The Mojo Retreat
Who is it for?
You know that person in your life who you see as AMAZING, who you love dearly. But for whatever reason right now, they just aren't feeling it. Life could have thrown them a curveball, or they have just always struggled to see themselves through your loving eyes. Yeah. Its for them.
Or it could be for you.
What is a Mojo Retreat?
An award-winning one-day holistic women's retreat where you get tools to get your Mojo back.
Art based Self Compassion workshops
Art can help us build a bridge from where were are now to where we want to be.
Lunch From the Garden
Nummy meal straight from our organic kitchen garden
Calming setting
Streamside cottage retreat in the Rimutaka Hills.
IN the company of women
These workshops are limited to 12 women. It is an opportunity to explore our common humanity and laugh, grow, and play together.
1 on 1 Photography Session
Lets create visual proof of your brilliance so that when you are having those low days you have a touchstone to lift your spirits. This shoot is done at a later date. A one on one session with me where you are deeply seen and celebrated.
This even works for people who feel they are not "photogenic" or hate being photographed. You will end up with the image you have always wanted of yourself.
A Gift with Good Karma
This is a thoughtful gift for a loved one but it comes with two karma bonuses.
- You get everything above but you also are covering the cost for a scholarship for a girl of your choice to attend an 8 week self compassion after school program (if you don't have a 10-14 year old in your life...no worries we have a waiting list and you can sponsor one of them).
- And 100% of the profits from your gift go to support Every Body is a Treasure Trust.
“If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone.”
– Maxwell Maltz
Why I made this retreat:
I made it for myself.
Well not the me now. But the me when my brain was not really linked up with my soul. These were the two red hot poker periods for me. Pretty much from 15-19. Angry at the world, self-loathing, body shaming, not really fit for human consumption.
The other time was when I was in my mid-thirties my marriage ended and I found myself on my knees financially, mentally, and physically.
I needed women wisdom in both of those periods. Mostly what I needed was self-compassion, community, and belly laughs.
I am 47 now and I can honestly say I have found peace. For the past 10 years, I have been professionally and personally exploring what it takes to develop self-compassion and to teach it to others.
I created the Mojo retreat experience because it was exactly what I needed when I was licking my wounds. It is about body positivity but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Really it is about rewriting your scripts and learning self-kindness on all levels...well 7 to be exact. 7 holistic health levels that all human look to find balance.
It is a mind-body + soulful art workshop. And it could be exactly what your loved one needs.
“Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.”
– Thomas J. Watson
What are the benefits of attending?
On the Retreat Day
- A personalized Mojo Refresh
- Assess 7 energy fields in your body and life and learn where you deficient, balanced, or excessive in energy.
- An individually tailored toolbox to help you to build self-compassion into the fabric of your life and home.
- Award-winning techniques on how to dial down the negative voices in your head/life and dial-up your gifts.
- Arts-based pragmatic learning of self-compassion
- We learn best when we do.
- The program assesses teaches holistic wellness through art creation.
- Time out just for women
- No commitments
- No kids
- Nothing but free time and support to take a deep dive into you.
- Connection and community building with other women on a similar journey to yourself.
- Catered lunch served from our organic garden. - Healthy food you didn't have to think about preparing.
After the Retreat
- A one on one photogenic coaching session
- I show you how to best present yourself visually while at the same time honouring the inner beauty and what makes you uniquely beautiful.
- This creates a short circuit for your critical mind when you are having a bad hair day...just look at the image and remember that you are freaking delicious when you need to be.
- You can raid my racks of dress-up clothes as well.
- This is done on a separate day from the one-day retreat workshop.
- you can also upgrade to get a half-day instead of one hour and that includes Hair and Makeup and an additional catered lunch.
- You get to make the world a better place for the next generation of girls as your retreat cost is gifted to Every Body is a Treasure Trust to cover the cost of a scholarship for a 10-14 year old for an 8 week mentorship arts/wellness mentorship program.
- you can nominate someone you love or we can gift it to a child who needs it on your behalf.
- Starts in Term 1 in Newtown + Upper Hutt and term two in South Auckland.
- you can nominate someone you love or we can gift it to a child who needs it on your behalf.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
– C.S. Lewis
“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”
– Arnold H. Glasgow
Who is the Photographer/Facilitator?
Hi, I'm Mandi Lynn - Past winner of New Zealand Creative Photographer of the Year and founder/director of Every Body is a Treasure Charitable Trust. Before becoming a photographer I was a women's holistic health nurse consultant. The program I developed to develop self compassion in women and girls for the trust won the Health and Wellbeing Category for the Wellington Community Awards. This workshop is a deep dive into that content. I'm the director of NZ Film Commission funded body compassion movie Finding Venus (currently in post-production) and have spoken on the TEDx stage about self-compassion. I run a youth program to develop creative resilience and self-compassion called the HeArtivists (Heart + Art + Activism) in Newtown Upper Hutt and South Auckland.
I'm passionate about showing women and girls how to turn down the volume of the inner critical voice so they cand turn up the volume of their gifts and talents. My clients say I rock at making people look and feel beautiful inside and out.
“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
– Albert Schweitzer
What participants have to say about my workshops
"Thank you for providing such a fun and powerful experience. Your workshop was a game-changer for me. My belly hurt from the laughter, and my heart is still bursting with pride for myself and just awe of the incredible women I was surrounded by. " Abbie McCall
"It was so inspiring and delicious to be amongst such a variety of women from all walks of life, in all shapes and sizes. It was a day full of laughter and some tears, lots of sharing where we had the opportunity to heal from negative words and wounds we have carried about our bodies and our self-image. It was...magical. Thank you, Mandi Lynn, for an amazing experience!" - Ka Ma
"What an amazing day/night shared with beautiful women of all ages. I was unsure of what to expect leading up to it, but the whole experience was just so awesome I just want to do it all again next weekend. There were a few tears at times, lots of laughs and fun and honesty and bravery from women from all walks of life. Thank you Mandi Lynn and your team - you are doing such great work." Kelly Paddison
“Self-compassion is simply treating yourself as you would your best of friends. Easy to say but often one of the hardest but most rewarding things we can learn to do in this lifetime. ”
– Mandi Lynn
What my clients have to say about my photography sessions
"I felt so comfortable and welcomed with Mandi. We had so much fun during the shoot - laughing the whole day. I'd never done anything like it but finished the day feeling so confident, beautiful and inspired. I can't wait to get my prints! Mandi is such a warm person, and an absolute genius behind the camera. Her vision, talent and creativity with her photography is magical. Thank you Mandi and Craig for an incredible day" Kelsea
"I could write an entire essay on my experience at A La Mojo Studios. Historically, I've always found it hard to like photos of myself. I'll often judge my looks or compare my body to others, and I feel like a deer in headlights when asked to pose for a photo. I'd also never done a professional shoot before, so signing up for one with Mandi was definitely a push out of my comfort zone. As it turned out, I had no reason to be anxious or afraid. Mandi and Craig are wonderfully warm human beings. I loved spending a day at their home talking about life and the different journeys we're all on. Mandi's sunny personality put me entirely at ease, to the point that I even felt confident enough to shoot some boudoir photos (I never thought that would happen in a million years!). Mandi is a creative genius with an uncanny knack for finding amazing shots, and she makes posing for photos feel easy and fun. One of my favourite shots from the shoot was taken as I was rolling around on a bed like a mad woman, giggling at myself - I still cannot comprehend how she got such a stunning photo from that! I left the shoot with a small collection of beautiful photos of myself that make me so joyous to look at, and for once I'm not insecure about sharing them around"
Thanks again so much. I know I've said thanks a lot, but I truly feel so grateful and blessed that I came across your work.
Thank you for your kind words and your guidance and your listening ear - I keep the worksheets you gave me on a shelf near my bed so I can look at them every morning and remember to be kind and understanding towards myself even when I don't feel the greatest." Hayley
When is the Mojo Retreat?
There are 2 dates available and each will have no more than 12 people for each session.
- January 19
- February 16
The photoshoot is then booked for sometime after the workshop.
What is the value of the Mojo Retreat Package?
- Self Compassion Workshop - $100.00
- 1-1 Photogenic Coaching Session with Mandi - $290.00
- Included Image - $397.00
- Organic Garden Lunch - $25.00
- Heartivist Scholarship $160.00
- Increased Mojo = Priceless.
Total Value = 972.00
Total Cost to attend = $350.00
Below is a poem Charlie Chaplin read on his 70th birthday, written by Kim McMillen:
As I began to love myself
I found that anguish and emotional suffering
are only warning signs that I was living
against my own truth.
Today, I know, this is Authenticity.
As I began to love myself
I understood how much it can offend somebody
if I try to force my desires on this person,
even though I knew the time was not right
and the person was not ready for it,
and even though this person was me.
Today I call this Respect.
As I began to love myself
I stopped craving for a different life,
and I could see that everything
that surrounded me
was inviting me to grow.
Today I call this Maturity.
As I began to love myself
I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time,
and everything happens at the exactly right moment.
So I could be calm.
Today I call this Self-Confidence.
As I began to love myself
I quit stealing my own time,
and I stopped designing huge projects
for the future.
Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness,
things I love to do and that make my heart cheer,
and I do them in my own way
and in my own rhythm.
Today I call this Simplicity.
As I began to love myself
I freed myself of anything
that is no good for my health –
food, people, things, situations,
and everything that drew me down
and away from myself.
At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.
Today I know it is Love of Oneself.
As I began to love myself
I quit trying to always be right,
and ever since
I was wrong less of the time.
Today I discovered that is Modesty.
As I began to love myself
I refused to go on living in the past
and worrying about the future.
Now, I only live for the moment,
where everything is happening.
Today I live each day,
day by day,
and I call it Fulfillment.
As I began to love myself
I recognized
that my mind can disturb me
and it can make me sick.
But as I connected it to my heart,
my mind became a valuable ally.
Today I call this connection Wisdom of the Heart.
We no longer need to fear arguments,
confrontations or any kind of problems
with ourselves or others.
Even stars collide,
and out of their crashing, new worlds are born.
Today I know: This is Life!