We were thrilled to host a pre-conference retreat in the lead up to the AIMA Conference in March 2020.

Healing, ourselves and the planet

A retreat like no other.

This unique co-creative get-together focused on self-care and self-healing.

As practitioners, we are all aware of the importance of self-care, but still, so often we don’t make caring for ourselves a priority. We invited attendees to join their peers and allow themselves the time and space to heal and rejuvenate at this retreat in the beautiful Waitakere bush.

Guided by an experienced facilitator, attendees were asked to participate, contribute and play a core role in the flow of the retreat. Together they created a space to heal and connect, allowing for new insights, sharing of wisdom and deeper connections.

We were incredibly lucky to have the following workshop leaders.

Dr. Jude Currivan

Jude is a cosmologist, futurist, author and co-founder of WholeWorld-View.  She has a Master’s degree in Physics from Oxford University specialising in quantum physics and cosmology, and a Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Reading researching ancient cosmologies.  She is a life-long researcher into the scientific and experiential understanding of the nature of reality, integrating leading-edge science, research into consciousness and universal wisdom teachings into a wholistic worldview.  During a highly successful business career, she obtained extensive experience in merging her intuitive gifts into practical and creative approaches for managing organisational and cultural change. Her corporate career culminated in her being the Group Finance Director of two major international companies and to her being, in the early 1990s, the most senior businesswoman in Britain.

Jude is the author of six books, most recently the Nautilus award-winning The Cosmic Hologram which presents a foundation and practical perspectives towards problem-solving upon which we can shift our individual and collective values and behaviours to be aligned, and in harmony, with the natural world.

Jude’s presence at the retreat was sponsored by The Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust.

Dr. Morella Lascurain

Morella graduated Magna Cum Laude from medical school in 1993 and continued on to train in orthopedic surgery.

Her interest in healing soon discovered new horizons in the world of natural therapies, as she experienced the impact of holistic approaches on her own health. Fifteen years ago, she co-founded Mother-Well Holistic Health, a multidisciplinary, integrative health centre in Auckland offering services ranging from conventional medicine to acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Around that time, she also discovered her deepest passion lay in the MindBody connection.

Having completed postgraduate studies in MindBody Healthcare at AUT University and trained in Clinical Hypnotherapy, Strategic Coaching and Ayurveda, she has specialised in MindBody healthcare since 2004. She is also an international speaker and an experienced educator.

Julia Ewer

Julia is trained and experienced in Psychosynthesis which is a model of soul-infused psychology that facilitates personal development whilst gradually harnessing innate vitality, potential and purpose.  She is NZAC registered and works in an integrative medical practice in Mapua, Nelson.

She is a graduate of RADA, London, has a postgraduate qualification in Health Science from Canterbury University, Christchurch, and a Diploma in Visual Arts from NMIT, Nelson.   She is a NZ mentor for the International Group for Creative Meditation and facilitates meditation and esoteric study groups in Nelson, NZ.   Julia is passionate about strengthening people’s inner resources for spiritual growth.

Dr. Graham Mead

Graham is a South African-born medical doctor who has been exploring the field of consciousness and mind and the crucial link that intimate awareness of physiological feelings and sensations provides in liberating our ability to experience well-being (aliveness) in every moment.

In 2003 he gave up conventional medical practice to directly pursue his increasingly pressing interest in the primary origin of disease and identifying what exactly liberates the expression of overall health and well being within an individual. A deep internal crisis followed shortly after and the ensuing inner journey led to an intimate exploration of breath work, movement, subtle energy therapy, meditation and the critical role of relationship in facilitating freedom of mind (memory) and body.

An insistence on embodied self-awareness through practical, experiential insight of the body-mind as a dynamic, sensory phenomena with an innate capacity to thrive, inspires his current work.

Patricia Wylie

Patricia is a highly experienced and renowned Natural Healthcare Practitioner and has practiced as a Rebirthing Breathwork practitioner since 1987. She is a Registered Member of the NZ Association of Breathworkers Inc and has had many years involvement with the Natural Health Practitioners of NZ Inc. In 1993/1994 she co-facilitated a successful 2-year Professional Breathwork Training in Auckland.

Patricia’s dedication to Natural Healthcare in NZ has led her to serve as a Director of the NZAB Inc for many years and as the Chairwoman of the NHPNZ Inc for a period of time too. She is deeply committed to supporting the conscious inner-growth and well-being of all whom she encounters, in her professional practice and workshops. She has encouraged many people of all ages & cultures on their personal healing journeys.

Her connection with the Earth Mother and her Maori (Ngai Tahu), Afghani and European ancestry runs deep.

THE PROGRAM

The retreat involved a combination of:

• talks, presentations & workshops
• group sharing
• experiential and co-creative work
• group meditation
• massage
• qi gong

Click HERE to view a basic outline of the program. The experiential/free form sessions allowed for participants to continue with discussions on issues raised in the workshop, attend optional healing sessions or take advantage of the stunning grounds.

Dates: From 6pm Wednesday 4^th March, to 5pm Friday 6^th March 2020. This led straight into the AIMA Conference which ran on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March 2020.

Venue: Bella Rakha Retreat Centre, 581 West Coast Rd, Oratia, Auckland.

Nestled at the foot of the Waitakere Ranges, just 25 minutes from Auckland, is the secluded Bella Rakha Retreat Centre in Oratia. Set in 32 acres of park-like grounds with a mixture native bush, open spaces and quiet secluded groves, Bella Rakha provides a true escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Accommodation

All rooms were twin share (with single beds) and share communal bathroom facilities.

Facilities and grounds

• Wi-fi
• 32 acres of large fields and clearings
• gardens
• stream walk
• 18-hole disc (frisbee) golf course
• native bushwalk

Ticket prices: 

AIMA Member $850 Non-member $900.

Price included:

• 2 full nights’ accommodation in a twin share room with shared bathroom
• Professional catering with delicious, nutritious and healthy meals catering to your dietary requirements
• Workshops, group sessions, and scheduled activities

The AIMA Pre-Conference Retreat 2020 activity was endorsed by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) and has been approved for up to 6 CME credits for the General Practice Educational Programme (GPEP) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes.