TOUR: Mindfulness Experience at Camp Santanoni

The layers of history at Camp Santanoni are many, visible, and profound. They are seen in its natural and human-made features – buildings, roadways, fields, forests, ruins, vistas, and wildlife – and are echoed in the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the place. This mindfulness experience begins at the Gate Lodge with an orientation to place, warm-ups, centering, and breathing exercises intended to connect participants to their bodies and the world around them. We will then make our way to the Farm Complex, using all our senses to become more fully present to all that is around us and taking time for an extended sit among the trees to deepen our connection to the land and to the more than human world. Nearer the farm, we shift our awareness to the features of the landscape that represent the more recent human story here. We will touch the buildings, spend time among ruins, and consider the continuity of history, natural and human, that brought us to this present moment. We conclude with a returning ritual, a chance to reflect on the experience and understand how the practice of mindfulness can be used in daily life.

This experience is led by Susan West Montgomery, a Kripalu-certified Outdoor Mindfulness Guide and longtime preservation leader who has worked with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Preservation Action. This event begins at 9 AM and ends at 1 PM.

There is a suggested donation of $45 per person.

Please note that this outing includes roughly 2.5 miles of walking at a leisurely pace over a dirt road.