Inner Spaciousness

Life these days can feel cluttered. Between our schedules and our mental loops, we often feel crowded out of our own lives. We lose touch with our natural state—that clear, wide-open feeling, like a blue-sky day after a storm.

We all have the capacity to return to this freedom. To get there, we don’t need to add anything. We simply need to drop the old ideas of who we think we are—leaving them behind like a worn-out pair of boots at the door.

Why Space Matters

We often navigate life through "self-images” - outdated versions of ourselves we picked up along the way. These mental shortcuts take up all the room, leaving little space for us to just be. As A.H. Almaas writes:

"When the soul finally understands a self-image and does not hold on to it, space arises... the soul regains her original openness to her potential."

What We’ll Explore

In this retreat, we’re going to get curious about what lies beneath the surface. We’ll ask the big questions in a practical way:

• Who am I once I stop trying to be the "version" of myself I’m used to?

• What is inner space, and how do we actually find it in the middle of a busy life?

• How does this openness change the way we show up for ourselves and others?

Who is this for?

This retreat is for anyone ready to look below the surface of their life and see what’s really there. Whether you’re new to this or have been on the path for years, you’re welcome.

When we stop clinging to the old stories, we find the freedom to live with more lightness and resilience, no matter what life throws our way.

On the Diamond Approach and the New Aotearoa Group

Every spiritual path deals with our common human situation, and each path deals with it differently. The Diamond Approach is a relatively new path, for people living a full human life in the world, who want to know who and what they are beyond their usual stories and ideas about themselves. It uses a range of powerful practices, as well as modern psychological knowledge, to help each person to explore their own experience in ways that bring deeper understanding, as well as the gradual revelation of our spiritual nature, in its vast rainbow of qualities and dimensions.

The Diamond Approach has been taught in New Zealand for over 15 years. A large ongoing group, DANZ 1, has developed over that time. Diamond Approach New Zealand is now in the process of forming a new group, DANZ 2, for those with a sincere interest in inner work and spiritual discovery. Currently the DANZ 2 program offers 2 in-person retreats (fall and late spring) and an online retreat (winter) each year.

Retreats normally involve meditation, a teaching, experiential exercises in pairs, threes, or small groups, and opportunities to ask questions, share experiences and inquire further with a teacher. 

These retreats are open to the public and new people can join the group for the next few years. If you have questions and would like more information about the Diamond Approach and DANZ 2, please contact Vivienne Leahy at vleahynz@gmail.com

July Retreat Schedule: 

Friday July 3,   6.30 - 9.30pm  

Saturday July 4,   9.30am -12.30pm and 2.00 - 5.00pm

Sunday July 5,   9.30am - 12.30pm and 2.00 - 5.00pm

End times are approximate. 

Included in the cost of this retreat are three follow-up teaching sessions:

• Small Group Meeting: A weekday evening between July 6-9 (exact date TBA), 6.30 - 9pm, or Saturday July 11, 9.30am - 12pm (choose one that fits with your schedule)

• Interim Teaching 1: August, date and time TBA, (3 hour meeting)

• Interim Teaching 2: October, date and time TBA, (3 hour meeting)

Cost: $495

Current ongoing DANZ1 students repeating material pay $195.