Application and Registration

Sept 12-17 2023
Mt Madonna Center, Watsonville, CA
With Anne Cushman, Solwazi Johnson, Dawn Mauricio, and La Sarmiento

Mount Madonna is a beautiful, rustic retreat center with limited accommodations.The Jewel of Sangha is a relatively small, intimate-by-design retreat with limited enrollment (approximately 65 participants). Please note that this retreat is not organized or funded by MMTCP or Sounds True (although Jack and Tara have given their whole-hearted endorsement). It has been organized and offered by the all-mentor teaching team as a way to support the MMTCP community. We hope that it will be the first of many such mentor-led retreats.

Due to the high level of expressed interest in this retreat, we will be handling registration via a lottery rather than first-come, first-served. With commitment to creating a sangha that reflects the full diversity of our MMTCP community, we have created a modified lottery process that takes into account various elements of social identity.

Registration for the Jewel of Sangha is a three-step process:

  1. Apply for the lottery via the Application Form between March 15 and April 3. By April 10, you will be notified if you have been accepted into the retreat or placed on the waitlist.
  2. If you have been accepted into the retreat, you will be sent a PayPal link to pay the Retreat Fee (see details below). You will have 48 hours to pay the Retreat Fee before your spot is offered to someone on the waitlist.
  3. Once you have paid the Retreat Fee, you will be sent a link to select and pay for your accommodations and meals at Mount Madonna (this is the Accommodations/Meals Fee, details below). 

You are not fully registered for the retreat until you have paid both the Retreat Fee and the Accommodations/Meals Fee.

FEES:

Retreat Fee: $850
This covers our cost of putting on the retreat, including facilities rental, administrative costs, teacher compensation and travel, and teacher accommodations and meals at Mount Madonna.

Scholarship Retreat Fee: $425
There are a very limited number of scholarship retreat spots available. In your application, you will have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship retreat fee.

Accommodations/Meals Fee:
Mount Madonna offers a range of accommodations, from camping to shared rooms to private rooms with own bath. Delicious vegetarian meals are included with non-dairy and gluten-free offerings available at every meal.  The descriptions and prices listed below are for your reference only. Once you have paid the Retreat Fee, you will receive a dedicated link to select your housing choice and pay your Accommodations/Meals Fee directly with Mt Madonna. You must do this to complete your registration process.

There is a limited amount of each type of accommodations. Please prepare at least two housing choices in case your first choice is not available.

Please note:
Mount Madonna is a beautiful, rustic retreat center run by a residential community of volunteers dedicated to service and spiritual development. It is not a luxury facility or hotel. Facilities include a wellness center where you will be able to book a variety of offerings at your own expense, including traditional massage and other body and Ayurveda therapies.

TYPES OF ACCOMMODATIONS:

Guest Rooms: Single, Double, or Triple: Hotel-style rooms (without phones or TVs) with 1, 2, or more twin beds. Some include a private bathroom with shower. Others have access to shared bathrooms and showers down the hall.

Cabins: Situated in an oak grove, the Oaks Cabins each house up to 2 people and have electricity and heat, but no plumbing. A separate bathhouse with private flush toilets and shower rooms is nearby. Cabins are a 10-minute walk up the hill from the main Conference Center.

Camping with own tent: Guests can bring their own tents for use on our 64 developed campsites year-round. All campsites have access to enclosed showers and outhouses.

Camping with Own Vehicle: Spaces are available for your van, camper or other vehicle. Some have access to electricity, but no other hookups. Showers and restrooms are available in campgrounds and nearby Center buildings.

Accommodations/Meals Fee to Mount Madonna (for full retreat). Does not include Retreat Fee (above). These prices are for information and planning only, you must register and pay directly with Mount Madonna with the link you will get after you pay the Retreat Fee. There is a limited amount of each type of housing so please prepare at least two housing choices:

Single room with private bath: $1390
Single room with shared bath: $1125
Single cabin: $980
Double with bath: $1020
Double with shared bath: $865
Double cabin: $825
Triple: $705
Own Van: $460
Own Tent: $460
Commuting: $375

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Retreat Fee: Once you are fully registered, all cancellation requests must be made in writing via email to course@annecushman.com. If you cancel before June 15, there will be a $100 cancellation fee per person (so your Retreat Fee refund will be $750). No Retreat Fee refunds will be made for cancellations after June 15. No Retreat Fee refunds will be made for failure to attend or failure to complete the retreat.

Accommodations/Meals Fee: If you cancel before June 30, you will receive a full refund of your Accommodations/Meals Fee from Mt Madonna. For cancellations between June 30 and Aug 30, you will receive a full credit, minus a $50 administration fee, for any overnight stay at Mt Madonna, for the amount paid.  This credit is available for a period of 1 year from the date of your cancellation. No Accommodations/Meals Fee refunds or credits will be made for cancellations after Aug 30. No Accommodations/Meals Fee refunds will be made for failure to attend or failure to complete the retreat.

COVID-19 POLICIES AND PROTOCOLS:

We have based the following Covid-19 protocols on those used by other highly regarded retreat centers in the mindfulness tradition, such as Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Our commitment is to do our best to keep one another healthy and to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

  • All retreat participants must be fully vaccinated with at least one booster and show proof of vaccination.
  • All retreat participants must come to the retreat prepared with two unused rapid Covid tests. You will take one upon arrival and must show your negative test in order to be given access to your accommodations. You will take the second one on the third morning of the retreat. If you test positive at any point in the retreat you will be asked to leave the retreat in order to protect our community.
  • Masking will be required in all indoor communal settings (ie conference rooms, in the dining hall when not eating, etc) at least for the first two full days of the retreats. Upon receiving a negative Covid test on the third morning, you will have the option of removing your mask for the remainder of the retreat if this is in accordance with current local guidelines and best practices. Throughout the retreat, participants may gather unmasked in any of the outdoor spaces and masks are not required in your personal accommodations.

RETREAT WAIVER AND RELEASE:

You will be asked to complete and sign this form before the beginning of the retreat.