts that track. With better control of stoats, weasels etc we can anticipate an increase in our bird numbers.
We have had a much-needed week away in which we checked out the snow on Whakapapa and caught up with friends. We plan another week’s leave before retreats start, but this time will head somewhere warmer. We took the opportunity to visit Tauhara on our way home; both of us have been to training events there in the past but neither of us had been recently so it was great to catch up with Catherine, Nasir and the team.
EXCITING NEWS!!!!!! We currently have Dino and Anna who are planning the Youth Leadership course scheduled for December, visiting. They are regular kiwi listeners and tell us they definitely heard a female kiwi call early this morning which confirms what we have been hearing. Our neighbours, Rheinhard and Michaela at Silverstream.,who are just below the Kauri Cabin, have confirmed Kiwi on their property.
A gentle note on making bookings: we pencil you in when you tell us you’re hoping to come and we complete your booking when your deposit is received, so paid up deposits are needed for a confirmed booking to ensure your place. We are happy for you to set up automatic payments ahead of time if you are planning in advance for a retreat.
Warm regards,
Dave and Jessie
Can you help out?
We’d love to have more offers for help on Service Teams – please let Dave and Jessie know if you’re available.
The Charitable Trust is putting out the call for someone who can help us with our PR, to help us better raise the profile of Te Moata through effective marketing. If this sounds like you, please contact maniisha@triodent.com
We are keen to promote Te Moata through articles in various magazines. Thanks to Elisabeth Crago who has written a wonderful article on Te Moata. We would love to hear from you if you would be interested in writing an article on Te Moata, from any angle that appeals to you eg an eco angle, a meditation viewpoint, or an inspirational story.
Things it would be good to have donated:
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•Ranchslider sized curtains for the cottage – preferably lined or thermal drapes for warmth
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•Posts for fences
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•900mm high chain mesh for fencing gardens
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•150 or 200mm wide H4 timber for fence framing and path steps
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•Contributions towards replacing strip lights with more efficient LEDs
Upcoming Retreats.
AUG 27-29 AN INTRODUCTION TO INSIGHT MEDITATION with Andy Spence
Designed for those still establishing a practice, these two days of mindfulness will help ground an understanding of Insight Meditation and form a foundation for ongoing daily practice.
SEPT 10-12 TE MOATA CELEBRATION
Join the Trustees, Managers and other guardians of Te Moata in a weekend to celebrate Te Moata. It’s time to acknowledge the Te Moata community and all those who have made the new ownership structures possible.
SEPT 17-19 THE LABYRINTH QUEST – FINDING YOURSELF with Jessica, Misha and Suni
The ancient spiritual practice of Questing will be added to the inimitable walking of the sacred Labyrinth, allowing participants to access deep answers to their most profound questions. Chanting, mandala drawing, poetry reading, and sharing circles will complement the wisdom of the Labyrinth and Te Moata's Nature.
OCT 1-4 CALM ABIDING - A MEDITATION RETREAT FOR WOMEN with Venerable Ngawang Lhatso
Meditation can improve health, awaken happiness and help you to become relaxed, focussed and peaceful. It can improve self confidence, add sacredness to your life and nurture the kind heart that the Dalai Lama speaks about.