Patch of Heaven Sanctuary is stunning, no matter the time of day or year. The birds & butterflies dance in free delight, the breeze cools and the land seems to breathe anew.
Since the start of 2023, Patch of Heaven Sanctuary has invited nature lovers, tree huggers, mindfulness practitioners, and humans seeking respite, refuge, and replenishment to spend a day in quiet contemplation on the grounds of our soothing, sacred spaces through the practice of retreat.
Our invitation is for you to slow down to the speed of the trees. Let the full moon bathe you in the Beaver Phase of the 2nd to last Full Moon of 2024. According to ancient indigenous wisdom, this moon is for preparation of resources and the winter to come; going within your heart-cave as you walk into our 123-year-old growth forest, on paths that are the least trodden at Patch, deep into the hammock, arriving at the Thai Meditation Joglo, in the velvet of night, for a Candlelight Forest Bath experience, under La Luna Llena.
Event Schedule
Don't miss out on this one-time event.
6:00 - 6:15
Twilight Experience Begins
Arrive, pause and learn the“Catch Your Breath” practice.
6:15 - 6:30
Grounding Meditation
Learn about Patch of Heaven Sanctuary, the Mindful Pocket Park, why the science of focus and attention training helps mental wellbeing and the benefits of Nature-based Mindfulness.
6:30 - 6:45
In the Dark Drum Walk
Ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official inauguration of the world's first Mindful Pocket Park.
6:45 - 7:00
Tree of Life Visit
Pause to “make a wish” and send lovingkindness to Nature, this sacred act invites a contemplation of what’s your highest aspiration for Nature and Earth
to be well.
7:00 - 7:45
Forest Bath Walk in the Deep Woods
Five Sensory Gardens “guide” the experiential aspect of the 5 Senses.
7:45 - 8:00
Thai Joglo Candlelight Forest Meditation
“Check-out” choosing two words to describe in THIS MOMENT NOW the state of their heart-mind upon taking “The Nature Pill.”
8:00 - 8:15
MoonWalk to Welcome Center
Pause to “make a wish” and send lovingkindness to Nature, this sacred act invites a contemplation of what’s your highest aspiration for Nature and Earth
to be well.
What is the UN International Day of Peace?
What is Forest Bathing?
Based on the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, the therapeutic benefits of this art & science is based on Dr. Qing li’s work as the Chairman of the Japanese Society for Forest Medicine.
What do you do?
The invitation is to slow your pace, put away your devices, and allow all your perceptions to open to the sights, sounds, and scents to the trees. Because this work is known to help you find healing and happiness.
Why do we celebrate International Peace Day at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary?
We will guide you through the foundations of how earth-focused awareness practices began, weave you into the neuroscience of anxiety and offer the antidote of the Mindful Pocket Park’s “deep dive” into how to Pay Attention With Your Senses or P.A.W.S. When we learn through Sight, Sound, Scent, Touch and Taste how to offer ourselves present moment awareness, we open to the joys of birdsong, the sweetness of a breeze, the the lilting uplift of the chimes in our Sound Garden, and the sacred act of offering a prayer to the air before our Tibetan Prayer Wheel in the Touch Garden
Get Tickets - Save Your SpotThe Teachers
Suzanne Jewell
Chief Experience Officer, Patch of Heaven Sanctuary
Founder of the Mindful Pocket Park @Patch, certified mindfulness meditation teacher through the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center/Sounds True training, Executive Resilience Coach and Forest Therapy guide.
Karina Del Punta, PhD
Molecular neuroscientist
She is a molecular neuroscientist, biologist, professor, artist, and certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). Her research has been published in top peer-reviewed journals including Nature and has received prestigious honors for her contributions to the field of neuroscience. As a Guide she facilitates transformative experiences that help others connect deeply with Nature and discover its beauty, power and healing potential.
Get Tickets - Save Your Spot
