What to Bring

  1. Clothing - Indoors: Loose-fitting, comfortable, layered and warm clothing are best for meditation and rota.  Bring a meditation shawl or blanket, as the temperature in the retreat center is kept very cool to help prevent the spread of germs.
  2. Clothing – Outdoors:  Prepare for spending time outdoors as part of the program—make sure you have clothing suitable for being in the mountains.  During the winter months bring snow gear (boots, gloves, scarf, hat).  During the summer months bring warm clothing (coat, hat, gloves) and bug-gear (light jacket, bug repellent).
  3. Personal Toiletries: Lip balm and good moisturizing lotion are very helpful when spending time in the dry winter air of Colorado.
  4. Alarm Clock: Battery powered is recommended.
  5. Non-Breakable Water Container: For safety reasons, no open or glass containers are allowed in the shrine room.
  6. Money: Bring cash or debit/credit cards for potential miscellaneous expenses. There is an ATM in downtown Crestone that accepts Visa, but does not except Mastercard.
  7. Prescription medications: Please be sure to bring an ample supply of your medications since the nearest pharmacy is in Alamosa, which is approximately 1 hour away - in good weather.
  8. Phone card: Cell phone reception may be poor or nonexistent, so a phone card is recommended.
  9. Meditation cushions: The retreat center offers a limited number of cushion sets (zabutons and gomdens or zafus) for those who are unable to bring them with you.  Chairs are available for those who prefer to practice while sitting on chairs.
  10. Note Taking: For most programs, Dr. Ray encourages taking notes during talks—bring paper and pen/pencil.