Program & Site Info

Being Free in the Flow of Life offers a unique opportunity to reconnect with your true self while surrounded by the calming presence of the natural world.

This outdoor retreat is centered on teaching some powerful and practical mindfulness tools to help you stay afloat amidst life's challenges, allowing you to move freely with clarity, peace, and wisdom. Through guided practices of insight meditation you’ll learn how to stay anchored in the present moment, even as the currents of life flow around you.

Throughout the retreat, we will alternate between sitting and walking meditation. There will be dharma talks, and meetings with the teachers to support your practice.

Retreatants are expected to attend the full retreat and to maintain silence for the duration of our time together. This supportive container encourages mindfulness and insight to grow.

This retreat is appropriate for anyone interested in mindfulness or vipassanā meditation and in practicing out of doors, whether you are new to silent retreat or deepening your practice. All are welcome.

This retreat will reside at the Nest in Felton, CA. This site borders Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and is connected to many diverse trails. There is a rustic outdoor kitchen and our cook will serve 3 vegetarian meals / day along with access to snacks, tea and coffee throughout each day.

Our sliding scale lodging options include a variety of glamping and camping tents and come fully furnished. There is also a BYOTent / Van option where participants may provide their own lodging for a discounted rate. Visit our registration for more - LINK AVAILABLE JAN ‘26

Retreat Cost

Our retreat fees only cover basic costs: food, cook, site fee, administration costs, and other incidental expenses. These fees are priced on a sliding scale (based on the lodging you choose) to allow each participant to pay for what is most appropriate for themselves. We also provide a scholarship option for those who are unable to pay our lowest sliding scale fee. Visit our registration for more - LINK AVAILABLE JAN ‘26

Retreat fees do NOT include compensation for Marjolein & Tanya (time spent planning & teaching) or for Off-Grid Retreats (time spent organizing). On the final retreat day, you will be invited to share dana (AKA to donate) to the Retreat Teacher(s) and to Off-Grid Retreats.

Dana, the Pali word for generosity, has supported Buddhist cultures for 2500 years. In Asia, monks & nuns offer teaching and lay people fill their begging bowls each morning as they walk through the village on alms rounds. It is a beautiful exchange in which the hearts of both giver and receiver are opened in joy and gratitude.

Cancellation Policy

If you request a refund before February 20, 2026 we're able to provide you a full refund minus an administrative fee (less than $100). If you request a refund between February 20, 2026 and April 17, 2026, we'll provide you with a 50% refund minus an administrative fee (less than $100). If you request a refund after March 25, 2026, we're not able to provide you with any refund.

To keep the retreat as affordable as possible, our retreat fees are set to simply cover the expenses of putting on the retreat—renting the venue, compensating our cook, etc. When someone drops out, we still incur all of those expenses. For this reason, we are unable to make exceptions to our cancellation policy—even when you have a very good reason for canceling. Thank you for your understanding.

Retreat Teachers

Marjolein Janssen (pronunciation “Mar-yo-line”) began practicing insight meditation intensively in 2011, in Europe, the US, as well as Myanmar, where she was ordained as a Buddhist nun. Her deep love for the natural world and the Dhamma form the foundations for her teachings.
Her teachers include Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Andrea Fella, Susie Harrington and Gil Fronsdal. And she is currently training as a Retreat Dharma Teacher and a Nature Dharma Retreat Teacher. She is the Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Community in Virginia, leads online meditation for Insight Meditation Center in California and offers outdoor nature retreats in the US and Europe.


Tanya Wiser, LCSW SEP, teaches at Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. She works full-time as a mindfulness-based therapist, integrating her mindfulness, compassion, and somatic therapy training with insights from direct engagement with Buddhist teachings. She draws from the teachings of her Western Theravada teachers, Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella who fully authorized her as a teacher in 2025. In addition, Tanya has been guided by the teachings of Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and the Burmese Monk Sayadaw U Tejaniya. As a white, queer mother and lay practitioner, she enjoys fostering a sense of sangha (spiritual community) within a relational framework of spiritual friendship, all while living a householder's life guided by a commitment to liberation.

Marjolein and/or Tanya may lead an abbreviated retreat teaching. Email asha@offgridretreats.org for Zoom info.