During this intensive silent retreat, participants will learn to develop their heart’s capacity for liberatory clarity and pervasive tenderness with a unique integration of Vipassana (insight) and Metta (lovingkindness) practices. Michele and Jesse are enthusiastic about supporting practitioners with a depth of both technical rigor and spacious ease.

Guests will be supported by daily instruction periods with time for questions and answers, individual interviews with both teachers, nightly dhamma talks, a vigorous schedule of sitting and walking meditation, as well as free time in the afternoons to silently explore the beauty of the landscape on their own.

Come experience the richness of quietude in the beautiful Vallecitos wilderness while cultivating the wisdom of Vipassana and the tenderness of the four Brahma Viharas: Unconditional Love, Compassion, Appreciative Joy, and Equanimity.

Prerequisite:  Practitioners must have done at least three separate 9-day retreats of silent Vipassana meditation to be eligible. If you do not meet this criteria, we would be happy to help you find another Vallecitos retreat.

APPLICATION PROCESS: (Please read until the end.)

Registration for this retreat is by application.  Within the application review process we are curating additional variables to encourage greater equity, diversity, inclusion, and access for our many popular retreats. To create an optimal retreat container, some of these factors include affinity group membership, age, gender balance, and experience level.  

Registering for a lottery or completing an application does not ensure a space in the retreat.  Applications received after February 5th are automatically placed on the waitlist and will be notified of availability on a rolling basis. Notifications often move quickly so we recommend checking your email regularly. Please note that you will be asked to complete your registration details and pay your retreat fees within 48 hours of your offer to attend. If you are in need of financial assistance to attend, you will be invited to complete a scholarship application once you have been accepted and completed your registration.

We recognize that this is an imperfect system and we have carefully considered valuable feedback from many of you in designing our registration system for this year.  If you have questions about this new registration process, please contact Jan at refuge@vallecitos.org or by calling 505-469-9017.

COVID Safety Measures: Please review our current COVID Safety Measures, which are subject to change.