Weekend Retreat in Nevada City
The Play of HUMANITY + DIVINITY: Two days of rounding, knowledge and nature
Nevada City, CA | June 13-14th, 2026
There is a place within each of us where the human and the divine meet—where effort softens into flow, and life begins to feel both grounded and expansive at once. In this retreat, we’ll explore that dynamic interplay: how our everyday human experience can become a doorway to something deeper, more connected, and more alive.
An opportunity to step out of the noise and into a space of reflection, insight, and renewal, this weekend retreat is both accessible and deeply transformative.
Through wisdom talks, group practice with morning and afternoon rounds, and immersion in nature, we’ll gently uncover the sweet spot where doing and being, experiencing and transcending, and striving and allowing, come into balance.
You’ll leave feeling rested, reconnected, and more attuned to the full spectrum of human experience.
JAI GURU DEVA
This retreat is also a fundraiser. All proceeds will go towards Meditation Without Borders’ current projects.
The Location
The Octobarn at Moss Village
Situated just outside Nevada City in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Moss Village provides a natural sanctuary where we will be nestled in forests and fields of wild flowers.
Schedule
SATURDAY
8:30-9:00AM rounding instruction
9:00-10:00AM round
10:00-10:15AM break
10:15-12:00PM wisdom talk
12:00-1:00PM activity/break
1:00-2:00PM lunch
2:00-4:00PM wisdom talk
4:00-5:00PM round
6:30-7:30PM dinner (optional)
SUNDAY
8:30-9:00AM round
9:00-10:30AM wisdom talk
10:30-2:00PM Yuba River picnic (optional)
Investment:
$600 Includes program (rounding, lunch* and wisdom sessions)
$750 Includes program + shared accommodations
$675 Includes program + on-site camping
$300 deposit to secure your spot.
Due to the nature of this retreat we can’t provide refunds unless we are able to replace your spot.
*Program cost includes lunch on Saturday. Dinner on Saturday and lunch Sunday are optional and will be offered for a small extra fee.
Accommodations
Moss Hollow House
Located a short walk from the Octobarn, Moss Hollow House is a gorgeously updated farmhouse with multiple bedrooms, space for dining and its own meditation studio. The house has double occupancy and multiple occupancy up to five beds.
*On-site accommodations are limited and available are on a first-come, first-served basis
On-site Camping
In addition to Moss Hollow House, there are camping spaces with room for 2 person tents, 2 van camping sites, and one Dome Structure that can fit two people.
You can bring your own tent or they will provide and set up a tent with a single size matteress/bedding for you.
Dome Structure includes a queen mattress with fitted sheet or two single mattresses with sheets (BYO pillows and blankets).
Facilities include three outhouses, one outdoor shower, access to Octobarn bathroom and kitchen.
“ The Divinity of man is not a human concept, it is a Divine concept. ”
Frequently Asked Questions
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This retreat is open to all those who have learned Vedic Meditation from a qualified teacher or Transcendental Meditation (a four-day course with puja ceremony at the beginning.)
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It would be good to bring clothes that you can do rounding in, comfortable walking shoes, swimwear. Yoga mats are available on-site, but you may bring your own if you prefer.
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We will be serving Ayurvedic vegetarian food to aid in the process of purifying the body and the mind. Lunch will be served to the whole group Saturday. A light dinner on Saturday evening and a pack lunch on Sunday will be optional for a small additional cost.
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Advanced techniques (eligible for those with one year or more of consistent practice) will be available during the second round on Saturday. Please reach out if interested.
Your Hosts
Kristen Vandivier
My name is Kristen Vandivier, and I’m a Vedic Meditation teacher and the mother of three children—ages 7, 11, and 13—living in Mill Valley, California.
Nine years ago, after a career in advertising, I made a sharp left turn and traveled to India for three months to train as a teacher of Vedic Meditation. The experience changed the course of my life.
About six years ago, as the world felt increasingly volatile and the daily news carried more and more stories of suffering, I realized I couldn’t stay on the sidelines, I felt called to act. That call became Meditation Without Borders—an organization dedicated to bringing the deeply life-supporting practice of Vedic Meditation to people around the world who are in urgent need of profound stress release and healing.
Since launching, MWB has offered programs in unhoused communities in California, cancer centers in Mexico, and in 2024 and 2025, we came to Rwanda to teach at Rwanda Women’s Network safe spaces and the Berwa Kinunu School for teen mothers.
Ana Williamson
Ana Williamson is a Vedic Meditation teacher who completed her training in 2025 after an extended period of study and practice under Thom Knoles. Originally from Columbia, she is also a mother and a widely renowned architect based in San Francisco’s South Bay.