Regenerative Gardening & Meditation Retreat
Do you long to live in harmony with nature and feel more connected to the land?
This program is designed for folks who have a passion for fresh healthy food and learning regenerative gardening. In this program, we hope to bring together people who are looking for strategies to live sustainably and who want to find ways to personally tackle our climate crisis.
What is Regenerative Gardening?
Regenerative gardening is a holistic approach that aims to not only sustain but improve the health and resilience of our natural ecosystems. It focuses on the interconnections between soil, plants, animals, and humans. By working with the rhythms of nature rather than against them, regenerative gardening creates a self-sustaining cycle that benefits both the environment and the gardener. This approach not only produces healthy and delicious food, but also helps to mitigate climate change.
Learn Hands-On Regenerative Gardening Practices
The Karmê Chöling Garden and surrounding landscape will serve as an ideal environment for our discussions and contemplations. You’ll receive on-site organic gardening presentations with time for discussions. We will provide hands-on practices so you can incorporate Regenerative Methods into your own gardening. We’ll cover strategies for regenerative gardening that include:
- Cover crops and mulch for soil building
- How to build fertile soil with the help of biology and soil amendments.
- Wildflower plantings
- Seeding, planting, composting, and harvesting.
We will also explore:
- Natural dyeing techniques
- Foraging
- Identifying native wild species.
Daily Meditation and Contemplation in Nature
During the program, you will have the opportunity to explore ways to enhance the resiliency and beauty of our environment and connect with our senses. Daily meditation and contemplations in the garden and forest will be provided to help you cultivate a deeper connection with nature.
Daily Program Schedule
The mornings will begin with meditation and mindful body practices such as qi gong. Each day will include a didactic presentation and discussions on a topic of regenerative gardening. There will then be hands-on work periods in the garden, where you will learn about irrigation, harvest, seed-sowing, weeding, cover-cropping, and working with compost.
Explore Nature and Enjoy Leisure Time
In addition to our work in the garden, we will schedule time to explore the forest, meadows, streams, and pond at Karmê Chöling. You will go on hikes, learn about foraging native species, and practice natural dyeing techniques with plants grown in the garden. There will also be time for swimming in a nearby lake, enjoying conversations on the front porch, and reading books and articles from a lending library that the teachers have assembled specifically for this program. Evenings may include bonfires or opportunities to watch films on regenerative practices in agriculture, soil management, and the environment.
Acknowledging the Abenaki Tribe
At Karmê Chöling we acknowledge that, although the land we live on now is known as Vermont, it was originally inhabited by the Abenaki people. The Abenaki Tribe used the land’s abundance for thousands of years before it became a dairy and sheep farm.
Join us to learn how to live in harmony with nature and cultivate a sustainable lifestyle.
Arrival & Departure
Please plan to arrive between 3 and 6 p.m. EDT, on Saturday, August 12th, 2023 in order to register and settle in for the program.
Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m.
The opening session will be at 7:30pm.
Saturday, August 19th, is a departure day. You may leave at any time.
Pricing
Prices to be determined
Please Note:
Price does not include accommodations, which will be added during the registration process.
Policies
Payment Policies:
Please read the payment policy before proceeding with registration.
Financial Aid:
Karmê Chöling offers full-time student discounts, scholarships and other financial aid.
Program Credit:
If using existing program credit to pay for a program, you must pre-register for this program at least two weeks prior to the program start date by calling the front desk (802-633-2384 x3000). Program credit may not be used to pay for housing or practice materials and may not be used on or after arrival day.
Instructors
Jan Enthoven, Master Gardener, descends from a long line of Dutch fruit and vegetable growers. Interested in organic farming since childhood, Mr. Enthoven visited renowned Buddhist farmer-philosopher, Masanobu Fukuoka during his travels through Asia in 1982. Inspired by Mr. Fukuoka’s approach, Jan embraced ecological farming methods, and his farm became organically certified in 1983.
Drawn to the Shambhala teachings, Jan visited Karmê Chöling in 1988. Delighted by the people and landscape of Vermont, he agreed to be Karmê Chöling’s master gardener. Since that time, Jan’s organic garden has drawn thousands of visitors, and Jan has mentored many garden enthusiasts. He teaches garden internships for new and experienced gardeners and has written articles for newspapers and magazines.
Donna Williams has taught in the Shambhala tradition for many years. Presently she is developing a Contemplative Ecology program which compliments her appreciation and enjoyment of the forests and mountains of her home in Vermont. For the past 12 years she has spent time in Santiago and Copiapo, Chile teaching and staffing programs. Her interests include gardening and growing native dye plants and practicing Shibori (a Japanese inspired textile art). Her 3 grown children live in the West and she hopes to spend more time “out” there.
Instructors:
Jan Enthoven
Donna Williams
Date & Time Details:
Location:
On-Land
Program Fee:
Tuition - $
Room/Meals Fee:
This will be added in during the registration process.
View accommodations
Heart Gift:
Donation gift to the teacher.
Make a heart gift
Wellness Update:
Read our Wellness Policy
Contact Us:
Karmê Chöling
(802) 633-2384
info@karmecholing.org
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