Requisites for the journey: The seven factors of awakening

Insight meditation harnesses the power of mindfulness to develop understanding in all aspects of our lives, which leads to greater ease, happiness, and freedom.
In this nine-day residential retreat for experienced meditators* we will explore the Seven Factors of Awakening, those seven highly skilful qualities of mind that when fully balanced, support the development of transformative insight.

The Seven Factors are: Mindfulness, Investigation, Energy, Joy, Tranquility, Absorption and Equanimity. These seven are sometimes referred to as our friends on the path, because they help us to overcome the hindrances, harmful states of mind that keep us stuck in delusion.

Mindfulness is the starting point. With mindfulness firmly established, we learn how to balance the agitated, anxious mind through developing Tranquility, Absorption and Equanimity, and the flat, dull mind through developing Investigation, Energy and Joy.
As all Seven Factors come into balance, we experience the release of all afflictive states and the heart and mind naturally settle into a state of profound peace.
Each day will include a mix of guided and silent sitting meditation, walking meditation, optional mindful movement, occasional small group discussion and individual meetings with the teachers.

*Prerequisites

This retreat is best suited to people who have done at least two silent retreats of seven days or longer. Please contact Jill if you have any questions about this.

Teachers:

Jill Shepherd is the guiding teacher for Auckland Insight and is a graduate of the IMS / Spirit Rock teacher training program in the US, under the guidance of Joseph Goldstein and Gil Fronsdal. She lives in Aotearoa / New Zealand and teaches internationally, offering insight / vipassanā and brahmavihāra retreats as well as ongoing study and practice groups focused on bringing the dharma into daily life. She also leads courses and non-residential workshops exploring the relational practice of Insight Dialogue, as developed by Gregory Kramer and colleagues.

Di Robertson has 30 years’ experience in insight meditation. She has taught courses since 2000, and retreats since 2015. She lives in Ōtautahi / Christchurch and is a co-founder and trustee of Southern Insight Meditation. Di also works as an ecologist and counsellor and is a stepparent and grandparent.

Accommodation:

Rooms are mainly curtained cubicles with shared bathrooms. A limited number of single rooms/cabins/cottages are available at a surcharge. Please see Te Moata's FAQ page for details about accommodation options.

NOTE: couples and/or friends are housed separately, to protect their solitude during the retreat.

Retreatants are requested to bring their own bedding. For those flying in, bedding can be hired for $25.00, payable in advance.

Food:

The centre will provide simple vegetarian meals for the retreat. Please indicate on the registration form if you have any food allergies or medical dietary needs. If your needs are complex please contact Te Moata.

There is a surcharge of $10/day for special diets. Please see Te Moata's FAQ page for details

Work meditation:

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

Getting to the retreat centre:

Te Moata is located near Tairua on the Coromandel peninsula, approximately 2.5 hours drive from Auckland. If coming from overseas and flying into Auckland airport, please book flights that allow you enough time to get to the centre for the start of the retreat, and to get back to Auckland after the retreat ends in plenty of time for your flight departure.

Volunteers from Auckland Insight may be able to arrange ride shares between Auckland and Te Moata, but we can't guarantee it.

There is a daily shuttle from Auckland Airport to Tairua leaving Auckland Airport at 2:00 pm, arriving in Tairua at 4:25 pm.
Tairua Bus Company also runs a shuttle service. See here for more info. The retreat managers can pick you up from Tairua.

Retreat fees:

We are committed to making our events available to everyone regardless of financial circumstances, so if money is a barrier to you attending the retreat, please let us know and we'll see what scholarship funds we could offer.

Sliding scale $1390-$990 + dāna*

Supporter rate $1390 - Slightly more than actual-cost ticket: covers cost of food and accommodation and a contribution to scholarships for low-income attendees

Actual cost $1190 - Actual-cost ticket covers cost of food and accommodation

Scholarship rate $990 - Below cost ticket: covers a contribution towards cost of food and accommodation only

To reserve your place on the retreat, you will need to pay a $100 deposit via this site, then the balance is payable directly to Auckland Insight. Their account details will be emailed to you when you register.

If necessary, you can pay the retreat balance in three instalments: one third when you register, one third on 20 November, and the final third on 20 January

Your place is not confirmed until you have paid the balance in full.

Cancellation policy:

The payment is refundable up to thirty days before the retreat begins (minus a $50 admin fee). If you cancel after this time, the retreat payment will be forfeited and used to help provide scholarship places and/or support Auckland Insight's running costs.

*Dāna: In most Buddhist traditions the teachers are not paid to teach. Instead, the teachings are given on a ‘dāna’ basis – dāna 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

Contact the host of Insight Meditation nine-day retreat Coromandel - February 2026