Meditate in the Mountains – Adirondacks

Overview

Reconnect to the abundance provided by nature, good company, and systematic meditation techniques as you immerse yourself in the Adirondack mountains. This retreat is about healing, balance, and rediscovering profound tools for support that you can carry back into your busy day-to-day life. Our days will include meditation, gentle hikes, time around Heart Lake, bonfires, nourishing food, and uplifting company. If you’re looking to hit your inner reset button and have some fun outdoors, then this is the perfect retreat for you!

What to Expect

This excursion provides a nice blend of meditation study and practice, light hiking, uplifting community environment, and time to relax. Expect 2-3 meditation sessions per day, 4-5 miles of fairly gentle hiking, freshly prepared vegetarian meals, and lots of time spent outdoors. With a maximum group size of 15 people, including the trip leaders, this program will ensure the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with other program participants.

What’s Included:

8-10 program hours – Meditation practice, study, breath training, and supportive movement
2-3 Daily systematic guided meditations
Daily 3-5 mile guided hikes
Two Himalayan Institute faculty members
Two trip leaders with Wilderness First Responder certification
Share accommodations at our private yurt village campground
9 delicious and freshly prepared vegetarian meals
Free access to swimming at Heart Lake
Pre-excursion Zoom call to help prepare and meet other participants
Himalayan Institute Excursion Care package
And much more!

Key Highlights

Nature

Our home for this retreat is situated in the heart of the High Peaks Wilderness Area, which includes 275,460 acres of protected wilderness. The nature here is uniquely pristine.

Whether we’re hiking on a trail, swimming or kayaking in Heart lake, lounging by a fire, or anywhere in between, you’ll have lots of opportunities to immerse yourself in nature.

Meditation

Our meditation practice will be anchored in the system of Vishoka Meditation, a precise set of meditative techniques designed to unite mind and breath and turn them inward, allowing us to nourish and rejuvenate ourselves on every level of our being. The fruit of this practice is a mind trained to remain clear, focused, and joyful in all circumstances in life.

Community

At the heart of this excursion is a small community of like-minded individuals. Each determined to grow in their own unique way, we’ll meditate together, hike together, enjoy meals together, and bunk together. While there will certainly be time for personal space, it’s the conscious community connection and opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships that adds so much value to a trip like this.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive to the Adirondack Loj at Heart Lake for check-in by 2:00pm. Once everyone has gathered we’ll move as a group to the Yurt Village and get settled into our home for the next 3 nights. Once settled, we’ll gather for a program orientation, which will include introductions and a short meditation practice. After orientation, we’ll head over to Heart Lake for a short hike and or a swim, get familiar with the campground, and enjoy a full course meal specially prepared for our group at the Adirondack Loj. After dinner we’ll head back to the Yurts for a bonfire and evening meditation practice to cap-off the day.

Day 2

Wake up to fresh coffee and tea served by 6am, and enjoy your cup while the mountains come alive for the day. Around 7:00 am we’ll begin gentle guided movement to wake up the body and prepare the mind for meditation. After practice we’ll enjoy a simple, but nourishing breakfast, and then make our trail lunches for the day. Today’s 5 mile round-trip hike will gently lead us through beautiful forest to our destination at Rocky falls, where we’ll have time to relax and meditate by a small river, and if the weather is right, even take a dip! We’ll return to camp by early afternoon to enjoy a few hours of free-time. Later afternoon we’ll gather for a guided meditation practice followed by dinner at the Loj. Once again, we’ll end the day by a warm fire at our campsite with time to reflect and connect.

Day 3

Enjoy another morning with coffee/tea, movement, and meditation followed by breakfast. Once again, we’ll make our trail lunches and set off on a 4.5 mile round trip hike to Marcy Dam. Our destination is a beautiful meadow surrounded by mountains with a small river that runs through it. This is an ideal location to relax, reflect, meditate, and enjoy the outdoors. We’ll return to camp in the early afternoon for free-time, followed by an early evening group meditation and dinner at the Loj. Our evening bonfire will provide a perfect setting for group reflections and camaraderie.

Day 4

Take in one more mountain morning with coffee/tea, movement and meditation. After breakfast, we’ll make our trail lunches, pack our belongings, and make sure our campsite is better than we found it. By mid-morning we’ll head out for a 3-4 mile hike with a little more elevation gain than before. Our destination will be a shorter mountain summit with a beautiful view of the mountains we’ve been immersed in over the past few days. This will be a perfect time to digest our experiences and close our eyes for one last meditation. By early afternoon we’ll be back to our vehicles and ready to head home with our cups full.

**This is a sample itinerary which is subject to change based on weather or a variety of other conditions.

Accommodations

The Adirondack Mountain Club’s Education Yurt Village, located in the Wilderness Campground at Heart Lake, will be our home for the retreat. This private campsite includes 3 Yurts, 2 consist of 4 sets of bunk beds, and the 3rd, serving as our practice and education space, also includes a kitchenette with a small refrigerator, food bin, two-burner stove, and a sink. Surrounded by trees, the area outside the yurts includes picnic tables, a bonfire pit, and ample room to spread out for yoga practice and general relaxation. It’s situated 5-7 minutes walking distance from Heart lake, and 2-3 minutes from the campground bathrooms, showers, and Hungry Hiker dining facility for supplemental drinks and food. While we’ll do our best to accommodate gender specific bunk rooms, we can’t guarantee it, and in the spirit of camping, participants should mentally prepare for co-ed sleeping arrangements, which is a standard practice at all Adirondack Mountain Club bunk-rooms.

Photo Gallery

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Excursion Team

Ransom Hare

Aaron Luburich

Dates & Prices

Date	Early Registration	Regular Registration
July 23—26, 2026 Register Online	$1,125 Closes December 3, 2025	$1,250 Closes March 18, 2026

Date

Early Registration

Regular Registration

July 23—26, 2026

Register Online

$1,125

Closes December 3, 2025

$1,250

Closes March 18, 2026

A $500 non-refundable deposit must be made to secure your spot

Call 1-800-822-4547 x5 or email [email protected] for more information.

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Packing List

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Frequently Asked Questions

General

Q) Is data or internet access available?
A) Considering the remoteness of our campsite, data is generally unavailable. While our campsite won’t have access to the internet, you can access free internet via a short 2-3 minute walk at the High Peaks Information Center.

Q) Where do we shower and bathe?
A) ADK’s Wilderness Campgrounds have two shower and bathroom facilities, the closest one located 2-3 minutes walking from our campsite.

Q) Are Linens Provided?
A) No, pillows, blankets and linens are not provided. The bunk beds include a mattress and you are welcome to bring your own sheets, blankets, or comforter etc. from home, or simply bring a sleeping bag and a pillow. Inquire with our team if you have questions about bedding.

Q) How will rainy weather affect our trip experience, since we’re planning to spend so much time outdoors?
A) Weather in the Adirondacks is unpredictable, especially in summer! While sunshine and warm temperatures are always welcome, we will still plan to hike in and embrace any rainy or colder weather that may arise. Since we have our private indoor classroom space, we’ll still be able to study and practice meditation rain or shine! All said, we’ll adapt to whatever weather conditions are provided and plan to have a wonderfully uplifting experience regardless.

Q) How difficult are the hikes?
A) The hikes are easy-moderate in difficulty. Most of the trails are a mix between packed dirt, roots, and rocks. You should be comfortable hiking 5+ miles at a time while carrying a light backpack. We’ll typically be outdoors or on trail for 3-4 hours at a time.

Q) How long will we sit for meditation?
A) Guided meditations will generally last between 10-20 minutes at a time.

Q) Do we need to bring our own meditation props?
A) The tour organizer will provide a mexican blanket, yoga block, breath pillow, and chair to support our various practices. If you have a meditation seat at home that you’re familiar with and enhances your comfort, please bring it along!

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