Original Medicine Earth-Based Intensive Immersion Retreat - July 22 to 28, 2025

Original Medicine Earth-Based Intensive Immersion Retreat 

with Carol Cano, Janet Roos, Carmen Alvarez, Jonathan Relucio, Kimber Simpkins-Nuccio, Mario Castillo & Sarwang Parikh

Tuesday, July 22 - Monday, July 28, 2025 (6 nights In-person)

Arrival Time: 3:00 - 5:00 pm PT

Departure Time: 11:00 am PT

Location: Spirit Camp Retreat Center on the unceded land of the Central Pomo speaking people (Little River, Mendocino County, California) 

Retreat Description

Since 2014, we’ve continued to offer our Original Medicine program guiding hundreds of participants towards personal healing through deepening connection with nature as nature itself and cultivating relationships with our beloved ancestors and the Earth. We are thrilled to host the Original Medicine Residential Retreat welcoming participants of all backgrounds to experience the very essence of this unique yearlong healing crucible mindfully distilled into an immersive in-person land experience. 

Braiding together the teachings of the Buddha and Indigenous wisdom co-creates a foundation of truth, trust, and love. During this intensive retreat, we will explore ways of coming into the core of who we are, our own Original Medicine, and enhance our personal growth and purpose with nature as our teacher. Held by the magic of the Redwood forest, we will learn and experience contemplative practices that include mindfulness meditation, earth walks, and embodied mindfulness movement. Participants will experience the depth and essence of Braided Wisdom’s one of a kind yearlong healing program refined intentionally into an intensive, restorative, and heart-opening experience that will deepen and widen the nature of who we are… not separate from nature itself. 

We welcome all to consider registering, especially those who have been unable to commit to a yearlong journey. 

For more information about the retreat, please view the Original Medicine Earth-Based Intensive Immersion Retreat Information Packet.

As part of your registration, it is important for you to complete the Original Medicine Intensive Immersion Retreat Participant Information Form 2025.

Accomodation Options

Please select one of the following accommodation options for the Original Medicine Earth-Based Intensive Immersion Retreat in July 2025. Each option is all-inclusive which includes teachings, meals, lodging and access to beautiful redwood wilderness trails. 

Thanks to the generosity of a donor, we are grateful to maintain our retreat pricing at early bird rates for all participants.

Option 1:  Private Cabin - Queen Bed (1-2 people):  SOLD OUT

Perfect for a private cozy room with a queen bed and desk. Newly renovated with oakwood floors and redwood furnishings. Soft cotton sheets, linen duvet bedding, and space heaters included. 

Option 2A:  Shared Cabin - Queen Bed (1 person):  SOLD OUT

Shared cabin with 2 queens, 1 single bed, and vaulted ceilings with skylights. Soft cotton sheets, linen duvet bedding, and space heaters included. Closest cabin to the bathrooms and parking lot. ADA accessible. Please reach out to info@braidedwisdom.org if you are interested in this option.

Option 2B:  Shared Cabin - Twin Bed (1 person):  SOLD OUT

Shared cabin with 2 queens, 1 single bed, and vaulted ceilings with skylights. Soft cotton sheets, linen duvet bedding, and space heaters included. Closest cabin to the bathrooms and parking lot. ADA accessible. Please reach out to info@braidedwisdom.org if you are interested in this option.

Option 3:  Tent Cabin - King Bed (1-2 people):  SOLD OUT

Book for two people at the all-inclusive rate of $2,200

King bed in a lovely tent cabin surrounded by the redwoods. We’ll take care of everything else including the bell tent, lantern, small table, mattress, and organic bedding sheets. The tent will already be set up when you arrive, and will be taken down after you leave. Just show up and enjoy!

Option 4:  Glamping Tent - King Bed (1-2 people):  SOLD OUT

King bed in a lovely tent on the meadow. We’ll take care of everything else including the bell tent, mattress, and organic bedding sheets. The tent will already be set up when you arrive, and will be taken down after you leave. Just show up and enjoy!

Option 5:  Glamping Tent - Twin Beds (2 people):  SOLD OUT

Twin beds in a lovely tent on the meadow. We’ll take care of everything else including the bell tent, mattress, and organic bedding sheets. The tent will already be set up when you arrive, and will be taken down after you leave. Just show up and enjoy!

Option 6:  Shared Female Identified Bunkhouse - Twin Beds (8 people):

$1,500 $1,350 per person

The largest and most spacious cabin includes 2 bunk beds and 4 single beds for a communal experience. Newly renovated with oakwood floors and redwood furnishings. Soft cotton sheets, linen duvet bedding, and space heaters included.

3 beds available

Option 7:  Meadow Camping - Bring your own tent:

$1,200 $1,050 per person

Sleep among the Redwood Trees in the Sunset Meadow. Secure your access to the best offered savings for this All-Inclusive Retreat by bringing your own tent, gear and bedding with you.

5 spots available

Braided Wisdom Cancellation Policy

We understand plans can change. If you need to cancel your participation in the gathering, we’re happy to offer a full refund, minus a $60 cancellation fee, as long as you cancel at least four weeks (June 24th) before the gathering begins. Unfortunately, we are unable to issue refunds after this period. 

As you know, there needs to be advance notice to make all the necessary arrangements for someone to take your place. This greatly impacts our planning and ability to cover costs. We appreciate your cooperation and support.

***For people who cancel, please consider the practice of sacred reciprocity by donating your contribution. Braided Wisdom is an IRS approved tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Our EIN is 85-0813884.***

About the Teachers

Carol Cano, M.A.

Lead Teacher

Carol Cano, M.A., began her practice over 35 years ago at Wat Kow Tahm in Thailand and has actively engaged in building communities and teaching Dharma internationally.  She is a teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.  She is a core teacher and a former board member of East Bay Meditation Center. Carol co-founded Philippine Insight Meditation Community in the Philippines.

Her unique teachings are deeply grounded in Basque, Native American and Buddhist influences that braid the Dharma along with Indigenous wisdom and earth-based practices. Her psychology background gives her a unique view into the human condition, which helps her hold community in a compassionate and confident manner.  Carol reminds us to keep grounded in our hearts as we uphold spiritual ideals and encourages us to remain balanced within the demands of modern life. To find out more about Carol, please visit www.carolcano.com.

Janet E. Roos

Co-Teacher

Janet E. Roos, PMP, CMT-P, has been recognized as an innovator in Business Technology for over 30 years. She has worked coast-to-coast as a highly respected “In-House” and “Consultant” leader for world renown companies. Janet completed the UCLA Mindfulness Certified Training Program and is a certified member of the International Mindfulness Teacher’s Association. She is a co-teacher for Braided Wisdom's Original Medicine Yearlong Program. Janet is a four time “Hall Of Famer” recognized elite athlete who understands the inherent value of employing Mindfulness Practices for competition, sports preparedness, and training. She has sustained a personal meditation practice for over a decade and has attended numerous training and silent retreats. Janet has volunteered with Non-Profit Organizations and currently serves on two non-profit boards. 

Carmen Alvarez

Teaching Assistant

Carmen is from the Purepecha lands in Michoacan Mexico. Carmen has a master’s degree in Leadership which she has braided beautifully with her Toltec, Purepecha, and her Mindfulness Training Practices providing holistic approaches to healing and personal development. She received her Certification as a Mindfulness Teacher from the Braided Wisdom Leadership Training Program in 2022. She also has completed two Indigenous Master programs, Nahualismo and Curanderismo. Carmen is a practitioner of Mexican Indigenous practices and she is also part of a Lakota centered community. Coaching and training are her passions as she thrives when working with others. Her belief is that we must heal ourselves and by doing so we heal our family, our ancestors, and our communities. Carmen practices and guides mindfulness meditations, leadership coaching, ancestral healing, trauma-based healing, limpias, manifestations, planting dreams, among many other healing techniques. Her intention is for everyone to find their passion and live their best life.

Mario Castillo

Teaching Assistant

Mario Castillo (he/him) has been a Buddhist practitioner in the Theravada tradition for nearly two decades. He is a graduate of the East Bay Meditation Center’s yearlong Commit to Dharma Program and inaugural two-year Spiritual Teacher and Leadership Training; Braided Wisdom’s yearlong Original Medicine Program; and is currently participating in the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock’s four-year Teacher Training Program. Mario practiced as a monastic in the Thai Forest Tradition with Venerable Ajahn Sukhito in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, before returning to the Bay Area to complete his Ph.D. in sociology. Mario co-founded the Deep Refuge Group Alphabet Brothers of Color, serves on Braided Wisdom’s Board of Directors, and is passionate about creating ceremonial spaces for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to remember, honor, and celebrate their ancestors. 

Kimber Simpkins-Nuccio

Teaching Assistant & Mindful Movement Teacher

Kimber Simpkins-Nuccio (she/they) is a white, cis, queer mom and writer who taught yoga and mindfulness in the San Francisco Bay area for more than twenty years, bringing a body love and social justice perspective to her teaching and learning. She has completed the Dedicated Practitioner’s Program at Spirit Rock, teacher training at the Mindfulness Training Institute, racial justice facilitation training with Holistic Resistance, the Spiritual Teacher and Leadership Program at EBMC, Mindfulness Mentor Training with Banyan and is a visiting teacher at Spirit Rock, EBMC, New York Insight, and more recently, Insight Santa Cruz. She is currently learning the Kwan Yin dharmas in the 2 year Dharmapala training and is a member of the 2024 cohort of Braided Wisdom’s Original Medicine program. As a practitioner, Kimber values the intersection of social justice, self-knowledge, and decreased reactivity within Buddhist practice and appreciates how these skills help us increase our ability to connect deeply. Undermining white supremacy internally and externally is a core component of her work. She has witnessed first hand how the practice of mindfulness has brought more compassion and joy to her relationships and life.

Jonathan Relucio

Teaching Assistant

For a decade, Jonathan Relucio was a Senior Trainer for Niroga Institute, teacher trauma-informed yoga, meditation, and mindfulness in urban schools, mental health clinics and juvenile detention centers. Currently, he teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and East Bay Meditation Center. Jonathan also facilitates transformation in social justice movements as a Trainer for Rockwood Leadership Insitute; integrates mindfulness with restorative circles for healing and racial equity as co-founder of AllThriveEd.org; and serves on the Healing Advisory council for Filipino Advocates for Justice.

With over 20 years of experience in social services, community organizing, training, and leadership development, Jonathan values yoga, dharma, meditation, Indigenous medicine, martial arts, dance, and DJing as practices for liberation that heal us from the impace of oppressive systems.

Sarwang Parikh

Teaching Assistant

Sarwang Parikh LMFT (he/they) is a psychotherapist and meditation teacher based on unceded Ohlone land in Richmond, CA. He was born into a devotional Indian lineage from an immigrant, working-class family. They have been practicing and studying the Dharma path for over 20 years, primarily through the doors of Vedic yoga and the Theravada Buddhist lineage. He has completed various teaching and study programs in yoga and Buddhist meditation including East Bay Meditation Center's 2-year Spiritual Teacher Leader program. Sarwang teaches at East Bay Meditation Center, Inward Bound Mindfulness Education and in other community organizations. They also serve on the board of Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Sarwang loves playing his handpan, being immersed in sci-fi or getting free on a dance floor. You can find out more about Sarwang at www.heartroottherapy.com.

This program registration is for Original Medicine Earth-Based Intensive Immersion Retreat on July 22 to 28, 2025. 

For further discussion please contact Aubrey Gates through email: aubreyg@braidedwisdom.org