A Silent Meditation Retreat in Nature

Awakening the Heart of Love: Choosing a Life of Kindness and Courage

Begins: Oct 20th, 2025

Come and immerse yourself in this spacious silent retreat dedicated to nourishing your buddhanature, the goodness that lives inside of you, the inherent life force that awakens into a life of kindness and courage. Held among the deeply peaceful and stunning setting of Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center, this retreat offers time to connect with ourselves, each other, and the natural world.

DATES:
Monday to Saturday
October 20 - 25, 2025
Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center
Near Boulder, CO

Drawing on the teachings of the Buddha, we’ll explore, practice, and integrate the foundational and transformative teachings of Insight Meditation and the four primary Brahma Viharas; lovingkindness (metta), compassion (karuna), joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha). Together, these qualities become the solid ground that support the capacity to skillfully navigate everyday life with a steady, responsive receptive mind, and a kind, courageous wise heart.

Each day includes meditation, gentle mindful movement, daily dharma talks, along with ample time to take a nap, a hike, and space for personal reflection. Small group practice discussions will be offered as further support for one’s practice, explorations, and discoveries.

Cultivating the goodness that already lives inside of you supported by the beauty and power of the natural world, is necessary medicine for our ailing world. Come join us.

ACCOMODATIONS & NOURISHMENT:
Lodging options include small single rooms, double shared rooms, and glamping, all with shared bathrooms. Choose your lodging preference with registration.

Three simple vegetarian meals a day will be provided from dinner the first day through lunch on the last day. The meals are varied, nutritious, and delicious. Please let us know about any dietary restrictions when you register.

Everyone is welcome; new and seasoned meditators, LGBTQIA+, and those of any background over the age 18.

FEES:
Meals & Lodging: $500 - $825
*Suggested Support for the Teachers: $350 - $950 offered at the conclusion of the retreat.

*Dana (pronounced "daa-nuh") is the Pali word for generosity or giving. It is the foundation of Buddhist practice, along with many other wisdom traditions, and is founded on the understanding that giving opens the heart, creates connections, and teaches letting go. The dana system is an ancient for of gift economy and reciprocity, based on open-handedness, trust in community, and the understanding that supporting teachers financially is essentail to the continuation of spiritual practice.

Details & Registration

Financial Support is available and offered by Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center. Please apply here.

CREATING COMMUNITY:
It is customary in meditation retreats for all participants to contribute to the smooth running of the retreat by offering some form of service. When you arrive, there will be a sign-up sheet so you can choose how you'd like to participate. Depending on the job, please expect to offer 15 to 45 minutes each day. We thank you in advance for your service. Your help truly matters.

Heidi Bourne is a meditation teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition and is the founder and guiding teacher of Pacific Mindfulness. She has been teaching since 2005 offering classes, series courses, nature retreats, trauma-informed and resiliency-focused professional programs, and teaches regularly for Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Heidi is especially interested in the integration of the common sense, accessible and timeless teachings of awareness, ethics, and compassion into the complexity of our everyday lives. She is known for her grounded, down-to-earth humor and presence. Heidi holds certification in mindfulness facilitation from UCLA, trauma resiliency from the Trauma Resource Institute, and is a member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. She has a background in nursing and over 35 years in small business leadership.

Heather Lear, MA was born and raised with the Dharma in a family of Insight Meditation practitioners. She studies and teaches at the intersection of heart-centered Dharma, embodiment practices including Radiant Heart Qigong and community-centered racial awakening and DEIA work, and serves as the Program Manager at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Heather is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Advanced Practitioners Program, the Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy Training, Radiant Heart Qigong Teacher Training, and Awakening Joy Teacher Training. She has served on the teaching team offering the 6-month White and Awakening in Sangha program at the East Bay Meditation Center since 2019, and is currently training in Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness (TSM) and yoga with Janet Stone.