.png)
THE TEAM
Kia Ora, I'm Neave, the founder and principal teacher at MindWise. I have a background as a Gestalt therapist and educator and have been studying and practicing mindfulness and meditation since 1992. Over the years I have been very fortunate to have met, sat with and learnt from masters of the Advaita, Buddhist and Zen traditions which has changed my life profoundly. I have also trained to facilitate Jon Kabat-Zinn's MBSR program, developed at UMASS Medical School as well as training and teaching the Pause, Breathe, Smile program on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation NZ. My passion in both my work and personally is the interconnectedness of spirituality and bodymind medicine and how these fields of knowledge can enable us to heal ourselves and each other. ​
​
I came to meditation because I needed to find peace within myself and heal from debilitating social anxiety, depression and alcohol dependence. I'm happy to say that these things are now a distant memory, and today I find myself incredibly grateful to be able to live my life from a place of deep contentment, authenticity and love. I have dedicated much of my adult life to finding out how to heal and find the peace within and now deeply enjoy sharing this discovery with others.
Hi, I'm Kelsy and I support all the admin tasks and help people arrive at retreats and group sessions with everything they need. I'm also known as the chantress as I often choose the Kirtan chant for meditation evenings.
When I think about why I first enrolled in the MBSR course in 2018, I would have to honestly say I'm not really sure why, curiosity maybe, but what I found was I loved it and wanted meditation to be a part of my life.
However after a while my regular practice started to lapse and that was when I found myself going back to my old way of being and having a "knee-jerk" reaction to some things that happened in my life. This was challenging to see, but very useful because it made me realise that when I stay with my mindfulness practice it brings me to a place where I am happier, much more content and love my life. I now know that from that place I can meet whatever happens from a space of contentment and confidence within myself.
Kia ora, I’m Isla and I am a meditation group facilitator and MBSR teacher-in-training. ​I had been dabbling with meditation for over 15 years as I tried to get on top of stress, anxiety and a constant feeling of overwhelm from life's demands.
After a recommendation from my GP, I discovered Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme delivered by Neave at MindWise. This programme has made an incredible difference to my life and inner experience. When I practice mindfulness regularly, I have a greater sense of calm and presence at home and at work. I’m much less reactive in stressful situations, and I can more readily identify my triggers and mantras that weigh me down.
MBSR has given me the simple tools I needed to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and create space for clarity and calm, even in the midst of chaos. My mental and emotional well being has improved, as has my ability to cope with chronic pain. Through mindfulness, I am continuing to cultivate a deeper sense of presence, resilience and compassion. I love being able to introduce the benefits of the MBSR approach to others.
I'm Elizabeth and I'm involved in supporting and guiding practices for meditation group. I started meditating about 4 or 5 years ago but realised that many of the things that I was learning, like body awareness and paying attention, had always been part of my life. In the MBSR course I learnt about the attitudes of mindfulness, and I find these helpful anchors when making decisions and in life in general. It's a useful framework to focus values that have always been very important to me.
With regular meditation I have found a greater capacity for choosing my responses to things that happen in my life. I am better at recognising when patterned behaviours arise and I know that I can choose how to respond. I'm also more patient and kind to myself if I have reacted from those patterns.
The most important thing that mindfulness has added to my life is the community in which I practise. I am so grateful for the wonderful people I have met and I feel tremendously lucky to have made great friends. I love sharing the heartspace with friends old and new and I love offering practises to share what I am finding meaningful.
Hi, I'm Noel and I'm involved in guiding and facilitating during our Meditation Group evenings.
I came to mindfulness through the MBSR course 5+ years ago, and have created a mindfulness/meditation practice space in my life ever since. I feel that it has brought more calm and compassion into my life. I love the community I have found and sharing the communal practice has become one of the highlights of my week
Hi, I'm Kate and I'm part of the Creation Team that supports retreats and meditation evenings. I came to mindfulness because I was looking for a way to refocus my thoughts from always being 'on' with a busy mind, I felt like I was always looking for the tiger in the room.
​
What mindfulness taught me was to slow things down and to be more aware of my thoughts, feelings and ultimately my reactions.
​
I've found that Neave's group has given me the opportunity to learn to be in the present, and it's been a gift to meet some wonderful people along the way too.
Hi, my name is Brigitte and I'm a member of the Creation Team helping out on day and weekend retreats.
I started practicing mindfulness about 8 years ago to manage my anxiety, high levels of stress, and constant worrying. Over time, it has helped me focus on the present moment instead of dwelling on the past or future.
Mindfulness has significantly reduced my anxiety, improved my resilience, and enabled me to recognise and break negative thought patterns through regular practice.