A Day of Practice: Choose Your Path
Meditation in Nature or All-Levels Yoga
Spend a day at Mount Madonna and choose between two afternoon practice offerings: a two-hour Meditation in Nature or a 90-minute All-Levels Yoga class.
Meditation in Nature
Join Dayanand and Sarada Diffenbaugh for a special experience in the beautiful natural surroundings of Mount Madonna. Drawing from wisdom traditions that honor nature and our interrelationship with its presence, the session may include breathing practices, walking meditation, contemplation on the elements, and self-reflection.
This class offers an opportunity to deepen your connection with nature and the experience will vary depending on the weather and group size. Space is limited to 15 participants and is intended for ages 16 and older (although youth ages 12 – 15 may participate with active adult supervision).
All-Levels Yoga
Open to practitioners of all experience levels, this class introduces elements of Classical Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path) as practiced at Mount Madonna, including pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation, and asana (postures). Led by a Mount Madonna teacher, the class offers an accessible and supportive opportunity to explore and deepen your practice.
Optional Navaratri Observance
This Mountain Experience takes place during Navaratri, a nine-day observance that includes daily puja (ceremonial offering) to Ram, one of the incarnations of the Hindu God Vishnu, and readings from the timeless epic, the Ramayana. Guests are invited to attend the 5:00 p.m. reading, “Bridge to Lanka,” followed by evening arati (ritual of light) at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. Those attending may request that a dinner plate be saved for them. To learn more about Navaratri, please visit the program page.
The day’s program will also include:
- Brunch & dinner in the shared community dining hall
- A guided campus tour to Sunset Ridge (weather permitting)
- Personal time
- Option to stay for arati after dinner at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
- Option to book a wellness treatment at Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center (fees additional, advance reservations recommended)
To participate, please register as a Mountain Experience day visitor or Personal Retreat overnight guest.
Sample Schedule
| Saturday, October 17, 2026 | |
| 10:00 a.m. | Arrival & check-in |
| 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Brunch in the shared community dining hall |
| 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Guided campus tour to Sunset Ridge |
| 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. | Meditation in Nature |
| 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. | All-Levels Yoga |
| 5:00 p.m. | Optional Navaratri reading, “Bridge to Lanka”* |
| 5:15 - 6:15 p.m. | Dinner |
| 6:00 p.m. | Evening arati (ritual of light), optional |
| 7:00 p.m. | Mountain Experience program concludes |
*Guests attending the Navaratri reading may request that a dinner plate
be saved for them.
Schedule subject to change. Registrants will be notified.
Presenters
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Dayanand John DiffenbaughBA, E-RYT 500BA (Religious Studies), University of California, Santa Cruz, CA; E-RYT 500
Dayanand teaches Yoga Sutras, Samkhya Philosophy, Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path), Tantra Yoga (path of purification), Nada Yoga (path of inner sound), and meditation. He is editor of Baba Hari Dass’ Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, A Study Guide for Books I-IV. He also teaches World Religions at Mount Madonna School. A musician, “DN” leads kirtan (devotional singing) and Vedic chanting. Dayanand has been instrumental in all of Babaji’s projects, including serving as the Founding Director of Mount Madonna Center, as a founding board member for Hanuman Fellowship, Mount Madonna Institute, Advisor Trustee of Sri Ram Orphanage, and as a member of the panchayat (Council of Elders) of Hanuman Fellowship.
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Sarada Judith DiffenbaughPhD, E-RYT 500Sarada teaches Yoga Sutras, Samkhya Philosophy, Bhagavad Gita, Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path), Bhakti Yoga (path of selfless action), children’s yoga, ethics and meditation. Sarada is the founder of Mount Madonna School where the ancient system of yoga has been translated into contemporary American education. She is one of the founders of Mount Madonna Center, serves as President of Sri Ram Foundation, which publishes Baba Hari Dass’ writings, is an Advisor Trustee of Sri Ram Orphanage, and serves on the Mount Madonna Institute Board’s Executive Committee.
