Registration opens in January 2025; make sure you are on the email list to be notified when it is available.

This ten-day retreat (open to all) is a deep dive into abiding in nature silently, joining inner nature with outer nature, and dissolving separation. There is also a two-night solo, which is an incredible opportunity for immersion in nature and a highlight of the retreat (please see much more about the solo below). Each day includes plentiful time for sitting, hiking/walking meditation, as well as nature meditation instruction, nightly dharma talks around a campfire, and small group Ecodharma exploration. Early August is incredible in the mountains, typically with warm sunny days, cool nights, a full creek, abundant animals, and life everywhere.

The overall intention is to foster the joy and healing that comes with a profound connection in nature, and then to integrate that into your life. To that end, we will also begin to investigate and work with the more challenging emotions (fear, anger, grief, sadness, guilt, anxiety, etc.) we are all experiencing around the many intertwined ecological, social, political, and economic crises we face today. As these are immense, planet wide problems, essentially created by a sense of separation, facing and dealing with them on our own can be overwhelming. Within a safe and supportive sangha, in small guided groups, we will delve into Ecodharma together, with openness, sincerity, and courage. This leads to deep healing, which makes possible more connective, powerful and creative responses to our collective situation. Facing this all together we come back home, to ourselves and the earth, grounded in the truth of our belonging.

All retreat activities will be outdoors as much as the weather allows. Each day there will be instruction in nature meditation and lots of time to practice, in the larger group, smaller groups, and on your own, grounding each of us in non-separation in the natural world. The emphasis is not so much on precise technique, but rather developing a relaxed open awareness that can lead to a new integration of inner and outer experience. Please note while there is ample silent time each day, and of course the solo, the retreat is not totally silent, and there will be some times for optional open conversation. 

There are no prerequisites for this retreat, and beginning meditators or first-time retreaters are welcome and will be fully supported, while those with extensive experience will find much opportunity for learning and growth as well. Our large teaching team makes this possible.

• Guidance and instruction for meditation in nature (both sitting and walking) to deepen our experience of connection with the earth and nature, while dissolving the sense of a fixed and separate self.
• Individual attention. Our large teaching team allows us to fully support everyone who attends the retreat, from beginners to those much more experienced.
• The joy, healing and connection that comes with sitting and walking in beautiful wild settings.
• Exploration of Ecodharma; the sharing, healing and empowerment of facing it all together. This is mostly done in guided small group sessions.
• Free time for meditation and/or rest.
• Evening campfire dharma talks.
• One on one discussions with the teachers.
• Time for a two day and night solo in a place of your choosing.
• If you want to do this retreat and the four night Solo/Sangha retreat before it, please look at the information and register for both. The interim night is included for free.

Being alone in nature is a rare opportunity for healing and connection. Abiding in a spot of your choosing for two full days is time to explore and relax: opening deeply to the power and beauty of the environment, with the freedom that solitude provides. Over time, the elements, plants and animals become our teachers, the land our home, and silence our cherished companion.

The solo does not require any particular level of exertion, or even backpacking, you can solo in our campground near the lodge if you prefer not to go far. It is not a survival course or an ordeal, and does not require anything particularly challenging, except to simply be in nature, with one’s self.

There is ample instruction, preparation, support, and flexibility for the solo, so each participant can benefit fully from their experience. All necessary food is provided, with no cooking or stove necessary. Everyone can do their solo in a variety of locations, anywhere from next to the lodge to deep in the wilderness. Most past participants have found the solo a highlight of their retreat. If you are are physically or medically unable to camp during the solo, you can continue sleeping in the lodge during it. Otherwise plan on bringing a tent, sleeping bag, pad, etc. so you can camp out.