About this Retreat
The Buddha once compared his teachings to a raft. A traveler reaches a wide river with no bridge, ties branches together, and paddles across. On the far bank, he doesn’t carry the raft on his head for the rest of the journey. The raft was for crossing. Many of us come to Buddhism mid-crossing, when a belief, a role, or an old answer has stopped holding.
This four-day retreat is a friendly introduction to that raft. In the mountains of northern Colorado, you explore the core teachings in plain language: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Five Precepts, and the Five Remembrances. You learn to meditate from the ground up, with a new technique each day. Sessions blend teaching, guided meditation, small group conversation, and walks on the land.
No experience is needed, and you don’t need to become a Buddhist. You can use what you learn to be a better whatever you already are. On the final day, an optional refuge ceremony welcomes anyone who wants to formally begin the path. You go home with a map of the path, a practice you can keep, and a simple reminder: wake up, be kind.
