Important

Many of our meditation retreats, they typically begin in the afternoon of the first scheduled day, with check-in between 1:00pm and 4:00pm. Please confirm these times with the retreat organizer of which you are attending as they are subject to change.

Arrival

Please give yourself ample time to get here and allow time to enjoy the beautiful drive.

Departure

The majority of retreats end late morning of the last scheduled day, typically no later than 11:30am. Please check your confirmation information with your specific retreat for the exact timing.

If someone you know is attending the retreat, we encourage carpooling to minimize environmental impact.

• A variety of loose, comfortable, casual, layered clothing

• Warm clothing/jackets as we are at elevation with cold nights

• Rain attire and umbrella

• Outdoor walking shoes

• Slip-on shoes and indoor slippers if you need them. No outdoor shoes are allowed in the meditation hall or cabins.

• Hat and unscented sunscreen

• Unscented bug repellent

• Flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries (our campus is quite dark at night!)

• Wristwatch or battery-operated clock, if you intend to hike and/or are camping

• Earplugs, if you’re a light sleeper

• Checkbook, cash, or credit card, for dāna contribution

• Water bottle. Filtered water is available onsite in several places. We also have water bottles available for purchase.

• Reusable thermos for hot beverages 

• Prescription medications and Epi Pen, if you require one

Optional: 

• Bathing suit and towel, if you wish to take a cold plunge in our small pool (temperature is low 40s)

• Sleeping bag or your own personal linens. Linens (towels and bed sheets), blankets, and a pillow are provided.

• Sitting cushion(s) or bench, shawl or lap blanket. If you have special sitting supports or you require a large number of pillows, consider bringing some of your own supply so there are enough cushions for everyone. The meditation hall has zafus (round sitting cushions), zabutons (floor mats), and chairs available. You may also want a sitting cushion that you can use to sit outdoors.

• Hiking shoes/poles

• Personal unscented soaps, if you prefer. We provide unscented shampoo, conditioner, and body soap in each shower.

• All technology besides phones*, including computers, tablets, and other devices (we recommend you leave them in your car). Turn off or silence all notifications on smartphones and smartwatches if you bring them.

• Printed books, ebook readers, magazines

• Intoxicants: plant, chemical, or alcohol (Please do bring your prescription medications)

• Scented personal hygiene products**

• Candles or incense

• Food and beverages (unless medically necessary) 

• Clunky jewelry, which can be noisy in the meditation hall

* Many retreats have a renunciation ceremony where you can relinquish your smartphones and smartwatches for the duration of the retreat.

** We ask that all retreatants not use chemically scented products during their time on retreat, including chemically scented shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soaps and abstain from use of perfumes and colognes. This helps those that are affected by these products in the shared spaces.

Camping at Big Springs is a delightful experience. You will be camping on a large tent platform in the forest and will have an umbrella for shade. Platforms are at least 12 x 10, and some platforms are larger.

What to know:

• A platform will be assigned to you upon arrival.

• There is a bathhouse with showers and toilets. There is an outdoor shower available (outside the bathhouse).

• Absolutely NO food, snacks, beverages, or scented things that might attract bears or other creatures to your tent  A whistle and bear repellant will be provided.

• Absolutely NO smoking of any kind at camp platform. Smoking is only allowed at designated site by parking lot.

What to bring:

• Tent, sleeping pad, pillow and sleeping bag/bedding. Bring extra blankets as temperatures can drop significantly at night.

• Bath towel, washcloth, and personal toiletries. We have unscented shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion available for campers in the bathhouse.

• A battery-operated clock or wristwatch with an alarm

• Headlamp or flashlight will be needed since there is no trail lighting to the platforms