Beneath the forest floor, an ancient conversation unfolds. Delicate threads of mycelium weave through the earth, nourishing the forest through an unseen web of relationship. This remarkable living network offers a powerful invitation to rediscover a truth at the heart of Buddhist practice: beneath our habitual sense of separation lies an indivisible field of awareness and belonging.
Through meditation, silent practice, Dharma teachings, contemplative time in nature, and shared inquiry, this weeklong retreat explores the Dzogchen view that awakening is not something we attain but something we recognize. As we slow down and attune to the rhythms of the natural world, we begin to soften the boundaries between self and other, discovering the innate openness, clarity, and compassion that have always been present.
The great Dzogchen masters often speak of awakening as recognition rather than attainment. Nothing new is added. Nothing essential is acquired. Instead, we simply cease overlooking what has always been present. This retreat is an invitation into that recognition. To discover that awareness is not confined within us, but that we live within awareness. To experience the earth not as scenery but as kin. To rediscover ourselves as participants in an immeasurably ancient conversation that began long before we arrived and will continue long after we are gone. Like the hidden mycelium beneath the forest floor, this living field quietly sustains every moment of our lives. To remember it is to rediscover our original belonging.
Inspired by the wisdom of the forest, we will explore meditation as a process of remembering our place within the living world—not as separate observers, but as intimate participants in its unfolding mystery. Together, we will cultivate presence, deepen our connection to nature, and awaken to the living field that has always sustained us.
Program Format: This retreat will include: periods of silent sitting, contemplative practices in nature, Dharma teachings, shared inquiry, and larger group discussions.