Tomales Three-Day Passage Meditation Retreat

By being with people and working in harmony we find the divinity that shines in us all

Returnee
Program
Tomales, California, USA
3 days

“I am never tired of repeating, let us be with people, live with people, work with people, play with people, meditate with people.” – Eknath Easwaran

Spend three days immersed in Eknath Easwaran’s teachings, experiencing and contributing to the indivisible unity that runs through life. We will live the passage meditation lifestyle together, practicing all the eight points of passage meditation at the BMCM retreat house in rural Tomales, CA. There is a special joy and companionship in setting devices aside, meditating together, taking mantram walks together, cooking simple vegetarian meals together, washing dishes together, watching Easwaran’s talks together.

If you have family or friends who would like to join you, the prerequisites are quite manageable!

Retreat content

In this three-day retreat, we will immerse ourselves in Easwaran’s teachings and the lifestyle that emerges when you practice these teachings. This weekend will include:

study of Easwaran’s writings
a mantram walk at Dillon Beach
videotaped talks by Easwaran
thirty-minute group meditation sessions – morning, noon, and evening
working together in harmony in our vegetarian kitchen and retreat house
a visit to the Blue Mountain Center where Easwaran and Christine lived.

Prerequisites

You are an active member of a BMCM local satsang, or
You have attended any BMCM retreat since 2017*

*If you haven’t attended a BMCM retreat since 2017, you can meet this prerequisite by attending an Introductory Online Retreat.

Times when it is best not to attend a Tomales Retreat

This retreat is not suitable for you if you are not feeling well or you can’t participate safely in day-to-day physical activity. Choose one of our online retreats instead as a way to be spiritually replenished in your own home.

Fee and Enrollment

The standard fee is $325. The sliding scale is $250–$325.

Explanation of Sliding Scale

Our sliding scale means that you can choose the price that's right for you. If you can pay the standard fee, that will cover the cost of your retreat.

Please choose a lower fee if the standard fee is too much for you to afford.

Financial Aid

You're welcome to attend this program with a scholarship if you need to pay less than the lowest end of the sliding scale. Our scholarship fund is created out of donations from generous friends to help more people attend programs.

We also offer payment plans, so you can pay your fee in installments.

For either a scholarship or payment plan, please don’t register online, and instead write to financial.aid@easwaran.org or call us at 800-475-2369. We’ll get back to you within three days.

Donations

If you would like to make a donation to help others attend a retreat, please visit our donations page.

Refund

If you need to cancel your retreat, please let us know as soon as possible so that your spot can be given to someone on the waitlist. We’ll refund your full fee.

Schedule

The Tomales Three-Day Retreat is a round-the-clock affair, starting on Friday at 2:00 p.m. and ending on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Here is a sample schedule for one of the days: Tomales Three-Day Retreat Schedule

It’s important to be here for the full retreat including the final session when we visit Ramagiri Ashram, so please plan to arrive on time and depart after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The retreat house doors open on Friday at 12:30 pm for you to register and settle in before we start at 2:00 p.m.

On Sunday, the program ends after lunch at 2:00 p.m. Final check-out time at the retreat house is 3:30 p.m.

* If you are planning to get a flight on Sunday evening, please choose one that will allow you to stay until the end of the program.

Accommodation

Our retreat house is a restored bed and breakfast, set in a peaceful garden with views of rural Marin County.

We have two bedrooms at ground level reserved for retreatants who can’t climb stairs. The other nine bedrooms are accessed via a flight of stairs. Some bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, others have a bathroom next door.

Two bedrooms on the second floor are single, and we give these to people with medical needs (to someone who uses a CPAP machine, for instance). The other bedrooms are shared with one other person. You can tell us in advance if you’d like to share a room with your friend or partner.

The workshop room and dining room are on the ground level, and the meditation room is down a flight of stairs. You can also meditate in the workshop room if you can’t climb stairs.

We provide linens, towels, and soap.

Travel Information

Our retreat house is in the small town of Tomales in West Marin, 55 miles north of San Francisco. Transportation is available. You will receive more information after you register.