Earth, Our True Nature, A Retreat Review

I loved the little program they provided which had a clear schedule, some inspirational texts, songs, and a few blank pages

I recently returned from a meditation and mindfulness retreat called Earth, Our True Nature, hosted by the monastics from Plum Village Deer Park at the YMCA Estes Park in Colorado, USA. I try to attend a personal growth or presence focused retreat once per year to help me stay on the path of continual growth, presence, and joy. I have participated in over 20 trainings or retreats to date on yoga, hiking, mindfulness, and now meditation, I always walk away with a shift in perspective, more connected to what has heart and meaning, and with deep gratitude for the space to be and time to let my nervous system regulate.

To say I enjoyed this retreat in new ways, is an understatement. I have been practicing meditation on and off for a long time and with more consistency for the last year. I so appreciated the space to learn new ways with new words and forms. My meditation practice has helped me be more present, calm, grounded, and joyful in my daily life and I look forward to continuing to explore the practice. Of all the things I do to be healthy and grounded, I have found meditation to be one of the most accessible and powerful practices.

Lay of the Land

The retreat took place from a Sunday - Friday at the end of August 2024 and I had to fly in and out of Denver. I took a shuttle to the stunning property that the retreat was hosted at, the YMCA Estes Park, which holds a special place in my heart as I used to go there once per year for Yoga Journal Conferences from 2006 - 2015. The property is nestled in the Rockies at 8000 feet elevation. It is surrounded by mountains and each day I was greeted by such different versions of mother earth that made me smile, the weather shifted as fast as a mood, with rain, wind, thunder, sunshine, and smiles from my fellow retreat folk.

Cost

The monastics hosting the retreat offered a rolling fee structure for the retreat, you could pay less or more depending on what you can afford. They also gave an option for you to sponsor one of the sisters and brothers from the Plum Village Monastery to join the retreat. I think I paid $1000 for the 5 days which included room and board with 4 roommates in dorm style accommodations.

Schedule

Morning seated meditation outside

The schedule was full but not stressful. In the mornings we started early with morning walking meditation, seated meditation, breakfast, and a dharma talk led by one of the monks on mindfulness practice in real life. In the afternoon we had lunch, dharma sharing and connection time in smaller groups, optional breakout sessions, dinner, and a final dharma talk.

Meals

All meals were vegan and we practiced noble silence while eating meals and when not in session as a group. At first it was hard to not talk during meals or to my roommates at the end of the day but I found it felt good after a day. I now find myself craving more silence in general! I was able to fit in some hikes and yoga practice between sessions here and there.

Family Invited

I loved so much about this retreat! It was a family retreat and they welcomed kids 6+ to join their parents and had programming and care for the kids sporadically throughout the retreat. They had the kids engage in some of the larger sessions and it was just the sweetest thing. It broke my heart open and turned it inside out! The kids added an irreverence that I appreciated and asked some hard questions about bullying that shook me to my core.

Background

As I mentioned above, the retreat was hosted by Plum Village, A global community of mindfulness practice centres offering retreats and teachings on engaged Buddhism and the art of mindful living, founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. I had been enjoying the podcast, The Way Out Is In, which brought me to Plum Village website, the Deer Park Monastery, and the retreat offerings.

My Benefits

Since the retreat, here are some changes I’ve felt and noticed:

The sky in Colorado was magnificent and moody

• I am reinspired in my daily meditation and yoga practice which has helped my mindset and wellbeing immensely over the last few years.

• I feel lighter, quieter, more present, softer, more loving towards my family and my own suffering, grumpy, painful moments.

• I feel very committed to practicing more skillfully with my trigger moments, conscious consumption, true love, and wellbeing.

• I am practicing mindfulness oncer per month with an online group and I’ve loved it so far.

• I had an extra long retreat hangover. I was tired from not sleeping well on the retreat and my family needed me to jump into life as soon as I returned home. It was hard to jump back into normal life a bit longer than I felt like it should take. On the same note, I did feel equipped to deal with my grumpy vibe and was able to shake it off eventually. I tried to embrace the grump.

In conclusion, I highly recommend the practice of meditation, attending a mindfulness retreat such as this one, and anything offered by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Practice Centers if you are looking for ways to find more joy, happiness, and presence in your daily life. Attending a retreat is a great way to immerse yourself into the practices of mindfulness and meditation so that you have a good foundation of understanding for practicing at home.