Arrival/Welcoming

Our opening circle will be on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM. Participants are welcome to arrive any time after 4:00 PM on Friday afternoon to set up camp. If you are planning on arriving on Saturday morning please be sure to arrive by 9:30 AM to settle in and allow us to start on time. 

 

Parking/Camping

Loving Earth Sanctuary is located on the end of a winding road through the mountains. There is plenty of parking on the property and there will be designated areas for tent camping and vehicle camping. There are no hook ups and no generators. The property is off grid and we like it that way :) We want to hear the birds and see the stars.

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Carpooling

We aim to set up opportunities for participants to carpool with each other. We are expecting people to travel south from the Bay Area/Santa Cruz and north from the Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo area. Please contact Lara on lara@wholeheartedpath.com to be informed of ride-share options. 

 

Directions

Please click here to download a document with detailed directions to Loving Earth Sanctuary. 

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Weather

We expect the days to be warm to hot during early May with light breezes, and evenings will be cool to cold. Come prepared with plenty of layers. We are not expecting rain at this time of year but if we are so blessed there is a barn on the property to stay dry in. This gathering is rain or shine!

Meals

We will provide breakfast (for those who arrived on Friday) and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast and dinner (for those staying on after 6:00 PM) on Sunday. All meals will be made from simple ingredients grown on the land, and/or locally sourced. We ask that you bring your own picnic lunches for both days along with any contributions you might like to make to our communal dinners. Water will be provided. Please bring your own coffee or tea for beverages in the mornings and evenings.

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Items To Bring
*Personal camping gear (for tent or car camping)
*Suitable clothing for sunshine, rain, and cool weather - bring layers

*Bathing suit/towel (there is a freshwater pond on the property)

*Sun hat/sun protection/sunglasses
*Box lunches and snacks for both days (water will be provided)

*Bowl/plate, cup/mug, utensils for all meals
*Camp chair/back jack/yoga mat/cushion to sit on

*Blankets for laying on the ground and keeping warm
*Flashlight (we will be gathering at the New Moon)
*Musical instruments to play around the campfire
*Personal items (toiletries, medications, first aid items, etc.)
*Journal/pen/pencil for taking notes during the weekend

* An item or items to represent your ecological grief 
*Additional donations for instructors/materials

 

Amenities

There are composting toilets and solar showers on the property. Throughout the gathering, we ask that you be aware of your personal hygiene. Please wash your hands after using the bathroom and before every meal. There is an outdoor kitchen with facilities to clean dishes and utensils. 

 

Volunteering
We may invite your help with various tasks during this retreat, with preparing meals, setting up camp, fire-tending, clean-up, etc. While volunteering is not obligatory, your participation will help our "sudden village" come together as a true community!

 

Substances

This is a substance-free space. We ask that you do not bring alcohol or non-prescription drugs of any sort. If you rely upon marijuana for medicinal reasons, please let us know in advance so that arrangements can be made to accommodate your needs.

 

Electronics

We ask that all participants abstain from using cell-phones and other electronics (except in an emergency) during this gathering. Our intention is for this gathering to be an opportunity to deepen into our ancient ways of being together and with the land. There will be some time set aside for taking photographs of our creative efforts though we ask that you do not take photographs of other participants without their permission. 

 

Liability

We will be asking all participants to sign a waiver upon arrival to Loving Earth Sanctuary to release the facilitator and hosts from any liability in case of any injury, sickness, or death experienced at this event. Please be prepared to agree to this prior to attending. 

 

Donations 

This retreat is being offered on a suggested sliding scale in the spirit of the gift economy which means that we are asking participants to offer what they are able to and from a place of natural reciprocity. This takes a great deal of trust on the part of the facilitator, the host, and the guest teachers as we have material costs and other expenses to cover. Please consider bringing some extra cash/check if you are able to offer any additional gifts.