The Living Path

An exploration of meditation and life

A 9-month guided meditation course with Susan Allen

A 9-month meditation course with Susan Allen

An exploration of meditation and life

The Living Path

This 9-month online meditation course has been designed for anyone who wants to establish a life-changing and inspiring meditation practice that will continue to deepen and nourish you for the rest of your life.

Meditation is often presented as something simple – just sit quietly, watch the breath and try to be present.

So much more than that, meditation is a rich and subtle training of the mind. Like learning a musical instrument or a new language, it unfolds gradually through practice, guidance, nuance and experience.

Is The Living Path a meditation course?

Yes. The Living Path is a 9-month online guided meditation course and mentorship program designed for beginners and experienced meditators who want to establish a consistent, meaningful meditation practice. Unlike a weekend retreat, you’ll learn gradually through monthly teaching circles, guided practices, community support and ongoing guidance from meditation teacher Susan Allen.

The practices are drawn from the wisdom traditions of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. They will be taught in a secular context relevant and appropriate to kiwis living in this contemporary age.

A 9-month structured exploration

The deepest learning doesn’t happen over a weekend – it happens through consistent practice over time.

An immersive retreat covers a lot of ground where many ideas and new practices are introduced. On The Living Path, the map of where we’re going will be the same but the pace more graduated, the content more in-depth, and the interaction a deeply woven fabric. Each month will have a specific practice focus, and over the 9 months we will construct upon a stable foundation, a rich and refined practice. You’ll have time to practise, reflect, ask questions and gradually integrate each stage before moving to the next.

By the end of the program you’ll not only understand meditation more deeply, you’ll have established a practice that is profoundly inspiring, interesting, real and grounded in your everyday life.

What we'll explore

Each month we’ll focus on a specific aspect of meditation, building progressively throughout the year.

Topics will include:

• establishing the habit of a regular daily practice

• de-mystifying meditation and understanding its relevance to your life

• cultivating stability of mind by developing skilfulness of attention – shamatha

• working skilfully with distraction and obsession with thinking

• strategies for the 5 hindrances of drowsiness, agitation, aversion, craving and doubt

• a detailed map of the awareness practices – vipassana

• emptiness practices for understanding self identification and how to reduce reactivity

• understanding emotional reactive patterns, how they develop, how we identify with them

• bringing the learnings from meditation off the cushion and into daily life

• and exploring the deeper qualities of the mind as offered by these ancient wisdom traditions

Each month you’ll receive guided meditation recordings, home practice suggestions and simple journalling exercises to help integrate what you’re learning.

Learning together

Meditation can sometimes feel like a solitary pursuit. Coming together every fortnight for practice, learning in community and sharing experiences is one of the precious offerings of this program.
Over the course of the program you’ll become part of a small community, sangha, where questions are welcomed, experiences are shared and everyone supports one another’s growth.
Many of the challenges we encounter in meditation are universal. Discovering this together is often one of the most encouraging aspects of the journey.

What the meditation course includes

Each month will include:

• 4 hr Meditation Circle – on Sundays (time to be decided)

• 90 minute online meditation and discussion session midweek which includes breakout groups

• Guided meditation recordings

• Structured home practice

• Journalling and reflection exercises

• Small group discussion and sharing of experience

• Ongoing support throughout the program

Everything builds progressively month to month, allowing your understanding and confidence to ripen and deepen.

Who is this for?

This program is for those who would like meditation to become a meaningful part of their lives. While recordings of all sessions will be provided, this online course is intended for those who intend to attend all or most sessions live.

It is offered to all:

• complete beginners are welcome and warmly invited; no previous experience is necessary.

• have attended one of our retreats, or one elsewhere, and would like to refine and further understand what you learned then

• have tried meditation apps or courses but struggle to maintain a regular practice

• value learning within a supportive community

• enjoy asking questions and exploring meditation with ongoing support of a (real-person 🙂 teacher

Expressions of Interest

I’m currently inviting expressions of interest while I finalise the program details.

Proposed start time is around August/September 2026.

If this excites you I’d love to hear from you.
There is no obligation – simply register your interest and I’ll send you further information as it becomes available.

Upcoming India and New Zealand retreats

Retreats NZ runs meditation and yoga retreats New Zealand wide as well as well as to the spiritual heartland of India. If you are looking to deepen your practice or your intention is simply to have some quiet time to yourself, we’d love to have you join us.

Wanaka
Meditation & Yoga
August, 2026 (TBA)

Auckland
Meditation & Yoga
28 – 30 August, 2026

Wanaka
Meditation & Yoga
4 – 8 November, 2026

The Living Path
Online Mentorship
9 months

India
Yoga & Spirit
9- 20 March 2027