Reflections from Mount Madonna’s
48th Annual Liberation Yoga Retreat
Wednesday – Sunday, July 1 – 5, 2026
“I really appreciated that the retreat was so much more than just asana… This far exceeded my expectations of what a yoga retreat would be.” — Anonymous, In-Person Retreat participant
Peace is often imagined as something we find — a destination waiting somewhere beyond the demands of everyday life. Yet throughout Mount Madonna’s 48th Annual Liberation Yoga Retreat, we were invited to explore a different understanding: that peace is something we practice every day.
That understanding shaped this year’s Liberation Yoga Retreat, centered on the theme Pathways to Peace. The four-day experience wove together meditation, yoga asana (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), self-inquiry, satsang (community or gathering of spiritual seekers), ritual, service, and time in nature. Each practice became another doorway into the same timeless exploration: discovering that lasting peace is not something we find apart from life, but something we cultivate through the way we live it.
Throughout the retreat, the ancient teachings of the Yoga Vasishtha and Baba Hari Dass were explored through both study and experience. Presentations offered philosophical grounding, daily practices brought those teachings to life, and moments between sessions — shared meals, quiet walks beneath the redwoods, conversations over chai, and evenings of music and storytelling — revealed that some of the deepest insights emerge not only in formal practice, but in community itself.
Many Pathways, One Aim
“All together, these offerings make a rich experience, with much to ‘take home’ and work with. The philosophy presentations in the afternoon supported all the other practices.” — Marguerite, In-Person Retreat participant
Each afternoon, the retreat’s presentations built upon one another, gradually unfolding a shared exploration of the theme.
Sadanand “SN” Mailliard opened with Practicing for Liberation, inviting us to reflect on the question, “What are you seeking liberation from, or what are you seeking liberation to?” Rather than beginning with answers, he encouraged us to explore one another’s responses, listening with what he described as “curiosity greater than criticality.” Drawing on the teachings of Baba Hari Dass, SN offered the reflection, “Anyone can attain liberation who understands what is causing bondage” — the habits, reactions, and patterns of mind that keep us from experiencing our true nature. Rather than viewing spiritual practice as something separate from daily life, he encouraged us to recognize that practice and daily life are deeply connected, suggesting that the work of liberation continues through every interaction, every challenge, and every opportunity to respond with greater awareness.
Friday’s presentation explored the Four Doors to Liberation from the Yoga Vasishtha — Serenity through Self-mastery, Self-inquiry, Contentment, and Satsang — through a series of reflections that were at once philosophical and deeply personal. Opening the conversation on Serenity through Self-mastery, Ratna Sturz posed a question that echoed throughout the retreat: “If the whole world of experience takes place within the mind, how do we condition the mind to be peaceful?” Ryan Oliver then turned to Self-inquiry, inviting us to return again and again to the enduring question, “Who am I?” Purnima Conway explored Contentment as the freedom to transform our relationship with life’s circumstances, while Ryan Bell concluded with Satsang, describing it as “being in the company of truth.”
Saturday’s presentation, The Path to Liberation, brought together the retreat’s themes through the lineage teachings of Baba Hari Dass. Sarada and Dayanand Diffenbaugh invited us to reflect on the aim of our own spiritual practice before exploring the many complementary paths within Yoga — including self-study, service, devotion, meditation, and concentration — and the ways each supports the journey toward liberation. Drawing from the Yoga Sutras, Samkhya philosophy, and Baba Hari Dass’s teachings, they emphasized that regular sadhana (spiritual practice) gradually removes the obstacles that obscure our true nature, not through a single practice, but through a life of sustained awareness, discipline, and devotion.
The Teachings in Nature & in Practice
Our days began before sunrise, as we gathered for arati (ritual of light) before moving into practices of pranayama, meditation, and yoga asana. Morning silence gradually gave way to shared meals, conversations over fresh chai, and afternoons filled with reflection, movement, and exploration.
Beyond the scheduled sessions, the retreat offered countless opportunities for practice to continue unfolding. Some wandered beneath the mountain’s towering redwoods or joined a native plant walk led by Michael Holmes, where we learned to look more closely at the subtle differences between trees and the many relationships that sustain the forest. Others found quiet moments at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple or Babaji’s kutir (cottage), while conversations that began during presentations continued over brunch or along the many campus trails.
Nature & Asana sessions explored the connection between Yoga and the five elements, expanding our understanding of how the postures relate to the natural world and daily life.
Courtesy of Marina Midori Photography
“Being in a room full of other people saying om was an amazing experience. Hiking alone in the redwoods… I grew up in nature and it’s where I belong. It was beautiful.” — Katie, In-Person Retreat participant
The Gift of Satsang
If one thread wove itself through every aspect of the retreat, it was satsang — the community that emerges when people gather with a shared intention to seek truth.
Attending his first Mount Madonna retreat, Philanthropy Coordinator Jordan Hankoff found the daily reflections especially meaningful, as we looked back on the day’s teachings and listened to one another share about what had stood out. Hearing the different perspectives around the room, he observed that we seemed to be walking “separate but parallel journeys.”
Longtime practitioner and retreat leader Anand Darsie reflected on that same spirit:
“This retreat specifically drew my attention to the ubiquitous power of satsang, which refers to the community of people all gathered together to seek the truth. When the actual physical group of people puts themselves through the rigor of daily yoga practice for four days, it’s magic. I felt that there was more openness, more connection to each other and to nature, more spontaneous gratitude… and more ease in being a human on this wild planet.” — Anand Darsie
That sense of connection also found its way into moments of play. Friday evening brought kirtan and interactive Bollywood dancing led by Jill Landis, filling the room with movement, laughter, and smiling faces. The dancing brought us together in a spirit of celebration, leaving the room uplifted and energized.
For those joining from home, that sense of connection extended beyond the mountain.
“It’s pretty amazing having a whole retreat come right into my living room. Anand and Purnima sharing their hearts and ideas and helping me feel included from the first word of the opening circle to the last sharing of the closing.” — Roberta, Online Retreat participant
The online Café created its own space for satsang:
“The Café is one of my favorite parts of the on-line retreat — renewing friendships and deepening on-going conversations about life and death and love and sometimes just sitting quietly with each other.” — Roberta, Online Retreat participant
Across both the in-person and online portions of the retreat, participants described the kindness and warmth of others, meaningful conversations, and the opportunity to practice alongside others committed to self-inquiry. For many of us, the greatest gift of the retreat was the experience of walking the path together.
Celebrating Heart & Hope
Saturday evening’s Celebrating Heart & Hope, presented by the Hanuman Players, Mount Madonna’s beloved theater troupe, extended our exploration of liberation through poetry, music, theater, storytelling, and play, bringing the retreat’s teachings to life through creative expression.
Among its moving moments was Rashmi Cole’s story from Sri Ram Ashram in India. She recounted how patient dialogue transformed an impasse over one young woman’s university admission into a shared understanding, ultimately opening the door not only for that student, but for others who would follow.
Each offering approached the retreat’s themes from a different angle, exploring questions of identity, compassion, service, love, and the understanding of our true nature.
Reflecting on the performance after the retreat, Hanuman Players director Sampad wrote:
“I reflect on that evening, the dedication and exploration, the teamwork and community building, the risk-taking, and full emotional investment of the cast involved. With a very short rehearsal period and all kinds of schedule challenges, somehow this group pulled together and performed magnificently, sharing their hearts and vulnerabilities while supporting one another in the doing of it.” — Sampad Kachuck
Into Daily Life
On Sunday morning, we gathered around the yajna (ancient Vedic ritual) at Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. As mantra (sacred chanting) filled the Temple and offerings were placed into the fire, we joined in a symbolic act of offering and release, concluding the retreat with a practice rooted in purification, transformation, and peace.
“Two weeks later, I can still hear that transformative weekend on the mountain echoing in my body, and I can feel the support of the community, even in my own more solitary practice.” — Anand Darsie
Perhaps that is the gift of the Liberation Yoga Retreat. The experience itself lasts only a few days, but what it awakens continues to shape how we meet ourselves, one another, and the world.
