FALL RETREAT 2024
Fall Retreat 2024
Wednesday, October 2nd
to Sunday, October 6th
Land of Medicine Buddha
Soquel, CA
This four-night spiritual retreat is an opportunity for us to step out of our usual patterns of doing and enter into an intentional period of silence and being. Surrounded by the beautiful redwood forest and with the support of guided and silent meditations, spiritual talks and inquiry, and intentional group sharing and dialogue we will settle deeper into our natural state of being.
This retreat is appropriate for both beginning and experienced meditators
Led by Riyaz Motan with Joryu Myosei. as supporting teacher.
Riyaz Motan
Lead Teacher
Riyaz is a spiritual guide, teacher, and former marriage and family psychotherapist. His work interweaves Western psychology & Eastern wisdom traditions to help others find freedom from suffering to awaken to their essential wholeness. Through small intimate groups and day-long or multi-day retreats, he supports others in the journey of discovering who they truly are: to uncover who and what they are at essence, and to fully embody and express this in their lives and relationships. riyazmotan.com
Joryu Myosei
Supporting Teacher
Joryu Myosei is a spiritual guide, certified mindfulness and meditation teacher (MMCP), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), and intuitive healer (MIM). She took a formal bodhisattva vow in 2011, dedicating her life to awakening for the benefit of all beings and her work to supporting awakening in others and its expression in daily life. Through retreats, spiritual gatherings, and one-to-one inquiry work with clients, she invites all to experience their deepest knowing and to live authentic, fully engaged lives with joy and purpose.
On the Fall Retreat, you’ll experience:
Periods of silent meditation
Guided meditations that invite you into the radiant simplicity of your being
Guided silent walks into the magical redwood forests
Intimate groups where you can share and receive wisdom in a safe and sacred circle
Periods of free-time to journal, walk, meditate, swim, rest and contemplate
And be invited to:
Rest the body and mind
Open to the opportunity for deep transformation and growth
Enter into a renewed sense of connection to self, nature and each other
Receive the healing effects of practicing in a sacred sangha
Reconnect to your vulnerable, neglected parts and come into more wholeness
Land of
Medicine Buddha
Land of Medicine Buddha offers a tranquil retreat setting in the Buddhist tradition of rest, renewal, and spiritual development through personal practice. The beautiful, 108-acre sanctuary is nestled in the redwoods adjacent to the Forest of Nicene Marks State Park in the Santa Cruz mountains, with miles of hiking trails, sacred sites including a gompa meditation hall, temples, three prayer wheels, and bells.
Amenities include comfortable private or shared accommodations with private baths, as well as tent platforms for camping, delicious vegetarian meals, a spacious meeting room for retreat sessions, and a sauna and spring-water fed pool for relaxing when not in session.
Retreat Agreements
The retreat agreements are designed to support contemplative practice, for ourselves and our community, and to create a safe container for all who attend. Following the agreements demonstrates our commitment to intentional practice in community, with the deep understanding of our interconnectedness during our time together.
By signing up for this retreat, each participant agrees to the following:
To attend the entire retreat. Please plan to arrive on time and to leave after the retreat ends on the final day.. Check-in is available from 4-5pm on Wed, Oct 2nd. The retreat begins at 5:30pm on Wed, Oct 2nd and ends at 1:30pm on Sun, Oct 6th .
To arrive in time to settle in and be ready for the start of practice sessions.
To maintain silence outside of intentional sharing opportunities during sessions and to follow suggested protocols when invited to share in small or large groups.
To refrain from using alcohol or recreational drugs on the day entering the retreat and at any time during the retreat.
To refrain from using screens or other outside distractions to the greatest extent possible and in the presence of other participants.