MEDITATION RETREAT AND KAYAK CLASSIC ISLANDS – SKIFF SUPPORTED
Kayak Tour based in Meditation, Self-Discovery, and More with Mark Coleman
Nov 3, 2024 - Nov 8, 2024
Mar 17, 2025 - Mar 22, 2025
Highlights
- Kayaking around the islands near Loreto
- Led by Mark Coleman, founder of Awake in the Wild
- Breathtaking natural beauty throughout your trip
- Experienced guides steeped in local knowledge
- Opportunities to meditate in peaceful natural environs
WEEKLONG KAYAK AND MEDITATION WITH MARK COLEMAN
Sea Trek is happy to offer an Insight meditation and sea kayaking retreat in the pristine wilderness of the Sea of Cortez. When you go on this trip, you get the same experience as our Classic Islands trip, but with a focus on mindfulness meditation within the beauty of nature.
Meditation practitioner Mark Coleman has been practicing Buddhist meditation since 1984. He is a Spirit Rock Meditation Teacher and has been teaching Insight meditation retreats in nature since 2002, based on his book, Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. With Mark on this retreat, you have an experienced outdoorsman and meditation guide who can help you see how immersion in nature is a profound way to cultivate awareness, joy, peace and insight.
This mindfulness retreat will be held entirely in serene silence. We will cultivate mindful awareness through sitting, walking and movement meditations (meditating approximately 6-8 times during the day). Mark will guide practices each day to deepen a contemplative relationship to nature. He will also offer talks and group and individual meetings to support participant’s meditation practice. There will also be time to explore the natural surroundings in a contemplative way through paddleboarding, swimming, snorkeling, and walking in this spectacular setting.
ITINERARY
We’ll meet in the evening for a pre-trip meeting and thorough orientation. Your guides will answer any questions you have and share the flow of the coming days.
You are responsible for your own accommodations on this night.
After breakfast, we’ll come get you from your hotel to take you to the put in for the trip. You will receive a basic kayaking lesson and our safety orientation. Afterwards, we all pack our kayaks with our personal day gear, leaving the rest for the support boat, and make the three-mile crossing to Isla Danzante. On the paddle, after getting comfortable with our paddling, we go into silence. We then set up our first camp on the island after lunch. We will camp on this beach for two nights. In the afternoon, Mark will give a more complete orientation to meditation in nature, silence, and the mindfulness practices he’ll be sharing throughout the week. After lunch, there is time to rest, bathe, swim, or explore the water by paddling and snorkeling, all within the context of mindful awareness. We’ll then come together to meditate, hear a Dharma talk from Mark, and practice more. We then have dinner and meditate under the moon and stars.
Every day we will enjoy exquisite, serene, and often breathtaking sunrises. We wake at dawn to meditate as the sun rises over the Sea of Cortez to create a splendor of colors in the sky and on the water. As the sun rises, it casts light on the jagged promontories of Isla Danzante, which is a sight to behold. Then we practice some Qigong and simple mindful movement exercises. We’ll break to enjoy much-awaited hot coffee and tea, then another meditation before breakfast. This is one of three more intensive meditation days where we spend the morning diving deeper into sitting and walking meditation practices. Mark will meet with everyone to discuss meditation practice in small groups. The afternoon/evening unfolds similar to Day 2.
After paddling along the coast of Isla Danzante, we make a second beautiful crossing to the northeast to Isla del Carmen. We will do some floating meditations on the water as we cross. During the crossing, keep an eye out for pods of dolphins or even a whale! We then set up our second camp on the tip of this beautiful, wild and rugged island after lunch. We will camp on this beach for 2-3 nights. After setting up camp on Isla del Carmen after lunch, the afternoon and evening unfolds like in Day 2.
After Isla del Carmen, we’ll paddle in the morning to set up camp on a beautiful, wide beach facing wildly-rugged mountains. There’s more opportunity for exploration and awe as sunset changes the colors on the rock faces of the Sierra de la Giganta range. After lunch, we’ll set up camp, then the afternoon and evening unfold like Day 2.
After a week in silence supporting the meditative process, several periods of daily meditation, opportunities for discussion, talks on the themes of meditation in nature, and opportunities for one-to-one work with Mark, your whole being will be replenished in the spirit and awe of nature. Today will be a day to reflect on your experience and drink in the last days of this rich and unique environment. This is the last of the more intensive meditation days, where we spend the morning diving deeper into sitting and walking meditation practices. Mark will speak meditation practice and taking the practice back into our lives back home. The afternoon/evening unfolds similar to Day 2.
We watch the sun rise over the Sea of Cortez one last time as it makes fiery colors appear briefly on the turquoise-hued water and bid goodbye to this magnificent piece of the planet. We’ll have breakfast, pack up, and paddle back to Puerto Escondido for the take-out where a van will be waiting to take us back to Loreto. After a final seaside lunch or snack, it is back to town, your head filled with the past week’s experiences, your heart looking forward to your next adventure.
Note: We can’t get you to the airport to fly out this day. If you are flying back to the US the earliest return date will be the day after. You are responsible for your own accommodations for this night.
Destination
This trip begins at Loreto. Located on the lower part of the eastern gulf coastline, this town has long been a destination for people seeking a wilderness adventure.
While many people with the time and patience enjoy driving into Loreto from San Diego via Federal Highway 1, the easiest way is to fly into the nearby international airport. Alaska Air/Horizon flies directly to Loreto from Los Angeles, and AereoCalafia offers direct flights into Loreto from Tijuana. There is also now a once a week flight on American via Dallas or Phoenix. You can also try reaching the town by flying to La Paz or Cabo, and getting a connecting flight or other form of transportation from there. Contact us for more information on traveling to Loreto.
MARK COLEMAN
Meditation Teacher
Mark is a life-long nature lover and is passionate about guiding people into the beauty of meditation and nature. He has led wilderness nature retreats for over twenty years worldwide. Through his organization Awake in the Wild Mark leads year-long nature meditation teacher trainings in the US and Europe. He recently founded a non-profit dedicated to helping connect people contemplatively with nature.
Mark has trained extensively in the Buddhist tradition, both in the Insight meditation and in the Tibetan tradition. He is a senior teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has taught insight meditation retreats since 1997. Co-founder of the Mindfulness Training Institute Mark also leads year long professional mindfulness teacher trainings in Europe and the US. Mark is a sought after speaker, consultant, trainer and coach.
He is author of many books including: Awake in the Wild – Mindfulness in nature as a path to self-discovery; Make Peace With Your Mind – How Mindfulness and Compassion can free you from the Inner Critic; From Suffering to Peace The True Promise of Mindfulness; and his recent book A Field Guide to Nature Meditation – 52 mindfulness practices for joy, wisdom and wonder.
He lives in Sausalito, Marin and likes nothing more than hiking biking and kayaking in the outdoors.
Visit markcoleman.org for more information.
MORE INFORMATION
Accommodations
Hotel accommodations prior to Day 1 of the trip, and for the night of Day 6 are not included in the trip package. You must arrive before Day 1 and the earliest you can fly out is the day after the last day of your trip.
For our confirmed clients, we are pleased to offer the services of our preferred travel planners to assist with all of your flight and hotel needs. Although limited in number, visitors to Loreto have lodging choices that range from luxury to budget. Our travel planners will assist you in determining lodging that fits your preferences. Our travel planners are seasoned Baja veterans, and will help you find the best flight arrangements so your trip planning is smooth and efficient.
Packing List
You’ll be provided a detailed packing list upon reserving a trip with Sea Trek, but you may wish to keep the following list in mind while you prepare:
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Ages 18 years old and up. Please call for questions about kids under 18 years old.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us.+
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