Finding the heart of freedom

This nine-day retreat provides an opportunity to explore the Four Noble Truths that form the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. These teachings invite us to examine our relationship to dukkha: stress, distress, unsatisfactoriness, suffering, on deeper and deeper levels. Most of us though, have an instinctive resistance to suffering, so we need to practice working skilfully with the different obstacles that often show up along the path to freedom. As we learn how to release these obstacles, we’re able to live with greater ease, happiness, and peace, and to connect with the wisdom and compassion that are our true nature.

Each day, there will be sessions of guided and silent sitting meditation, walking meditation, group discussion, individual meetings with the teachers and a period of optional, gentle mindful movement.

Teachers: Jill Shepherd and Julie Downard

Jill Shepherd began practicing insight meditation in Thailand in 1999, and since that time has lived and worked at several meditation centres and monasteries in the US, Australia, England, and Thailand. She recently spent seven years on staff at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, and is a graduate of the IMS / Spirit Rock teacher training program in the US, under the guidance of Joseph Goldstein and Gil Fronsdal.

Julie Downard has been practising meditation since 1991 when she was living in England. She has practised intensively with teachers in both the Insight and Zen traditions in India, England, California, Australia, France and New Zealand. Julie has been teaching on retreats and Dharma Gatherings since 2007. She lives in Christchurch, and is a co-founder and trustee of Southern Insight Meditation.

Experience level: This retreat is best suited to people who have done at least two previous insight meditation weekend retreats.

Accommodation: The rooms are all shared rooms, with shared bathrooms. Men and women are housed separately.

Food: The centre will provide simple vegetarian meals for the retreat. Please indicate on the registration form if you have any food allergies or special dietary needs.

Special diets: The centre requests a $10 per day surcharge to cater for special diets. This additional fee of $90 is payable directly to Te Moata so please bring cash for this.

Work meditation: To help integrate mindfulness into daily life activities, there will be a period of work meditation each day of approximately 45 minutes.

Retreat fees: sliding scale $850-$650 + dana*

Supporter rate $850 - Slightly more than actual-cost ticket: covers cost of food and accommodation, a contribution to the teacher's travel costs, and a contribution to scholarships for low-income attendees

Actual cost $750 - Actual-cost ticket covers cost of food and accommodation, and a small contribution to the teacher's travel costs

Scholarship rate $650 - Below cost ticket: covers a contribution towards cost of food and accommodation only

The retreat fee covers only the cost of food and accommodation, plus a small contribution to the teacher's international airfares. The teaching is freely offered, and there will be an opportunity to give dana* to the teachers at the end of the retreat.

To reserve a place on the retreat, you will need to pay a $100 deposit through Humanitix. The balance of the retreat payment is due one week after registering with Humanitix. Account details for balance payments will be included on your Humanitix confirmation email.

Cancellation policy: The payment is refundable up to thirty days before the retreat begins. If you cancel after this time, the retreat cost will be forfeited and used to help provide scholarship places.

*Dana: In most Buddhist traditions the teachers are not paid to teach. Instead, the teachings are given on a ‘dana’ basis – dana being the Pali word for generosity or giving freely - so there will be an opportunity to offer a donation for the teaching at the end of the event.