A lot is written about the beauty of the place in other reviews. We stayed there for two nights in room # 12 (2 twin beds). The rooms are very modest. Ours had 2 twin beds with a bedside table between them and an extra bedside table. There was a skylight, room heater, and an extra blanket. The bathroom is basic, small, and clean. There were two windows in the room. We were initially excited about the skylight, but the room being west facing becomes very warm in the middle of the day. In the night the crickets make enough noise that we had to close the windows. Hence I would recommend you carry a portable fan with you. There is no ceiling fan in the room. You can hear a bit of noise from the adjoining rooms. But otherwise, the whole place is very quiet during the mornings and evenings. If it is clear-sky if it the perfect place to watch stars. If you are in desperate need of cell phone reception hike up to the Wishing temple which will take 10 mins. We did not eat any meals except breakfast. The food is nourishing - butter, almond, and peanut butter, bread, scones, granola, greek yogurt, apples, bananas, oranges, coffee, tea - you help yourself to food. There is a refrigerator where you can leave leftovers. You can microwave, toast, and get hot water. etc. There is no source of drinking water in the room.…
I host several yoga retreats at this location for a variety of reasons. Simply put, it's a stunning, relaxing, rejuvenating getaway. Close enough to town, but nestled into the forest, so you feel like you are far away. Besides the physical location, the food is delicious. Always vegetarian and fresh, I have yet to have a meal there that I didn't talk about for hours afterwards. For my retreats, we request 3 meals per day, but I think there is only breakfast and lunch open to the public. Rooms are simple and clean. It's really nice to have a private bathroom as well. In the summer the pool is open, and there is a sauna for enjoyment, too. You can also just go there for the day and explore the enchanted forest and other hiking trails. The nature surrounding LMB is breathtaking, and you just have to experience it for yourself.…
I highly recommend this tranquil, soul nurturing and peaceful retreat for a day visit or a meditation. I did the 8 meditation walk through the woods and it takes about an hour to do it mindfully while fully immersing and enjoying the beauty of the redwoods and breathing in the spectacular clean air. The grounds are maintained beautifully and every meditation spot offers a bench to sit for reflection. I loved my "tree cathedral" and I learned about this from my friend. Step into the center of a ring of redwoods and look up at the magnificent trees reaching up as high as the eye can see and open to receive the magical healing of these vibrant trees.
Land of Medicine Buddha at 5800 Prescott Rd, Soquel, CA 95073-9407 is a Lovely Place to Hike. Be forewarned, gates are closed on the weekends to all but guests. There are temples, stupas, a koi pond, the vajra verses slogan signs, redwood forest, and oh so much more to see...
We attended a retreat and were pleasantly surprised that our room was so nice! Queen bed, private bathroom, and cute decor. Nice areas to hike, great pool, and perfect venue for meditation. Staff were very friendly and served good vegetarian meals.
This is an awesome place especially if you are spiritual with Buddhism or you need peace outside city limits. Beautiful place, lush green even in winter. You have a lot of hiking trails with loops of 1.2 miles, 2 miles, 6 miles and 8 miles. We did 8-mile hike and it was beautiful. You can even reserve stay with them and involve in activities organized.
This was to get away and walk with my husband in a woodsy beautiful area. Turn off the wifi, talk quietly, and enjoy the environment. snap some photos of interesting Buddhist objects like the prayer wheels. I am not inclined to follow Buddha and I didn't feel a forced feeling you had to be one to enjoy a culturally different place. But I enjoyed the quiet and we can be respectful of others.
I had made plans for a silent retreat at another west coast retreat center but they were cancelled due to the weather so this was a last minute change. They honored my request for a quiet room (away from the central activities) and the room was VERY quiet and peaceful. The room was simply and nicely furnished and my after-hours check in went reasonably well, considering how dark the place is at night. Once I found the office, the map they provided with my key was very helpful. After dropping off my luggage, I visited the sauna, where there was a couple who also seemed to want just quiet time so it suited me just fine. The next morning, I spent some time in the Meditation Hall then had breakfast in the Dining Room. Again, simple but pleasant. I then spent the next 4 hours hiking through redwood forests that are immediately adjacent to the property. The trail maps they provided were very accurate and helpful and it was a beautiful hike (with the 6-mile loop being much more challenging than the 2-mile loop). I got back just in time for lunch. They were celebrating Tibetan New Year so there were a lot of people there for lunch in Tibetan garb. I was able to keep to myself to continue my silent retreat. As I wanted more quiet than was possible with the New Year's celebrations, I headed out to a beach in Santa Cruz, which was a nice change. This is a very low-key, meditative environment. It was a good alternative to what I had originally planned. Not sure what it would be like "in season" but it was great in February. The only drawback was that I knew there would be no wifi but there was also no cell service either so I had to drive about 10 minutes away to make a phone call.…
The spot is beautiful, the accommodations are simple, the food is vegetarian and made with love and purpose, but not great. Lots of tea and coffee available. Wifi in only 1 spot, the Pine Room. The woman n the office/check in room is not particularly friendly or accommodating. Actually a bit pretentious for some unknown reason. Everyone else, monks, nuns, meal prep people were all lovely. But if you want to book a massage you have to deal with the snooty one in the office.
The road leading up to it is a narrow one lane. Drive with caution. There is ample parking by the bookstore. Dogs are allowed on the trails on leash. Beautiful two mile trail with some elevations and another six mile option. Worth a visit. We hiked with elementary school age kids and it was not difficult. It is a retreat and respectful volume in voices is encouraged.
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