Te Hine Ruru Retreat

Lovely words from a WISE WOMAN MENOPAUSE retreat guest on her experience during the weekend in May.
Next weekend retreat is Oct 24-26th Labour Day weekend

As winter invites us inward, join us for a nourishing Candlelit Yin Yoga & Guided Meditation experience.

In the quiet energy of the season, we’ll slow down, soften, and create space to rest deeply. Through long-held Yin Yoga postures, you’ll gently release tension in the body, improve flexibility, support joint health, and calm the nervous system. A soothing guided meditation will help you reconnect with your inner wisdom and the restorative qualities of winter.

✨ Deep relaxation
✨ Increased mobility and flexibility
✨ Nervous system regulation
✨ Seasonal reflection and renewal
✨ Candlelit ambience to nourish body, mind, and spirit

Come as you are and allow yourself to be held by the stillness of the season.

Te Hine Ruru Retreat
3165 Russell Whakapara Road
Russell 0272

5 weeks of Yin Yoga
Fridays
5.30pm - 6.30pm
Jul 24 +31
Aug 7+14+21
To resserve your place book here or link in bio
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=27617475&appointmentType=94401599

FASCIA + TWISTS

Yoga asana is comprised of movements which stretch and increase flexibility , movements which strengthen and build muscle and movements which support our ability to balance.

There are 2 ways to increase flexibility in your muscle and fascia in yoga :

NEURAL - we can change the sensations in our nervous system so that the discomfort we feel is at a later point in the stretch. We do this by applying pressure/ stretch to the muscles and fascia and include pranayama- breathing techniques to allow the body to relax so the sensations are reduced. This creates resilience in both our body and in our nervous systems abilities to cope with sensations in the body/ mind.

STRUCTURAL
When we apply pressure in a stretch or twist to the muscle or fascia, these become less stiff and the resistance decreases.

Twists are a wonderful and fun way to increase your range of movement so you can get up and down from the floor, look behind when reversing or play with your kids and grandkids.

Yoga postures and yogic breath together increase flexibility in the most effective way.

Get in touch
❤️to join our weekly yoga community in Russell,
❤️to have a yoga retreat focused on your increasing your range of movement
❤️or to have an individual private yoga class to help you increase flexibility in your body and life.

Cushla🌺

fascia flexibility

REST in Winter like the Earth’s Seasons

•Do you find it difficult to stop doing?
•Do you find it difficult to say NO to
More things to do,
More events to go to,
More people to see,
More responsibilities to meet?

When what you really want to do is rest and be still.
But somehow you don’t know how to anymore?

Our culture is definitely part of the reason for this inability to stop and rest.
It’s “24 -7, must be productive and useful the whole year round” cultural norms in which we live.
TO REST IS TO DEFY NORMATIVE CULTURAL VALUES

We have also come out of sync with the seasons. If we were aligned with the energy of Winter we would naturally weave more rest, sleep and non doing into our year in this season.

If we honoured and respected our moon time, our bleeding time each month we would also regularly make time for rest and care of our bodies and spirit.

As women we are more likely to be the care takers in our families and communities, which makes it harder for us to prioritize our need for REST and stopping. There always seems to be something else we need to do for someone else.
REST prevents feelings of being BURNT OUT and RESENTMENT
Share with a friend who needs to hear this too ❤

If you’d like some support and help to make REST a priority in your life, help to say NO, especially around the time of PERIMENOPAUSE and MENOPAUSE when looking after yourself is vital to your health and wellness, then get in contact for a 20 min discovery call.
Sessions Available Online and In person

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=27617475&appointmentType=39630296

sleepinmenopause sleep yoganz rest nondoing still seasonalliving

REIKI HEALING LEVEL 2 TRAINING
Experience the beautiful, peaceful energy of Reiki and share this energy professionally with those who need healing.

Topics covered in the training:
-Initiation to powerful Reiki Symbols and Mantras
-Receiving Level 2 Reiki Energetic Attunement
-Distance Healing Techniques
-Energy Management Techniques
-Structure of a Reiki Session
-How to do a Client Intake and Consultation
-Guidance on offering and Advertising your Reiki Services
-Practical hands on experience

What to bring:
Something to take notes on and a pen.
Lunch each day.

A training manual and morning teas will be provided.

Saturday 15th August + Sunday 16th August
Te Hine Ruru Retreat Russell
6135 Russell Whakapara Road 0272
9.30am-4.00pm
$450
($100 non refundable deposit to reserve your space,
and remainder $350 to be paid on or before on the day.
Payment plans available)

Booking link below to reserve your space:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=27617475&appointmentType=93206810

Looking forward to sharing Reiki with you
Cushla x

8 LIMBS OF YOGA

There is so much more to yoga than asana - the physical postures. But so often in yoga classes, asana is all that is taught or practiced.

Yoga is traditionally composed of 8 limbs. When all of these parts are reflected on, experienced and practiced for a considerable amount of time then one might say you are beginning to have an understanding of Yoga. It definitely takes time, effort and a commitment to this beautiful and intelligent 5000 year old tradition.

As a yoga teacher I incorporate more than just asana in class, bringing in mantra, meditation, breath and concentration practices as well, so that you can have a more complete understanding and experience of Yoga. And therefore a more complete understanding of your SELF through yoga.

Here is a (very)brief description of each of the limbs of yoga.

YAMAS - 5 moral restraints,
kindness, truthfulness, nonstealing, moderation, generosity

NIYAMAS - 5 observances,
purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, surrender

ASANA - physical postures to connect mind, body and spirit, creating a balance of strength and flexibility.

PRANAYAMA - various breathing techniques with different effects

PRATYAHARA - a turning inward of the senses, heightened interoception

DHARANA - focus, attention, concentration

DHYANA - contemplatation, meditation

SAMADHI - a state of joy, peace, equanimity and oneness

After reading this I hope you feel curious, perhaps excited even to extend your experience of yoga into all 8 limbs.

I look forward to seeing you on the mat at Te Hine Ruru Retreat 🧘‍♀️

yogateachernz 8limbs yogalife morethanasana

For over 25 years, I’ve been consciously working with my throat chakra—refining not just my voice, but my ability to truly connect, express, and listen.

As a child I found it difficult to speak up, to sing, or to fully express my thoughts, feelings and emotions.
This journey through life has been one of gently reclaiming my voice.

Along the way, I’ve come to understand that the voice is so much more than sound. It carries rhythm, melody, and intonation—what we call prosody—and this is where real communication lives. It’s in the subtle rises and falls, the pauses, the warmth, the aliveness.
As I’ve deepened this work, I’ve noticed how my expression naturally expanded beyond words. My upper face softened, my eyes began to “smile,” and my presence became more attuned. Listening shifted too—I don’t just hear words anymore; I hear patterns, tone, and the emotional frequency underneath.
I’ve become especially sensitive to the mid-frequency range—the range of the human voice. It’s here that so much truth is revealed about ourselves and others.

Today, I bring this awareness into my work. I use the voice as a diagnostic tool, listening for cues in prosody, tone, and expression to understand where someone may be on the polyvagal ladder.

I can often hear in another person’s voice whether a nervous system is regulated, or moving through fight, flight, or freeze.

The voice reveals what the nervous system is experiencing in real time.

The work of conscious introspection continues to humble me. The more I listen, the more I learn about myself—and that deepens the wisdom I can bring to understanding others.
Cushla🌀

Delighted to be able to offer you several different types of energy healing.
Each from a different lineage,
Japanese, Indian and Irish.
Irish Shamanic Healing is also available online as well as in person.
Get in touch to chat about which one would suit you best!
Cushla 🌺

ANOTHER REVIEW FOR MY WISE WOMAN MENOPAUSE RETREAT

New retreat dates Oct 24-26 th 2026
Link in bio