Retreat Program Overview
During this multi-day silent retreat you will be guided to cultivate mindfulness in a natural progression with an emphasis on continuity of awareness in nature.
This nature-based retreat will explore the Four Foundations of Mindfulness with an emphasis on understanding “how to practice” as taught by Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Instructions will emphasize the teachings on view, attitude and qualities of mind that support a relaxed and alert continuity of awareness throughout all activities. Through the development of a sustained and kind awareness we come to meet ourselves and the world with presence, ease and wisdom.
The retreat will follow an open schedule with most practice time outside in nature. It will include formal guided practice sessions, dharma talks and teacher meetings; and retreatants will enjoy the opportunity to follow their own rhythm of being aware during the day, learning to trust their capacity to be interested in awareness in all activities.
This retreat will offer a particular style of practice and we ask that you are open to exploring the teachings as they are being offered. As we will be outdoors for much of the retreat, please be prepared with layers and outdoor gear.
The retreat is suitable for beginners as well as experienced meditators.
Retreat Site & Lodging
This retreat will reside at Shelterwood Collective, a Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ-led community forest and retreat center. Comprised of 900+ acres, Shelterwood Collective is nestled above the Russian River in Sonoma County, CA, on Unceded Kashaya and Southern Pomo territory.
The majority of retreat practice will take place outdoors. There many gathering spaces in nature near camp. There is a loop trail that starts / ends at camp too. This trail is 3 miles on gravel and takes about 1.5 hours. There is another hike up to a natural clearing that looks out on neighboring ridgetops and a couple that meader along the creek. All of the hikes all require decent mobility. For more accessible paths, individuals are able to walk around camp and/or along the winding path for cars.
There are a couple lodges and a few smaller cabins that surround the camping meadow at Shelterwood. Each building has a fireplace, wood stove or portable electric heaters. And there are hot showers (indoors & out!) along with ADA accessible bathrooms. Participants in glamping and camping tents will need to walk to access bathrooms (less than 1 minute away).
Inside the Main Lodge, there is a commercial kitchen and a spacious meditation hall. Starting with dinner, we’ll enjoy 3 vegetarian meals / day along with access to snacks, tea and coffee throughout each day. The meditation hall faces large sliding glass doors that connect the space to the outdoors. If need be or after the sun sets, practice may be held indoors here. During nature retreats, weather and temperatures vary so we also provide a packing list to ensure comfort and safety.
Our sliding scale lodging options are listed below. Unless specified otherwise, lodging is all inclusive with a bed, bed frame, bedding and pillow. Visit our registration for more - Available Feb '26
Fully private single cabins with bathroom & kitchenette
Single bedrooms in shared cabins with bathroom & kitchenette
Single pre-built glamping bell tents (w/ elevated cot, sleeping pad, sleeping bag and pillow)
Twin bed in large shared bunk-room with bathroom (up to 3 ppl / room)
Twin bed in large shared bunk-room (up to 4 ppl / room)
BYOTents or Vans (participants to bring their own sleeping amenities - cot, pad, sleeping bag and pillow)
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 - Available Feb '26
Retreat fees do NOT include compensation for Dave (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 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 May 28, 2026 we're able to provide you a full refund minus an administrative fee (less than $100). If you request a refund between May 28, 2026 and August 28, 2026, we'll provide you with a 50% refund minus an administrative fee (less than $100). We’re unable to provide refunds after August 28, 2026.
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 retreat staff, 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 Teacher
For nearly 30 years, Dave Smith has held a practice rooted in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition. He was empowered to teach through the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. And he is a certified teacher for Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB), which is combines contemporary emotion based scientific research with contemplative practices and psychology drawn from Buddhism. He also studied Buddhist psychology at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS).
In August, Dave may lead an abbreviated retreat teaching and Q&A over Zoom. If you’re interested, email asha@offgridretreats.org.