Awakened Earth
Fall – Practice of Letting Go
A Day of Contemplation on the Land
You are invited to a day of contemplation at a beautifully tended sanctuary retreat space on eight acres of private land in West Sebastopol. This is a day of shared practice, presence, and belonging—rooted in relationship with the living Earth. Guided by the mirror of the land and the wisdom of contemplative practice, we will create a container spacious enough to hold the “ten thousand joys and sorrows” of our worldly lives. In difficult times, we can either close down or allow the heart-mind to open. Together, we invite opening and insight to arise through stillness, silence, and the illuminating shared stories of our lives.
In fall, the land turns toward ripening and release—light softening, leaves loosening, the year’s labor slowly returning to the soil. This seasonal turning invites us to sense what within us has matured through lived experience, and what we are ready to set down. Together, we practice honoring the fullness of what has been, cultivating gratitude, discernment, and a gentle willingness to let go—trusting the larger rhythms that carry us through change and into what comes next.
Grounded in the Dharma and earth-based awareness, this day offers an opportunity to practice awakening not only for ourselves, but as a relational and collective experience that benefits all beings. Through sitting meditation and solo time on the land, we will reflect on the awakened nature that already abides within us and within the wider web of life.
On the ancestral homeland of the Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok peoples, Open Sky offers a spacious meditation hall and eight acres of land to wander, with grazing sheep and a guardian llama, panoramic views, gazebos, gardens, and abundant birdlife—each inviting a fuller experience of the present moment.
Our day together will include guided and silent meditation, Dharma themes for reflection, time for walking the land with intention, and council-style sharing. With the land as teacher and sangha as container, participants are invited to listen deeply—to themselves, to one another, and to the more-than-human world.
Awakened Earth Sangha welcomes people at all stages of contemplative practice. No prior experience is necessary. All that is asked is a willingness to arrive with curiosity, care, and an open heart.
Contact Info
For more information, contact Cynthia/Eisho at: eisho@cynthiamorrow.com