Retreat Descriptions

Windhorse Integrative Mental Health Retreat

Teachers:

With Jack Rockefeller, MPH and Mary Tibbetts, LICSW

Date:

May 28-June 3, 2010

Description:

Please mark your calendar and join us for six days of contemplative retreat at the Vallecitos Mountain Refuge outside of Taos, New Mexico. This is a personal retreat for:

❉ Family members of loved ones who are experiencing serious psychiatric distress or
❉ Clinicians who are working with individuals experiencing considerable psychiatric distress.

The retreat will feature:

❉ morning and evening periods of silence
❉ sitting and walking meditation
❉ hikes in New Mexico’s Carson National Forest
❉ individual accommodations on the most beautiful land in the Southwest.

Afternoon sessions:

Two themes will be offered as optional “break out” sessions on afternoons during the retreat. Each guest can participate in either or both conversations:

❉ Support and training for family members of loved ones who are living with or have lived with psychiatric distress
❉ Conversations on the growth and further engagement of the Windhorse approach throughout the United States.

Registration & Cost:

Reservations: There is room for 30 participants.

$840 per person. Scholarship reductions are possible.

Call Jeff Bliss at 413-586-0207 x 113.

For more information, click here to visit Windhorse Associates online.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents and solar cabins, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a short work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Jack Rockefeller, JD, MPH, is the Executive Director of Windhorse Associates, and a longtime supporter of the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch.  Jack has studied with the Vallecitos founders Grove Burnett, and Linda Velarde for the past 12 years.  He has also studied at Vallecitos with dharma teachers Michele McDonald and Steven Smith, whose Mettadana project in Burma has provided inspiration for many Vipassana practitioners seeking to integrate international philanthropy and contemplative practice .  Jack will co-lead the Windhorse retreat with Mary Tibbets, Associate Clinical Director and Family Program Coordinator at Windhorse.

Mary Tibbetts-Cape, LICSW, has worked as a senior clinician at Windhorse for 15 years. Trained in family systems work, Mary has been the Windhorse Family Coordinator for 12 years. Mary completed the MBSR training in 1995 and practices meditation in the Shambhala tradition.

Beyond Self: Love and Wisdom Insight Meditation Retreat

Teachers:

With Eric Kolvig and Brian Lesage

Date:

June 5-13, 2010

Description:

“In separation,” the Buddha said, “lies the world’s great misery.” Luckily the Buddha also showed the way out of that misery through love and wisdom.  In this retreat we will unpack the delusion of separate self; we will practice the love that tells us we are everything and the wisdom that tells us we are nothing; and we may also savor a little the joy that comes from being free from separation.

This retreat will emphasize equally mindfulness, or insight, meditation and loving-kindness meditation in the Vipassana Buddhist tradition.  We will practice in silence each day, alternating between group sitting meditation and individual walking meditation in a spectacular natural environment.  The teachers will offer a talk each day on the practices of love and awareness, and they will meet individually with retreatants to discuss practice.  Except for talk during practice meetings and discussion periods, we will hold the entire retreat in noble silence.  Suitable alike for experienced practitioners and beginners.  You would need no previous retreat experience in order to participate. 

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale: $900 - $650. Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch.

Scholarships and Payment Plans: Partial financial aid and payment plans are available for eligible applicants with limited resources. Please request a scholarship application.

Deposit: A 50% deposit is due when registering. Your balance is due by April 15, 2010.

Fees cover meals and lodging.

The Tradition of Dana. The teachings of the Buddha have been sustained by the 2,500-year-old tradition of Dana, a Pali word meaning “generosity”, which allows retreatants to offer donations to the teachers at the retreat’s end. The teachers receive no other financial compensation.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers: To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Eric Kolvig, Ph.D., has been teaching dharma since 1985.  He leads meditation retreats and gives public talks around the United States.  Eric has a particular interest in “grassroots dharma,” building spiritual community in democratic, non-authoritarian ways.  In the past decade Eric has also led backpacking and canoeing retreats in the wilderness; he is interested in the special value of practice in the natural world.  He studied and practiced for years with prominent teachers at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and he has also trained in the Zen tradition.  Eric lives in a rural spiritual community in northern New Mexico.

Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 in the Zen, Theravada, and Tibetan schools of Buddhism.  His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and India as well as numerous retreats in the U.S.  He leads retreats and teaches meditation courses nationwide.  Brian also has a private practice in Somatic Experiencing, which is a naturalistic approach to healing trauma.

Altered States and the Mystery of Monasticism
An Advanced Yoga Studies Course

Teachers:

With Richard Seager, Ph.D., Lex Gillan, Ed Gabrielsen; John Leinenweber; John Preston and Carl Roberts

Date:

June 13-18, 2010

Description:

Come and share in satsang - in the spirit - in a spectacular mountain venue. Over the six days of this course our classes will be both experiential and academic. The Faculty of Six instructors will examine the meaning of Altered States through Dharma talks, sitting and walking meditations, chanting, hatha yoga, story telling, watching a sacred movie, hiking (as we allow the mountain to become our teacher) and Noble Silence each evening.

A syllabus with teachings from all the teachers will be provided.

Registration & Cost:

The cost of the retreat is $995, which includes course, private room and all meals.

$400 deposit reserves your space. All major credit cards accepted.

To register, call 800-524-6674 or contact Lex Gillan at . 

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in solar cabins, yurts, and cabin tents, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a work meditation period each day. Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

THE HISTORIAN Richard Seager, Ph.D. is the Bates and Benjamin Professor of Classical and Religious Studies at Hamilton College in New York. He received his B.A. in Modern History from the University of Wisconsin; all of his graduate studies (M.T.S., A.M. and Ph.D.-Comparative Religion and Religious Studies) were completed at Harvard. Dr. Seager’s specialty is the history of religion and culture in the United States and Modern Europe along with the method and interpretation in the study of religion. His books include Buddhism in America (1999), Encountering the Dharma (2006) and a revised edition of (2009).

PRACTICE FOR CONSCIOUSNESS
Throughout the ages, religious traditions have taught spiritual practices that aim at the transformation of consciousness. These range from ritual, prayer, fasting, chanting, and contemplative practice to trance dancing, self-mortification, and the ingestion of mind altering substances. By way of introduction, we will consider some of the many means by which religions have promoted the cultivation of altered states of consciousness in a range of traditions. One focus, however, will be on Christian monasticism, both the history of its rise in the ancient world and the development of its practice traditions. Particular attention will be given to the film Into Great Silence (2006), a poetic, documentary depiction of the Carthusian monastic order at the Grand Chartreuse
monastery in the French Alps.

THE SWAMI Lex Gillan has studied with world-class teachers including Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Ram Dass, Stephen Levine, Father Thomas Keating, Andy Gold and James Ezelle, M.D. since the 1960s and has been a full-time instructor since 1974 when he founded The Yoga Institute in Houston. He has taught more than 25,000 yoga classes, 100 ten day retreats and 300 meditation workshops to more than 100,000 students. Mr. Gillan now teaches the Yoga Teacher Training and National Certification Course (YogaALLIANCE approved to 500 hours), one of the oldest Teacher Training courses in the U.S. He is a founder and Trustee of Rose Mountain Retreat Center outside Las Vegas, New Mexico and is on the Faculty and is the Director of Development at The Institute for Spirituality and Health in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Mr. Gillan is degreed in Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin University.

NAVIGATING THE INTERIOR LANDSCAPE THROUGH HATHA YOGA, PRANAYAMA AND DHYANA
In readings and conversations with mystics, hatha yoga, pranayama, dhyana and altered states are often referred to sequentially; therefore, each practice session will begin with the postures. The standing/stretching/twisting/bending/balancing/ inverted movements that help the hundred joints, nine openings and six organs function together will be practiced as preparation for pranayama. The traditional breathing practices that follow the postures will quiet the mind as the breath then becomes our segue to the meditations. As the mind quiets and concentration deepens in meditation, we then have the ability to navigate our interior landscape in such a way that we can hear clearly the message of the heart.

THE CHANT MASTER Edward Gabrielsen sings and teaches in Norway, Maine where he lives with his wife and two children. He is Director of the Norway Dharma Center where he offers traditional Buddhist teachings and meditation practices as well as classes in yoga and mindfulness. Mr. Gabrielsen is a dharma student of Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen, Rinpoche. He graduated from Texas A & M University with a degree in English. Ed began yoga and meditation studies with Lex Gillan in 1984 at The Yoga Institute in Houston. He loves to sing and is often heard as a soloist in western Maine. Currently, Mr. Gabrielsen is studying Contemplative Musicianship with The Chalice of Repose Project in Mt. Angel , Oregon.

GATEWAYS INTO CONTEMPLATION
We could probably agree that there are levels of our human experience which are essentially indescribable. Often these experiences come to us unlooked for, unanticipated, a complete surprise. We might say that these are moments when we are visited by Grace, or Poetry, an Angel or God. It is as if a veil falls away from our eyes, and we see the world in a very new and different way, unbounded, spacious, without limitation. This kind of surprise visitation and blessing, can, at the same time, generate the uncomfortable paradox in which we find ourselves trying to replicate or produce additional unanticipated experiences. We want confirmation. We want more surprise and ecstasy. We want to rest in our achievement. And so we have created a new dilemma…
Music and silence are universal elements of the contemplative life. In an ecumenical approach, we will sing ancient chants and prayers, exploring their imagery and symbolic language, as we weave new threads across traditions and into the fabric of the inner world. Through the time-honored spiritual exercises of walking, sitting, singing, and study, we will enter into contemplation as a community of practitioners.

THE MONK John Leinenweber was born and raised in Illinois. After graduating from Yale in 1957 he entered the Benedictine monastery Portsmouth Abbey) in Portsmouth, RI. He later lived at Mount Savior Monastery in New York, Downside Abbey in England and Monastery of Christ in the Desert in New Mexico, where he met Lex Gillan in the 1970s. Since leaving the Benedictine order in 1990 Mr. Leinenweber has been associated with the Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. He has published four translations of works by St. Augustine and St. Gregory the Great; his most recent project has been copy editor of the forthcoming The Virgin of Chartres by Margot Fassler, a book on the early history of the Chartres Cathedral in France. It will be published by Yale University Press.

WHAT IS A GOOD HUMAN LIFE?
I am not a lecturer, but I enjoy the give and take of a discussion on a subject I am familiar with - monasticism and a life of solitude. ALTERED STATES could mean a number of things, but as I was for thirty-something years a Benedictine monk, I will propose some topics that will deal with the subject from that perspective. First, why would a person become a monk or a nun? And why are so few pursuing that vocation these days? Then, what does a monk (a nun) do? How do they fill their days, how do they support themselves, and why do they usually act at some distance from most other humans? What is their day like? Is their vocation truly odd, or are many if not most people drawn to aspects of monastic life. My last nine years as a monk in New Mexico were good years. I look forward to returning and partaking again in the wonder and beauty of that extraordinary land of New Mexico.

THE HIKING MASTERS

John Preston, who began his Yoga studies with Lex Gillan in 1974, is a world class mountaineer now residing in Boulder.

Carl Roberts whose grandfather helped build the Lodge in the ’20’s has been Refuge Foreman for many years.

Both are mountain-savvy veterans who will share the local love on daily hikes.

Meditation and Creativity Retreat

Teachers:

With Alicia Allen

Date:

June 19-26, 2010

Description:

In this 7 day Meditation Retreat we will explore how contemplative practice and the creative process are intimately related. We’ll enter the richness of silence for a nourishing time of meditation and inner reflection, and of creative exploration and expression. We’ll nurture our bodies with plenty of rest, good healthy food, and time spent walking in the wild beauty of the forest and meadows, or sitting by a clear mountain stream.

When we enter retreat, and surrender our habitual ways of presenting ourselves in the world, and begin releasing layer after layer of our emotional reactions to the experiences that arise in our lives, we have the opportunity to drop into the vast openness and stillness within. This profound resting in the natural ease of being restores us on every level. As we relax more and more deeply, we reawaken our fundamental curiosity and awareness, until we are free to meet ourselves directly, see things more clearly as they are, and respond in a most authentic and wise and caring way to everything that arises in our experience.

As we reconnect with our innate vitality and aliveness, we access our spontaneous freedom of expression, the exquisite brilliance and exuberance of our essential nature. This is the wellspring of our unique creative energy. We will explore this boundless source of creativity in a variety of ways, both individually and as a group. No previous meditation or artistic experience is necessary. All levels of experience are welcome, each person engages their meditation practice and creative process at their own growing edge. Individual meetings with the teacher will be offered throughout the retreat to assist this exploration in both areas.

Registration & Cost:

The cost of the retreat is $795. This fee covers delicious vegetarian meals, single occupancy accommodations, and basic art supplies. 

Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to reserve your space. Early registration is recommended. The balance is due by May 15, 2010. Registrations after that are subject to cabin availability and full payment.

The Tradition of Dana. For 2,500 years Buddhist teachings have been sustained by the tradition of Dana, a Pali word meaning “generosity”, which invites retreatants to offer donations to the teacher at the end of the retreat. The teacher receives no other financial compensation for planning and teaching this program.

Cancellations: Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat. For cancellations made 45 or more days prior to the retreat we charge a $50 processing fee. For cancellations less than 45 days before the retreat, we will refund 50% of your retreat fees. There are no refunds for cancellations made within 1 week of the retreat.  Fees from cancellations go into our scholarship fund.

To register: Contact Alicia Allen at 505-986-0147, or email at .

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat.

Teacher Biographies:

Alicia Allen has been practicing and studying meditation for 30 years. Her practice and teaching have been most strongly influenced by her longtime studies of Dzogchen meditation. She currently teaches meditation to individuals and groups in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also teaches in the Hospice, Death Education and Grief Counseling program at Southwestern College. A former editor of Shaman’s Drum Magazine, Alicia was trained in a number of traditional and contemporary healing methods. A lifelong artist, she began her creative studies at an early age, and continues to teach and perform the improvisational arts of movement, physical theater, and vocal music. She paints and writes, and is currently writing a book on Meditation and Creativity. 

Mindfulness 101: A Retreat for the Beginner in All of Us

Teachers:

With Diana Winston and Grove Burnett

Date:

June 26-30, 2010

Description:

Join us for a special mindfulness retreat for beginners and anyone interested in the basics of mindfulness meditation. We will practice silent sitting and walking meditation, as well as have an opportunity for discussions, small groups, and daily hikes in the amazing Vallecitos wilderness with its towering stands of old growth ponderosa pine, lush alpine meadows and lakes, and sweeping groves of aspen. Although ancient in origin, mindfulness can be practiced by anyone of any background, and is extremely helpful in these modern times of crisis and challenge. The simple art of being aware is the basis for insight, wisdom, and seeing things clearly.  We will learn to practice mindfulness in all activities of our lives from formal meditation time to personal and professional interactions, and more. This retreat is secular and welcomes people from all backgrounds.

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale: $560 - $760. Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch. 

Deposit: A 50% deposit is due when registering. Your balance is due by May 1, 2010.

Fees include tuition, meals and accommodation, all inclusive. The fee includes compensation for the teachers. Donations will NOT be offered to the teachers at the end of the retreat.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers: To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a short work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC). She emphasizes a gentle, gradual, and secular approach in teaching mindfulness across the age spectrum. She has been teaching mindfulness since 1993 and has brought mindful awareness into schools, hospitals, and nonprofits, as well as to health professionals, psychotherapists, adolescents, educators, and activists in the US and Asia. Diana is also a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. Her latest book, with co-author Susan Smalley is Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness (Da Capo, August 2010). Diana spent a year as a Buddhist nun in Burma and has been practicing mindfulness meditation since 1989.

Grove Burnett is co-founder and guiding teacher of the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch and has practiced meditation for over 25 years, training with renowned meditation teachers Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Thich Nhat Nanh.  Co-founder of the Western Environmental Law Center, Grove has had a distinguished career as a trial lawyer and received many awards for his path breaking work in environmental law. Grove has taught mindfulness trainings for the Yale Law School, lawyers and judges, and many businesses and nonprofit organizations

Embody Abundance, Now!
Sacred Gathering, Yoga and Meditation Retreat

Teachers:

With Derek Van Atta and Deanna Evans

Date:

July 8-11, 2010

Description:

Join us for an amazing weekend of embodying the unique Abundance that is You! Your consciousness about authentic Abundance will never be the same. We won’t merely talk about Abundance, we will experience “felt Abundance” deeply in our body, mind and soul. Together, with innovative and experiential techniques, we will move into full-bodied Abundance consciousness and access our true nature as Abundant beings.

We will focus on permanently releasing the most debilitating myths about scarcity and unworthiness that no longer fit our expanded awareness. As the old myths and patterns begin to fall away and constrictions ease, you will create the space for Abundance to move into your life, heart and soul. Each participant will uniquely open to authentic Abundance. Your focus may be true love and deep peace. Your aim may be financial wealth. Your desire may be emotional freedom or it may be physical health and vitality. Whatever it is, you will dive deep into allowing those facets of Abundance to come alive more fully and authentically. And rather than “work hard” to manifest your Abundance, each of us will relax away from the old, false beliefs about lack and come home to Abundance on all levels. We will move naturally back into the genetic code in our cells that knows the truth about the perfection and fullness of Life; and, with the loving support of Deanna and Derek, and the overall group, potent transformation will occur both individually and collectively.

During this life-changing retreat we will engage in sacred rituals including fire ceremony, meditative walks, communing with nature, chanting and story telling. We will access the wisdom and science of yoga and meditation to deepen and accelerate this journey, to release old patterns – physical, mental and emotional. We will practice yoga asana and pranayama to increase the flow of life force (prana) in our bodies and in our lives so that we know ourselves to be Abundant beings capable of creating our lives in whatever fashion we choose. Derek and Deanna are so inspired they could easily fill a week with sacred experiences, yet fully recognize the importance of balancing all aspects of our being. So naturally, there will also be personal time for reflection, journaling, hiking or to simply slow down and just be. 

-Let’s play!

All retreat participants will receive a gift of a beautiful copy of Derek’s new book, Your Abundance, Now!

Click here to read reviews, sample excerpts and more about Derek.

Registration & Cost:

The cost of the retreat is $450 if paid in full by May 25, 2010; $525 thereafter. This fee covers all meals (delicious gourmet vegetarian) during the retreat; 3 nights lodging (single occupancy accommodations unless otherwise requested); and all classes and planned activities.

Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to reserve your space. Early registration is recommended. Your balance is due by May 25, 2010. Any bookings after that are subject to availability and full payment.

To Register: Contact Deanna Evans at 505-466-1657 or .

Or visit www.deannaevans.com for more information.

Cancellations: Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 processing fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. Cancellations within 1 week forfeit all fees.

Accommodations:

Accommodations consist of single occupancy cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts. Meals are vegetarian. Participants will also be asked to contribute in a one-hour karma yoga period each day. Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Derek Van Atta, author of Your Abundance Now, is passionate about helping others create the life they really want. He is deeply committed to serving as a loving aid to those of you who want to move out of old patterns into a wonderful new life. His intention is to be fully present for whatever shift you are ready for. He holds virtually no personal agenda, so spirit can flow freely for the highest good of all. Each retreat he leads is unique. Derek “tunes in” to the group heart and soul and offers sacred techniques and potent experiences that are fun, profound and life-changing. Many of his students refer to him as an “Abundance Catalyst.” Whatever aspect of abundance you are ready to fully explore, he will accelerate and amplify.

Deanna Evans is a certified and registered yoga and meditation instructor. She has been teaching for several years offering on-going classes, workshops, retreats, and private sessions. She is registered with Yoga Alliance with over 1500 hours of teaching experience as an E-RYT. Deanna encourages her students to approach their practice with a deep awareness of their physical and subtle bodies, and to face challenges on and off the mat with Suka (ease and joy) through the vehicle of the breath, a still mind, and an open heart. She draws from her background in Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Kundalini yoga to create inspiring heart-centered, alignment based yoga classes incorporating creative and often spontaneous sequencing. Deanna also teaches beginning and on-going meditation classes as well as classes in “Mindful Living,” a series of classes exploring the eight limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga and ways to incorporate these into our daily lives.

Deanna is also a Nationally Certified and licensed massage therapist with a full-time private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico for thirteen years. Deanna strives to create an environment in which her students and clients have the opportunity to continually open the intimate pathways of communication between their body, mind, and spirit. 

Lovingkindness and Mindfulness Meditation Retreat

Teachers:

With Steven Smith and Michele McDonald

Date:

July 16-31, 2010 or July 16-23 only (partial retreat)

Description:

Join us for this unique opportunity to deepen the practices of lovingkindness and mindfulness in one the most beautiful alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains.  All of us who work so hard to relieve suffering inwardly and outwardly need to learn the actual nuts and bolts of how to practice deep compassion balanced with true equanimity. This special meditation retreat, offered for the first time at Vallecitos,is structured to gradually introduce the practice of mindfulness and lovingkindness as well as the practice of compassion and equanimity. 

The retreat day is spent in silent meditation and includes group sitting periods alternating with walking meditation outdoors.  In addition to individual interviews with the teachers, there is a nightly discourse from the teachings of the Buddha. To cultivate the meditation process, complete silence is maintained at all times throughout the retreat except during teacher interviews.  No previous meditation experience is required to participate and the retreat is suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners.

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale: July 16-23 (8 days): $750-565
July 16-31 (16 days): $1,500 - $1,125

Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch.

Fees cover meals and lodging.

The Tradition of Dana. The teachings of the Buddha have been sustained by the 2,500-year-old tradition of Dana, a Pali word meaning “generosity”, which allows retreatants to offer donations to the teachers at the retreat’s end. The teacher receives no other financial compensation. 

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers: To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in solar cabins, yurts, and cabin tents, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian. There is a one-hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Michele McDonald co-founded Vipassana Hawai’i in 1984 with Steven Smith. She has taught Insight meditation for over twenty-five years, teaches extensively throughout the United States, in Canada, Burma, and various locations around the world. Michele has been a quiet pioneer having being the first woman to teach a formal retreat in Burma, side-by-side with a senior monastic figure, Sayadaw U Lakkhana, Abbot of Kyaswa Monastery. Having worked with a wide range of Asian and Western teachers, Michele is most inspired by her practice with Dipa Ma and Sayadaw U Pandita and more recently in Burma with the Mya Taung Sayadaw. She appreciates teaching at many levels of practice and has enjoyed teaching three-month retreats for experienced students as well as developing meditation retreats for youth. Her style of teaching emphasizes helping individuals find entry points into stillness that are natural for them. Michele is thrilled when students begin to love their practice.

Steven Smith co-founded Vipassana Hawai’i in 1984 and in 1995 founded the MettaDana Project for educational and medical projects in Burma. Also in 1995 Steven helped establish the Kyaswa Valley Retreat Center in Burma, headed by Sayadaw U Lakkhana, Abbot of Kyaswa Monastery. This partnership helped usher in the beginnings of Vipassana Hawai’i’s Fusion Dhamma approach combining traditional and contemporary teaching styles in the same retreat. Anchored in the Theravadan Buddhist Burmese lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw since 1974, he was trained and sanctioned as a teacher by revered monk and meditation master Sayadaw U Pandita. Steven divides his time teaching Vipassana and the Divine Abodes (loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity) meditation retreats around the world, and assisting Burmese refugee communities along the Thai-Burma border. His long term vision for preserving the Dhamma is culminating in the beginnings of the Hawai’i Insight Meditation Center (HIMC) on the Big Island of Hawai’i’s remote North Kohala coast.

The Art of Pilgrimage: Walking the Wild Path

Teachers:

Steven Harper and Don Usner

Date:

July 31 - August 5, 2010

Description:

In this retreat at the remote Vallecitos Mountain Ranch in northern New Mexico we will explore the ancient art of walking in nature as a contemporary pilgrimage. Most of the world’s wisdom traditions, including those of the indigenous people of northern New Mexico, use some form of pilgrimage as part of spiritual practice, but contemporary western culture rarely integrates walking practice into contemplative life. We will take advantage of the wild landscape of Vallecitos to launch a dynamic inquiry into inner and outer nature while celebrating the sacred aspect of the journey itself, where meaning lies in each new moment of simply walking and simply being.

Our time at Vallecitos will begin with a discussion of the cross-cultural elements of pilgrimage from around the globe including the traditions of the local cultures and traditions. We will introduce basic principles of meditation, walking and movement awareness, and will take time each day to practice these in the meditation hall at the main lodge. As we journey forth on a mindful day hikes these ancient practices will inform our exploration of the wild beauty around Vallecitos and the wild nature of the internal landscape. We will focus on the place itself as a teacher, noting and discussing aspects of natural and cultural history in the rugged mountains, long an important spiritual homeland to Jicarilla, Pueblo and Hispanic people. On the wilderness trails around Vallecitos, among groves of old-growth pines, out in stunning mountain meadows, and along the banks of the sparkling and pristine Vallecitos River, we will integrate an eclectic mix of natural history interpretation, meditation practice, silence, and instruction.

On this contemplative journey into the wilds, each step will be the goal as we discover inner gems to bring back from pilgrimage as gift to our greater community. We will have the ranch to ourselves for our five-day sojourn, and single occupancy rooms will allow personal time for integrating our experience. Be prepared for invigorating activity and the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet reflection, for simple but comfortable accommodations, and for a diet of gourmet, vegetarian food.

Registration & Cost:

The cost of the retreat is $875. The fee will include meals, accommodation and tuition.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents and solar cabins, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a short work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Steven Harper is a wilderness guide, author, consultant, and artist. He has led both traditional and experimental wilderness expeditions and workshops internationally for over 30 years. A frequent long-time leader at Esalen Institute he has an MA in psychology and his work focuses on wild nature as a vehicle for awakening. Visit www.stevenkharper.com.

Don Usner is a writer, photographer and New Mexico native who focuses on natural and cultural history. His books include The Natural History of Big Sur, Sabino’s Map: Life in Chimayo’s Old Plaza, and Valles Caldera: A Vision for New Mexico’s Newest National Preserve. www.donusner.com

Green Psychology Training and Retreat

Teachers:

With Jake and Hannah Eagle

Date:

August 5-8, 2010

Description:

“Have you ever taken notice of moments? The moments I am talking about are like photographic stills, or perhaps movie clips where my attention is fully focused and I feel extremely alive. I am suddenly fully awake and present. Shifting myself out of auto-pilot . . . I stop myself in my tracks. Ahh, Here I am.

My experience of a Green Psychology retreat often feels like one long extended moment to me. Once I have settled in, the retreat becomes a blend of sweet tactile, visual, auditory, and visceral moments all strung together. Then those 4 or 8 or 9 days of retreat moments merge into a sensation that I feel deep in my bones. I leave the retreat with the feeling of being lastingly and almost genetically changed . . . and incredibly alive.”

This 4-day training in Green Psychology is an opportunity to get away from the busy-ness of your life and retreat to the quiet beauty of this wilderness refuge. Gift yourself with time to renew…while learning a unique practice that will change forever how you perceive the world. 

This is a practice of living and communicating more consciously.  It is a dynamic exercise in personal growth, generating a deep respect for others and a true appreciation for our differences. 

Learn to use language in a way that will put you in the present moment. 

Practice a philosophy that will allow you to live a life without fear of
judgment.

Discover what you most value so that you can live your life accordingly.

Learn how to wisely use your personal energy and to create a conscious
emotional footprint.

Woven into each day will be music, meditative movement, unique group experiences, and adventures in letting your self go. Find yourself dropping into a new appreciation for yourself…perhaps even falling in love with who you are.

This practice brings grace to all aspects of your life, your relationships, your work, and your spiritual practice. 

If you attend this workshop with your partner, you can recreate your relationship by developing a shared language that promotes understanding and intimacy.

If you are a therapist, you can leave with a renewed understanding of human development and a new way to work with patients.  You will receive 20 Continuing Education clock hours, authorized by NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors), as part of completing this program.

Registration & Cost:

The cost of this training is $795 plus applicable taxes. This fee includes tuition, lodging and 3 meals a day.

To register, visit www.greenpsychology.net.

Limited tuition assistance is available for those in need. To inquire, send an email to: .

* There will be a $100 deposit required to reserve your space.
* An additional $200 will be due 60 days prior to the training.
* The remaining balance at or prior to the start of the training.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in solar cabins, yurts, and cabin tents, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian. There is a short work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Jake Eagle is a licensed professional counselor, an internationally certified NLP trainer, and an author. Jake provides counseling for individuals, couples, and business leaders. His approach ranges from existential therapy (exploring the meaning of life) to pragmatic approaches for finding meaningful work and creating financial stability. He co-leads workshops for people interested in learning Green Speak, as well as for professionals interested in certification in Green Psychology.

Hannah Eagle is a Homeopathic Practitioner and a licensed massage therapist with a background in meditation and holistic health. After years of mentoring by John and Joyce Weir, the creators of Percept Language and leaders of the Self-Differentiation Laboratory (workshop), Hannah and Jake began teaching Percept Labs, which have now evolved into Green Psychology. Hannah grounds the theory of this work by leading participants through unique experiences, meditation, dream work, and movement.

Insight Meditation Retreat

Teachers:

With Trudy Goodman, Wes Nisker and Grove Burnett

Date:

August 14-20, 2010

Description:

The meditation retreat is designed to offer and support a practical introduction to mindfulness or insight meditation.  Insight meditation embodies the essence and wisdom of the teachings of the Buddha and has been the foundation of Buddhist teachings for 2,500 years.  It is a simple and direct meditation practice, extraordinary in its simplicity, its lack of dogma and, above all, its results. 

The retreat day is spent in silent meditation and includes group sitting periods alternating with walking meditation outdoors.  Each day there is progressive instruction in mindfulness practice, daily interviews with the teachers and a discourse from the teachings of the Buddha.  Some days the afternoon schedule will include spending time in the woods.  We will hike the majestic old growth forests of the magical La Manga wilderness that borders the ranch.  You will reconnect with the natural world and experience the high mountains in a way you’ve never done before!

To cultivate the meditation process, complete silence is maintained at all times throughout the retreat except during teacher interviews.  No previous meditation experience is required to participate and the retreat is suitable for beginners and seasoned practitioners. 

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale: $750-$540. Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch.

Fees cover meals and lodging.

The Tradition of Dana. The teachings of the Buddha have been sustained by the 2,500-year-old tradition of Dana, a Pali word meaning “generosity”, which allows retreatants to offer donations to the teachers at the retreat’s end. The teacher receives no other financial compensation.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Trudy Goodman is the Founder of InsightLA, a non-profit offering Vipassana (Insight) meditation courses, sitting groups and retreats. InsightLA also provides compassion-based mindfulness education and trainings for Children’s Hospitals, the VA Hospital and other community service organizations. Trudy teaches around the country with Jack Kornfield, Wes Nisker and others, and worldwide. She co-founded and is the Guiding Teacher for the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy in Cambridge, MA.

Wes Nisker is a Buddhist meditation teacher, author, radio commentator, and performer. His books include Essential Crazy Wisdom; The Big Bang, The Buddha, and the Baby Boom; Buddha’s Nature; and his latest, Crazy Wisdom Saves the World Again! Mr. Nisker is also the founder and co-editor of the international Buddhist journal “Inquiring Mind.”

Grove T. Burnett is co-founder and guiding teacher of the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch. He has practiced meditation for over 25 years and trained with internationally renowned meditation teachers Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. Grove also teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and the Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has taught mindfulness trainings for the Yale Law School, lawyers and judges, and many nonprofit organizations.  He is co-founder of the Western Environmental Law Center.

Cultivating Compassionate Presence: An Intensive Mindfulness Retreat for Mental Health Professionals

Teachers:

With Trudy Goodman and Christopher Germer, Ph.D.

Date:

August 21-28, 2010

Description:

We are pleased to offer the second mindfulness retreat for mental health professionals at Vallecitos.

Many clinicians have studied mindfulness and its clinical applications, but have not had the opportunity to personally dive more deeply into mindfulness and compassion practices. This course offers an opportunity to explore these practices with colleagues more intensively in a retreat environment. The teaching will be experience-near, focusing on how mindfulness practice can both deepen our understanding of psychological suffering and enhance our capacity for therapeutic presence and empathy. There will be study modules most afternoons, and regular opportunities for group discussion and individual meetings with teachers. The rest of the time we will observe silence, including during meals, to facilitate a deeper contemplative experience. Mornings and evenings will be devoted to guided sitting and walking meditation, and there will be one completely silent retreat day during the course.

20 CE credits available to psychologists, social workers and licensed mental health counselors. For more information visit www.meditationandpsychotherapy.org.

Registration & Cost:

The cost of the course is $1,000. The fee includes meals, accommodation, tuition and CE credits.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat.

Teacher Biographies:

Christopher Germer, PhD is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Arlington, Massachusetts, specializing in mindfulness and acceptance-based psychotherapy. He is a founding member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School, co-editor of Mindfulness and Psychotherapy and author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion. Dr. Germer lectures and conducts workshops internationally on the art and science of mindful self-compassion.

Trudy Goodman. Trudy Goodman is the Founder of InsightLA, a non-profit offering Vipassana (Insight) meditation courses, sitting groups and retreats. InsightLA also provides compassion-based mindfulness education and trainings for Children’s Hospitals, the VA Hospital and other community service organizations. Trudy teaches around the country with Jack Kornfield, Wes Nisker and others, and worldwide. She co-founded and is the Guiding Teacher for the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy in Cambridge, MA.

Fourteenth Annual Meditation Retreat for People of Color

Teachers:

With Mushim Ikeda-Nash and Ven. Suhita Dharma

Date:

August 28-September 3, 2010

Description:

In many traditions, people journey into the wilderness for contemplation and purification. How often do we have the opportunity to connect to our deepest intentions and to experience spiritual renewal? Taking place at 9,000 feet in pristine meadowland in New Mexico, the Vallecitos People of Color Retreat is designed to offer and support a practical introduction to insight meditation (vipassana). Meditation embodies the essence and wisdom of the teachings of the Buddha and has been the foundation of Buddhist teachings for 2,500 years. It is a simple and direct practice. Meditation is extraordinary in its simplicity, its lack of dogma and, above all, its results. This path to self-awareness can be successfully applied by anyone to their everyday lives. The ancient and profound teachings of interconnectedness and compassion are the foundations of spiritual awareness.

The retreat is based on the intensive training retreats that are traditionally the heart of Buddhist practice.  The daily schedule, conducted in silence, is comprised of group sitting periods alternating with walking meditation outdoors. There are group interviews with the teachers and a daily discourse from the teachings of the Buddha. In addition, there will be opportunities for optional group hikes and mindful movement to allow practitioners to fully experience Vallecitos’ beautiful natural setting, and to support physical joy and ease. “Gourmet” vegetarian meals add to the special nature of this retreat. To cultivate the meditation process, please note that complete silence is maintained at all times throughout the retreat, except during meditation practice interviews and the talks by the teachers, which may be followed by a communal conversation.

This retreat continues the ground-breaking tradition established at Vallecitos over the past decade. People of color come to the mountains, the forest and the river not to conference, network, analyze or plan, but to practice one of the world’s oldest and wisest contemplative traditions. For some, the retreat may be the first extended period of meditation practice and practicing silence.  No previous meditation experience is required to participate and the retreat is suitable for individuals at all levels of practice. 

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale fees:

The retreat is offered on a sliding scale basis of $250-$600. Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch. Deferred payment plans are available. There are limited full tuition scholarships for New Mexico Women of Color.

Fees include meals, accommodation and tuition. No donations (dana) will be offered to the teachers.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents and solar cabins, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Mushim Ikeda-Nash is a meditation teacher, community peace activist, writer, diversity facilitator, and mother of a 20-year-old son. She has done both monastic and lay Zen Buddhist practice over the past twenty years, in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and S. Korea. Her poetry, fiction and essays have been published widely in journals and anthologies such as the Shambhala Sun and Innovative Buddhist Women: Swimming Against the Stream. Mushim was coeditor of Making the Invisible Visible: Healing Racism in Our Buddhist Communities. Her work has been featured in two documentary films, Between the Lines: Asian American Women Poets and Acting on Faith: Women and the New Religious Activism in America, a recent documentary presenting portraits of three women activists of minority faiths in the U.S. A longtime volunteer in the Oakland public schools, Mushim is also a core teacher and center coordinator for the East Bay Meditation Center in downtown Oakland.

Ven. Suhita Dharma, Mahathero (called “Bhante” by his students), is a well-known senior Buddhist bhikkhu ordained in the three Buddhist lineages: Mahayana, Theravada, and Varjayana. He is the first African American to be ordained a Buddhist monk; he was ordained by the late Ven. Thich Thien An, the first Vietnamese Buddhist master to come to Los Angeles. Bhante has been traveling to Mexico recently on a pilgrimage to pay respects to the ancient deities of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, praying to ask permission for the establishment of a Buddhist center in Mexico at the request of the Mayans, Yaquis, Tarahumaras, Pimas, and Aztecs and to meet with the chief shamans in those traditions. A longtime social justice activist and social worker, Bhante began working with Indo-Chinese refugees entering the U.S. in 1975 and has since worked with homeless persons, people with HIV-AIDS, and ex-offenders. Bhante teaches compassion meditation for everyday life and practice for those who are working with people in different communities, emphasizing a one-one-one approach as well as introducing students to the practice of the Kalyanamitta (spiritual friend) and helping those who are within the sea of samsaric suffering.

Mountain Biking Weekend at Vallecitos

Teachers:

Labor Day Weekend

Date:

September 3-6, 2010

Description:

The mountain biking weekend is intended for bikers, their friends and families. The biking trails are suitable for beginners and experienced bikers. For non-bikers, there is a lot to do: hiking, swimming, fishing on the river (off of the ranch/fishing license required) and relaxing in one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in New Mexico.

The high, rolling mountains 50 miles west of Taos shelter some of the last stands of old-growth ponderosa pines in northern New Mexico as well as crystal clear mountain streams and high, sub-alpine meadows, or vallecitos. The vast Carson National Forest embraces much of this spacious and largely roadless mountain country, but a homesteader carved out a ranch here in 1898 and managed to stick out enough winters to make good on his claim. Operated for most of the subsequent decades as a private getaway, the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch has been managed by a nonprofit organization as a wilderness retreat center since 1993. Now, the ranch is opening up to new activities, including, for the first time, mountain biking.

The terrain around Vallecitos offers superb opportunities for both single- and double-track biking. A maintained forest service road traverses the area from north to south just east of the ranch, and much of the country is crisscrossed with abandoned logging roads. Additionally, the newly-designated Continental Divide Trail cuts through the mountains, less that half a mile from the ranch, offering the possibility of long-distance single track through the forested mountain landscape.

The main lodge at the ranch, built from local logs in 1926-28, has been superbly maintained as a comfortable place for meals and conviviality. Twenty casitas (cabins) and yurts, single and double occupancy, nestled in an aspen grove behind the lodge provide cozy sleeping quarters, and a central bathhouse includes hot showers. Nearby swimming ponds, and the Vallecitos River itself, present the temptation of a cold plunge at day’s end.

On this mountain biking trip, we will take full advantage of the amenities to be had at Vallecitos, including the services of a professional cook from Taos with long experience at the ranch. This will allow us time to ride to the edge of daylight and to get early starts—or to take leisure time in the meadow or by the river, without a worry.

This will be the first mountain biking excursion at Vallecitos, and it promises to be full of new experiences for everyone involved. The trip will combine the best of biking in the mountains with the best in ranch-style creature comforts—at one of the finest times of the year in northern New Mexico. 

Registration & Cost:

The cost of the weekend is $375. Fees are all-inclusive and cover meals and three nights accommodation.

Breakfast and dinner served in the dining room. A bag lunch will be provided to take on the trail each day.

Please click here to register.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this. 

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in yurts, cabin tents and solar cabins, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a short work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

N/A

Going to the Woods Insight Meditation Retreat

Teachers:

With Grove Burnett and Mary Powell

Date:

September 8-12, 2010

Description:

The Retreat. The retreat will offer a creative and different training in mindfulness or insight meditation, with a particular emphasis on cultivating insight through our relationship with the natural world.  Insight meditation embodies the essence and wisdom of the teachings of the Buddha and has been the foundation of Buddhist teachings for 2,500 years.  It is extraordinary in its simplicity, its lack of dogma and, above all, its results.

The morning schedule.  Our mornings will be comprised of traditional periods of group sitting alternating with periods of walking meditation outdoors.  Each day there is progressive instruction in mindfulness practice, daily interviews with the teacher and a short discourse from the teachings of the Buddha.

The afternoon schedule. Our afternoons will be spent going to the woods.  We will take guided, mindful hikes-- suitable for all levels of walking--into the magical La Manga wilderness, the largest old growth forest in the Carson National Forest and one of the most beautiful alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains.  We will practice our sitting walking meditation deep in the woods, regain our intimacy with nature, and experience directly the Dharma of these mountains during the fall season--their high meadows, enchanting canyons, shimmering aspen groves and lovely Vallecitos River. 

To cultivate the meditation process, complete silence is maintained at all times throughout the retreat. The retreat is suitable for beginners and seasoned practitioners. 

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale: $500 - $360. Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch.
Fees cover meals and lodging.

The Tradition of Dana: The teachings of the Buddha have been sustained by the 2,500-year-old tradition of Dana, a Pali word meaning “generosity”, which allows retreatants to offer donations to the teachers at the retreat’s end. The teachers receive no other financial compensation.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat.

Teacher Biographies:

Grove Burnett is co-founder and guiding teacher of the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch. He has practiced meditation for over 25 years and is authorized to teach in the Buddhist tradition.  He trained with internationally renowned meditation teacher Jack Kornfield at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in an intensive 4-year teacher-mentoring program.  In addition to teaching at Vallecitos, Grove also teaches at the Insight Meditation Society and the Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  He has taught mindfulness trainings for the Yale Law School, the Contemplative Mind in Society, lawyers and judges, and many nonprofit organizations. 

Grove has had a distinguished career as an environmental lawyer and is co-founder of the Western Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit environmental law firm with five offices in the western U.S.  He has been named six times to The Best Lawyers in America, which lists the top 1% of the nation’s lawyers, and has received national recognition and many awards for his path breaking work in environmental law. Grove is now doing consulting work, nationally and internationally, focusing on global warming and the climate crisis.

Mary Powell’s has been a Vipassana practioner for over 20 years.  During that time she did intensive retreats at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass. In the past couple of years she has done month long self retreats both at home and at a remote cabin in the mountains. Recently she completed the 2 ½ year Community Dharma Leader training through Sprit Rock Meditation Center. For many years she has taught the “Introduction to Meditation” class at the Santa Fe Vipassana Sangha where she chairs the Education Committee.

Mary has always been interested in practicing in nature. She lived for 5 years in an off the grid cabin near Pecos, where she was first introduced to meditation.

Santa Fe Waldorf High School Student Retreat

Teachers:

Santa Fe Waldorf High School Students and Faculty

Date:

September 12-17, 2010

Description:

This is a private retreat for Santa Fe Waldorf High School students and faculty.

Registration & Cost:

This is a private retreat for Santa Fe Waldorf High School students and faculty.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents, solar cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat.

Teacher Biographies:

Santa Fe Waldorf High School Students and Faculty

Insight into Nature Meditation Retreat

Teachers:

With Wendy Johnson and Grove Burnett

Date:

September 24-29, 2010

Description:

The retreat is designed to offer and support a practical introduction to insight meditation, known as Vipassana in the Buddhist tradition.  Insight meditation embodies the essence and wisdom of the teachings of the Buddha and has been the foundation of Buddhist teachings for 2,500 years.  The retreat day is spent in silent meditation and includes group sitting periods alternating with walking meditation outdoors.  In addition to individual interviews with the teacher, there is an evening talk on Buddhist practice. To cultivate the meditation process, complete silence is maintained at all times throughout the retreat except during teacher interviews and group discussions.  No previous meditation experience is required to participate.  The retreat is suitable for both beginners and also seasoned practitioners. 

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale: $625-$450. Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch.

Deposit: A 50% deposit is due when registering. Your balance is due by August 9, 2010.

Fees cover meals and lodging.

The Tradition of Dana. The teachings of the Buddha have been sustained by the 2,500-year-old tradition of Dana, a Pali word meaning “generosity”, which allows retreatants to offer donations to the teachers at the retreat’s end. The teachers receive no other financial compensation.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in solar cabins, yurts, and cabin tents, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian. There is a one-hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Wendy Johnson has been practicing Zen meditation since 1972 and is ordained as a lay Dharma teacher by Thich Nhat Hanh and received Lay Dharma Entrustment from Abbess Linda Cutts of the San Francisco Zen Center. Wendy is one of the founders of the Organic Farm and Garden program at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center and the author of Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate. Wendy serves as a mentor in Bay Area, California, school gardening programs, including The Edible Schoolyard, and leads environmental retreats nationwide.

Grove T. Burnett is founder of the Western Environmental Law Center, a public interest environmental law firm and has had a distinguished career representing environmental organizations and Indian Tribes across the West.  Grove has litigated many of the most important environmental cases in the Southwest, including the reintroduction of the endangered Mexican Wolf (the Lobo) back into the wild. He has been named four times to The Best Lawyers in America, which lists the top 1% of the nation’s lawyers, and has received national recognition and many awards for his pathbreaking work in public interest environmental law, including the prestigious Kerry Rydberg Award for Environmental Activism and the E-chievement Award from the nationally syndicated radio show E-Town.

Grove is also co-founder of the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch, a wilderness ranch and contemplative center, located 45 miles west of Taos.  Grove has trained extensively in the Buddhist traditions for over 25 years with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.  He is currently completing a 4 year intensive teacher training program with Jack Kornfield at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  In addition to teaching meditation retreats at Vallecitos, he teaches retreats with Steven Smith, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein, including meditation retreats for the Yale Law School and the Insight Meditation Society.

Mindfulness: The Art of Self-Awareness
A Retreat for Lawyers, Judges and Law Students
CLE Credit Information: 2.0 Professionalism, 3.0 Ethics.

Teachers:

With Grove Burnett, J.D.

Date:

September 30-October 3, 2010

Description:

Lawyers live in a frenzied world of words, confrontation and action.  We are heavily trained in analytical skills, quick verbal response, and scrupulous attention to text.  The sources of our knowledge are external: statutes, regulations and written opinions. We are focused on achieving results.  The pressures and stresses of practicing our profession are legendary.  Burnout has become an occupational hazard.

Mindfulness is the art of self-awareness and regulation of attention.  The simple art of being aware is the basis for insight, wisdom, and seeing things clearly.  It is a radical training, practice and skill building experience for law professionals. Mindfulness is extraordinary in its simplicity, its lack of dogma and, above all, its results. While ancient in origin, it is modern and universal in its applications and is extremely helpful in these modern times of crisis and challenge.

Mindfulness meditation training has been offered in recent years to physicians and health care professionals, professional athletes and sports teams (Chicago Bulls and L.A. Lakers), major corporations, law firms and law schools.  The participants of such trainings have experienced marked improvement in concentration, listening and interpersonal skills, clarity of thinking, ethical behavior, creativity and patience.  Mindfulness training empowers lawyers to cope better with burnout and the stress of our work and profession.  We develop better management and leadership skills.  We act more compassionately.  We are more effective.

This program will provide a practical introduction to the practice of mindfulness meditation, with alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. In addition, there will be facilitated dialogues exploring professional growth and key ethical issues facing the practicing lawyer.

THIS RETREAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Registration & Cost:

CLE Credit Information: 2.0 Professionalism, 3.0 Ethics.

The cost of the course is $500. The fee includes meals, accommodation, tuition and CLE units.

Deposit: A 50% deposit is due when registering. Your balance is due by August 30, 2010.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents and solar cabins, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Retreat Leader Grove Burnett has been a renowned environmental trial lawyer for over 30 years. He is co-founder of the Western Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit environmental law firm with five offices in the western U.S.  He is now doing environmental consulting work, nationally and internationally, focusing on global warming and the climatecrisis.

Grove is co-founder and Guiding Teacher of the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch and has practiced Buddhist mediation for over 25 years, including training with internationally renowned meditation teachers Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. He teaches mindfulness trainings to nonprofit organizations, businesses and lawyers and judges around the country. Grove has taught meditation retreats for the Yale Law School and the Monsanto Corporation. 

Astronomy Adventures Stargazing Weekend

Teachers:

With Peter Lipscomb and Don Usner

Date:

October 8-10, 2010

Description:

This workshop is designed for stargazers of all backgrounds with emphasis on:

▪ Telescope and mount designs - what gear is right for your ability and interests?
▪ Introduction to star gazing using naked eye, binoculars, and telescopes
▪ Cultural astronomy - the skies of our ancestors
▪ Basic astrophotography - build your own barn door tracker.
▪ Two evenings stargazing under the majestic and starry skies of Vallecitos Mountain Refuge

Enjoy a guided hike on Saturday afternoon on the stunning Continental Divide Trail.

Registration & Cost:

Sliding scale: $450-350. Please pay at the highest level of the sliding scale that you can afford. This allows others who need to pay less the opportunity to attend. Whatever you pay above the low end of the sliding scale is a tax-deductible donation to Vallecitos Mountain Ranch.

Fees are all inclusive and cover workshop fee, delicious meals, and comfortable lodging in heated cabins, single occupancy. (Limited double occupancy cabins are available for couples).

Please click here to register.

Accommodations:

Participants stay in heated cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Meals are gourmet, organic vegetarian. 

Teacher Biographies:

Peter Lipscomb, award-winning astrophotographer, columnist, and stargazer operates Astronomy Adventures. In addition to conducting night sky tours, he advocates for energy-efficient and sensible outdoor lighting practices and has served as Director of the Night Sky Program for the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance. His astronomy column appears weekly in The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. His work has also appeared in Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines.

Over the years, Peter has worked with Apple Computer, The Bishop’s Lodge, Dow Corning, General Electric, Inn of The Anasazi, KPMG, Microsoft, The National Park Service and Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico State Parks, The Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau, Taos Pueblo, and Washington Mutual.

During a tour, Peter engages his guest’s interest by bringing the wonders of the night sky to a level that is more accessible and understood. The clockwork of the sky and what is seen depending upon the time of year is explained. Major constellations are pointed out. Using star lore based upon Greek mythology and other cultures from around the world, star patterns are explored and placed into a memorable context.

Moving from a broad view of the sky, Peter gradually brings the more remote jewels of the night sky within reach. Participants are introduced to close-up views of objects such as galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. The latest scientific findings about each object are shared to help provide a foundation for a deeper understanding.

Don Usner is a writer, photographer and New Mexico native who focuses on natural and cultural history. His books include The Natural History of Big Sur, Sabino’s Map: Life in Chimayo’s Old Plaza, and Valles Caldera: A Vision for New Mexico’s Newest National Preserve. http://www.donusner.com.

Open Dialogue in Psychiatric Care

Teachers:

With Jaakko Seikkula, Ph.D. and Mary Olson, Ph.D.

Date:

October 14-18, 2010

Description:

Over the past two decades, Jaakko Seikkula, Ph.D.--together with a multidisciplinary team at Keropudas Hospital in Finland--have advanced and refined “Open Dialogue,” a network-based, language-based approach to psychiatric care.  In Europe and elsewhere, this way of working has garnered widespread international attention for improving outcomes for young people going through a first psychotic episode. Integrating different psychotherapeutic traditions, this approach de-emphasizes US-style pharmaceutical intervention.  The focus instead is on developing a social network of family and helpers and reducing isolation by establishing a “dialogue,” i. e., a communicative relationship, with the patient.  Among its signature features, Open Dialogue provides immediate help and organizes “a treatment meeting” within twenty-four hours of the initial contact.

Starting in the eighties, there have been outcome and quasi-experimental studies of Open Dialogue.  The results consistently suggest that this way of working reduces hospitalization, the use of medication, and recidivism when compared with treatment as usual.  For example, in a five-year follow-up (Seikkula et al. 2006), 83% of patients have returned to their jobs or studies or were job seeking, thus not receiving government disability.  In the same study, 77% did not have residual psychotic symptoms. Such outcomes led the Finnish National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health to award a prize recognizing the Keropudas group for “ the ongoing development of psychiatric care over a period of ten years.”

In a rare opportunity at a stunningly beautiful ranch near Taos, New Mexico, Jaakko Seikkula, Ph.D., the leading developer, will give a seminar describing the principles of Open Dialogue and the research supporting its effectiveness.  Limited to 22 people, this event will allow participants to gain an in-depth understanding of this innovation and reflect on possibilities for research and clinical application in the US.  Mary Olson, Ph.D. will assist discussions of the latter by describing the coherence between the Open Dialogue approach and the reform movement in mental health care in public settings.  She is an American researcher who has been working with Jaakko to bring Open Dialogue to the US and an ongoing co-author with him on several articles describing this approach.

Registration & Cost:

The cost of the course is $1,200. The fee includes meals, accommodation and tuition.

Please click here to register.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this. 

Accommodations:

Guests stay in comfortable heated cabins and yurts, single occupancy. Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Jaakko Seikkula, Ph.D. is a professor of psychotherapy at the Department of Psychology in the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.  His current writing interest is the concept of the present moment in the dialogic encounter, while his research examines the dialogic process in treating couples where one partner has reported signs of depression. Between 1981-1998, he worked as the senior clinical psychologist at the Keropudas hospital in Finland where he and colleagues developed Open Dialogue for psychosis. Jaakko is an international consultant with ongoing projects in many countries. He has recently published a book, with Tom Arnkil, entitled Dialogical Meetings in Social Networks (Karnac, London, 2006). 

Mary Olson, Ph.D. is on the faculty of Smith College School for Social Work and an affiliate at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  She is the founder and director, with Jaakko Seikkula, of The Mill River Institute for Dialogic Practice in Haydenville, MA.  In the fall of 2001, she was Senior Fulbright Professor to Finland in Clinical Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä.  A highly experienced trainer of physicians and other helpers in medical settings, she was Director of the Clinical Externship in Systemic Family Therapy from 1990-1995, with Carlos Sluzki, M.D. as Chairman, in the Department of Psychiatry, Berkshire Medical Center.  She is a member of the American Academy of Family Therapists.

Seikkula, J., Aaltonen, J., Alakare, B., Haarakangas, K., Keranen, J. & Lehtinen, K. (2006). Five-year experience of first-episode nonaffective psychosis in open-dialogue approach: Treatment principles, follow-up outcomes, and two case studies. Psychotherapy Research, 16(2): 214/228.

Mindfulness: The Art of Self-Awareness

A Retreat for Lawyers, Judges and Law Students

CLE Credit Information: 2.0 Professionalism, 3.0 Ethics.

Second session added due to high demand.

Teachers:

With Grove Burnett, J.D.

Date:

October 21-24, 2010

Description:

Lawyers live in a frenzied world of words, confrontation and action.  We are heavily trained in analytical skills, quick verbal response, and scrupulous attention to text.  The sources of our knowledge are external: statutes, regulations and written opinions. We are focused on achieving results.  The pressures and stresses of practicing our profession are legendary.  Burnout has become an occupational hazard.

Mindfulness is the art of self-awareness and regulation of attention.  The simple art of being aware is the basis for insight, wisdom, and seeing things clearly.  It is a radical training, practice and skill building experience for law professionals. Mindfulness is extraordinary in its simplicity, its lack of dogma and, above all, its results. While ancient in origin, it is modern and universal in its applications and is extremely helpful in these modern times of crisis and challenge.

Mindfulness meditation training has been offered in recent years to physicians and health care professionals, professional athletes and sports teams (Chicago Bulls and L.A. Lakers), major corporations, law firms and law schools.  The participants of such trainings have experienced marked improvement in concentration, listening and interpersonal skills, clarity of thinking, ethical behavior, creativity and patience.  Mindfulness training empowers lawyers to cope better with burnout and the stress of our work and profession.  We develop better management and leadership skills.  We act more compassionately.  We are more effective.

This program will provide a practical introduction to the practice of mindfulness meditation, with alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. In addition, there will be facilitated dialogues exploring professional growth and key ethical issues facing the practicing lawyer.

THIS RETREAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. 

Registration & Cost:

CLE Credit Information: 2.0 Professionalism, 3.0 Ethics.

The cost of the course is $500. The fee includes meals, accommodation, tuition and CLE units.

Deposit: A 50% deposit is due when registering. Your balance is due by September 30, 2010.

Cancellations. Late cancellations are costly and mean that others cannot attend the retreat.  If you cancel 45 or more days prior to your retreat we charge a $50 administrative fee.  If you cancel less than 45 days before the retreat, you will be responsible for half of your retreat fees. All refund requests must be faxed to the Registrar at 575-751-4038. If you withdraw less than 10 business days before the start of your retreat, you will not receive a refund or transfer option.

Transfers. To transfer from one retreat to another, you must notify Vallecitos at least 10 business days before the original retreat. There is a $50 fee per transfer, and no more than two transfers will be accepted. Prior to the start of the retreat, you may designate another person to attend in your place; there is no fee for this.

Click here to register.

Accommodations:

Retreatants stay in cabin tents and solar cabins, single occupancy. Meals are vegetarian.  There is a one hour work period each day.  Our remote location does not permit partial attendance of the retreat. 

Teacher Biographies:

Retreat Leader Grove Burnett has been a renowned environmental trial lawyer for over 30 years. He is co-founder of the Western Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit environmental law firm with five offices in the western U.S.  He is now doing environmental consulting work, nationally and internationally, focusing on global warming and the climatecrisis.

Grove is co-founder and Guiding Teacher of the Vallecitos Mountain Ranch and has practiced Buddhist mediation for over 25 years, including training with internationally renowned meditation teachers Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. He teaches mindfulness trainings to nonprofit organizations, businesses and lawyers and judges around the country. Grove has taught meditation retreats for the Yale Law School and the Monsanto Corporation.