Welcome to
What if you could find more stillness in your mind?
Less mental noise.
More calm.
Meditation Retreats & Teaching in Africa and Beyond
Hello, I’m Gerry Rickard and Welcome to MindWise.
Originally from Ireland, I now offer mindfulness meditation retreats and courses here in Mozambique, Africa and online — for anyone seeking a little more stillness in the midst of everyday life.
Each retreat or course I offer is thoughtfully designed around a specific theme to help calm your mind, ease stress and anxiety, and support you through life’s daily challenges. Our minds are often busy and restless — but through mindful meditation, you’ll learn to step out of the noise and find a deep, silent presence that is always here and available to you..
Join me on a journey into the stillness of the mind.
Your Own Solo or Group Retreat in Mozambique, Africa
Experience mindful meditation surrounded by turquoise waters and peaceful beaches in beautiful Vilanculos, Mozambique — the gateway to the stunning Bazaruto Archipelago. A perfect place to relax and deepen your practice.
Together with Unique Mozambique, we also offer Mindful Holidays, blending meditation with local experiences like food tours and a boat tour to the magical islands here. A great way to unwind and connect with both nature and yourself.
Online Meditation Practice
Can’t travel to Mozambique?
I offer personalized online retreats and one-on-one sessions, designed around what matters most to you. Whether you are a total beginner, or are looking for more calm, clarity, or support in your practice, we’ll work together in a way that fits your life needs.
My Approach
I’m a teacher with an MA in Mindfulness Teaching and Buddhist practitioner. My approach is simple, grounded, and clear.
There’s no mystery in meditation — it’s a practice of learning how your mind works, and seeing how the thinking mind often gets in our way. We can learn to still the chaotic thoughts and begin to relate to our mind in a different way.
I often think of stillness like a great river flowing within each of us — always moving, always alive, yet deeply silent. It doesn’t judge. It doesn’t rush. Whether we notice it or not, it’s always there — waiting for us to pause, listen, and gently float with its current.
What I offer is a space to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the stillness within — a stillness that’s always there, just behind the noise of the busy mind.
Together, we’ll create a personal, meaningful experience — a retreat into presence, peace, and clarity.
Would you like to find that place within yourself?
I see myself not as a teacher with all the answers, but as a guide or facilitator — someone who walks alongside you as you explore your own inner landscape. Whether you’re completely new to meditation or have an established practice, our time together is about your journey.
My role is to help you notice what’s already there: the stillness, the patterns of the mind. I’ll guide the practice, but you’ll have your own insights – you know yourself better than anyone.
You won’t hear me say, “If you do X, then Y will happen.” That’s not how real meditation works. We’re all wired differently. We learn in our own ways. And there are no shortcuts — just honest, steady practice.
That said, it doesn’t have to be overly serious either. We can explore this together in a way that feels open, relaxed and joyful.
Your inward journey will be guided with care and compassion.
At the centre of your being,
You have the answer,
You know who you are,
And you know what you want.
Lao Tzu
Buddhist Psychology
My teaching is grounded in both Buddhist psychology — where mindfulness has its roots — and secular methods like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which I’m qualified to teach. Together, they offer a balanced, practical, and deeply compassionate path.
I have taken lay-ordination in the Zen Buddhist tradition, from Roshi Joan Halifax at the Upaya Zen Centre in the United States, and combine both the western approach to mindfulness meditation along with the teachings from its Buddhist roots.
The Mind and its Nature
I like to take the mystery out of meditation. In the words of Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki, sitting and being with ourselves is “nothing special.” We sit and we watch our mind. That’s all. We learn how the busy thinking mind can cause all sorts of difficulties in our lives and, through practice, we begin to relate to our thoughts in a different way. For most, freeing ourselves from the prison of our thoughts is liberating enough. But such discoveries also set us up for a continuing journey into the nature of the mind behind these thoughts. A place of stillness, silence and peace. A place of rest which is always available. Here we can begin to discover our true nature.
At the end of the day, I teach meditation as a means of getting to know, and taking care of, yourself. Choosing this path could be one of the most important decisions you ever make in your life. I would love to take this journey with you.
Open your heart to who you are, right now,
Not who you would like to be,
Not the saint you are striving to become,
But the being right here, before you, inside you.
John Welwood
Join Me on this Mindfulness Journey
Whether you’re interested in a solo retreat, one-on-one sessions, or simply curious about what mindfulness might offer you, I’d be happy to guide you.
Feel free to reach out — together, we can create something that fits you, wherever you are.
