Five-Night Summer Yoga & Mindfulness Retreat in the Redwoods
July 2–7, 2026 | Week-Long Retreat | 6 Days | Thursday to Tuesday
A soulful gathering rooted in long-standing summer traditions, this retreat offers an immersive journey into yoga, meditation, breath-work, and mandala exploration guided by master teacher Mary Paffard. Designed for experienced practitioners seeking depth, continuity, and shared community, these five nights unfold in a serene redwood sanctuary touched by ocean breezes. Together, participants move, rest, inquire, and reconnect with the natural world and their own embodied wisdom.
Retreat Modalities Included
Active Yoga Practice
Restorative Yoga Practice
Meditation
Breath-Work
Mandala Exploration
Poetry-Infused Inquiry
Imagery-Based Yoga Practices
Eco Enquiry
Who the Retreat Is For
This retreat is designed for dedicated yoga practitioners—of all genders and all adult ages—who are seeking a deep, continuous immersion in practice within a supportive, seasoned sangha. As this is not a beginner’s retreat, participants should have a foundational understanding of yoga and meditation. Modifications are offered for those who wish to adapt their practice, and anyone with questions about suitability is invited to contact Mary directly.
This gathering is ideal for those longing for practice within community, nourishment from the natural world, and the grounding rhythm of silence and shared intention.
Retreat Description
A Tradition of Connection, Continuity, and Return
For over two decades, Mary Paffard has guided Summer and Solstice celebrations that draw a devoted circle of practitioners—many of whom return year after year. The Summer Retreat 2026 continues this lineage, weaving long-standing ritual with fresh curiosity, shared joy, and the warm welcome offered to new participants.
Held in a redwood grove along the Northern California coast, the retreat space cradles a sangha of yogis who gather in stillness, in movement, in laughter, and in reverent dialogue with the land itself. Camaraderie arises naturally here—teachers and practitioners alike finding nourishment in the shared field of practice and presence.
Deep Immersion in Practice: A Yoga and Mindfulness Retreat
Each day offers generous asana sessions—both active and passive—supported by breath-work, meditation, poetry, imagery, and eco enquiry. Mary’s approach is rooted in mindfulness-infused embodiment, reflecting decades of teaching across local, national, and international communities.
Mornings until lunch are held in silence, a cherished rhythm that allows the practices to deepen organically. This continuity—free from the fragmentation of partial attendance—supports the retreat’s container of trust, spaciousness, and collective care.
Optional evening programs, such as mandala workshops or contemplative discussions, allow practitioners to explore creativity, inquiry, and community in an unhurried way.
Rest, Nourishment, and the Ecology of Belonging: An Eco Oriented Yoga Retreat
Spirit Camp’s redwood sanctuary—held by forest, meadow, and coastal winds—invites a deep exhale. Whether glamping, staying in a cabin, or sleeping under the night sky, participants are enveloped in an environment designed for ecological sustainability and soulful retreat.
Simple, nourishing vegetarian meals crafted by chef James Sant become part of the rhythm of care. Meandering forest walks, campfire moments, shared silence, and access to sauna time all support the body’s return to balance and ease.
Participants often speak of this retreat as a “deep reset,” a time when clarity returns, the heart softens, and one’s inner compass realigns.
The Power of Embodied Community: An Embodiment Retreat
The continuity of practice, the shared silence, the redwood landscape, and the long-standing community culture make this retreat a powerful field for embodied exploration. Practitioners are invited to listen deeply—to their breath, their bones, their intuition, and the teachings that arise from the natural world.
The group’s collective presence amplifies the retreat’s transformative potential, creating conditions for subtle recalibration and renewed orientation toward what is most essential.
Those who return year after year describe this retreat as a wellspring: a place where clarity gathers, inspiration rekindles, and the heart feels profoundly at home.
This experience is perfect for those searching for: Yoga and Mindfulness Retreat, Embodiment Retreat, Wellness Retreat, Eco Oriented Yoga Retreat, Retreats with Silence
About The Retreat Facilitators: Mary Paffard
Mary Paffard has been teaching yoga locally, nationally, and internationally since the mid-1980s. A respected teacher of embodied, mindful, and inquiry-based yoga, Mary’s work bridges creativity, Buddhist practice, eco-spirituality, and decades of teaching experience.
From 2000 to 2010, she served as the Director of Teacher Training at Yoga Mendocino, a nonprofit studio she co-founded. She has also been a faculty member of numerous in-depth teacher training programs across California, Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Her work includes a long-running volunteer educational exchange with yoga and meditation groups in Cuba through yogava.org, demonstrating her commitment to community learning and cross-cultural connection.
Mary teaches yoga on Vipassana retreats and brings mindfulness into every gesture of her teaching. She is a Buddhist Eco Chaplain, an active grandmother, and a resident of an off-grid collective apple farm in Mendocino County. Currently, she teaches online and leads several in-person retreats each year—naming this summer gathering as her most cherished offering.
Spirit Camp Retreat Center
Within the gentle embrace of Northern California’s coastal woodlands, the Northern California Retreat Center at Spirit Camp stands as a dynamic portal to healing and self-discovery. Here, emerald ferns catch the morning light, and redwoods whisper old stories into the soft coastal wind. Just a short distance from Mendocino’s artisan shops and only a few hours from the Bay Area, this center merges accessibility and remoteness, granting each visitor the chance to activate their magic and align with nature’s primordial rhythm. You’ll find that even the simple act of wandering through quiet trails or settling before a campfire inspires a sense of reverence and grounded presence.
Spirit Camp curates a multitude of transformative experiences, offering spiritual retreats in Northern California for those seeking inner alignment, dance and embodiment retreats for those craving deeper bodily wisdom, and yoga retreat Mendocino immersions for anyone longing to harmonize breath, movement, and soul. Owned by a queer couple dedicated to inclusivity and authentic community, the center welcomes all who step onto its land. Whether you arrive for a men’s retreat, a women’s weekend, or a fully inclusive circle of seekers, you’ll find an atmosphere that respects diversity, encourages open dialogue, and honors each individual’s unique path.
The accommodations themselves reflect a spectrum of comfort and intimacy. Private cabins offer year-round coziness, while camping and glamping allow you to witness the forest’s nocturnal rhythms firsthand. Each season brings its own flavor of beauty: the hush of winter rains nurturing quiet reflection, the warmth of spring and summer evenings fueling communal connection. And throughout the year, moments of forest bathing, breathwork, and ancestral reconnection emerge as catalysts for meaningful healing, bridging the gap between who you’ve been and who you are becoming.
At Spirit Camp, you learn to unplug, not just from technology, but from the pressures and patterns that limit your growth. Here, you may rediscover your voice, tap into your inner wellspring of creativity, or simply rest in the company of towering trees that have stood watch for centuries. As you depart, carry with you the subtle lessons learned—an imprint of land, community, and spirit that continues to shape your journey long after you’ve returned home.