Calendar

FEBRUARY
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

February 11
Day of Mindfulness ~ Awakening the Heart

Our own suffering, if we turn toward it, can open us
to a loving relationship with the world.
-- Pema Chodron

Mindfulness practice helps us look at life with open and receptive awareness. It can bring a lovely clarity of how, as we cling to past and future, we miss the mystery of the present moment. As we sit mindfully our sorrows and fears often arise and with our breath we can soften these thoughts and feelings and come to understand our suffering. This brings us to acceptance which allows us to relax and open to the reality as it is. Acceptance is a courageous step in the process of transformation. When we live in this way, our heart expands and rests in the river of compassion and loving kindness.

Share in a day of contemplative stillness, mindfulness practice, and soulful sharing. Lunch is enjoyed in silence.

Date: Monday, February 11
Time: 9:30 am – 3pm. (lunch included)
Suggested Donation: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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February 17, February 24 (see dates in March and April below)
Sunday Afternoon Series with Joseph Campbell
~ Engage your Mind, Expand your World (dvd)

The material of myth is the material of our life, the material of our body, and the material of our environment. A living, vital mythology deals with these.
-- Joseph Campbell.

During the final years of his life, Joseph Campbell embarked on a lecture tour in which he drew together all that he had learned about what he called the “one great story” of humanity. In a three part MYTHOS series, hosted by Susan Sarandon, he explores The Shaping of Our Mythic Tradition, The Eastern Tradition, and The Western Tradition.

MYTHOS 1 - The Shaping of our Mythic Tradition
Dates: Sunday afternoon, February 17, February 24, March 10
Time: 2:00- 4:30pm
February 17, Psyche and Symbol, The Spirit of Land
February 24, On Being Human, From Goddesses to God
March 10, The Mystical Life

MYTHOS II - The Shaping of the Eastern Tradition
Dates: Sunday afternoon, March 24, April 7, April 21
Time: 2:00- 4:30pm
March 24, The Inward Path, Enlightened One
April 7, Our Eternal Selves (Yoga and Transcendence), The Way to Illumination
April 21, The Experience of God

MYTHOS III
Schedule to be announced

Please RSVP Call 951-659-2523
Donations Appreciated

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February 23
Exploring the Heart of Prayer: Just what is Prayer? What does it mean to pray?

Praying is a multiple and diverse form of contact with our deepest reality...
with our deepest fears and desires.
-- Ivone Gebara

During our retreat day we will explore our experience of prayer and follow two strands of thought presented by Jean Denomme in her book Where is this God of Yours? First, what does evolutionary theology suggest to us about God and personal prayer? Do we believe that God intervenes in our lives when asked in prayer to do so? Second, what does the desire to pray reveal about us as human beings?

Date: Saturday February 23
Time: 10 – 4pm
Fee: $60 includes lunch
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration:Call 951-659-2523 or email

Facilitator: Esther Kennedy, reflecting upon her own experience, is acutely aware of how her understanding of prayer has changed. Yet she prays with an open heart and realizes that this Divine Presence to whom she prays is vast, inexplicable and holy mystery. Esther is Director of Spirit Mountain Retreat.

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MARCH
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

March 2 - 3
Dream Journey to Inner Wisdom
A dream that has not been listened to is like a letter that has not been opened.
-- Talmud

Every night we travel in dreams to the deepest and most soulful part of ourselves. Through dreams we tap into our own inner wisdom and guidance from Spirit.

In this workshop we will:

• uncover the universal language of dreams and discover that dreams come in the service of health and wholeness
• learn ways to remember and record our dreams
• learn principles for working with dreams in groups safely, responsibly, and compassionately

A large portion of the workshop will be devoted to exploring the rich world of dreams through group dream work, so please bring your dreams to share. Download flyer (pdf)

Date: March 2 - 3
Time: Saturday, 9:30 – 4:30pm & 7:00-8:30pm
Sunday, 9:30 – 12:30pm
Fee: $225 includes program, Saturday meals, Sunday breakfast, and private room Saturday night at Spirit Mountain Retreat (Overnight accommodations for three individuals)
Commuters: $150 for program and meals.
Deposit $50 by February 2, 2013
( Limited to 12 participants, register early)
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

Facilitator: Janet Beach is a Certified Dream Work Practitioner and trained with Dr. Jeremy Taylor, world-renowned dream work teacher and author. She received certification from Dr. Taylor’s Marin Institute for Projective Dream Work. In addition, Janet holds a BA in Behavioral Science, and an MA in Research & Evaluation. She is a member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

Testimonials:

Janet uses her gift of intuition and depth of understanding of mythology and religion to guide through a dream's meaning... I have worked with her in both groups, and on an individual basis, and she is truly a gifted dream worker.
-- Yvonne B. individual client and dream group participant

I have known & worked with Janet for several years. In that time, I have watched her grow & develop into a first class dream worker – skilled, sensitive, intuitive, gentle, energetic, insightful, kind, & creative… In my view, the opportunity to work with her is not to be missed!
-- Reverend Jeremy Taylor, D.Min. Co-founder and Past President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, Founder-Director of the Marin Institute for Projective Dream Work.

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March 10, March 24 (see dates in April below)
Sunday Afternoon Series with Joseph Campbell
~ Engage your Mind, Expand your World (dvd)

The material of myth is the material of our life, the material of our body, and the material of our environment. A living, vital mythology deals with these.
-- Joseph Campbell.

During the final years of his life, Joseph Campbell embarked on a lecture tour in which he drew together all that he had learned about what he called the “one great story” of humanity. In a three part MYTHOS series, hosted by Susan Sarandon, he explores The Shaping of Our Mythic Tradition, The Eastern Tradition, and The Western Tradition.

MYTHOS 1 - The Shaping of our Mythic Tradition
Dates: Sunday afternoon, February 17, February 24, March 10
Time: 2:00- 4:30pm
February 17, Psyche and Symbol, The Spirit of Land
February 24, On Being Human, From Goddesses to God
March 10, The Mystical Life

MYTHOS II - The Shaping of the Eastern Tradition
Dates: Sunday afternoon, March 24, April 7, April 21
Time: 2:00- 4:30pm
March 24, The Inward Path, Enlightened One
April 7, Our Eternal Selves (Yoga and Transcendence), The Way to Illumination
April 21, The Experience of God

MYTHOS III
Schedule to be announced

Please RSVP Call 951-659-2523
Donations Appreciated

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March 11
Day of Mindfulness ~ Awakening the Heart

When we see difficult circumstances as a chance to grow in courage, wisdom, in patience and kindness, then our personal distress can connect us with the discomfort and unhappiness of others.
-- Pema Chodron

Mindfulness practice helps us look at life with open and receptive awareness. It can bring a lovely clarity of how, as we cling to past and future, we miss the mystery of the present moment. As we sit mindfully our sorrows and fears often arise and with our breath we can soften these thoughts and feelings and come to understand our suffering. This brings us to acceptance which allows us to relax and open to the reality as it is. Acceptance is a courageous step in the process of transformation. When we live in this way, our heart expands and rests in the river of compassion and loving kindness.

Share in a day of contemplative stillness, mindfulness practice, and soulful sharing. Lunch is enjoyed in silence.

Date: Monday, March 11
Time: 9:30 am – 3pm. (lunch included)
Suggested Donation: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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March 16
Spring Equinox Ritual Celebration

May we find and celebrate the inner presence of Love that binds all creatures, humans, trees, plants, sun, moon and stars into one sacred earth community.
-- Carolyn Tobin

The seeds of this Love are everywhere. Spring Equinox is a story of transformation of ourselves and of the earth, for the two are inextricably interwoven. It is a season, like all seasons, of relationship. In spring we witness the relationship of sun to earth, of the old dying away and the new rising from the dark soil, of balance between light and dark, inner and outer.

Join with Local Color and the Idyllwild Community as we awaken once again to a sense of the sacred.

Date: Saturday, March 16
Time: 4 – 5pm Caine Learning Center 54385
Bring a treat for our springtime table
RSVP: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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APRIL
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

April 6
The Spirituality of Recovery: Healing from Within

I was soon to be catapulted into what I like to call the fourth dimension of existence. I was to know happiness, peace and usefulness, in a way of life that is incredibly more wonderful as time passes.
-- Bill Wilson

Twelve Step Programs remind us that recovery is a daily reprieve (from our old way of living) contingent upon the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Page 83 in the AA Big Book begins: Yes, there is a long period of reconstruction ahead. Near the end of the same page and continuing onto the next, the AA Promises remind us that the gifts of recovery will always materialize if we work for them.

Please join us for this multimedia and interactive presentation. This gathering of all friends of Bill W. will be an opportunity to examine your spiritual journey. Consider: How do I keep in fit spiritual condition? When do I sense the flow of God’s spirit into me? When and how does the God of my understanding direct my thinking? How do I live in the present moment? Am I aware of and connected to self, others and my Higher Power?

Date: Saturday, April 6
Time: 10 – 4pm
Fee: $70 includes lunch
Place: Caine Learning Center 54385 Pine Crest Ave. Idyllwild, Ca 92549
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

Presenter: Joan Ebbitt, LMSW is a social worker, certified spiritual director and friend of Bill W. She has ministered in the field of addictions for over 30 years. Joan is delighted to present this workshop about spirituality and recovery and invites members of all 12 Step programs to come and enjoy the day.

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April 14, April 28
Sunday Afternoon Series with Joseph Campbell
~ Engage your Mind, Expand your World (dvd)

The material of myth is the material of our life, the material of our body, and the material of our environment. A living, vital mythology deals with these.
-- Joseph Campbell.

During the final years of his life, Joseph Campbell embarked on a lecture tour in which he drew together all that he had learned about what he called the “one great story” of humanity. In a three part MYTHOS series, hosted by Susan Sarandon, he explores The Shaping of Our Mythic Tradition, The Eastern Tradition, and The Western Tradition.

MYTHOS 1 - The Shaping of our Mythic Tradition
Dates: Sunday afternoon, February 17, February 24, March 10
Time: 2:00- 4:30pm
February 17, Psyche and Symbol, The Spirit of Land
February 24, On Being Human, From Goddesses to God
March 10, The Mystical Life

MYTHOS II - The Shaping of the Eastern Tradition
Dates: Sunday afternoon, March 24, April 7, April 21
Time: 2:00- 4:30pm
March 24, The Inward Path, Enlightened One
April 7, Our Eternal Selves (Yoga and Transcendence), The Way to Illumination
April 21, The Experience of God

MYTHOS III
Schedule to be announced

Please RSVP Call 951-659-2523
Donations Appreciated

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April 15 Day of Mindfulness ~ Awakening the Heart

Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth; It’s an experience that expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened.
-- Pema Chodron

Mindfulness practice helps us look at life with open and receptive awareness. It can bring a lovely clarity of how, as we cling to past and future, we miss the mystery of the present moment. As we sit mindfully our sorrows and fears often arise and with our breath we can soften these thoughts and feelings and come to understand our suffering. This brings us to acceptance which allows us to relax and open to the reality as it is. Acceptance is a courageous step in the process of transformation. When we live in this way, our heart expands and rests in the river of compassion and loving kindness.

Share in a day of contemplative stillness, mindfulness practice, and soulful sharing. Lunch is enjoyed in silence.

Date: Monday, April 15
Time: 9:30 am – 3pm. (lunch included)
Suggested Donation: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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April 19 – 21
The Stars are Our Ancestors

(side bar)I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. Walt Whitman

If there is any event in the universe with the power to evoke a sense of the sublime, it is the supernova explosion...simultaneously a profound destruction and yet an exuberant creativity.
-- Brian Swimme & Thomas Berry

December 21st, 2012, has come and gone and many believe we are now living in a unique societal era. Join us as we turn to the life cycle of stars, especially the supernova which some call “an archetypal mythic moment.”
We’ll use poetry and song and the journey of our own lives to explore how star life can be a metaphor, catalyst and even companion as we seek to embrace and commit ourselves to a life-long personal and societal transformational process.

Date: April 19 – 21
Time: Friday: 7:00pm – Sunday 12:30pm (limited to 14 Participants)
Fee: $275 includes retreat, private room at Spirit Mountain Retreat
(Only 3 rooms available)
Commuter Fee: $175 includes retreat and meals
Deposit: $50 by March 15th.
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

Facilitator: Margaret Galiardi, lover of the natural world, vision quest guide, life-long seeker, spiritual mentor and Dominican Sister is the Director for the Spiritual Life Center in West Hartford Connecticut, where people “Seek the Sacred Together.” Three years ago she spent a year in silence and solitude with the Trappist nuns in their monastery on the Lost Coast of Northern California.

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April 27
Contemplative Garden Clean Up Day ~ Calling all volunteers!

Everything that slows us down and forces patience,
everything that sets us back in the slow circles of nature, is a help.
Gardening is an instrument of grace.
-- May Sarton

If we can gather 20+ volunteers for this day then, with all of our time, energy, love and eager hands we will bring the garden through winter into spring. There is so much in the garden asking for our attention. Weeding, raking, digging up vinca, pruning, cleaning, getting lunch, you name it! There is a job for everyone!

Oh, do mark your calendar and help ready the garden
for the full flowering of summer!

Please RSVP your willingness to help and give as many hours as you can.
Date: Saturday April 27
Time: 9:30- 4:30pm, lunch 12:30 – 1:30pm

MAY
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

May 4
Re-Discovering Images as Helpful Companions:
Mixed Media Journaling/Expressive Arts Retreat

The practice of expressive arts is one of the most intimate ways of being with self.

Let's gather at the mystical Spirit Mountain Retreat for a day of personal inquiry through mixed media journaling. Our group will form a sacred circle which naturally accelerates each other's growth and change as we make art together.

Direction and insight into our art will come through utilizing the expressive arts of drumming, poetry, collage, journaling, drawing and dramatization. You will feel drawn in, excited, experience discomfort and/or clarity. Through this resource of the arts we find new ways to express ourselves, engaging our world with resilience and vitality.

Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 9:30 – 4:30pm
Fee: $75 includes lunch and all supplies.
$150 includes program and overnight accommodation for Friday or Saturday
Deposit: $50 by April 1 (limited to 14 participants)
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

Facilitator: Pamela Underwood BA, BFA has been a professional visual artist for the past 30 years, a retreat facilitator since l994 and an Expressive Arts Therapist since 2003. Pamela guides participants in tuning into their physical body as their first creative partner. She leads them in recognizing and building relationship with personal images as helpers and companions. Pamela’s pioneering methods demonstrate how the arts work as a vital human resource for emotional maintenance, giving voice to the soul. She earned her masters degree from the European Graduate School in Saas Fee, Switzerland.
Visit: www.pamelaunderwood.com

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May 13
Day of Mindfulness ~ Awakening the Heart

The primary focus of this path is learning to stay present. Pausing frequently throughout the day is almost an effortless way to do this. For just a few seconds, we can be right here.
-- Pema Chodron

Mindfulness practice helps us look at life with open and receptive awareness. It can bring a lovely clarity of how, as we cling to past and future, we miss the mystery of the present moment. As we sit mindfully our sorrows and fears often arise and with our breath we can soften these thoughts and feelings and come to understand our suffering. This brings us to acceptance which allows us to relax and open to the reality as it is. Acceptance is a courageous step in the process of transformation. When we live in this way, our heart expands and rests in the river of compassion and loving kindness.

Share in a day of contemplative stillness, mindfulness practice, and soulful sharing. Lunch is enjoyed in silence.

Date: Monday, May 13
Time: 9:30 am – 3pm. (lunch included)
Suggested Donation: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or email

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JUNE
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

June 7 – 9
A Woman’s Weekend Writing Retreat

We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as truth, as human truth, all maps change. There are new mountains.
-- Ursula Le Guin

Gather with other women, ignite the writer within and rediscover your voice and fire of creativity. In a series of simple exercises of "writing faster than you can think" participants will experience their unique voices as they share universal truths that emerge during these retreats. This process is highly recommended for both beginning and advanced writers who will glean rewarding insights through their writing.

It is hoped that those who have come to these retreats for the past eight years will return to welcome new writers, to reunite with fellow writers adding greater depth to this experience together. Please bring a journal and writing implements for this special retreat.

Date: June 7 – 9
Friday: 7:00pm – Sunday 12:30pm
Arrival time: Friday after 3pm (for those staying at SMR) , supper is on your own.
Fee: $275 includes retreat, meals, and private room at Spirit Mountain Retreat
Commuter Fee: $175 for retreat and meals
Deposit: $50 by May 1, (Retreat limited to 14 Participants)
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or Email

Facilitator: Katya Williamson, MFA, is a writer, teacher and author. Her efforts to forge empowerment for women through their writing is at the heart of Katya’s work. The exercises presented in this retreat are presented in Bringing the Soul Back Home: Writing in the New Consciousness, Published, 2009 in the UK . Katya has led retreats through the western United States, Hawaii and has taken groups of women to England where she has taught this process.

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June 10
Day of Mindfulness ~ Awakening the Heart

Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and becoming something better. It’s about befriending who we already are.
-- Pema Chodron

Mindfulness practice helps us look at life with open and receptive awareness. It can bring a lovely clarity of how, as we cling to past and future, we miss the mystery of the present moment. As we sit mindfully our sorrows and fears often arise and with our breath we can soften these thoughts and feelings and come to understand our suffering. This brings us to acceptance which allows us to relax and open to the reality as it is. Acceptance is a courageous step in the process of transformation. When we live in this way, our heart expands and rests in the river of compassion and loving kindness.

Share in a day of contemplative stillness, mindfulness practice, and soulful sharing. Lunch is enjoyed in silence.

Date: Monday, June 10
Time: 9:30 am – 3pm. (lunch included)
Suggested Donation: $35
Facilitator: Esther Kennedy
Registration: Call 951-659-2523 or Email

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June 23
Summer Solstice Celebration and Transition Ritual

Awaken to the pleasure that fill you, as the sun reaches out, as it warms you..such wild love..
-- Mary Oliver

Summer announces new life, new beginnings, and a ripening of all that has been growing. It is a time of gratitude for seeds planted and for their quiet hidden germination in the dark soil. A time of full flowering as trees announce their presence, flowers dazzle us with color and humans sing, speak and open their hearts to each pther and the world.

Summer calls us to arise and greet this time of transition and new life with song, poetry, sharing and treats. Join with Local Color and make Summer Solstice a mosts special moment at Spirit Mountain Retreat.

Date: Sunday, June 23
Time: 4 – 5pm Spirit Mountain Retreat’s Contemplative Garden
Donations always appreciated.

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AUGUST
Note: Programs will take place at Spirit Mountain Retreat unless otherwise indicated.

August 3
Silent Auction Fund Raiser for Spirit Mountain Retreat.
Featuring – Original fine Art and other special items to bid on!

Plan for a lovely afternoon of browsing the gift tables and enjoying refreshments, wine and music.

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