I’ve been so lucky to host retreats at Mount Madonna. My first visit was in 2000 to attend a yoga retreat. I was pretty new to yoga and fascinated with meeting Babaji. It was at Mount Madonna somebody told me about a enlightened woman named Byron Katie. That conversation led to a radical shift in my life. I’ve attended tons of retreats at Mount Madonna such as ceremonies, Shamanic retreats and Meditation retreats.
I’m also a Massage Therapist at Mount Madonna’s Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center. It’s a wellness spa that’s on property. I usually travel from home and stay on the Mountain for a few days and see massage clients. I love working there, it feels like coming back to my spiritual home every time.
You can learn much more about the history of Mount Madonna by visiting this great presentation here.
Visiting Mount Madonna
This is the introduction to guests visiting Mount Madonna:
Here is the official welcome message that MMC sends to all guests. It includes some basic checklists. I’m making my own checklist and posting it here.
We suggest that you bring the following:
• towels for hottub
• flashlight
• warm clothing for cool nights and mornings
• comfortable clothes and shoes for a rural setting
• a swimsuit for lake swimming or hot tubbing
• water bottle
We provide shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion in all shower facilities.
Please DO NOT bring the following onto the property:
• food
• drugs
• alcohol
• pets
• incense
Food Policy: Mount Madonna Center’s food service is strictly vegetarian. Vegan (non-dairy), and non-gluten options are provided regularly.
Some extra notes on what to pack:
As our adventure gets closer I wanted to expand on the MMC packing list. Here’s a few more suggestions with some expanded info:
- Yoga clothes – There’s no laundry service on site so pack a few extra changes.
- Your own yoga mat – props will be provided, so all you need is a mat and perhaps hand towel if you sweat
- Walking shoes for walking between the event house to your campsite or housing. Optional: clean house slippers or loafers for indoors. All buildings have a no shoes policy.
- Dress in layers – Plenty of hoodies and sweaters in case it gets chilly. There is the occasional ocean fog that comes rolling in and can make the redwood trees drip morning dew (it smells amazing!)
- Flashlights – Walking between the buildings and down to the hottub at night is very dark, so bring extra batteries.
- Sleeping bags and pillows – If you’re camping I’d suggest some extra blankets and pillows. You may not use them all, but best be prepared for a chilly evening.
- Your swimsuit for the hot tub. Sorry brave folks, nudity is prohibited and and the water is chlorinated for county reasons.
- Towels – You’ll need some towels for the yoga class, showering and enjoying the hot tub.
- Bug repellent: There are many trails at MMC and in high summer there can be mosquitoes. We will NOT be taking any strenuous hikes, but there might be short walks.
- Notebook/journal and some pens – We will be doing lots of writing