Mountain Stream invites you to join an Eco Dharma Half-Day Retreat
Autumn on the Yuba: Between Falling Leaves and Resting Roots
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Time: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Location: Gather at Mountain Stream Meditation, Nevada City Insight Center
710 Zion St, Nevada City, CA 95959. From there we’ll drive to Purdon Crossing and hike 15-20 minutes along the Yuba River.
Guides: Leslie Pace & Lakshmi Prasad
Cost: Dana Offering (supported by BESS Family Foundation)
Pre-registration is required: To register/questions, email lakshmi@mtstream.org
What to bring:
Comfortable clothing and layers for changing weather
Water bottle
Snack
Journal and pen/pencil
Small cushion or blanket for sitting
Sturdy shoes for an easy–moderate trail (max. 30 minutes each way)
Dana: During the half day retreat, there is an opportunity to offer a financial donation to Leslie & Lakshmi as part of the Buddhist practice of dana, the virtue of giving and receiving. All offerings are gratefully received. Teacher Dana
An Invitation
Autumn in the Sierra Nevada foothills is a season of turning — golden leaves, crisp air, the river slowing after summer’s rush. It is a time of letting go, a reminder that change is constant and thresholds are everywhere.
Together, we will spend time on the banks of the Yuba River, where we will explore what it means to be “in the in-between”: when the old is falling away and the new is not yet formed.
Through walking and hiking, gentle prompts, light movement, deep listening, and contemplative time in nature, we will draw on the wisdom of the land and of each other.
Our journey will be guided by teachings from Buddhism, Deep Ecology, poetry, and other contemplative traditions that speak to transitions and transformation.
This is a space for reflection, resting, and remembering that uncertainty can be fertile, and nature can be a refuge.
About the Guides
Leslie is an explorer and lover of wild lands, regenerative farming, fermentation, bikes, and poetry. She is on the path to support others in cultivating awareness, ritual, and deep connection with nature, especially in times of change and uncertainty. Currently training as a Buddhist Eco-Chaplain with the Sati Center, she is excited to share these practices with the Nevada City community.
Lakshmi is a dedicated dharma practitioner who recently completed a two-year training with her teachers, Thanissara and Kittisaro, rooted in the Theravada Thai Forest tradition and Kuan Yin Dharmas. New to Nevada City, she delights in the beauty of the land - befriending evergreens, resting by the Yuba River, and deepening her connection with the more-than-human world.