Aesthetic Rapture - A Mid-Spring Non-dual Tantrik Yoga Retreat in Nature

Join us to dive into the depths and heights of connection with self, the serenity of trees, and life-loving, creative community! 

Friday, May 15 to Monday, 18th, we gather in Pioneer, CA (about 2:20 from the Bay Area) to delve into Non-dual Tantrik Yoga: philosophy, particularly around the concept of aesthetic rapture, heart-opening, connective practices, yoga asana, breathwork, meditation, mantra, song, art making, and creative, self-expressive writing exercises and games.

The land we are on is thick with trees and rich with highly stylized, artistic buildings made from 90% upcycled materials. We are being hosted by the creator, Bobby Lee. We have luxurious indoor and outdoor spaces for lounging and gathering, including a 12-person hot tub, showers, sleeping bunks, flat camp & RV spots, an indoor/outdoor gourmet, industrial-grade kitchen, a fire pit, and a magickal madrone tree surrounded by a welcoming deck that fits at least 30 for yoga, ceremony, and dancing. There is a sweet river spot 10 minutes away for swimming and observing the movements of life via water, and a pristine lake further up the hill. 

This is highly curated, full-service glamping with all the amenities. We provide nourishing, organic meals and snacks. On-site body workers will be available at reduced rates for fellow retreat participants.

Pioneer, CA, is a scenic, unincorporated town in Amador County at ~3,000 ft elevation along State Route 88 in the Sierra Foothills. Known for its pine forests, this community of roughly 1,000–1,200 residents serves as a quiet mountain getaway and a gateway to Sierra Nevada recreation. Local attractions include Black Chasm Cave, Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, and Tiger Creek Reservoir.

Retreat. Re-wild. Extract the juice of life from every experience. Each moment of beauty, awe, and wonder offers us the opportunity to remember our divine, connected, and blissful nature. So many beautiful works of art (across all media) were born of our human desire to find meaning in life's challenges and to celebrate the beauty, wisdom, and lessons from every tragedy, sadness, or grief. Seeing the world is what causes it to be. Each of us is a perceiver and creator. The essence of aesthetic experience is rasa generated through presence with the raw matter of our art and the art of life. The nature of aesthetic experience is the ability to extract rasa from life; this is what we create art from.

Living as artists or Tantrikas is about constantly extracting the juice, being present with the essence without grasping or aversion. It is savoring the experience of our existence, no matter what it is. It is the juicing, mining, attending to life with a curious, courageous presence… slowing down… being present to what unfolds in each and every moment.

Come join us to dream in and create the more beautiful world we know is possible!