Nature, Mindfulness and Joy

This will not be your typical meditation retreat – not fully silent, a lot more fun, camping only, held entirely outdoors, and focused on JOY … in glorious mid-summer, at 8600 feet, in the Rockies.

And yes! This is an IN-PERSON retreat! We hope that you are as excited about this as we are! We (and the retreat center/staff) have taken every precaution to ensure that this is a safe in-person experience (how we all long for that right now!).

On this uniquely fun retreat, we combine an extraordinary wilderness setting with mindfulness and embodiment experiences that will help to bring joy into your life.

We will weave together periods of silent meditation, with heart-opening experiential exercises, conscious community building, an overnight solo, and play, laughter and movement in nature.

The main goal? To foster joy through connection – connection with Nature, with the community, and with your truest self.

This is our third year of holding this special retreat. Each year has been wonderful, and we just keep getting better at doing what really works for your soul.

Ultimately, nature will be the guiding teacher on this retreat.

After two days of getting acclimated, you will embark on a powerful journey — a full-day and overnight SOLO, on this beautiful land, in silence, alone (more on this below). You will have our guidance, support and expertise every step of the way. Then on Saturday morning, we meet as a community again — for integration, celebration and dance.

Another reason that this will not be your typical mindfulness retreat: A 29 y.o millennial and a 73 y.o. baby boomer have chosen to team together.  We love working together. 🙂 You get to enjoy the best that wisdom and youth can bring to your life path right now.

Are you wondering, is Joy too indulgent? Read this!

Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center is an ideal location for this nature meditation retreat. The center is extraordinarily beautiful, pristine and peaceful, with a wide variety of trails, wildflower-covered alpine meadows, creeks, and rocky crags. The mountains, forests and river naturally work to settle the mind, while living and practicing together creates personal connections and mutual support.

Here is What You Get:

• Nature’s healing: beauty, solace, and inspiration in this wilderness setting
• Mindfulness, body, movement, breath & nature practices designed to unlock your joy
• A loving, supportive, co-created community and plenty of time to deeply connect with everyone in the group
• Two experienced, wise teachers—a 29 year old millennial & 73 year old elder—who love to collaborate together
• Solo time on the land, for your own attunement, healing, and inner guidance
• Integration practices to sustain your gains & carry-over into your daily life
• Outdoor camping in an open meadow, beside a river, with vast views of the Continental Divide
• 3 healthy, delicious meals per day
• Just 45 minutes from Boulder
• Smartly scheduled, from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday lunch
• Capped at 21 people — for a small, intimate, real experience — with personal attention from your teachers
• INEXPENSIVE RATE $545 [plus your love donation] for ALL food, camping & activities
• MOST UNIQUELY: Playing with JOY, YES JOY, throughout the entire retreat

Covid Information- (please read carefully) updated 4/20/22

Please read the complete RMERC covid policy here. To ensure everyone’s safety and comfort, RMERC requires results of a negative covid test to be presented upon arrival at RMERC. In addition, all participants must be fully vaccinated, with results uploaded to our system 2 weeks prior to the start of the retreat. See complete details here: https://rmerc.org/covid-policies/.  The Covid policy may change at anytime as covid protocols shift. 

About this “Playing with Joy”

• We hold this paradox as sacred — that we can grieve the suffering of others, of the eco-collapse, of racial injustice, or radical inequality of rich/poor, of plasticized oceans, and our beloved animals dying as species  … yet also still feel joy within.
• The joy that we will cultivate is not a “spiritual bypass” of our own shadow, or of the world’s dysfunction right now.
• We will dig deep to see that this the following belief is a falsehood: “Joy is like an orchid, so rare and special”.
• We can “get over” the cultural programming that “we should be suspicious of feeling (or trying to feel) too much Joy”
• Let’s bust the following attitude: ” We don’t get to feel Joy on a daily basis.”
• And through group-led exercise, and private discussions, we will help you dig into your shadow, limiting beliefs, family  and cultural programming and underlying fears of being joyful.
• We consider all of the above to be sacred work that actually benefits the planet right now, as well as you personally (not to mention your family, when you “return”).

About our “community building”

• Your two co-leaders make a deliberate, conscious and sustained endeavor to “build community” through our time together, short as it may be.
• We start this process on day 1 — in fact, we start it at 4 pm Wednesday, July 6 (day one)
• With maximum 21 participants, we are able to go to deeper community, intimacy, bonding, and self-discovery.
• We encourage folks to connect with each other, in multiple ways: in our group gatherings, campfires, taking one-on-ones walks, music, intimate sharing (including by your leader), etc.
• Our past participants listed this “sense of community” as one of their highest benefits.
• The only person who did not bond with our mini-community last retreat was someone wanting a traditional, silent, buddhist retreat. Which we are not!
• This focus on joyful community seems especially vital, for what the world needs right now (in addition to “love, sweet love).

Outdoors & camping the whole time!

This is a CAMPING ONLY retreat.  WOW!

The weather “should be” great! Average July day temperature is 71 (with highs into the 80s)! Cold nights, perfect for snuggling in your sleeping bag.  On the other hand, you should be prepared for any weather in the Rockies, at 8600 feet elevation — possible snow or rain, and the drama of it all! In short, bring great gear.

What to Bring: Click Here for a “What to Bring List”

About your Solo — in the wilderness, for 24 hours, alone!

• Being alone in Nature is powerful medicine, and an incredible opportunity. This full-day and overnight solo (Friday morning to Saturday morning) is a time to heal, connect, explore and relax: opening deeply to the power and beauty of the environment, with the freedom that solitude provides.
• If overnight in the wilderness alone sounds edgy (or a lot edgy!), we will be there to give you ample instruction, preparation, support, and flexibility for the solo — so each of you can benefit fully from your experience. Between the two of co-leaders, we have done wilderness solos for many years, all over the world.
• You will choose your “power spot” from a variety of locations, anywhere from next to the lodge, to deep in the wilderness. For the overnight, you can take your tent and sleeping bag to your “power spot,” OR stay in your tent for the night at your established camping spot, just without contact with others (ie, solo!).
• All necessary food is provided.
• We will meet back together Saturday morning, as a newly initiated community. We share our adventures, and harvest the deeper meaning of your solo.
• The elements, plants and animals become our teachers, the land our home, and silence our cherished companion.
• Most past participants have found the solo a highlight – sometimes THE highlight – of their retreat.

Your $545 Cost —  and what additional “Dana” means

• Your $545 cost for the retreat is set as low as possible and only covers the expenses for the teachers to provide this retreat: renting the center, food, cooks, insurance, staff travel, admin costs, etc etc..
• You may be amazed at this low price, if you have been to other retreat centers.
• Additional Dana: Yet, none of this $545 goes to your two teachers or the retreat manager. We are solely supported by your “dana” (a buddhist term). In the tradition of the Buddha, our teachings are offered without a set fee, keeping costs as low as possible, so no one is excluded due to finances.
• In turn, we ask that your donation to us be as generous as possible within your means. Please bring a check or cash. We will ask for your check or cash on the fourth day. We are grateful for your support!

Scholarships

It is our intention that cost not be an impediment to experience this. We are especially interested in supporting those who self-identify as a person of color, and/or work within the racial, climate & ecological justice movement. Scholarships of up to $200 are available. If you cannot afford to attend without a fee reduction, you can ask for a scholarship on the registration web site (below), and then just pay the remaining amount.

Payment, Deposits

A non-refundable deposit of $120 is due at the time of registration. Full payment is due 45 days before the retreat start date; your credit card will automatically be charged at that time.

Cancellation, and Refund Policies

If you cancel your retreat at any time, the $120 registration fee is not refunded. If you cancel within 45 days of the retreat no refund will be given, but in an emergency we may grant exceptions on a case by case basis.

Food and Meals

• Three simple vegetarian meals a day will be provided from dinner the first day through lunch of the last, including solo food (which will not require cooking).
• If you want a snack between meals, or supplemental protein such as jerky or packaged fish, you can bring a small quantity of packaged, unrefrigerated food.
• Tea and coffee along with milk and sweeteners are available before and during breakfast.
• 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.
• For meals, the cooks will be masked, and we will wait in a socially distanced line, to be served by them, one at a time.
• For eating, we will sit outdoors, under a roof, or on the ground out doors, socially distanced from each other, but masks will not be required to eat. You can choose to sit alone, as far away from another as you wish.

Special Needs Food

• Figuring menus and quantities, shopping, organizing, and cooking are complex and crucial tasks for a retreat. We provide simple, wholesome, natural, predominantly organic, vegetarian meals.
• We can accommodate common food allergies, such as gluten, soy or dairy, but not special needs preferences.
• Make sure to include on the registration form the full details of any special allergy or health needs you have beyond basic vegetarian, and we will contact you if they require discussion.
• If you have allergies beyond, nuts, gluten or dairy, contact Kayla and Lily to discuss if they can accommodate your allergy needs.  303-459-1012.

Joy of Helping out

• Some of the work necessary to support the group will be handled by you during the retreat.
• You will be able to choose your helper/yogi job, and will keep it throughout the retreat.
• Most participants find serving others in this way quite enjoyable, and a great opportunity for practice in action.

To Register Now

• Join us for this delightful 5-day, 4-night adventure into Nature + Mindfulness + Joy.
• Since space is super limited, and we have sold out every year, we do encourage you to register now (if your heart is singing right now :).
• Just click the “Register Now” button at the top or right of this text