Calendar

JANUARY
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

January 11
Day Of Mindfulness

The richness of present moment experience is the richness of life itself. Too often we let our thinking… about what we “know”prevent us from seeing things as they really are. Jon Kabat-Zinn

Join us in a day of contemplation and stillness. Included are practices of mindful breathing, walking meditation, creative expression, sharing of insights and reflections on the day. A meal in silence is enjoyed

Time: 9:30am – 3pm
Fee: $35 Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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January 16
Monthly (dvd) Series: Cultivating Consciousness and Community
Masks of Eternity

Exploring concepts of God, religion and eternity, with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers. View the video and enter into engaging and possibly transforming conversation and reflection.

Time: 2:00 – 4:30pm
Suggested Donation: $15 - $20
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

FEBRUARY
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

February 6
RUNECRAFT: Using the Runes as a Tool for Self-Counseling.

The Viking Runes are an ancient oracle that may be used to access the wisdom of the “still small voice within”.

This one day workshop with Bronwyn Jones has been designed to assist you in gaining greater clarity while working with the Runes and interpreting their counsel in relation to yourself and others. Equally suitable for experts and beginners, the focus of the workshop will be to develop and enhance your personal oracular ability through hands-on practice, individual attention, and group sharing.

Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Fee: $50 (includes lunch)
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email

Facilitator: Bronwyn Jones has been writing and teaching about the Runes since 1981. She is the editor of The Book of Runes, RunePlay, RuneCards, and The Little Book of Runic Wisdom, by Ralph Blum. She co-authored The Serenity Runes with Ralph Blum & Susan Loughan, and Relationship Runes with Ralph Blum. Books will be available for purchase at the time of the workshop.

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February 8
Day of Mindfulness

Mindfulness arises from awareness of each moment. Mindfulness carries no judgment nor blame. Just awareness, Just that!

Join us in a day of contemplation and stillness. Included are practices of mindful breathing, walking meditation, creative expression, sharing of insights and reflections on the day. A meal in silence is enjoyed.

Time: 9:30am – 3pm
Fee: $35 Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email

MARCH
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

March 6 (see also April 3, May 1)
Spirituality Book Club gathers to read
ReClaiming Spirituality (1st session)

The spiritual story of humanity is at least 70,000 years old. By comparison, the formal religions have existed for a mere 4,500 years. Spirituality is, and perhaps always has been, more central to human experience than religion.
--Diarmuid O’Murchu

Just how different is spirituality from religion? The author, Diarmuid O’Murchu begins to unearth the growing spiritual consciousness that is irrupting in our world today. Come join us as we engage the spiritual renaissance of our time as an alternative to religious fanaticism and religious indifference. The group will meet March 6, April 3 and May l.

Facilitators: Margaret Mary Leusch and Karin Obermeier
Dates: March 6, April 3 and May 1(First Saturday of the month)
Time: 10am – 12pm
Donations appreciated to cover utilities
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email

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March 8
Day of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is an adventure in healing and transformation…it involves holding experience in awareness…even when you feel momentarily discouraged, overwhelmed or frightened.
-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Join us in a day of contemplation and stillness. Included are practices of mindful breathing, walking meditation, creative expression, sharing of insights and reflections on the day. A meal in silence is enjoyed.

Time: 9:30am – 3pm
Fee: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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March 11
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

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March 18
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

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March 21
Spring Equinox ~ A Community Celebration

The human role is to enter into the celebration of the universe. That’s the primary thing. To have lost that celebrator experience is to lose everything that makes life worthwhile.
-- Thomas Berry

Springtime helps us to identify with Earth and to notice our new beginnings, our re-births. This newness may come as a fresh idea, as a dream now taking form, or as a still hidden seed of new life. Vernal Equinox is a time of equal light and darkness holding all life in the balance. Join with Local Color and Spirit Mountain Retreat as we celebrate the coming of Spring and listen for the rising of the sap and the softening of the soil. Bring a treat to share.

Date: Sunday March 21
Time: 3:00 – 5:00pm
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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March 25
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

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March 26 – 28
A Silent Retreat ~ Taking Refuge in the Embrace of Quiet

Silence is unceasing eloquence --Ramana Maharshi

In stillness the mind slows down, the heart begins to speak, the body listens and the soul awakens to a deeper truth. Acceptance, of who we are and who we are becoming, opens a portal for us to see and cherish the truth and mystery of our very being and to experience a deeper Oneness with the Divine Presence.

The retreat day will begin with meditation, a mini-reflection, walking meditation, and close with an evening contemplative prayer and blessing. There will be group sharing in the late afternoon for those who wish. Meals will be enjoyed in silence.

Time: Friday 7pm – Sunday 12:00pm
Arrival Time: Friday after 3pm, supper is on your own.
Fee: $250 includes retreat, private room at Spirit Mountain and meals
Commuter Fee: $125 for retreat and meals
Deposit: $50 by March 1st (Retreat limited to 7 Participants)
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

Esther has a deep appreciation for living mindfully and contemplatively. Surrounded by the beauty and energy of the natural world she is learning to live in the present moment with acceptance and equanimity. Esther is director of Spirit Mountain Retreat.

APRIL
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

April 1
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

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April 3 (see also May 1)
Spirituality Book Club gathers to read
ReClaiming Spirituality (2nd session)

The spiritual story of humanity is at least 70,000 years old. By comparison, the formal religions have existed for a mere 4,500 years. Spirituality is, and perhaps always has been, more central to human experience than religion.
--Diarmuid O’Murchu

Just how different is spirituality from religion? The author, Diarmuid O’Murchu begins to unearth the growing spiritual consciousness that is irrupting in our world today. Come join us as we engage the spiritual renaissance of our time as an alternative to religious fanaticism and religious indifference.

Facilitators: Margaret Mary Leusch and Karin Obermeier
Dates: April 3 and May 1
Time: 10am – 12pm
Donations appreciated to cover utilities
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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April 8
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

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April 10
Writing from the Deep Heart Retreat

How do we unlock meanings from what we hear and read? So often we depend totally upon our minds to give us those meanings. But our hearts are wiser. In this workshop we’ll use Sufi meditation practices to help us plumb the depths of meanings in what we read and hear with the ears of our hearts.

How does the process of writing help in the exploration of meanings; how can our hearts help us to find the right words? Once again, Sufi meditation practices can help us.

These meditation and writing techniques can be an aid in any writing project: personal journaling, letter writing, student papers.

Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Fee: $ 50 (includes lunch)
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

Facilitator: This workshop will be led by Mary (Hasna) Ber, M.A. a Sufi for over four years and a writing teacher for fifty years. Mary has taught basic writing, academic writing, and creative writing to all age groups. She currently teaches at Pima Northwest Community College in Tucson, Arizona, and is affiliated with the Hearts At Peace Sufi Center there.

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April 12
Day of Mindfulness

One challenge of living mindfully is to be in touch with the natural rhythms of our own life unfolding…with great tenderness and respect.
-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Join us in a day of contemplation and stillness. Included are practices of mindful breathing, walking meditation, creative expression, sharing of insights and reflections on the day. A meal in silence is enjoyed.

Time: 9:30am – 3pm
Fee: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email

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April 15
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

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April 17
Monthly (dvd) Series: Cultivating Consciousness and Community
Suzuki Speaks: Earth+Air+Fire+Water=Life (DVD)

A New Perspective on Global Change with Renowned Scientist David Suzuki

In a time when people are thirsty for honesty, inspiration , meaning and global change comes renowned scientist and visionary, Dr. David Suzuki. This presentation will leave you feeling renewed, challenged, and alive. Drawing upon ancient wisdom, Suzuki Speaks offers a new perspective on what it means to be fully human in our interconnected universe.

Time: 2:00 – 4:30pm
Suggested Donation: $15 - $20
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email

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April 22
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

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April 24
"Changing the Dream-Awakening the Dreamer" Symposium
Sponsored by Spirit Mountain Retreat and Sustainable Idyllwild

The Symposium has done much to ferment Blessed Unrest, it is a powerful contributor to the worldwide movement for social change.
-- Paul Hawken

Through dynamic group interactions, leading edge information, and inspiring multimedia, participants of this half-day event are inspired to reconnect with their deep concern for our world, and are empowered to make a difference.

Designed with the collaboration of some of the finest scientific, indigenous and activist minds in the world, the Symposium explores the current state of our planet from a new perspective, and connects participants with a powerful global movement to reclaim our future.

It is an exploration of four questions

• Where Are We? – an examination of the state of environmental, social and personal well-being
  
  
• How did We Get Here? – tracing the root causes that lead to our current imbalance
  
  
• What’s Possible for the Future? – discovering new ways of relating with each other, with the Earth and looking at the emerging Movement for change
  
  
• Where Do We Go from Here? – considering the stand we want to be in the world and our personal and collective impact

If you are ready to be disturbed, inspired and moved to action, and to be introduced to a thriving community of committed cohorts, then join us in exploring the most critical concerns of our times, and discover new opportunities to make a real difference in accelerating the emergence of an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet!

Facilitators: Jean Edwards, Fotine Fahouris and Esther Kennedy
Date: April 24
No Charge
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

Time: 9:30 – 4pm (includes lunch…bring a dish to share)
Place: Caine Learning Center
54385 Pinecrest St.
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Registration required for the preparation of materials.
Call 951-659-2523 or email

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April 29
Living Through Transition and Loss
Thursday Morning Series - March 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Through the mystery of this inner work darkness is transformed into light.

This is a program designed for members of our community who are going through loss and transition in their lives. The loss may be serious illness, relationship challenges due to divorce or separation, the death of a loved one or a financial crisis. We will provide support and guidance for those grieving and living through these losses. Tools of coping that lead to awareness, acceptance and a more wholesome sense of well being will be offered. Pain, suffering and fear need not be permanent. It is possible to transform these darker emotions into hope and a new chapter of one’s life.

Day and Time: Thursday Morning 10am – 12pm
No Charge, program is free to every participant
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy MSW.
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email
This program is partially funded through the generosity of the Idyllwild Community Fund.

MAY
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

May 1
Spirituality Book Club gathers to read
ReClaiming Spirituality (3rd session)

The spiritual story of humanity is at least 70,000 years old. By comparison, the formal religions have existed for a mere 4,500 years. Spirituality is, and perhaps always has been, more central to human experience than religion. Diarmuid O’Murchu

Just how different is spirituality from religion? The author, Diarmuid O’Murchu begins to unearth the growing spiritual consciousness that is irrupting in our world today. Come join us as we engage the spiritual renaissance of our time as an alternative to religious fanaticism and religious indifference.

Facilitators: Margaret Mary Leusch and Karin Obermeier
Dates: May 1
Time: 10am – 12pm
Donations appreciated to cover utilities
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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May 10
Day of Mindfulness

It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself.
-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Join us in a day of contemplation and stillness. Included are practices of mindful breathing, walking meditation, creative expression, sharing of insights and reflections on the day. A meal in silence is enjoyed.

Time: 9:30am – 3pm
Fee: $35 Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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May 15
Deep Listening: Connecting with Your Spirit & the Spirit of Earth
with Miriam Lelah Moussaioff

“Our souls’ journey is part of the journey of the whole of creation. Our heart is connected to the heart of the world. Our remembrance is the remembrance of the world. Through our awakening the world can awaken.”
--Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

This workshop is an opportunity to connect to your whole self—body, mind, spirit—by listening deeply and opening to intuitive guidance. Together we will attune our energy to the unfolding energies of the earth. Listening to our intuition brings us into contact with our essential being or true self. From this place of deep connection with ourselves, we naturally come into a place of unity/oneness with Being. From this place we can offer healing to our selves, to Earth and to all beings.

With the gentle support of the circle and the healing energies of the land, we will use meditation, self-healing and energy awareness practices to access intuitive wisdom and deepen presence .

Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Fee: $65 (includes lunch) Deposit $30 due May 1st.
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email
Participation limited to 13 members. Individual Intuitive Readings can be scheduled with Miriam.

Miriam Lelah Moussaioff is a Professional Intuitive and Rosen Bodywork Practitioner with a Masters in Intuition Medicine. Miriam teaches classes in intuitive development and maintains a private practice in Berkeley, California. She has been teaching workshops at Spirit Mountain Retreat in Idyllwild since 1995. Miriam brings a compassionate, body-centered approach to her work.

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May 22
Monthly (dvd) Series: Goddess Remembered

A dynamic documentary on 35,000 years of “pre-history,” on the values of ancestors only recently remembered, and on the Goddess-Worshipping religions of the ancient past. This remarkable story links the loss of Goddess-centered societies with today’s environmental crisis. A film which is not only intellectually and visually stimulating, but which culminates in a dynamic experience…female and human… of the Spirit. Part One of Women and Spirituality – The Goddess Trilogy.

Time: 2:00 – 4:30pm
Suggested Donation: $15 - $20
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

JUNE
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

June 12-14
Writer’s Retreat: Writing in the New Consciousness

What might be the most exciting terrain you encounter in this writing is happening now. It is the emergence of your very own voice.
-- Katya Williamson

Come home to what awakens you, to what makes you become more alive in your creativity. This retreat is a way for you “to bring your soul back home” and to let your authentic voice emerge more fully. In the contemplative oasis of Spirit Mountain Retreat and jubilant summer landscape, spend time in meditative writing outdoors, near special nature spots of Idyllwild including creeks, and lofty pines that will give new dimensions and depth to your writing. The retreat is designed for both beginning and advanced writers. Exercises will be offered in this retreat geared to stimulate new writing talents, skills and insight for participants.This is enhanced by a supportive group setting of like-minded writers who will also be attending the retreat.

Date: June 12-14
Time: Friday 7pm – Sunday 12:30p,
Arrival Time: Friday after 3pm, supper is on your own.
Fee: $250 includes retreat, private room at Spirit Mountain and meals
Commuter Fee: $150 for retreat and meals
Deposit: $50 by May 1 (Retreat limited to 14 Participants)

Facilitator:
Katya Williamson, MFA, realized she could help excite and stimulate creativity in students ‘writing when she was a writer-in-residence at Yellowstone National Park. It was there that her passion for writing and guiding other in writing was sparked. Katya, has led empowering writing workshops for women in England, United Sates and Hawaii and has authored a number of books, most recently Bringing the Soul Back Home: Writing in the New Consciousness published by O Books, UK, 2009.

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June 19
Monthly (dvd) Series: Visions of a Universal Humanity

“Without vision, the people perish…with vision we flourish.”

Futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard brings together some of the finest minds of our time to reveal a positive future for humanity, filled with infinite possibilities. The times in which we live call us to participate in the act of co-creation and to move into a spirit of cooperation with all who share this planet. (DVD)

Time: 2:00 – 4:30pm
Suggested Donation: $15 -$20
Registration: Call 951-659-2523

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June 21
Summer Solstice Celebration

Solstice, we call it, is when the earth begins to swing back on its Trunnions and the longest daylight of the year is at hand. It is the time when the sun rises to the height of its power. No form of life can exist without a source of nourishment and for life on Earth, that source is the Sun. Join with Local Color and Spirit Mountain Retreat as we give thanks and to celebrate life, that life may continue.

Time: 3 - 5 pm

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June 26
Sacred Spaces ~ Sacred Faces: Art Retreat with Anne Kellogg

We will take time to go deeply into our sacred innerspace. Through meditation and time in the garden, we will come to know the nature spirits who accompany us in this journey of transformation. We will draw upon our imagination and playfulness to create our sacred faces.

We will then fill our sacred place with writing, dance, song and play. The ancient sacred ones love to be entertained and so do we! Join in a day of great spirit and depth.

Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Fee: $65 (includes lunch) Deposit $30 due May 1st.
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email
Facilitator: Anne Kellogg returns to Spirit Mountain with great enthusiasm for art and its power to guide the inner journey. She has a private practice and continues to engage in her own creative art. Ann lives with her husband in San Luis Obispo, CA.

JULY
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

July 12
Day Of Mindfulness

Join us in a day of contemplation and stillness. Included are practices of mindful breathing, walking meditation, creative expression, sharing of insights and reflections on the day. A meal in silence is enjoyed.

Time: 9:30am – 3pm
Fee: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call: 951-659-2523 or email

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July 24
Monthly (dvd) Series: The Great Story ~The Dream of the Earth

The film opens displaying the beauty of the natural world as Thomas Berry unfolds the cosmic story of creation. At the heart of the film is Berry’s experience of the universe as sacred story. A pioneer in the field of spirituality and ecology, he reminds us that we are not a collection of objects but a communion of subjects. For Thomas, the mountains, rivers, birds, fish, all living organisms are not there for our use but for a union which is needed for us to become who we are.

Time: 2:00 – 4:30pm
Suggested Donation: $15 -$20
Registration: Call 951-659-2523