Perhaps you’ve wondered what it’s like to spend four days on a silent retreat…
If you’ve ever been curious, I’d love to paint a picture of what that experience feels like.
Imagine arriving at Joyful Journey on a crisp autumn afternoon. The majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains rise above the retreat center, welcoming you into a landscape that naturally invites you to slow down. You stop by the Event Yurt to receive your retreat materials, meet your facilitators, Debbie and Dian. During this first evening, conversation is still welcomed as everyone settles into the experience together.
After dinner, we gather for introductions, an overview of the retreat, time for questions, and an orientation to Joyful Journey. We begin gently arriving through grounding movement and quiet reflection. Before turning in for the night, you may choose to soak in the natural hot springs beneath the expansive mountain sky.
The accommodations are simple, comfortable, and inviting. Lodge rooms offer rustic charm, while the circular yurts create a cozy connection to the surrounding landscape. As you wander the grounds, you may watch the sun sink behind the San Juan Mountains while the Sangre de Cristos glow crimson in the evening light. In the stillness, you might hear the call of Joyful Journey’s resident owl from a nearby tree. As darkness settles in, countless stars begin to appear across the vast Colorado sky.
Each day unfolds in a gentle rhythm designed to help you turn inward.
As dawn breaks over the mountains, we gather for yoga to awaken the body before settling into meditation as the first light fills the valley.
Then…silence begins.
Breakfast follows, along with spacious time to walk the labyrinth, sit quietly in the greenhouse surrounded by lush plants, or simply savor a few unhurried moments alone.
Later in the morning, we gather in the Event Yurt for dharma teachings rooted in the timeless wisdom of Vedanta. Meditation, pranayama, contemplation, and visualization are woven throughout these teachings, allowing the wisdom to be experienced—not simply understood.
One of the greatest gifts of retreat life is spaciousness.
Throughout the day, there are generous periods of unstructured time—something many of us rarely experience in everyday life. Without constant demands, distractions, and responsibilities, something deeper has the opportunity to emerge.
You may choose to journal, read spiritual literature, soak in the hot springs, receive a massage, walk the labyrinth, rest beneath a tree, or simply listen to the quiet wisdom already present within you.
After lunch, we return for afternoon teachings, self-inquiry, and personal reflection. As the day unfolds, optional gentle yoga helps prepare the body and mind for late afternoon meditation before we gather once again for dinner.
Meals are enjoyed in silence, either with the group or on your own, allowing nourishment itself to become a mindful practice.
Evenings include optional experiences such as sound healing and energy balancing. On our final evening, Debbie and Dian have created a very special closing experience that beautifully honors the journey we’ve shared together.
This retreat does not require any particular spiritual background or belief system. What matters most is a sincere curiosity and a willingness to meet yourself exactly as you are. Silence has a remarkable way of revealing what has quietly been waiting beneath the noise of everyday life.
Over these four days, you may discover that silence is anything but empty. It is filled with insight, clarity, peace, renewal, and connection. It offers an opportunity to remember your Essential Nature—the unchanging wholeness that exists beneath the busyness of life—and to return home carrying that remembrance into your everyday world.
We warmly invite you to join us in the beautiful San Luis Valley during one of Colorado’s most spectacular seasons, alongside a community of fellow seekers who are choosing to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with what matters most.
If something in these words stirs a quiet “yes” within you, we invite you to honor that feeling. Perhaps this retreat is simply planting a seed for the future, or perhaps it is an invitation to pause, step away from the noise, and give yourself the gift of listening deeply.
If you feel called to join us, we would be honored to walk this journey with you—not by showing you the way, but by creating a compassionate and supportive space as you discover your own. Each person’s retreat unfolds in its own unique way, and it is a privilege to witness that unfolding alongside you.
October 5-9, 2026
Learn more at https://soulwhispers.my.canva.site, or simply reply to this email with any questions. We’d love to connect with you.
If you are a repeat attendee here is the registration link for your convenience: https://buy.stripe.com/7sY8wQ2H39xy3TMauk6kg0Q
If this is your first time attending here is the link for early bird pricing through September 5th: https://buy.stripe.com/bJe4gAepL9xybme45W6kg0R
Looking forward to meeting you!
“Listen to the silence, it has much to say: Rumi
PS Mandala collectively created by attendees, while in silence, at the 2025 When the Soul Whispers Retreat
