by Jocelyn Watkin | Dec 8, 2024 | Information |
1-Day Retreat: Healing Qigong and the Zen of Kintsugi (Golden Harmony)
When: Saturday 3 May 2025, 9am – 3.30pm. Please arrive between 8.45 – 9am
Where: Auckland Botanic Gardens (in the Friends Building), 102 Hill Road, The Gardens, Auckland 2105
This 1-day retreat is truly unique as this amazing combination of ancient Chinese and Japanese practices has never been offered before by Kia Ora Tai Chi. Join us for a day of self-care, where the team will guide you on how to nurture your health, let go of stress, and embrace the golden magic of imperfection.
Participants: Adults aged 18+. Beginners will be very welcome.
Embrace the Healing Power of Qigong from Ancient China
Awaken the energy flow within you with qigong
Discover the art of healing qigong (pronounced ‘chee gong’) with deep meditative breathing and mindful movements.
Experience a golden glow within as you awaken the energy flow (qi) throughout your body, calm your mind, and enhance your overall wellbeing.
Find Flow through the Japanese Zen concept of Wabi Sabi
Unlock the secret to inner peace with wabi sabi. This centuries-old Japanese philosophy finds beauty in simplicity, imperfection, and the natural flow of life, which will leave you feeling ‘as good as gold’.
How liberating would it feel to stop trying to be perfect all of the time? Absolutely, it would be like winning a ‘get out of jail free’ card in a board game. By embracing imperfection and going with the flow, your movements will become more fluid and you’ll improve your qigong.
By integrating wabi sabi into your qigong practice and also everyday life, you’ll let go of stress and tension, sleep better at night and feel more energised during the day.
Rediscover Wholeness with Kintsugi (all materials will be provided for this)
Broken ceramic bowl that has been joined back together using golden glue (kintsugi)
Experience the magic of kintsugi (literally “golden joinery”), which is the centuries-old Japanese art of mending broken pottery with golden glue.
This practice teaches us that flaws and cracks are what make us truly unique. By applying this philosophy to life, you’ll learn to see beauty in every moment and cherish the golden experiences that shape you.
During this workshop, and with the guidance of an expert sensei (teacher), you’ll create your own kintsugi piece to take home—a beautiful reminder that nothing is ever truly broken.
Explore the Tranquil Auckland Botanic Gardens
Camellia garden in the Auckland Botanic Gardens
At the end of the retreat, there will be time for your own self-guided tour of these peaceful gardens. You may like to:
- Explore the serene beauty of the Camellia Garden, which will be just coming into bloom. Camellias are native to both China and Japan (and other parts of Eastern and Southern Asia).
- Immerse yourself in Shinrin-yoku (Japanese for ‘forest bathing’) in the dappled seclusion of the native bush area.
- Admire: the many fascinating and intriguing sculptures throughout the gardens.
- Embark on your own ‘sniffari’ and delight in the aromas of the edible and herb gardens.
- Get dreamy with the palms or in the rose garden.
- Or simply wend your way along the many walkways to feast your eyes and senses on nature at its best.
$195 per person | Limited to 10 participants.
Please contact Jocelyn (of Kia Ora Tai Chi) to reserve a place in this unique retreat by phoning or texting her on 027 493 9851, or using the Contact Form on the Kia Ora Tai Chi website. She will advise options for payment.
About your instructors
Jocelyn Watkin
Jocelyn Watkin is a qualified qigong and tai chi instructor in Auckland, New Zealand, who has been enjoying the health benefits of these ancient Chinese arts for over 20 years. She has visited China three times and Japan over 10 times. She loves exploring and researching the traditional philosophy and the concept of Zen of both countries.
She is the founder and director of Kia Ora Tai Chi and is registered as a group exercise provider (with own choreography) with the New Zealand Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).
Testimonial: “I really enjoyed your style, Jocelyn. Friendly, caring, informative and non-judgemental. You made me feel relaxed and welcome. Thank you.” (Participant in the Stardome mini-retreat, March 2022)
Ema Frost
Ema Frost is a New Zealand artist, illustrator and ceramic designer who has been teaching Kintsugi for over five years. She regularly travels to Japan to study and learn new techniques.
Testimonial: “I really enjoyed the kintsugi workshop with Ema. She is very patient and a great teacher. And now I have the skills to make anything with this style, and have even made one as a gift. Really enjoyable day. Fun and relaxed atmosphere. Would definitely recommend this workshop. (Lisa)
Who should attend?
This workshop is open to anyone aged 18+ who seeks to refresh and rebalance their body, mind, and soul. Ideal for beginners and also for tai chi and qigong enthusiasts who want to get more out of their practice.
Here are all the details of this 1-Day Retreat for Healing Qigong and the Zen of Kintsugi (Golden Harmony)
When: Saturday 3 May 2025, 9am – 3.30pm, please arrive between 8.45 – 9am
Where: Auckland Botanic Gardens (in the Friends Building), 102 Hill Road, The Gardens, Auckland 2105
Parking: Plenty of free parking is available in the main car park at the Auckland Botanic Gardens. The Friends Building is a small house located next to the main carpark (on the Western side of the car park).
What to wear: Comfortable, loose clothing that is easy to move in and flat-soled shoes. Please bring a jersey or hoodie to keep warm, as we will be sitting still for some of the time. If you want to explore the gardens after the retreat, please also bring an outdoor jacket.
Please bring: Your lunch, pen and paper to take notes, filled water bottle and a snack.
$195 per person | Limited to 10 participants
Please contact Jocelyn to reserve a place in this unique retreat by phoning or texting her on 027 493 9851, or using the Contact Form on the Kia Ora Tai Chi website. She will advise options for payment.
What is qigong (pronounced chee-gong)?
Qigong breathing is healing and liberating
For thousands of years the Chinese have had a secret. A secret that helps to increase longevity and assists the body to heal from injury, illness and trauma.
That secret is qigong – a deep, meditative breathing and movement exercise that connects the mind to the body.
The main reasons why people learn qigong are to manage and reduce stress, and improve their overall health and well-being.
Qigong is about releasing stress, not suppressing it. Through special qigong breathing you can learn how to let go of stress so you can enjoy more of the good and creative things in life.
Jocelyn and Ema would love to share their knowledge with you at this very special retreat so you can immerse yourself in Healing Qigong and the Zen of Kintsugi.
Cancellation policy
This retreat must be paid for in full to reserve your place. A 90% refund is available if you withdraw before 1 February 2025. A 50% refund is available if you withdraw before 1 March 2025. No refunds are available from 1 March onwards.
If you are unwell on the workshop day (3 May 2025)
Please do not attend if you are sick or have cold or ‘flu-like symptoms. In these circumstances, you will be issued with a credit to attend another tai chi or qigong workshop or retreat by Kia Ora Tai Chi.
All participants will need to respect the need for social distancing at all times during the retreat. Anyone is welcome to wear a face mask if they wish.
The room will be well-ventilated and hand sanitiser will be provided.
We will abide by the NZ Government’s health advice and regulations as they apply at the time of this retreat.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Sep 24, 2024 | Information |
I’ll be teaching three FREE tai chi sessions in Cornwall Park, Greenlane Road West, Auckland, Saturday 28 September, 11am – 2pm for their Heritage Day celebrations. All ages and abilities welcome. Ideal for beginners.
The sessions will be scheduled at approximately 11.15am, 12.15pm and 1.15pm.
Note: These will be outside Huia Lodge and not in my usual summer tai chi spot.
There’ll be heaps of other free activities for Heritage Day in Cornwall Park, including:
- March, jive, groove and bop along to tunes from the last 121 years with the Auckland Big Band
- Step back in time and picnic like it’s 1929 with Art Deco Society Auckland Inc.
- Fly and make your own kite with CLM Community Events.
- Admire how past visitors would get to and from the park in style with the North Island Model A Ford Club Inc.
- PLUS you can pick up your own limited edition Cornwall Park Trading Card on the day.
Find out more about this amazing Heritage Day event in Cornwall Park: https://cornwallpark.co.nz/whats-on/heritage-day-recreation
If postponed on the 28th due to rain, the next scheduled day for this event will be Saturday 5 October, 11am – 2pm. Please check the Cornwall Park webpage or their Facebook page for updates about the weather.
This event is part of Auckland Council’s Auckland Heritage Festival 2024, which runs from 28 September to 13 October. There are lots of other free and low-cost events that will be part of this festival: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/heritage-festival/heritage-festival-events/
by Jocelyn Watkin | Jan 14, 2024 | Information |
FREE tai chi and qigong sessions with Jocelyn Watkin and/or another instructor from Kia Ora Tai Chi will be held (weather dependent) in Cornwall Park (in Auckland) every Sunday morning, 9am, and Tuesday evening, 6pm. Starting on Sunday 21 January and finishing on Tuesday 26 March 2022.
These sessions are free for anyone and are suitable for all ages and abilities. Beginners will be very welcome.
Dates and times:
- Starting Sunday 21 January 2024, 9 – 9.45am and every Sunday morning until 24th March 2024 (weather permitting)
- Starting Tuesday 23 January 2024, 6 – 6.45pm and every Tuesday evening until 26th March 2024 (weather permitting).
Location in the park: Same as in previous years. If coming into the park from Greenlane Road West, you’ll be on Pōhutukawa Drive (the main road into the park). The tai chi sessions will be under the trees on the left-hand-side about half-way up Pōhutukawa Drive. (If you get to the roundabout, you’ve gone too far.)
Registration is not required, just show up 5 -10 minutes before each session starts.
As all of the sessions are outdoors, the weather needs to be on our side to go ahead. If you are uncertain on whether the session will be held you can:
I can’t wait to see everyone again who attended in previous years and also to meet anyone new, who would love to try tai chi and qigong this summer.
Curious about tai chi and qigong? Find out more here: https://www.kiaorataichi.nz/tai-chi/
A big thank you to founder of the park, Sir John Logan Campbell, for his gift of Cornwall Park to the people of Auckland. Also, huge thanks to the Cornwall Park Trust Board, which administers his legacy and provides funding for these sessions so you can attend for free.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Sep 22, 2023 | Information |
Please note: From 5 June 2024, the class for new beginners will be held only on Wednesday evenings.
Adults of any age and ability are welcome to join the tai chi and qigong (pronounced chee-gong) evening class for beginners, from September to December 2023. Please RSVP before you attend by texting or phoning Jocelyn on 027 493 9851 or use the Contact Form.
Classes are every Monday (NOW WEDNESDAY) evening 6.30 – 7.15pm (except for public holidays and over the Christmas/New Year period). Your first class is free and please arrive for this class between 6.15 and 6.29pm.
The venue is the St Elizabeth’s Church hall, which is located at 182 Finlayson Avenue, Clendon, Manurewa, Auckland 2103. There is free parking on site. Please refer to this map: https://goo.gl/maps/eLgqq5bHz4ATjBok9
What to wear: Please wear loose comfortable clothing and bring a something warm like a hoodie, jumper, cardigan, etc. Please also wear flat-soled shoes (such as sneakers, trainers or tennis shoes). Please also bring a bottle of drinking water.
Facemasks may be required: Depending on levels of Covid or the ‘flu in the wider community, it may be necessary at certain times to wear a facemask on arrival and when talking with others. If it is safe to do so, you can remove your facemask during classes if you wish, as long as we can all physically distance ourselves. (Please refer further below for other Covid safety requirements.)
What to expect: All of the classes begin with a sequence of easy, flowing, warm-up exercises which are low impact and gentle on your joints. These exercises are designed to improve your balance, overall health and core strength.
Then, Jocelyn and her team of instructors will guide you through health-boosting qigong (pronounced chee-gong) movements and/or a tai chi form – a series of linked postures and steps, which are also designed to strengthen your leg and core muscles and improve balance. The steps are performed in a slow, focussed manner and accompanied by deep breathing (known as qigong, which means ‘breath work’ and ‘energy work’). You can find out more about qigong and tai chi here: https://www.kiaorataichi.nz/tai-chi/
If possible, please attend classes every week. If you miss a class, please commit to practicing at home to keep up with others in your group and to receive the full health benefits of tai chi and qigong. Regular practice can help improve strength, health and balance, reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Read more about the health benefits.
Pricing:
- Your first class is free.
- After the free class: Prices range from $10 to $15 per class (depending on how many classes are purchased in advance).
If you’d like more information or to RSVP, please text or phone Jocelyn on 027 493 9851 or please use the Contact Form.
Covid, colds and influenza protection requirements when attending classes:
- Please stay at home if you have Covid or whenever you have a cold or flu-like symptoms or if someone in your household has Covid or the ‘flu. You are not charged for missed classes under these circumstances.
- About face masks: Some of the current students are immuno-compromised. As such, everyone in our tai chi group has decided to help and support their fellow students who are less fortunate with their health. Whenever there are high levels of Covid-19 and ‘flu in the wider community, ALL have AGREED to wear high quality facemasks on arrival and when chatting to others before the class starts/after the class finishes. This is regardless of any lesser requirements recommended by the NZ Government. If you do not think it is necessary to wear a facemask or you don’t want to wear one, your best option is to join a different tai chi group.
- If you wish, you can remove your mask during the class, as long as it is safe to do so and we can all physically distance ourselves.
- Anyone who wants to keep wearing a mask throughout the class is welcome to do so and their views/wishes are respected by others.
- The hall will be well-ventilated as the doors open in ALL weathers, so please wear layered clothing to keep warm.
- All instructors are vaccinated, including with all boosters.
If you’d like to have a kōrero (chat) or to RSVP, please text or phone Jocelyn on 027 493 9851 or please use the Contact Form.
The above map shows the location of the evening classes in St Elizabeth’s Church hall. The entrance to the hall and the parking is at 182 Finlayson Avenue, Clendon, Manurewa, Auckland 2103.
Please text or phone Jocelyn on 027 493 9851 for more information about any of her classes, courses, workshops or retreats. Alternatively, please use the Contact Form to get in touch.
Tai chi and qigong are easy, fun and really great exercises, which are good for your body and helpful at reducing stress. If you are unable to stand for very long, Jocelyn and several of her assistant instructors can teach seated tai chi and qigong, which you can do alongside the rest of the class.
All tai chi classes are approved with the BIG TICK for the Community Group Strength and Balance Programme so you can “Live Stronger for Longer”.
What is tai chi and qigong? Often described as “moving meditation”, tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and exercise programme that combines mental focus with deliberate and relaxed movements that are gentle on your joints. It is sometimes referred to as “taiji” or “tai chi chuan”.
Tai chi is a subset of the much older practice of qigong, which is a deep breathing and meditative exercise. In Chinese, the word is made up of two characters: ‘Qi’ = air, breath and life energy; and ‘gong’ = working hard to develop a high skill level. Therefore, qigong means: ‘the skill of getting more breath, energy and life’.
Read more about the health benefits of tai chi and qigong.
Please text or phone Jocelyn to have a kōrero: 027 493 9851. Alternatively, please use the Contact Form to get in touch.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Jul 4, 2023 | Information |
In addition to Matariki this year, July is also Mindfulness Month.
Together, they make a good combination:
- Matariki is a time of remembrance, joy and peace.
- Mindfulness Month is about finding peace in the present, while raising funds to help the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand (the foundation) advocate for a brighter future for everyone in Aotoeroa/NZ
During July 2023, I will teach three mindful and restorative sessions and donate my time as a fund-raiser for the foundation. Instead of paying me for a session, I hope you will consider donating to the foundation instead.
The sessions all have connections to the three key principles of Matariki as follows:
- Remembrance: Online, Tuesday evening 11 July 2023, 6.30 – 7.15pm, by Zoom: Mindful, restorative journaling. Remembering our ancestors/tūpuna and lessons from the past can help us to reduce stress today and into the future.
- Celebrating the present: Outdoors, Friday 14 July 2023, 11am – 11.45am, Tai Chi in the Park for the official Matariki holiday. This will be held at Kauri Point Reserve in Wattle Downs, Manurewa, which is at the end of a street called “Moor Park”. Refer to map: https://goo.gl/maps/MZHeqttC5rBeL6mu9 This session will be weather-dependent. If the ground is too wet or the weather doesn’t co-operate, please look for the cancellation notice on the Kia Ora Tai Chi facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kiaorataichi/
- Looking to the future/learning new skills: Online, Thursday evening, 20 July 2023, 6.30 – 7.15pm, by Zoom. Create a calm and centred universe within you with “Out of this World Qigong”. This date also happens to be the 54th anniversary of the moon landing (20 July 1969).
If you’d like to take part in these sessions or if you’d like to enable a friend or family member to attend, please make a donation to the foundation on my fund-raising page for Mindfulness Month: https://mindfulnessmonth.co.nz/jocelyn-watkin
My sessions usually sell for $10 – $15 per person, per session. However, any amount will be very welcome. Even just $1 will make a difference, as every bit counts.
Once you’ve made your donation, please let me know by texting me on 027 493 9851 or email me or use the contact form on the Kia Ora Tai Chi website. I will then email you the Zoom links for the two online sessions.
Of course, you can still donate even if you choose not to participate in any of the sessions.
Why am I doing this? Several years ago, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress (PTSD). I was fortunate to have full support and arohanui (lots of love) from my husband, family and friends, professional care from my doctor, and was able to fully recover.
Restorative journaling was a key part of my recovery. The mindful process of journaling enabled me to break the hold stress had on me and free my thoughts to plan for a better and different life.
Later, tai chi and qigong helped to complete healing process as I learned how to use both of these skills to reduce stress on a daily basis, rather than let it build up.
Here is the link to my fundraising page: https://mindfulnessmonth.co.nz/jocelyn-watkin
Whatever you decide to contribute, thank you so much for your commitment to the foundation and to all New Zealanders in need of support with their mental health. You can find out more about where the money goes in this link: https://mindfulnessmonth.co.nz/whereyourmoneygoes
There are some great resources available for free on the Mindfulness Month website. You can explore them here: https://mindfulnessmonth.co.nz/resources
If you need help and support, you can call any of the phone numbers listed here for free: https://mentalhealth.org.nz/helplines
