Register for Retreats

The Monastery is open to welcome you Home!

 

Personal Retreats

In addition to the schedule of Themed Retreats, Magnolia Grove is open for personally planned visits at specific times during the year. This is a wonderful opportunity to truly come home: to rest, refresh, heal, and cultivate mindfulness in daily life. Join the community of monastics and lay practitioners in following the daily rhythm and practice schedule of the monastery. We invite you to join us for a deep experience of mindful living for a two-week, one-week, or weekend retreat, as we continue to celebrate the wonders of life and the joy of living mindfully in the present moment. Open to individuals, couples, families, and small groups. Please kindly note that the duration of one’s stay will depend upon whether the monastery is open – this availability is provided on our calendar.

For Personal Retreat, please arrive on a Friday between 3-5pm CT to settle in before 6:00pm dinner and 7:30pm orientation. Please understand that we may not be able to accommodate late arrivals.(We also recommend planning to take off work, or to work only half a day on Friday in order to be with us on time.)

Please register in advance. We ask that you register at least by Monday for arrival in the week following that Monday to help with planning and preparation for your visit. You may not be allowed to stay if you arrive without having registered in advance.

Practical Information:

  • Please arrive at the monastery between 3:00pm-5:00pm on Fridays.
  • Please note that not all Fridays are arrival days and not all arrival days are available for one or two-week retreats. See calendar on registration page for latest information.
  • Please register for your retreat a few weeks in advance, when possible, so you will have enough time to receive and read through all confirmation information.

To support stability in our practice, we observe designated arrival and departure days. All personal retreats start on Friday afternoon with a check-in time between 3:00-5:00pm. Please arrange to arrive during check-in time. One and two week-long retreats end on Friday. Weekend retreats end on Sunday around 2pm.

Personal retreat sample schedule:

5:00 AM – Wake up bell
5:30 AM – Sitting meditation
6:45 AM – Exercise time / Walking meditation
7:30 AM – Breakfast
9:00 AM – Working meditation / Dharma talk
11:00 AM – Walking meditation / Personal Practice Time
12:00 PM – Lunch with Five Contemplations
1:30 PM – Mindful rest period
3:00 PM – Working meditation / Dharma talk
5:00 PM – Sitting and chanting meditation
6:00 PM – Dinner
7:30 PM – Circle sharing or Personal study time
9:30 PM – Noble silence
10:30 PM – Lights out and bedtime

Important Information:

Due to the ever changing situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask for your understanding and support whenever Magnolia Grove Monastery deems that immediate closure is necessary to ensure the health and safety of our monastics and lay friends. We strongly suggest that registered guests get travel insurance and/or refundable travel tickets, as we may not be able to give much notice before an imminent closure. In the case that the monastery closes prior to your arrival, your registration payment would be fully refunded as quickly as conditions allow. 

If you have symptoms and test positive for Covid-19 during your stay at the monastery, we kindly request you to return home to care for yourself.

Pricing  

We do not want the cost of our retreat to prevent or discourage anyone from participating in our retreats. If you cannot attend a retreat due to cost, we encourage you to ask for a reduction.

  • DORM/CABIN bed in a shared room $80 per night
  • TENT/RV/COMMUTER $50 per night. (For RV camping: unfortunately we do not have any electrical or water hookups available. You’re very welcome to come with your RV, but please prepare for dry camping accordingly.)

Discounts for students and seniors 20%, teens 30% and children 40%

If you are put on the waiting list, do not make a payment.  If you are accepted, we will send a payment link.

* If you need a ride or can offer a ride? Please click here to fill out the Google form. We’ll send you the confirmation 3-5 days before the retreat starts.


We welcome friends who wish to come for a weekend or week long stay.

For Themed Retreats, please see our calendar