Living Memoir: A Contemplative Writing Retreat
In 1972
Retreat Center
4k Retreats
Tuition: Discounted ($250) | Standard ($350) | Benefactor ($450)
Meals Included 
Program Details
Program Start Date & Time: September 26th | 5:30 pm
Program End Date & Time: September 28th | 4:30 pm
“When you get quiet inside, the right words come a little easier.” — Maya Angelou
Have you ever wondered where your stories come from? Are you longing to find out? Come play with these questions in the wide-open space of creativity and memory with writer/filmmaker Victress Hitchcock.
For two days, we will connect with moments in our lives through contemplation, free and prompted writing, time spent alone in nature and finding ways to use all our senses in the telling of our stories.
Living Memoir is not a guidebook on how to write a memoir. It is a journey of discovery traveling out of our thinking minds into the world of memory through feelings and images. Creative writing is a full body experience and in this retreat we will be exploring how to be fully embodied as we tell our stories. There will also be time during the two days for large and small group sharing.
No experience in writing or meditation is needed to join the gathering.
Retreat Faculty
Victress Hitchcock spent 45 years making award winning documentary and educational films including Blessings: The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet and When the Iron Bird Flies. Her memoir – A Tree with My Name on It: Finding a Way Home was published by Bold Story Press in October, 2024. Victress lives in Colorado, writing and teaching workshops. She is a […]
Victress Hitchcock
Earth Dorm (Red Feather Campus)
Earth is a (non-gendered) rustic cabin dorm with 8 beds. All cabins include electricity and heat, bedding is also provided. Guests make use of gendered bathhouses in a nearby, separate building.
Red Feather Double / One Adult
On the Red Feather Campus, a short walk from downtown, we have 3 rustic cabins (Flame, Wind, Water) These each contain five double rooms, outfitted with two twin beds. The cabins have electricity and heat, bedding is provided. Guests make use of gendered bathhouses in a nearby, separate building.
Red Feather Double / Two Adults, Whole Room
On the Red Feather Campus, a short walk from downtown, we have four rustic cabins, each named for the four elements (Flame, Wind, Water, and Earth.) The first three listed each contain five double rooms, outfitted with two twin beds. (Earth is arranged for dormitory space and not included in Red Feather Double accommodations.) The cabins have both electricity and heat. Bedding is provided. Guests make use of gendered bathhouses in a nearby, separate building.
Price in registration includes meals and lodging for two adults. Tuitions are added later.
The Great Stupa of
Dharmakaya
The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya rises above the wooded hills, standing 108 feet tall in Drala Mountain Center’s valley.
Built for Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, it is one of North America’s most significant Buddhist structures, inspiring peace and compassion.
Sacred Studies Hall
A marbled entryway leads to a sunlit hall with bamboo floors and large windows, bringing nature inside. Three breakout rooms and a kitchenette offer space for tea and snacks.
The courtyard and Zen Garden bloom with wildflowers in spring and summer, creating an elegant setting for outdoor receptions.
Check in Instructions
Registration takes place from 2 PM – 5 PM on your program start date.
At check-in, please be prepared to provide photo proof of a negative COVID-19 test with identification from within the last 24 hours.
All participants and volunteer staff must check in at our Guest Services house. Please plan for travel time in order to arrive before 5 PM to check-in and settle into your accommodations.
Guest Services closes at 5 PM, after which an after hours check-in envelope marked with your name will be placed in a basket next to the front door of Guest Services. All relevant lodging and program information will be inside the envelope, including instructions for electronically submitting proof of a negative COVID test.
Your program begins with an orientation, followed by dinner.
