The Heartland Retreat Center

Breadth of the US

We all knew going into the open weekend with Daria that we’d have a great time with a healthy balance of meditation, teachings, work & play, but some pleasant unexpected themes also arose thanks to a few who came from greater distances. The cozy group of around 20 friends included not only locals from most of our centers in the Heartland, but also a few from the Northwest, Northeast, and Texas. The collective miles traveled so that we could all join for the weekend was impressive: over one thousand North-South and over three thousand East-West! Having the friends gather from such distances was greatly inspiring for all and provided a stronger basis for working together not just regionally, but also nationally. We look forward to this trend’s continuation!

First center-hosted weekend

Friends from nearly every center in the region came together at the HRC this weekend to take part in our first center-hosted weekend. Until now various individuals had worked together to support programs, but this time one center took care of all the details (including taking the trash and recycling to the local drop off point). The group in Chicago keenly borrowed the idea from the EC Country Weekends, and it was a huge success. This weekend was dedicated to meditation practice, but still a lot of productive work necessary for the place to be able to function was joyfully accomplished during the breaks.

It was so fun that we can not keep the joy to ourselves and invite your center or region to host a program at the HRC sometime. Already the group in La Crosse plans to host a work weekend with an emphasis on lumberjack efforts, and friends from Texas have also indicated the wish to host a weekend. We feel that this style, where one center or region works together to host programs at the HRC, will go a long way in ensuring that the place remains national. Of course, just like at the EC, people familiar with the place will help share information about what needs to be taken into account, but the idea is that the hosting group manage everything. We also have the hunch that doing this here already now will help prepare us to host an Americas Week at the EC sometime in the next couple years.

Attached you can view some photos. The lack of gompa/meditation photos is due to the fact that everyone was practicing during those sessions;+)

Enjoy and come soon!

” . . . wide range of activities.”

The past weekend at the HRC gave a taste of Lama Ole’s quote about the place. Everyone enjoyed ample time for long meditation sessions, people had time to read, meals were shared, regional and international connections were deepened (first visitor from Europe came), and some invested productive hours, both mental and physical, working for the HRC.

Some of the practical work was not glorious but essential, such as hauling away 5 weeks worth of garbage/recycling and troubleshooting septic concerns. Other work was incredibly inspiring and exciting!

We thought about how to enact the vision, especially the expansion, but also talked a lot about retreat cabins’ construction and locations. This was natural as Nick shared a lot of insight and creative ideas. We began to set some priorities for the steering committee created at the vision meeting to begin working on, and discussed ways to make communication smoother and easier in general. There are so many little lifestyle details about how we will have to run the place that everyone who uses it should know. These are things that often do not match up with our typical urban setting, and while important, are not evident.

A major highlight for those who took part was playing lumberjack. We felled a few trees, schlepped the logs out of the woods, cut and split them for firewood. Until now we had been purchasing firewood, which due to the inefficiency of the stove, was not cheap. From now on, preparing firewood will be a regular joyous and healthy part of the program. We’d like to have had photos available, but no cameras were working at the time. However, everyone can feel welcome to join the open weekend with Daria March 5 – 7, when we’ll have time to reenact the human wood chopping factory.

Vision Meeting Weekend

We now have an exciting vision for how to develop the HRC. Friends came together from all over the midwest region and spent a weekend sharing experiences and ideas to decide what comes next at our retreat center.

The group discovered how important it is that we can properly meditate at the HRC. There was broad consensus that we should expand the cabin to accommodate an isolated gompa (no noise!), shared sleeping quarters, and at least another bathroom. As fits our style, we decided this major project should happen in less than a year!

The exciting work ahead is open to everyone. Get in touch to give brains, vision, strength or even dollars to the cabin expansion. To ensure major expenditures are well-checked and that this and future projects stay true to the group, all present helped to define and nominate an HRC Steering Committee.

Camping, places for tents, special weekend activities and bigger future developments were all part of the wider group vision. We are excited to work together and continue making the HRC a place to truly go deep and grow close.

New Years, friends from Texas, and a vision

To keep everyone updated on the latest happenings at the HRC – in the same vein as the Europe Center – we plan to offer more frequent postings here, so do check in often to stay abreast of all the happenings if you can not be there in person (still the preferred model).

Over New Years, the Midwest region hosted its first course at the HRC less than a month after the property having been acquired. Nearly 70 friends came throughout the weekend, including 10 Texans, aka “The Lone Star Yogis.” Their presence was an expression of Lama Ole’s wish stated 10 years ago that the Midwest and Texas begin to work together more closely. Two weeks later 10 Midwesterners made their way down to a weekend course in Austin, Texas. Close collaboration continues with friends visiting each other, course hosting support, and regular contact.

Besides the normal course schedule, we held an initial meeting on how the HRC will be used and developed in the future. The aim was not to make any hard decisions, but to get initial ideas on the table and let them stew until the vision meeting weekend.

In the weeks following the course, individuals and couples did personal retreats at the HRC. Ian, the HRC’s current caretaker, also began to settle in and meet our neighbors, who themselves have been curious and even willing to come to our door and ask questions.

Last weekend of January we took time to watch the recorded streamings of the International Centers’ meeting that took place in Brunschwig, Germany last fall with Lama Ole. Caty’s knowledge and wisdom was impressive as we absorbed all we could for the upcoming vision meeting.

The annual vision meeting took place the first weekend of February. Many friends came, and again had the experience of sharing a common view. We clarified what the priorities for the place are and will be checking it out with other regions, the national foundation, as well as Lama Ole and Caty to verify that the group’s vision is in line with national and international development. More detailed results of the meeting will come soon.

We look forward to seeing you all soon at our beautiful Heartland Retreat Center!

A new website

The HRC has a new website! Our goal with the new site is to share frequent updates about the activity at the center and post all upcoming events. More pages and details are coming. We’re thankful to friends at the Europe Center who helped with technical details and inspiration. We’re excited to share the joys of the Heartland Retreat Center with friends throughout the Americas and the world!

We did it!

In an amazing show of enthusiasm, $30k was raised at the San Diego auction. This brings us to the goal of raising the final $111K needed. We did it! We now have the total $320k to purchase the Heartland Retreat Center without debt. Words cannot express our deep thanks to all the friends across North America and beyond who worked together to offer this place to our teachers. We will close on the property by or before December 20, 2009.

Now may we enjoy the fruit of the labor. We have a New Year’s course planned with traveling teacher Sergio Ayala at the HRC from 12/30 (people can already arrive on the 29th for settling in so that we have a full day on the 30th) through Sunday January 3rd. More details will be posted soon.

The Bus Tour stops at the HRC

During the bus tour through the region, Lama Ole visited the future HRC with over 100 friends. He gave a gompa blessing, checked out the house, and headed out for a long hike on those spacious 84 acres. As we began the walk around the land, we shared with him that a mantra was said for every step he took that day by his students throughout the country and beyond. This was touching, and he commented on what good style this was. As we made the hike he pointed out several possibilities for where retreat cabins or other structures could be built. Afterwards we shared a warm meal and had a transmission conversation about meditation and retreat.

There was a great sense of confidence that we will succeed and soon own this place. On the final night of the bus tour, all remaining contingencies were removed. The place already felt very much like home, especially with so many family to share the visit with. The sequel $11K Match Challenge was reached in a matter of days (with several outstanding pledges). Though some early estimates set the raised amount over $90K after the tour, the actual number we currently have is $81K, still a great achievement.

Ideally we’ll be able to reach the $111K goal with the auction in San Deigo, but in case not, we still have until mid December to raise the remaining funds. Our closing deadline is December 20.

Thank you all for the support to make this possible! We look forward to welcoming everyone home very soon!