We are very excited to share that Mountain Cloud’s Ecodharma Residency will be returning in May 2026! Below are the details from the 2025 program. Stay tuned for more details, and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when applications open.
Details from the 2025 program:
This May, in the beautiful foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, Mountain Cloud Zen Center will be hosting a month-long, Ecodharma-focused residency program with long-time Ecodharma and Zen teacher and Ecodharma author David Loy. With options for onsite or commuter residency, this program is a chance to resource ourselves and cultivate skillful action in the face of uncertainty and multiple intersecting crises.
The residency, running May 2nd – June 1st, will begin with a day-long retreat and conclude with a 6-day intensive retreat with David. In between, there will be multiple discussion times with David, special land-based and emergent group activities, weekly book group, an Ecodharma documentary premiere, daily meditation sits, weekly Dharma talks, and extended time connecting with the land.
If you’re interested in staying with us beyond the month of May or are interested in our regular residency program, head to our residency page for more information.
Scroll down for more details and an initial form to indicate your interest.
“As Noam Chomsky has said, this is the most dangerous time in human history. What does Buddhism offer that can help us understand our situation, and how to respond appropriately? And what does this crucial time mean for how we understand and practice Buddhism?”
– David Loy
For centuries, the Earth has held Buddhist practitioners around the world, offering support and wisdom even in the most challenging moments. The Buddhist and Sanbo Zen path has been an offering in return, revealing our true nature: a recognition of our interconnection with the Earth and all she enlivens, and our responsibility as practitioners to care for the Earth as we care for ourselves; a recognition that our journey toward enlightenment extends far beyond this one heart-mind.
We are called forth into even more dedicated and engaged practice; a practice that fortifies us so we can take skillful action in an era of deep instability in our environment and in the face of the multiple intersecting crises impacting us, the land, and our more-than-human kin.
This special month-long residency is a chance for us to answer this call. It is a chance for us to gather together in an intentional community, exploring the question David Loy invites us into: What does Buddhism offer to help us understand this moment, and how do we respond appropriately?
During this residency, practitioners will have ample opportunity to connect with the land and beings in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, practice with resident teacher David Loy, build community with fellow practitioners, and explore how our Buddhist practice can meet this world in crisis.
About David Loy
David Robert Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. He is a prolific author, who penned the book Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis and whose articles appear regularly in the pages of major journals such as Tikkun and Buddhist magazines including Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, and Buddhadharma, as well as in a variety of scholarly journals. Many of his writings, as well as audio and video talks and interviews, are available on the web. He is on the advisory boards of Buddhist Global Relief, the Clear View Project, Zen Peacemakers, and the Ernest Becker Foundation. David is one of the founding members of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center, near Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about David at https://www.davidloy.org/
Activities + Schedule
Weekly Activities (click each item to learn more)
Book Group
This discussion time will feature David’s forthcoming book, Loving the World as Our Own Body: Updating the Spiritual Path, which addresses head-on the intersecting crises of our time and what the spiritual path can offer – or how it might need to be reshaped – to skillfully respond.
Land-Based Adventures
Each week, there will be a different land-based activity to explore other ways of learning from and connecting with the Earth. This might include activities like outdoor yoga, a contemplative hike, Art in Nature, or garden work.
Peer Learning Session
A time set aside for any emerging topics or activities that residents want to explore together.
Communal Dinner and Mandala
Once a week, two Mountain Cloud sangha members will facilitate communal discussion over food, offering a chance to build out and envision what Ecodharma community and engaged practice looks like.
Additional Events (click each item to learn more)
Movie Premiere – May 2nd
The month will kick off with the evening premiere of a documentary about David Loy’s travels through Brazil, made by two of Mountain Cloud’s very own sangha members, Andreas Hernandez and Daniela Montano Wilhelms.
Zazenkai – May 3rd
A daylong retreat to start the month off in deep collective practice. The retreat will explore the motto from Bayo Akomolafe, “The times are urgent. Slow down” and what practice means in these uncertain times. More info here.
Sesshin – May 25th to June 1st
The residency concludes with a 6-day sesshin (retreat) led by David Loy. More info here.
Residency Options
One of the cabins on Mountain Cloud’s campus. Photo by Grant Goulet
There are two residency options for this month-long practice period to accommodate different schedules and needs. For those staying onsite, there is also the option to extend your stay through our regular residency program. You can indicate your interest in this through the initial intake form below. Learn more about our regular residency program here.
Onsite: This option is for those who wish to stay full-time at Mountain Cloud Zen Center.
Commuter: This option is for those who wish to stay somewhere in town and commute to Mountain Cloud for daily activities.
How do they compare?
Onsite residency includes participation in all the events all month long and has a greater daily time commitment. Commuter residency includes participation in all events, but some activities are optional depending on one’s needs, making for a lower daily time commitment.
The table below summarizes what’s included for each type of residency. “Yes” indicates that an event is mandatory to attend.
ONSITE
COMMUTER
Daily Time Commitment
4.5 – 7 hours
2.5 – 3.5 hours + optional activities
Amenities Provided
Lodging, Breakfast, 1-1 Guidance, Weekly Dinner
Breakfast, 1-1 Guidance, Weekly Dinner
What’s not included
Residents are in charge of their own lunches and most dinners, and transportation*
–
Movie Launch
Yes
Yes
Zazenkai
Yes
Yes
Orientation
Yes
Yes
Daily Zazen + Dharmette
Yes
Yes
Breakfast
Yes
Yes
Samu
Yes
Yes
Book Group
Yes
Yes
Discussion with David
Yes
Optional
Land-Based Activities
Yes
Optional
Communal Dinner
Yes
Optional
Wisdom Wednesday
Yes
Optional
Teisho(Dharma Talks)
Yes
Optional
Sunday Morning Programs
First one mandatory, rest are optional
Optional
Sesshin
Yes
Yes
*food provided during sesshin
Accommodations and Pricing
Cottage (Single Room) – $1300
Our newest structural addition, the Cottage, is our single room option. The cottage includes two bathrooms (each with a shower) and a small kitchenette. Cooking done in the primary kitchen in the main building.
Cabin (Double Room) – $850
Our rustic cabins are a double room option nestled among piñon and juniper trees. Cabins do not include attached bathrooms or running water. Cabin residents access bathrooms and showers in the nearby main building.
Camping (Tent) – $750
With over 20 acres of land, there are plenty of beautiful spots to set up a tent and sleep under the stars. Camping residents access bathroom and showers in the main building.
Commuter (off-site stay) – $600
For those who are local to Santa Fe or prefer to stay off-site, there is an option to commute to campus each day. Commuters are asked to pack a lunch and will stay somewhere in town.
Support Mountain Cloud
You can show your gratitude for Mountain Cloud events, retreats, podcasts and other teachings by making a one-time gift, or by becoming a supporting member.