Love and Wisdom
Leaders
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Peter WilliamsCo-LeaderPeter Williams has practiced meditation for 31 years, primarily in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, with much practice in the Tibetan tradition as well. He has done more than 41 months of silent retreat. He has taught insight meditation (mindfulness) since 2003 and has completed the Community Dharma Leader training through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. His primary teachers have been Joseph Goldstein, Michelle McDonald, and Guy Armstrong. Peter leads meditation retreats and dedicated practice groups based out of Longmont, CO. He has taught mindfulness to diverse audiences, from juvenile justices to school teachers to environmentalists. He is one of the founders of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center in the mountains near Boulder, CO.
Since 2007, Peter has worked as an emotional wellness consultant, using mindfulness and spirituality to heal emotional distress. In an 18-year career in the environmental field, Peter worked as an environmental educator for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, as a consulting ecologist for groups such as The Nature Conservancy, and as a lecturer in wildlife biology at the University of Vermont. Peter enjoys playing piano, golfing, bird watching, hiking and being outdoors as much as possible.
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Manny MansbachCo-LeaderManny Mansbach teaches Insight (Vipassana) Meditation in Vermont, Massachusetts, and elsewhere in New England. He has been practicing and studying Theravadan Buddhism since 1980, and is a graduate of Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Dedicated Practitioner Program and its Community Dharma Leader Program. Manny is currently one of four guiding teachers at Insight Western Massachusetts.
Manny says: “I am committed to helping people remember and express their basic goodness, and to gain confidence in their capacity to deeply know the beauty and power of the Buddha’s teachings of liberating understanding and boundless kindness. I love witnessing students deepening in mindfulness and seeing more clearly, as well as discovering the power of radical friendliness that allows for a resetting of the heart’s compass. My intention with whomever I work with is to encourage a life of awakening—to help students and clients gain confidence to drop our harmful, habitual conditioning and stories to settle more fully in loving awareness and wisdom.”
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Renée RosarioAssistant LeaderRenée Rosario has practiced meditation for 37 years and has an eclectic background in various traditions before finding a home in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Her first teacher, Dhyani Ywahoo, a lineage holder of the Tsalagi/Cherokee Tradition, supported Renée in deepening her connection with Mother Earth and all her inhabitants. During her graduate studies at Naropa University, Renée practiced in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and later trained as a Mindfulness Instructor at Naropa. She also attended Satsang and retreats with Gangaji and practiced inquiry methods, a primary question being “who am I.” In 2006, Renée attended her first 10-day retreat with Shinzen Young and began diving more deeply into insight meditation. Her primary teachers include Peter Williams, Michelle McDonald, Matthew Brensilver, and Gil Fronsdal.
Renée has been a transpersonal, somatic psychotherapist in private practice in Boulder, CO since 1994. She discovered the Enneagram in 1995 and is currently a Core Faculty member of the Narrative Enneagram facilitating workshops and classes for 25 years. She also is trained in contemplative social action and peacemaking through the Peacemaker Institute. Renée loves to dance, hike, swim, laugh and be playful.
EVENT DESCRIPTION
The path of meditation is rooted in cultivating love and wisdom, which together allow us to embrace our experiences without attachment and foster deep connection. This retreat focuses on metta (lovingkindness) and mindfulness meditation, with silent practice, nature-based meditation, and mindful hiking, offering a chance to deepen care and connection in a stunning mountain landscape.
RETREAT DETAILS
Love and wisdom are the two most essential qualities of the awakened heart and the path of meditation. We need lovingkindness to be with our experience just as it is and wisdom to see it clearly and not be attached. Wisdom helps love be more unconditional and spacious, while love grounds wisdom in the real world of human relationship.
To cultivate these two qualities, the retreat will focus on metta (lovingkindness) and mindfulness meditation. Metta practice focuses the mind, gladdens the heart, and expands our sense of care to include the whole world. Mindfulness meditation immerses us in our senses and gives us the joy of feeling connected to the stunning mountain landscape of the Ecodharma Center.
The retreat will be held in silence and will include traditional indoor practice along with nature-based meditation and mindful hiking. Participants must be able to do hikes of one to three miles.
THINGS TO KNOW
The price of retreats is set as low as possible and covers only retreat center expenses. None of the fee goes to the leaders, who are solely supported by the voluntary dana offerings of yogis. In the tradition of the Buddha, the amount of the dana offering is up to each individual. We do ask that your offering be as generous as your finances allow in order to support the tireless efforts of the leaders. Please bring a check or cash. We are very grateful for your support.
Retreats with RMERC Registration
A non-refundable deposit of $120 (for retreats 4 nights and under) or $180 (for retreats over 4 nights) is due at the time of registration to hold your space. Full payment is due 60 days before the retreat start date. If you signed up earlier than 60 days, your credit card will be automatically charged at 60 days before the retreat start date.
Early Bird Discounts
RMERC offers an average 10% discount for registrations made earlier than 90 days before the start of the retreat.
Payments
Our registration system accepts payments only by debit and credit card. If you require an alternate payment method, you may request to pay by Paypal or by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). To pay by Paypal or EFT, select ‘Alternate forms of payment’ during registration; after completing the registration, email [email protected] for payment details. Note that if paying by alternate means, we must receive full payment to reserve your place in the retreat.
Cancellation and Refund Policies
- The registration deposit ($120 or $180) is non-refundable.
- For cancellation requests received 60-30 days prior to the retreat start date, RMERC will offer a refund of half of the final payment (the final payment is the full amount less the deposit).
- For cancellation requests received 30-7 days prior to the event start date, RMERC will offer a refund of 25% of the final payment.
- For cancellations inside of 7 days there will be no refunds.
Retreats with RMERC Registration
We invite anyone with financial hardship to apply for an RMERC scholarship. Scholarship awards are based on need and availability of funds. We ask that you request the lowest amount required to attend the retreat, so that we can offer support to as many people as possible. Do not let cost be an impediment to your attending.
Click here to apply for an RMERC Scholarship.
Scholarship awards do not guarantee acceptance into a retreat. Please register as soon as possible after receiving your award to make sure space is available.
Meals are vegetarian and may include eggs or dairy, with vegan and gluten-free options available. Usually the cook can accommodate common food allergies such as gluten or dairy, but not food preferences. Make sure to include any special allergy or health needs you have during registration.
Tea, coffee and such are available all day long, along with some simple snacks such as mixed nuts and fruit. If you want a snack between meals, or supplemental protein, you can bring a small quantity of packaged unrefrigerated food. Please do not bring anything that needs refrigeration (medicine excepted). Excessive snacks are unnecessary: if you need a boost, a little gorp or an energy bar is sufficient for most people.
Lodging at RMERC includes
- Single and double rooms
- ‘Mini-singles’, available in the shoulder seasons
- A single ‘nook’
- Glamping and camping, available in the summer and early fall
- RV spaces, available all season.
See lodging details and photos here. Available lodging options are presented during registration.
All participants must sign an RMERC Waiver and Release to participate in activities at RMERC. Click here to sign the Waiver and Release. Some leaders may require their own waiver and release.
Participants must be 18 years or older to attend a retreat at RMERC. We are not able to accommodate children.
Some of the work necessary to support the group will be handled by participants during the retreat. Yogi jobs will be organized by the retreat manager. Most participants find serving others in this way quite enjoyable, and a great opportunity for practice in action. Yogi jobs typically include meal prep, meal clean up, bathrooms, tea bar, and last-day clean up.
You will be out of contact with no internet access or cell phone service during the retreat. The nearest strong cell signal could be as far away as the plains north of Boulder, or in the town of Nederland.
Please complete all personal business before you arrive. The staff will have the ability to make and receive emergency calls or emails on your behalf, but phone and internet are only available for emergency use.
Weather in the Rocky Mountains is variable and often unpredictable. Sunny skies can quickly give way to fast-moving storms, bringing sudden rain, hail, and wind, regardless of the season. Temperatures can fluctuate dramatically between day and night, with warm midday conditions followed by cold or freezing temperatures at night. During June-September, average highs are 65-75 F and lows are 35-45 F. In May and October average highs are in the 50s and lows are below freezing. April and November are colder still.
Equipment lists vary from one retreat to the next. Download an equipment list for your retreat on the retreat listing (or contact the retreat organizer). A general equipment list is available here: PDF Version | Word Version.
Please do not bring a radio, music player, iPod, laptop, books, axe, alcohol, marijuana, or illegal drugs. Think about whether you really need a camera; is it consistent with the intentions of a retreat?
RMERC is at an elevation of 8600 feet, and most people coming from lower elevations experience some effects of altitude. If you are coming from sea level, we recommend that you arrive in the Denver area a night earlier to help acclimatize. Remember to stay hydrated, stay warm, and take it easy the first day or two at the retreat center. Be kind to yourself.
Out of consideration for others, we ask that you not use scented self-care products, oils, or fragrances. We ask that everyone exercise the utmost respect for self and others. Thank you!
See the complete infectious disease policy here.
RMERC prioritizes creating a safe and comfortable retreat environment. RMERC does not require vaccinations, testing, or masks at this time. However, individual retreat leaders may determine stricter protocols at their discretion, and RMERC may revise the infectious disease policy in response to changes in public health guidelines
We recommend wearing N95 masks during travel and self-monitoring your possible exposure before arrival. If you experience symptoms, contact the retreat leader and consider adjusting your plans. HEPA air purifiers are available in shared rooms, and mask-wearing is always welcome.
Most retreats begin at 4:00 pm on the first day of the retreat (please check the start times in the retreat details). Yogis may arrive 1 hour early but they will not have access to the lodge or bathrooms. Yogis who are camping may set up their tents at that time. Note that all tents must be on the lodge side of the stream.
Most retreats end after lunch on the last day of the retreat, and all participants must vacate the property by 2:00 pm.
RMERC is located about 45 minutes NW of Boulder, at 8941 Overland Rd., Ward, CO. If driving, please park in our main parking lot by the road and walk down to the lodge.
There is no public transportation to the center, and if you need a ride, the best option is to carpool with other yogis. RMERC provides a rideshare forum if your retreat uses RMERC-hosted registration (see details for your retreat). Otherwise, you may contact the leader of your retreat for assistance. Uber or Lyft may provide another option; please contact them to inquire.
Note: there is no cell phone service in the region around the retreat center.
Denver International Airport (DIA) is about 90 minutes from the center. Your best options for travel to the center are:
- Shuttle bus to Boulder (1 hr) and then carpool to the center; RTD public transportation ($10) departs DIA every hour, or check Green Ride Boulder.
- Uber or Lyft, either to Boulder or to the center
- Car rental
You should plan on your flight arriving no later than 1 pm to reach the retreat center on time. Return flights departing from the Denver airport should leave no earlier than 5:30 or 6 pm. Please do not plan on leaving the retreat early.
RMERC is a nonprofit organization with a mission to offer low-cost retreats to as many people as possible. At the end of your retreat, you are invited to make a tax deductible donation to RMERC, and also to join the membership program of the RMERC community if you so choose. More information is here.
RMERC does not allow pets or service animals, as moose and bears become more dangerous in their presence.
Download a Trail Map in Color or a Trail Map in Black and White.
Thunder and lightning storms are not uncommon during the summer months, and lightning is a very real hazard. Take shelter in a lightning storm, ideally in a building or in a car. If that is not possible, crouch down and maintain a low profile until the storm passes. Sound travels approximately 1 mile every 5 seconds. Count the number of seconds between a lightning strike and the sound of thunder; a 10-15 second delay indicates that lightning is several miles away, and is warning to take shelter.
Please check with REI in Boulder (303-583-9970) for rentals of tents, sleeping bags, pads, backpacks, etc. Boulder is the largest city in the area, and the best source of supplies. Nederland also has a few well-stocked stores, including grocery, outdoor shop, and library (but no pharmacy).
If you are searching for a place to camp prior to arrival or post-departure, we recommend using phone apps to search, for example,
- iOverlander, for a wide variety of options
- RV Parky, especially good for finding RV parking options
- The Dyrt, for both free and paid camping options (premium version is best)
- Recreation.gov app, for reservations at federal campgrounds (cost is very reasonable)
- Hipcamp, for lower-cost camping and lodging options
KEY POINTS
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DATES AND TIMES:
Arrival: Monday, September 1 at 4 pm; Departure: Sunday, September 7 at 11 am followed by an optional lunch.
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REQUIREMENTS:
Participants must be comfortable hiking 1 to 3 miles daily.
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EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT:
Early bird discount of $75, ending June 4, 2025.
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PROGRAM COST:
$600 - $990 (includes food and lodging)
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LEADER SUPPORT:
By donation (see Things to Know)
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PROGRAM QUESTIONS:
Contact Peter Williams, [email protected]
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REGISTRATION QUESTIONS:
Contact Kathy, [email protected].
- EQUIPMENT LIST:
- CALENDAR:
RETREAT MANAGER
Retreat Manager
