Mindful Self Compassion with Anna Friis and Mara Elwood
September 15 @ 4:00 pm - September 20 @ 2:00 pm
$1,300.00 – $1,900.00
5 day Mindful Self-Compassion Retreat.
With Anna Friis and Mara Elwood
September 15th – 20th, 2025
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion to enhance emotional wellbeing. MSC, developed by Drs Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer, uses meditations, exercises, and experiential activities to help us become less critical of ourselves and more open to all that life has to offer. We learn to become our own best ally and friend.
Self-compassion can be learned by anyone. It’s a courageous mental attitude that stands up to harm, including the tendency towards self-criticism, isolation, and rumination when things go wrong. Self-compassion provides emotional strength and resilience, allowing us to admit our shortcomings, forgive ourselves, and respond to ourselves and others with care and respect.
Rapidly expanding research has demonstrated that self-compassion enhances emotional well-being, reduces anxiety, depression and stress, increases motivation, and improves personal relationships.
This retreat includes:
- The full MSC Programme taught over 5 days(fulfilling the pre-requisite for MSC Teacher Training)
- Delicious meals
- Exclusive use of Mana Retreat Center and facilities, including spa treatments
- Yoga and Qigong classes
- Optional evening activities with the creative arts to extend the learning of the day.
Tuition Cost: $800 early bird fee until May 30th, 2025 and a $900 thereafter. Accommodation and meals additional.
Bookings are now available below.
Working with you has changed the most important relationship in my life .. the relationship with myself. For that, I am truly grateful. – Vanessa
You are both absolute gems … this is the most mind-blowingly wonderful, life-changing investment I have ever been lucky enough to participate in.”- Margot
Introducing
The Teaching Team
Dr Anna Friis PhD Anna is a health psychologist working in private practice in Auckland New Zealand, with a particular focus on mindfulness and compassion-oriented therapy. Following a high-paced corporate career, she has a particular interest in helping people find balance, ease and joy within their lives and workplaces. Anna has a PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Auckland, during which she created new scientific knowledge of the mental and physical health effects of self-compassion among diabetes patients. Her work has been published in several leading endocrinology journals. She is a certified teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion and speaks regularly on this topic at conferences and workshops throughout New Zealand. Anna’s Website >>>
Mara Elwood, MA CAT, AThR is a creative arts therapist with a private practice in Island bay, Wellington. She has been a mindfulness practitioner for over 20 years and has taught and worked with all ages. She is a certified teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and leads courses and intensive retreats. Mara has experience with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Transcendental Meditation, Non-Violent Communication (NVC), Focusing-Oriented Arts Therapy (FOAT), Nature-Based Expressive Arts, Soul Collage, Open Studio Process (OSP) and Mandala Assessment Research Instrument (MARI). Mara calls herself an insatiable creative and loves to upcycle in the art she produces.
Mara offers regular creative practice sessions online for wellbeing and for exploring aspects of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion with creativity. She also brings her MSC and creative arts practice and training together for deepening the MSC learning during the retreats she leads. No artistic skill or training is required, and all materials are supplied.
Special note: We wish to offer two subsidised scholarship places each retreat. Please enquire for more information.
Guidelines
Payment is required in full at the time of booking, by credit or debit card, or direct bank transfer using our secure POLi payment gateway.
We draw special attention to two of our guidelines before registration: Mana provides lacto-ovo vegetarian food only, this means no fish or chicken and is an alcohol and drug free environment.
Mana caters for Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Vegan.
Cancellation Policy
This group requires a minimum number of participants to go ahead, if that number is not reached we reserve the right to cancel the event.
Should you, for any reason, decide to cancel your registration; please note our cancellation policy::
- A $50 administrative fee is applied to all cancellations prior to 72 hours before event.
- A $100 administrative fee is applied to all cancellations within 72 hours of event.
- A Tuition cancellation fee may apply in certain circumstances.
- These policies are reassessed in certain circumstances.