HELPING OTHERS: New author and spiritual healer Meryl Yvonne at Waimarama International. PHOTOS/STEPHEN PARKER
It's been nestled on the shores of Lake Rotoiti for the last 20 years. Dana Kinita finds out what brings people from around the world to Waimarama International and what they're discovering there.
It seemed it was love at first sight.
When Meryl Yvonne became tired of living out of
her suitcase, her pursuit to find a permanent base led her to Lake Rotoiti nearly 20 years ago.
The former registered nurse had a vision to set up a spiritual healing and education retreat instead of having to travel to her practices in Matakana, Auckland, Wellington and Sydney.
Ms Yvonne remembered the day she first laid eyes on the property.
"I had to hike in because there was no driveway and it was in the middle of winter with this howling southerly wind blowing, and I loved it, I knew it was perfect. It was 30 acres of freehold land, 15 minutes' drive from the airport and 100 acres either side of it was Maori-owned land, so I knew that we wouldn't have any neighbours.
"It was in this small local rag at the time and I thought it must be way up in the hills. When I was told over the phone it had 200 metres of riparian rights, I just about fell off my barstool," she said.
"I could see why people hadn't wanted it before, the land and topography was difficult, but nothing is insurmountable."
Ms Yvonne said it did not take her long to sign the contract to buy the property.
"Later that night, I was thinking 'What have I done? It is such a lot of work on my own.' I had those human doubts. I went back and sat quietly and spent time on the land and thought 'How are you going to do this?' But when I was there, I felt this supersonic energy come through me and I knew this was it.
"It's been 20 years of pleasure but a lot of work."
That work included renovating the original house that was on the property, creating guest accommodation for up to 10 people, building a spa area, a large outdoor deck and office areas. They cater for groups and individuals seeking Ms Yvonne's services, along with the teachings from her partner Manu Neho. Waimarama International is what it is today because of the help of Ms Neho, she says.
"Manu has the ability to work with how people think, she is the spokesperson and could easily talk to 2000 people, whereas I like to work behind the scenes. Between the two of us, it's a very powerful process."
Energy centres and life force is what Ms Yvonne specialises in as a spiritual healer. Her clients seek her and Ms Neho's help for various reasons but she said it was about reconnecting the spirit back to the body.
"Your wairua [spirit] can show things through the body. Some people their chance of financial success, emotional success is just about zero because these people have had such a trauma in their earlier life that the spirit has left the body. Those patterns can last the lifetime and my job is reconnecting it," she said.
"What appears to be spontaneous healing is actually the life force coming through the body in greater abundance and the energy levels are coming back. Some people try to do things through the physical, and I can give them a reading and tell them they're only running on 10 per cent energy.
"Not many people stay on my book, once the energy's done, it's done, it's not something you keep doing. But about 80 per cent of clients are women, 20 per cent men and they are primarily over 40. People who are starting to question what they want in life and may have a few physical problems."
It has been a challenge, trying to show the benefit of her work.
"It's still a bit of a foreign language, for some people what they can't see it's hard to fathom. Energy is invisible, because I feel energy, it's like chewing gum, sticking glue and if people can't see that and feel that they think it's not particularly real. We're still in a system where we want to see things, take the medicine and do exercise - they need to see the physical to believe."
Ms Yvonne has offered her services while working at Rotorua Hospital, and she and Ms Neho spent "hundreds of hours" preparing a submission to Whanau Ora offering their skills and the retreat, when the organisation called for new and innovative ideas. "We wanted to work with whole families and they turned us down. We gave them a gift on the plate and we couldn't believe it. There is a lot of work involved working on that level, dealing with issues of sexual abuse, drug abuse, unemployment and poverty.
"I had clients in Wellington who would pay a $250 session before a major golf match to align their energy. My time is better used to help those who are suffering.
"I can't afford to give my work for nothing as I've taken on this healing centre and there are expenses but I want to reach that next lot of people," she said.
"We're still open to that. Some of these families in need end up in our jail and court system and you look at the [Work and Income] support, CYFS support, it's costing the country millions of dollars. If we can work with whole family units we can address and heal a whole range of things. My dream is that it will become Government funded, it will end up saving the Government millions in the long term from the mental health service, incarceration, jails and hospitals."
Ms Yvonne said they had recently purchased land on the other side of the lake and were looking to set up their business there. She said while she loved the current site, it deserved much more to continually maintain it. "Maori ancestors understood that we're one and the same with nature. When they introduce themselves they recite their pepeha, they know that where they were born, and the energy that is linked with the sea and their mountain.
"I'm just really passionate about people knowing they have access to their energy flow. We all access to the same life force and it's about finding out what's blocking it to help transform their life."
¦
Meryl Yvonne has released a book Close to Death, Closer to God about her teachings and experiences. It is available at McLeod's Bookstore or online at www.waimarama-international.co.nz.