Five-Night Summer Yoga & Mindfulness Retreat in the Redwoods
July 2–7, 2026 | Week-Long Retreat | 6 Days | Thursday to Tuesday
Reconnect with embodied wisdom through Yoga, Meditation, Breath-Work, and Mandala Exploration with Mary Paffard (Master Teacher since 1980s, Buddhist Eco Chaplain) in the coastal redwoods of Northern California. Created for experienced practitioners ready for depth, continuity, and soulful community within this longstanding summer tradition.
Retreat Modalities Included
Active Yoga Practice
Restorative Yoga Practice
Meditation
Breath-Work
Mandala Exploration
Poetry-Infused Inquiry
Imagery-Based Yoga Practices
Eco Enquiry
Morning Silence Practice
Sauna Time
About This Retreat
This retreat is independently organized by Mary Paffard. Spirit Camp provides the venue, accommodations, and retreat setting. For registration, pricing, program details, meal info, and lodging options, please contact the retreat organizer directly using the button below.
Who the Retreat Is For
This retreat is created for dedicated yoga practitioners—of all genders and all adult ages—who are seeking a 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 redwood forest, 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. This yoga and mindfulness retreat honors both individual exploration and collective belonging.
Continuous Immersion in Practice
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 strengthen organically. This continuity—free from the fragmentation of partial attendance—supports the retreat's container of trust, spaciousness, and collective care. The rhythm of practice becomes a living meditation, inviting participants into presence that extends beyond the mat.
Optional evening programs, such as mandala workshops or contemplative discussions, allow practitioners to explore creativity, inquiry, and community in an unhurried way. These gatherings create space for artistic expression and philosophical exploration, enriching the overall experience with multiple layers of engagement.
Rest, Nourishment, and the Ecology of Belonging
Spirit Camp's redwood sanctuary—held by forest, meadow, and coastal winds—invites a full exhale. Whether glamping, staying in a cabin, or sleeping under the night sky, participants are enveloped in an environment crafted for ecological sustainability and soulful retreat. This eco oriented yoga retreat honors the reciprocal relationship between human practice and the living world.
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. The Mendocino landscape itself becomes a teacher—inviting participants to listen to wind through redwood branches, feel the Pacific mist, and witness the changing light across the forest floor.
Participants often speak of this retreat as a reset, a time when clarity returns, the heart softens, and one's inner compass realigns. The combination of continuous practice, nourishing food, and ecological immersion creates conditions for genuine renewal. This wellness retreat supports the whole being—body, mind, heart, and spirit.
The Power of Embodied Community
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—to their breath, their bones, their intuition, and the teachings that arise from the natural world. This embodiment retreat creates space for subtle recalibration and renewed orientation toward what is most essential.
The group's collective presence amplifies the retreat's transformative potential, creating conditions for shifts that honor each practitioner's unique path. 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.
Mary's teaching brings together yoga, Buddhist practice, eco-spirituality, and poetry-infused inquiry—creating a rich tapestry of practices that support both personal insight and communal connection. Her four decades of teaching experience inform every aspect of the retreat, from the thoughtful sequencing of asana to the spaciousness held for silence and reflection.
This experience is perfect for those searching for: yoga and mindfulness retreat, embodiment retreat, wellness retreat, eco oriented yoga retreat, retreats with silence, Northern California yoga retreat, Mendocino yoga retreat, meditation retreat California, restorative yoga
About The Retreat Facilitator: 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, shaping generations of yoga teachers with her thoughtful, integrity-based approach.
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. Mary's teaching is characterized by its depth, accessibility, and profound respect for both the practice and the practitioners who gather with her.
↓ Continue reading to learn about Spirit Camp Retreat Center and full retreat details
About Spirit Camp Retreat Center
Spirit Camp is a 27-acre retreat sanctuary nestled in the coastal redwoods of Mendocino County, Northern California. Located just minutes from the Pacific Ocean, this intimate venue offers a grounded, restorative setting for yoga retreats, meditation immersions, and transformational experiences.
Accommodations include comfortable shared and private rooms, glamping options, and camping spaces—all surrounded by towering redwoods and lush forest trails. Each space is thoughtfully prepared to support rest, reflection, and connection with the natural world.
Meals are prepared fresh daily by chef James Sant using organic, locally sourced ingredients. Spirit Camp provides nourishing vegetarian cuisine crafted to support your retreat experience, with accommodations available for dietary restrictions and preferences.
Amenities include multiple indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, a yoga and movement studio, fire pit areas, forest trails for walking meditation and contemplative walks, sauna facilities, and plenty of quiet spaces for solo reflection. The property's natural beauty and intentional layout create an environment that supports both group connection and individual practice.
What's Included: When you attend a retreat at Spirit Camp, your experience includes comfortable accommodations, all meals prepared by a local chef, access to all venue facilities and natural spaces, and the supportive container of the Mendocino coastal redwood setting.
Spirit Camp was created as a place where transformation-seekers can step away from daily demands and into experiences that matter—supported by the beauty of the redwood forest, the rhythm of the Pacific coast, and a community committed to authentic growth and meaningful connection.
Retreat Information
Organized by: Mary Paffard
Venue provided by: Spirit Camp Retreat Center
Spirit Camp provides the retreat venue and accommodations. The retreat facilitator is responsible for all programming, meals, pricing, registration, and retreat content.
For all questions about:
Registration, pricing, and payment plans
Retreat schedule and programming
Accommodations and room assignments
Contact Mary Paffard directly at mary@maryyoga.com.
For venue questions (directions, property layout, amenities), visit our Guide Guide and FAQ page.