REGISTRATION
Meditation in the Forest, Sierra Nevada Mtns., California
Aug. 24 – 31, 2020
A Sky Mind Retreat
Cost: $600 – $430 (sliding scale)
Deposit due at time of registration.
Full payment due upon registration, or when admitted, whichever is later.
Further Information: Please feel free to contact the registrar Quilley Powers at (510) 682-6873, QP007
To reserve your place please complete the Online Registration Form and deposit.
Your registration will be considered complete and your space reserved when the form and your deposit have been received. You will receive a confirmation that you have a spot on the retreat within a week (sooner if we are available!). If you don’t receive a notification, please contact us.
Reservations are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. If the retreat is full, we will notify you that you have been placed on the waitlist. The deposit is refundable for those on the wait list.
The sliding fee reflects a minimum cost where the donations of contributors to Sky Mind allow for a lower fee, while the higher cost represents full cost of the trip. A non-refundable deposit is due with your registration form.
Your registration will be considered complete and your space reserved when the form and your deposit (or full payment by check) have been received. You will receive a confirmation that you have a spot on the retreat within a week (sooner if we are available!). If you don’t receive a notification, please contact us.
Reservations are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. If the retreat is full, we will notify you that you have been placed on the waitlist. For those on the waitlist, we only request a $150 deposit that is fully refundable.
The sliding fee reflects a minimum cost where the donations of contributors to Sky Mind allow for a lower fee, while the higher cost represents full cost of the trip. A non-refundable deposit is due with your registration form.
COVID-19
The retreat site is well suited to allowing for social distancing while still providing a wonderful retreat container. We are in the process of creating detailed procedures and systems to allow for a smooth flowing and safe retreat container. The detailed information will be sent out in a separate document two weeks prior to the retreat. (It will also be available on the website at that time.)
At this point, the one week retreat is completely full and the two-week option has been on a waitlist since early December. Changes happen every year and often they happen at the last minute. If you can be available with very short notice, we invite you to complete the Online Registration Form to reserve your space on the waitlist. No deposit is required at this point. The July Lost Coast Women’s retreat still has space. Please also make sure to sign up for our newsletter where we announce our planned retreats.
The Fine Print
Deposit
An online deposit and completed application form will reserve your place. If you opt to make full payment by check, that will reserve your space as well. For online deposits, we ask that you immediately send a check for the remaining balance. Reservations are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. Please fill out a separate form for each person. If the retreat is full, you'll be placed on a wait list. If that happens, don't be disheartened, as there will probably be cancellations. Only the deposit needs to be paid by those on the waitlist, and it is refundable if a spot does not become available for you.
Payment
Full payment is due as soon as possible after you register. If it is not received on time, the reservation may be canceled and the deposit forfeited.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
If SMR finds it necessary to cancel a trip due to under-enrollment or other unexpected conditions, your deposit and any payments on the balance of the fee will be returned. Deposits are also refundable for those on the waitlist who do not end up being able to go.
Given the short lead time for this retreat, there would normally be no refunds within this time frame; however with the ever changing conditions, we will work with you as best we can to refund money. Anyone on the waitlist for whom a space does not become available will receive a full refund.
If you find it necessary to cancel due to possible COVID-19 illness, we want you to cancel and we will work with you to refund as much as we can. If it is at the last minute we may have some non-refundable costs such as purchased food. We will work together on a case by case basis.
Trip Insurance
You may wish to purchase trip insurance, available online, and at any travel agency. It will protect your investment in non-refundable airline tickets if you have to cancel or if the retreat is canceled due to circumstances beyond our control. Most policies also cover medical evacuation costs in case of injury - a good deal for backcountry travelers, since a backcountry evacuation almost always involves the use of an expensive helicopter, which you would otherwise be responsible for.
Obligations of Retreat Applicants
This is a non-profit, cost-sharing trip sponsored by Sky Mind Retreats. We will all be responsible for our own safety and the safety of the group and for doing the work that is part of a wilderness trip. For this reason, please consider your physical condition and your travel to the retreat site. You will need to be able to take care of yourself, as well as be helpful to the group on a day-to-day basis. In consideration of the teacher, staff, and other retreatants, we ask that you be in good health at the time of the retreat. Please evaluate your circumstances and call or email if you are unsure of the appropriateness of this trip for you. You are expected to carefully review all information furnished, understanding that this is a meditation retreat requiring a commitment to noble silence and practice. Also, we ask that you understand as thoroughly as possible the physical and mental demands of the trip and the risks to be encountered and you properly equip yourself for a week of camping. Part of our practice will be to mindfully commit to non-harming, so that our impact on the environment is minimal and the rights and privacy of other retreatants are respected. All SMR events, including pre-trip meetings, are strictly non-smoking. Alcohol and drugs are also not allowed.