Mountain Meditation
Silent Retreat

Coming Home to Yourself

October 9-13

Mount Madonna Center in Watsonville, California

This four night silent retreat is an incredible opportunity to sit with yourself without the distractions of daily life. This intense practice allows you to see your mind at work, to feel unwanted feelings, to connect more deeply to the truth of your being, to settle into your body.

Ashley will hold a safe and potent container for your experience, inviting you to go to your edge again and again and offering you an opportunity for deep transformation.

You can expect:

  • periods of silent meditation

  • channeled guided meditations/healings

  • intimate groups where you will share and receive wisdom, experiences and questions in a safe and sacred circle

  • the beautiful nature of the retreat center

  • three delicious vegetarian meals a day

This will give you:

  • a chance to reconnect to your tender, unwanted parts and come into more wholeness

  • the healing effects of practicing in a sacred sangha

  • an opportunity for deep transformation and growth

  • a chance to rest the body and mind

  • a renewed sense of connection to self, nature and each other

This retreat is appropriate for both beginning and experienced meditators. All participants are invited to maintain silence throughout the retreat, except for designated group sharing periods. This commitment includes refraining from the use of phones, books, or other outside distractions. This shared agreement creates a powerful container, a chance for each participant to be with what is arising in each moment.

Silent retreat is a deeply sacred and transformational experience. There will be designated time where we will break silence and be invited to share vulnerably and courageously, creating a field of safety, support and growth with each other. The transformational power of this sharing depends on each participant’s willingness to bring themselves forward. As you prepare for this retreat, be aware of this invitation.

Attending the entire retreat is an important aspect of maintaining a safe and supportive community. Please plan to arrive on time and leave after the retreat ends on the final day.

The retreat begins on Wednesday, October 9 at 4 pm and ends on Sunday, October 13 at 12 pm.

We offer pricing discounts for registering early.

  • Receive a $300 discount when registering before
    July 1 with discount code OCT9317

  • Receive a $150 discount when registering before
    September 1 with discount code OCT0802

The cost of the retreat depends on the type of housing you choose. In order to reserve your spot, please pay the full amount when registering.

Vegetarian meals are included.

Cancellation and refund policy
Prior to July 1: Full refund, less $100
Prior to September 1: 50% refund
After October 1: No refund

If you have any questions, please email me at ashleyhendersonmsw@gmail.com or call at 510-435-0007.

October Retreat
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Testimonials

  • I attended the Embodied Presence Retreat that Ashley led at Mount Madonna Center in February. It was one of the most transformative experiences I have had! I had no idea what to expect (just wanted to make sure there was coffee…and there was plenty of it :-), as this was my first time. Ashley brought a thoughtful, calm wisdom and openness as she led us through this experience. The practice of maintaining silence and removing all distractions from life is not easy, AND…so well worth it! It is a gift that I gave to myself that continues to serve me in my daily life many months later. Ashley created the safety and reassurance that we needed to get through it…and we all not only got through it, but I believe we all came out as more open and honest versions of ourselves. I am so, so grateful for my experience!

    ALLISON N, PSYCHOTHERAPIST

  • Ashley’s loving presence provides an open-hearted space for meditation and reflection. On her silent retreats I re-discovered my ability to sit with pain, fear, joy and love; welcoming them all deepening my practice. I would recommend her retreats to anyone seeking to open their hearts and to commune with nature. Ashley offers a clear and guiding light, and her retreats are a sacred gift.

    JH, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, OAKLAND, CA

  • On my first retreat with Ashley, I had the profound realization that I was much more comfortable sitting with pain and suffering than I was with sitting with joy and love. I was getting in touch with a block that I realize had been there for years…possibly a lifetime. Being able to get in touch with this truth on a soul level helped me move through it to the other side.

    LIZ S

  • I loved so many things about my retreat experience; Ashley's guided meditations that led me to new discoveries, the group discussions that astounded me with their insights, candor and revelations and also the ease I felt being silent. I've attended two of the silent retreats that Ashley's offered, and each experience has been profound. I know that the setting at Mount Madonna is a big part of my experience. The serene setting is powerful. It holds and welcomes you. The community of people at Mount Madonna are wonderful too (as is the food!). The opportunity to explore the grounds is a delight, and enhanced my experience. I felt cared for, supported and encouraged in all aspects of the retreat. If you even think you want to attend, I encourage you to listen, and go. There's really no way to express the positive impact of my retreat experiences on my life.

    ANNE R.

  • I recently attended Ashley's silent meditation retreat and it was transformational. I am not an experienced meditator and I can be quite talkative, so I was concerned I may have bitten off more than I could chew in terms of having to silence my voice and my mind. I'm happy to say that, with Ashley's guidance, and the quiet (silent) support of the group; I was able to fully immerse myself into both the meditative and silent aspects of the retreat. I have never experienced anything quite like this. It brought up emotions of peace, agitation, sadness, frustration, grace, and joy in waves throughout the days I was there. It was extremely valuable to pause and tap into the depths of my own heart to learn more about myself and the path that my life has taken. I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience that unfolded under a blanket of rain on beautiful Mount Madonna. I changed my year and, frankly, my life. Thank you, Ashley, for creating this time and environment for us to explore our inner space in your safe embrace along with our fellow participants.

    MARLA B.