Silent Meditation Retreat at Mount Madonna, California

The retreat runs Wednesday 11 November to Sunday 15 November 2026 at Mount Madonna Center, 445 Summit Road, Watsonville, California. Silence is held from the first evening through to the final morning. Days follow a set rhythm: early morning sitting, breakfast, a mid-morning session, lunch, afternoon practice, dinner, and an evening talk or chanting. Exact times are confirmed on arrival.

Mount Madonna has been running silent and yoga retreats since the late 1970s. The land is redwood forest at around 1,800 feet, with trails, a small lake, and views down to Monterey Bay on clear days. The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and OM Park sit on the property and are open for quiet visits on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

What separates this from a general yoga holiday is the silence itself. Meals are taken together but without talking. Phones and reading material are put away. The teachers guide the sits but do not fill the day with talk. Most people find the first 24 hours the hardest and the last two the most useful.

The centre is run by the Advaita Society – Hanuman Fellowship, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The teaching lineage comes from Baba Hari Dass, who taught at Mount Madonna until his death in 2018. His books and recorded talks are still used in the programmes.

Accommodation is on site in simple rooms, and all meals are vegetarian, cooked in the community kitchen. The Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center offers massage, Ayurvedic consultations and energy healing at extra cost if you want to book something alongside the retreat.

What's included

- 4 nights on-site accommodation at Mount Madonna Center - Vegetarian meals in the community dining room - Daily guided and unguided meditation sessions - Walking meditation periods - Gentle yoga asana sessions - Evening talks and chanting - Access to the grounds, trails and lake - Quiet access to the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and OM Park (Tuesdays and Saturdays)

What's not included

- Travel to and from Mount Madonna Center - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center treatments (massage, energy healing, Ayurvedic consultations) - Personal expenses - Any additional programmes or classes booked separately