http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.whyretreat.com en-us Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:51:56 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/146683/follow-my-travels/ If I decide to get creative while I am travelling, I write. This year for the first time I will post my thoughts on substack. Please join me there if you wish.Jo' Travel Blog ... Fri, 06 Jun 2025 09:29:42 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post146683 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/146450/whangarei-heads-walks/ There are wonderful walks here at Whangarei Heads, mostly on land owned by The Department of Conservation (DOC), the Bream Head Scenic Reserve or Whangarei District Council . Most are also part of Te Araroa, the walk which stretches 3000 km, the full length of New Zealand -from North Cape, North Island to the Bluff, South Island. Many are bush walks with great sea views in places, and will take a few hours. Enjoy the wonderful scenery, look out for birds, and stop for a swim. Take water and... Sun, 01 Jun 2025 16:12:46 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post146450 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/64572/visiting-yoga-teachers/ ATTENTION TRAVELING YOGISWork exchange opportunities and co-hosting possibilities will be available for the upcoming summer season. One of the things that makes WHY Retreat great is our program of hosting visiting yoga teachers. We are fortunate to have had excellent teachers from all over the world join us for a couple of weeks or months at a time. The program is strictly a work exchange basis, and more like living in a family environment than a workplace.I enjoy mentoring teachers who are... Wed, 22 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post64572 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/100802/new-honey-massage/ Honey massage is a type of therapeutic massage that involves the application of honey to the skin, followed by a gentle massage. This form of massage has been used for centuries in various cultures, including ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese civilizations. We use natural hand harvested honey from our own hives. A spa before to relax and warm the muscles, and  a sauna afterwards to open the pores for additional absorption of the honey enhance the experience.The Benefits of Honey MassageH... Sat, 25 Feb 2023 12:05:24 +1300 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post100802 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/64583/our-stone-circle/ When we excavated for our house, we came across 5 huge rocks that could not be moved. These now form a stone circle around the building. They correspond to the 5 elements in the way they are placed. The wood element rock is located at the base of a large Norfolk Pine tree. When I was digging around it I found a piece of amber here, petrified Kauri gum. The wood element signifies new beginnings, and happens to be at the entrance to the studio. The Fire element rock faces to the sunrise. It signif... Wed, 14 Apr 2021 19:15:06 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post64583 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/64582/our-logo-design/ Our logo began with a design from a Maori artist who gave us our own Manaia. We stylized this and turned it on its side, so it became a resting manaia. Putting it in a circle brings to mind the yin/yang symbol and also the symbol for infinity. The triangle represents the mountain, our house, and the healing properties of a pyramid. Visitors will be reminded of the mists that swirl around Mt Manaia in the mornings, and the full moon rising over the mountain at sunset.Manaia - Spiritual Guardian, ... Wed, 14 Apr 2021 19:11:46 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post64582 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/64580/recipes/ One of the best things about WHY RETREAT is the food! Not only do you have all your meals prepared for you to your individual dietary requirements, but they are often made with fresh ingredients from our garden and always made extra tasty with a generous helping of love. We are happy to share our recipes with guests, and here are a few of the favorites.... Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:56:51 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post64580 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/64577/winter-wellness-tips/ The onset of winter means more colds and flus. Here is my prescription for fending off the dreaded lurgy. 1. Keep the bugs out2. Support your immune system3. Catch any invaders early1. Keep the bugs outIt’s basic - Clean Hands stop the spread of germs. Make sure your hands are clean when touching your face or food. A friend’s daughter did a cool school project using glitter gel to illustrate how easily germs are spread, especially in public places.2. Support your immune systemThis is more co... Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:45:59 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post64577 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/64576/why-has-a-health4you-award/ WHY RETREAT has an award for Top 25 Most Popular Health and Fitness Services for 2021 from Health4You. We are now one of the top ranking Health and fitness services in New Zealand!Here is how we ranked:#1 Most Popular Health and Fitness Service in Whangarei (0110)#1 Most Popular Health and Fitness Service in the Northland Region#1 Most Popular Health and Fitness Service in the Whangarei Region#10 Most Popular Health and Fitness Service in New ZealandWhat does it mean?The Most Popular ranking hel... Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:39:06 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post64576 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/post/64557/24-7-yoga/ The following article appears in New Zealand Yoga Scene Magazine.One of my yoga teachers said “Yoga was once practiced by men in India to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Now it is practiced by Western women to improve their physical fitness and appearance”. As a Western woman, I would agree that my yoga practice began with the physical, to help me change my posture and allow me to participate in pain free physical activity. But the physical Asanas are only one of the eight limbs of a f... Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:06:15 +1200 http://www.whyretreat.com/blog/#post64557