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California

The Magic of Watercolor & Meditation for Relaxation & Joy

Program No. 23721RJ

Enjoy opportunities for sketching and painting at a tranquil California retreat in a beautiful redwood environment. Meditations each day bring inner joy, focus and relaxation.

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

6 days

5 nights

15 meals

5B 5L 5D

Check-in, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Soquel, CA

Meditation class, Watercolor class & Nature Walk

Soquel, CA

Meditation Class & Watercolor Classes, Open Studio

Soquel, CA

Meditation class and Watercolor classes, Open Studio

Soquel, CA

Meditation class, Watercolor class, Art Appreciation.

Soquel, CA

Meditation class,Watercolor class, Program Concludes

Soquel, CA

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At a Glance

Pack your creativity and escape to the Land of Medicine Buddha, a serene mountain retreat in California’s redwood forest. Suitable for beginners, this course is designed to help you learn to paint in watercolor in a relaxed atmosphere. Step-by-step demonstrations will include: thumbnail sketching, color wheel, color mixing, creating a dynamic value range and techniques such as various washes, wet into wet, glazing, creating textures, dry brush and more. Experience watercolor magic by applying techniques to flowers, skies, landscapes, skies, mandalas etc. Meditations each day bring inner joy, focus and relaxation. Be inspired, have fun and create lovely watercolors!

Activity Level

Easy Going

Short walking distances between accommodation, meeting rooms and dining room. Hilly terrain, uneven ground in places, some stairs or a steep hill & ramps to the dining room and meeting room.

Small Group

Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

Learn watercolor techniques with step-by-step watercolor demonstrations include color mixing, creating washes, wet-into-wet, glazing and dry brush to create and an array of subjects, such as beautiful skies, landscapes and flowers.
Study meditation techniques, with mindfulness meditations and visualization, for deep inner peace and relaxation.
Learn to create watercolor mandalas and thumbnail sketches to develop compositions and values.

General Notes

The Retreat Difference: This unique, often basic and no-frills experience at a Road Scholar Retreat includes opportunities for early morning exercise, interaction with the local community for insight into local life, an authentic farm-to-table or locally sourced meal, and a live performance or event. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Ingrid Mednis

Ingrid Mednis has taught numerous classes in herbology and frequently leads nature walks. She has been a docent at the University of California, Santa Cruz organic farm project for about 20 years and has worked in Henry Cowell State Park.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Ingrid Mednis View biography

Chuck Walbridge View biography

Chuck Walbridge has been studying Buddhism under Tibetan masters since 1975. He has received teachings from more than 45 Tibetan lineage holders and has completed several retreats. He has taught Buddhist meditation and philosophy for 20 years and has been a favorite instructor in the Road Scholar program for the last 10 years.

Neal Hellman View biography

Neal Hellman is a nationally acclaimed performer and teacher of the mountain dulcimer who has been active in performing, teaching and recording acoustic music for the past 25 years throughout the U.S., Europe and New Zealand. He is the author of many books on the Appalachian dulcimer, and received an award for his score for the children’s video, “Princess Furball.” As the founder, director and one of the primary artists of the Gourd Music record label, Neal has produced over 35 albums of folk music.

Breige Gormley Walbridge View biography

Breige Gormley Walbridge has taught Qi Gong classes since 1995 and has a background in Tibetan Buddhism and experience in meditation. She received her certification with the London School of Aromatherapy and has taught aromatherapy classes and workshops using essential oils for home and professional use since 1993. She is also an artist whose paintings appear in international collections. Breige has taught classes in Qi Gong, meditation, aromatherapy and painting for Road Scholar participants at Land of Medicine Buddha since 1998.

Linda Vaughan View biography

Linda has worked and studied in the health field for 39 years. She studied with Jack La Lanne's personal nutritionist, and went on to earn a Masters and Doctorate in her field. She has studied herbs with Jeanine Pollock, the American School of Herbalism and the East West School of Herbology and trained as a Planetary Herbalist at East West, using herbs and healing from around the world. Linda currently has a private herbal and nutrition practice and offers workshops, lectures, classes and herbal walks.

Breige Walbridge View biography

Breige Gormley Walbridge has been the Road Scholar program coordinator and group leader at Land of Medicine Buddha since 1999. During this time, she has organized and hosted approximately 200 programs. Breige is known for her warmth, hospitality and organizational skills.

Venerable Yangchen View biography

Venerable Yangchen is a Tibetan Buddhist nun, who has studied with many Tibetan Buddhist masters. Currently, she leads weekly meditations, facilitates a cancer support group for women, and teaches introductory classes on Buddhist concepts and meditation in the Road Scholar retreats at Land of Medicine Buddha. Venerable Yangchen also leads some meditations at Ocean of Compassion center in San Jose.

Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi View biography

Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi first became interested in meditation and Buddhism after reading “Be Here Now” and early translations of Buddhist sutras. In 1991, she became a student of Tibetan Buddhism, studying in India and Nepal with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Venerable Tenzin took novice ordination in 2004 with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 2006 she became a traveling teacher, teaching at various centers around the world, as well as visiting prisons on behalf of the Liberation Prison Project.

Michele Faia View biography

Michele Faia lives, teaches, and has an Art Studio in California. She attended Cabrillo College and San Jose State University, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art with an emphasis in Art History. She began her career as a community college art history instructor and also taught Western Art History survey courses, American Art, Art Appreciation, and Film as Art. She now teaches watercolor mandalas. Michele is the author of two books on art: “Art in My Heart” and “Awakened By The Flowers.”

Richard Prinz View biography

Richard Prinz completed a degree in psychology at UC Berkeley while experiencing the social unrest of the late 1960s. After living in India and Nepal, he met Tibetan Buddhist Lamas in 1974, which led to an interest in their psychology. Returning to California, Richard got involved in building a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center, Vajrapani Institute. While he was director, a visit from the Dalai Lama inspired Richard to go to graduate school, leading to a career in counseling and therapy.

The Magic of Watercolor & Meditation for Relaxation & Joy

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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