Men’s Wellbeing Retreat #32 - February 2025

This journey seemed like nature provided a metaphor for some of the storms that life throws at us.

Our men arrived in the wind and rain, no horizon or hills to be seen, we journeyed into the misty Ngahere and the Awa that greeted us was a muddy brown torrent, roaring mean. Yet, there was a peacefulness and beauty to it.

We walked the roaring beach, anchoring our feet in the sand, the wild green ocean, lashing us one wave after the other, seaweed tangled around our legs, trying to drag our footing from the land. Later described as one of the highlights.

We used the time to dive into new modalities the men had never tried - breath work, yoga, meditation. Phones off, cord to the matrix pulled, minds blown.

Along the way we dived into real korero, stories and conversations that won’t leave the group, leaving some of life’s challenges, disappointments and tribulations behind, letting nature do the healing.

This journey is about meeting every man where they are at on their own journey in mind, body and spirit. No judgement. Transformation and a new journey ahead.

Slowly things calmed, the waves got smaller with bigger gaps between them, we launched the waka and ventured out into the confused sea. The call of the terns started to drown out the roar of the ocean, then

the reels started screaming as Kahawai jumped over our lines - ceviche on! Blood pumping.

And then pretty soon, the clouds disappeared, the wind abated, the stars came out, and the sun that beamed over the horizon on the last morning shone new light. New colour. New depth. Ease and peace. Each man dropping into his own karakia on the way out for a special treat to

finish the journey.

We kept going til the water got bluer and bluer, and that treat was a screaming reel and a colourful mahimahi jumping all over the ocean.

And that my friends is the beauty of rolling with the wairua. A magical last feast to finish and celebrate doing the mahi.

No matter what storm life throws at you, there’s always a flow through to the good stuff, and most of the good stuff is in the journey through the storm itself.

Thank you to these good men, leaders, Dads, step dads, uncles, sons & brothers, for coming on the journey.

If you’d like to join on of these journeys check out more about our Men’s Wellbeing Retreats