Bringing together three dharma friends, and one shared commitment to practice, this 6-night retreat to Stowel Lake Farm is a return to nature, depth, self-study, and deep listening. 
On this co-led retreat with Melissa Seikai Berry Appleton, Elena Ansui Brower, and Matthew Kozan Palevsky, expect to be immersed in practices of zazen, samu (one hour of fresh air farm work), yoga asana, as well as time to tend to yourself, lay on the ground, walk, and sit near a body of water. 

Our studies center around Buddhist Teachings and are still percolating between Melissa, Matthew and Elena. We will announce our focus very soon. The body of work we choose will be with good intent and applies to every moment of our lives, the simplicity and majesty of life as a lay practitioner, cultivating awareness, letting go of the need for attainment, while resting in just this body, and the practice of silent illumination. Retreat form will offer insights into our habitual conditioned viewpoints, cultivating an empty field, and realign our inherent luminous true nature. All of this, solid ground for everyday simple living.

*Please Note

There have been substantial increases to retreat costs at Stowel Lake Farm (many retreat centres!) throughout the past six years, with this year as so exception. For those who have attended year after year, this is noticeable.

Stowel Lake Farm is a thriving organic farm, retreat center, and community, located on 100 acres of mixed forests, fields, rocky outcrops and rolling hills, on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia ~ a truly incredible place. The food, the facilities and the land are an exceptional venue to meet all the right elements of retreat. If you are travelling from afar ~ we recommend taking a couple of extra days to explore the rich natural beauty of this place.

Melissa Seikai Berry Appleton, MC, RCC, Chaplain

Mother, teacher, chaplain and psychotherapist. Lay ordained by Roshi Joan Halifax, serving the University of British Columbia and Stillwater Zen Community. Melissa supports healthcare workers, and the multi-faceted nature of moral injury as a compass towards compassion, rebuilding systems of trust and collective resilience. For decades Melissa has taught meditation, yoga, somatic movement, embodiment, ethical engagement and compassionate frameworks.

Melissa provides care from a holistic approach, recognizing innate goodness as a resource to meet suffering, joy, meaning and purpose. She works with people 1:1 and specializes in peer support group process and psycho-education. Warm hand to warm hand, direct in person care and connection lays the groundwork for support and restoration.

Elena Ansui Brower

Mother, artist, and author, Elena has spent nearly three decades shaping the practice of modern yoga and meditation. Author of five books including her latest, Hold Nothing (Shambhala Publications, 2025), and the widely translated Art of Attention (2012), she's taught online yoga on Glo since 2008, and hosts the podcast Practice You, now in its eighth season. Elena completed Upaya's Chaplaincy Training Program in early 2026; as a Soto Zen student, she received jukai (lay Zen vows) with Monshin Nannette Overley in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, and serves in hospice and penitentiary settings. She's the founder of the Hold Nothing Foundation [501(c)3] supporting organizations serving girls and women globally.

Matthew Kozan Palevsky

An ordained Zen Buddhist priest, Matthew is also a lifelong activist and political organizer.  He devoted himself to social justice organizing for many years in New York City, advocating primarily for workers’ rights and criminal justice reform, before taking the backward step into contemplative practice. He spent the following decade living and practicing at Upaya Zen Center, a Soto Zen residential community in New Mexico, where he ordained, served as the resident teacher, and co-founded Upaya’s Socially Engaged Buddhism Training.  He currently teaches Zen philosophy at Naropa University and is co-developing Jubilee College, an experiment in returning higher education to its monastic roots. 

This retreat is offered in the spirit of Dana.  Registration fees cover the cost set by Stowel Lake Farm for accommodations, food, facility use at Stowel Lake Farm and administration fees.

In honour of our Buddhist lineage and teachers, we offer this week of teachings freely because they are considered priceless. In the Buddhist tradition we practice dana, or generosity, by making monetary offerings for the teachings. Dana is not payment for goods or services rendered; it is given from the heart. Your generosity is a gift that supports not just the teachers, but also the Sangha, the larger Dharma community, and your own practice.

As Buddhist teachers, we continue to offer retreat within the honorable practice of dana even though we live outside of the supports of monastic life. For this reason, we ask that you consider what it means to give generously at the end of retreat ~ for the offering of these teachings, our time, our teachers, the lineage of time and everything that will come moving forward. The registration cost of retreat covers accommodation, food, facility use and administrative fees. It does not provide payment to teachers. Because you have asked what dana might look like, it may fall within the spectrum of 75-150 per day.

May we all deeply appreciate diversity in gender, race and form and the commit to walk alongside and support those whose lived experience is perpetually laced with institutional bias, harm and discrimination. Please know we are working to find ways to support two bursary application spots to be offered in the LGTBQ+ and BIPOC community.

Cancellations

A deposit of 500 dollars is non-refundable from initial payment. There will be no refunds on final payments past April 1st. We highly recommend considering insurance for unforeseeable circumstances. In the event you are unable to attend retreat, you may gift your spot to a friend if you wish.

Nourished by the Farm

Our incredibly talented kitchen team provides a seasonally inspired farm to table experience, featuring our own fresh organic produce. In direct collaboration with our farmers, retreat meals are prepared simply and beautifully to feature the natural flavourful vitality of fresh whole food ingredients. Meals are served buffet style including options for dairy free, gluten free and vegan. This is one of the many things that keeps people returning to retreat year after year. Please note, Stowel Lake Farm is unable to accommodate any additional food requests.

Rooms

Our charming & cozy accommodations are all located close to the main facilities. Well built, beautifully crafted, and maintained. Guests will enjoy clean, comfortable bedding with duvets and towels. The yurts have heat and power and linens provided. If you are tenting, you must bring your own bedding and towels.

Getting To Stowel Lake Farm

Stowel Lake Farm on Salt Spring Island is just beautiful.  Check it out here ~

https://www.stowellakefarm.com/aboutus

You are probably travelling by ferry my friends - possibly by bike, foot or car.  If in the event you leave your car behind, we can pick you up and drop you off at the ferry.  We will arrange pick up times one month prior to retreat. Pick up is available at Fulford Harbour only. All other harbours will require your own transportation methods.

Maybe you are travelling from out of country or province? There is also an option to take a float plane from Vancouver as well. If you require assistance navigating, please reach out. Our assistant Jenn Williams will support.

What to Bring

- Bring layered clothes for varying temperatures inside and outside - it can be very hot, raining or cool.

- Swim suit for ocean and lake dips.

- Flashlight

- Journal and pen.

- Hat, sun screen.

- Loose, comfortable and modest clothing.

- Outdoor wear for helping on the farm.

- Darker shades of clothing without logos and print for meditation (black, navy, grey, brown).

We ask that you arrive no earlier or later that the arrival time of 3-5 p.m.  Flights, ferry schedules and shared car rides should be scheduled early enough that they will not impact arriving on time.  Late attendance has a way of delaying settling in for both teachers and attendees. Sometimes guests arrive to Salt Spring Island one day early and stay at another accommodation to settling in and enjoy Salt Spring Island.

Closing circle is a beautiful way of honouring each other and ends on the last day of retreat at 12 noon followed by lunch. Please book departure times following closing circle.

We ask that you take some time to really consider your ability to attend the full length of retreat, entering, experiencing and commencing all together. 

Silent Illumination This silent retreat period is intended to nourish us through a period of deep listening to our bodies, hearts, minds and the land in the midst of practice.  Silence can be fertile ground for wisdom and compassion and intimate connection. Many people are surprised by their ease with silence, and note the incredible benefit. The first full day of retreat offers an afternoon of convivial speech to orient and connect while we gently ease into the full experience of retreat.

Thursday

3-5 pm || arrival

5:15 pm || orientation

6 pm || dinner

7:15 pm || gently entering practice & zazen (orientation)

Kinship of Practice - Melissa

Samu - Elena

Form & Ritual - Matthew

Friday

(noble silence)

7 am ||  zazen

8 am ||  Toast, fruit, coffee & tea

9 am ||  zazen/embodiment (Melissa)

10:15 am ||  Dharma Story

(noble silence ends)

11 pm ||  brunch 

12 pm || free time (convivial)

4:30 pm ||  Yoga

6 pm ||  dinner

7:30 pm || zazen & entering noble silence

Saturday/Sunday/Monday/Tuesday

(full noble silence)

7 am ||  zazen

8 am ||  Toast, fruit, coffee & tea

9 am ||  zazen/embodiment (Melissa)

10:15 am ||  Dharma Story (Melissa, Elena & Matthew)

11 pm ||  Brunch

12:30 pm || a generous offering of work practice on the farm

1:30 pm ||  free time 

4:30 pm ||  Yoga (led by Melissa & Elena)

6 pm ||  dinner

7:30 pm || zazen

8:30 p.m.  ||  closing chants

Wednesday

(noble silence)

7 am ||  zazen

8 am || Toast, fruit, coffee & tea

9 am || zazen & closing circle (noble silence ends)

11 am || packing up rooms

11:30 am ||  lunch & departure