Here and Now 2026:
A Mindfulness Retreat
When: May 14-17, 2026
What: Living in the present moment for a few days with others interested in doing the same.
Capacity: 40 participants
Cost: $1950 (for single room)
Brief description:
The retreat will begin the afternoon of Thursday, 5/14, and finish after lunch on Sunday, 5/17.
The main focus will be presence.
Here are a few highlights:
Learn to quiet the mind and open the heart
Practical, simple, fluff-free mindfulness
Guided and silent meditation practices
Mindful movement practices (e.g., optional guided yoga)
Easygoing teachers with natural chemistry
Flexible opportunities for solitude and connection
Stunning views of the bay, valley, and hills
Nourishing and delicious food
A genuine reset from the pressures of everyday life
The focus of this retreat:
During our time together, we will use the following as our guide in everything we do: it is keeping you here and now or is it taking you then and there?
Our main aim will be to stay in the here and now.
When we meditate together.
When we eat.
When we speak.
When we move.
If we can stay here, the rest will take care of itself.
El Retiro Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos:
For a hundred years, El Retiro Retreat Center of Los Altos has offered a tranquil and sacred space for people to rest, reflect and connect deeply with the present moment. The property is located in the hills above Los Altos and provides an ideal location for a peaceful retreat among the sounds of nature. There are trails throughout the site and well placed resting benches offer views of the Bay, valley, and hills, ideal for a break away from the rush of daily life.
Meals:
Fresh, nutritious meals are served three times daily at El Retiro. Food plays a large role in nurturing and sustaining us in mind, body, and spirit, and the staff takes pride in nourishing guests with delicious and healthy meals during their stay. Full-meal service as well as a 24/7 beverage and snack bar are offered to guests. Meals are served cafeteria or buffet style with an 8:30am breakfast, 12:30pm lunch, and 6:30pm dinner. The kitchen can also accommodate special dietary requests with advance notice. Please note we do not maintain a gluten-free, lactose-free, or nut-free kitchen environment.
Daily schedule example:
Here is a sample daily schedule:
8:00-8:30 am: Optional Morning Meditation
8:30 am: Breakfast
9:30-11:30 am: Group Session 1 (Mindful Listening and Speaking)
12:30 pm: Lunch - 1:30 pm: Optional Mindful Movement Practice
3:30-5:30 pm: Group Session 2 (Mindful Movement)
6:30 pm: Dinner and Celebration of the Day
Importantly, any unscheduled time is still an integral part of the retreat, as we don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by the scheduled activities. The main active ingredient may simply be time and space away from the busyness of daily life, helping you recenter and reset before reengaging in daily life with a renewed and refreshed sense of self. You may also wish to bring along a creative project you’ve been meaning to give more time and energy to. This could be the perfect opportunity to allow space for your creative intuition to come through.
Daily Themes:
Day 1 - Arriving Here
You will arrive in the afternoon and settle into your living space. We will have our first group session in which you can ask any questions you might have and get acclimated to the retreat environment. We will define mindfulness as a group, create and discuss group agreements, and set intentions. Then we will close with dinner in the rotunda, which has a beautiful view as the sun sets.
Day 2 - Being Here
This is our first full day. In addition to optional morning meditation and mindful movement practices, we will have two group sessions to help deepen your experience of fully being here. See the sample full day schedule above. *At the end of this day we will drop into noble silence.
Day 3 - Living Here
We will experiment with living from the here and now through a variety of practices. There will be two formal group sessions in addition to morning meditation and mindful movement practices. See the sample full day schedule above. *During the first group session on Day 3, we will break our noble silence and begin speaking from here and now. *We will finish this day with a group celebration in which you will be invited to share with the group in any way you might like (e.g., a poem, a story, a takeaway, etc.). But this will be totally optional.
Day 4 - Here and There
We will practice the extension of this retreat into your daily life, bringing Here into there. And fortunately, then and there doesn't exist. It's only an idea. In truth, there is only here and now. We will close with a final integration group session and one last lunch. As we leave, we will bring Here with us.
If you have any questions, just email us.