AMY MASTERS

Two things become abundantly clear as soon as you step into Amy Masters’ Paraparaumu Beach home: She loves the 70s, and she’s a collector. Masters, 35, is a former nurse who now works as a spiritual guide for women and mothers. She is the founder of Awake Retreats, which she runs for women locally as well as in Bali, Fiji and, from next year, Peru. Masters shares her “boho beach-house” with son Wilbur, 7, and daughter Daisy, 3.

AMY: I was born in Levin to parents who were funeral directors and ran the funeral home my grandfather started. I trained as a nurse in Palmerston North before working in Christchurch, Canberra, Wellington and London for two years.

My former husband was in the army so we moved to Palmerston North and after having Wilbur I suffered from postnatal depression and anxiety so came back to yoga and reiki, which I’d previously taught as a hobby. It helped to centre me and provide greater clarity.

Eventually I started teaching yoga to mothers with similar issues.

In 2019 we moved to Kansas with my husband’s job. I couldn’t work in the US but would teach yoga to the other army wives. When we came home a year later, I started running one-day retreats for women and then the international retreats which feature a mix of yogic practices, guided meditations and the space to fill up a woman’s cup.

We previously owned my dream home around the corner but after I separated from my husband I found this place. It’s the first house I’ve owned on my own. I knew from the second I entered that this house would be perfect because I love everything about the boho 70s vibe. I always say I was born in the wrong era.

It was built in the late 70s and I’m only the second owner. The previous owner had kept it pretty original. She was an artist who had the same surname as me, so I took that as a sign from the universe! Plus we’re across the road from the beach

A large collection of boho, floaty dresses is an important way Masters’ expresses her personality. She’s been adding to her collection since she was a teenager.

above Masters found the wooden carved statue at an op-shop in the US. She fell in love with the “full-bodied, confident female figure” which she believes originally came from South America.