Elemental Pilgrimage: Awakening Through Intimacy with Trees, River, and Sky

In these times of profound uncertainty, connect with the wild land of Vallecitos—and the sensuous, elemental terrain of your own embodied life—to deepen what the Buddha referred to as “the unshakeable freedom of the heart.” Like the heartwood of an ancient tree, this inner refuge supports a grounded, embodied confidence to meet this moment with courage, creativity and care.

Within the container of Noble Silence, we will explore essential dharma practices that awaken intuitive wisdom and deepen our felt relationship with the natural world. Each day we’ll make a meditative pilgrimage to a different landscape, each offering a unique balance of earth, water, sun, and wind—such as a still pond, a ponderosa grove, a moonlit meadow, a stream sparkling over stone. In these living temples, we will cultivate mindful, heartful presence through all our senses, in movement and stillness, while opening to the dharma wisdom that is speaking through each place.

Central to our daily rhythm will be spacious time for your own intuitive forms of deep listening: attuning to wind through aspen leaves; honoring the ebb and flow of grief and joy; watching the clouds move across the sky and the thoughts move across the mind. As you feel into the interconnected, ever-changing ecosystems of your inner and outer worlds, you can come to know your true nature as not separate from pine, eagle, and waterfall.

Cancellation Policy:

• 45 days prior to retreat: Full refund, minus a $150 nonrefundable fee
• 44-22 days prior to retreat: 50% refund
• 0-21 days prior to retreat: No refund