Earth Sanctuary: A Nature Reserve, Meditation Parkland and Sculpture Garden

Recently a group of people from the Woodside Spiritual Center in Bellingham, WA visited Earth Sanctuary for a day retreat. 

Click here to see a wonderful slide show of their day! 

Earth Sanctuary’s labyrinth was the subject of a few recent posts by  Jim McCausland, Sunset senior garden writer. 

 http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2008/07/what-can-you-do.html

http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2008/08/maze-its-not-ju.html

Earth Sanctuary - Spring Equinox:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladyjake/sets/72157604890244749/

Earth Sanctuary - Autumn Equinox:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladyjake/sets/72157602569125382/

Here is a letter from a recent visitor to the Earth Sanctuary Retreat House. - Chuck Pettis.

Thanks for letting others use the retreat center. I enjoyed my stay. I wanted to let you know about my experience with the Fen stone circle. I have an amazing experience there. It is so charged. When I walked to the middle of the circle and closed my eyes, I could feel the energy shudder all through my body. I got goose bumps. At first I thought I was cold. I went back to it a couple of times after that to check and verify my experience. Every single time - rush of energy and goosebumps! I just remain there and allowed the energy to surge through me and stood still for 10 minutes.

I normally wear glasses. When I went for the walk, I wasn’t wearing my glasses so my eyesight wasn’t clear. After standing close eyed in the Fen stone circle for about 10 minutes my eyesight was so clear when I opened them. I could see clearly so far. It blew my mind. The effect lasted for about 2-3 minutes.

I am definitely coming back to Earth Sanctuary

Click To Play

Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism & Earth Sanctuary present two Tsa Tsa workshops:

• Saturday, September 22 and
• Saturday, October 20, 2007
• 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
• FREE, including lunch
• Held at Tara Meditation Center Retreat House at Earth Sanctuary on Whidbey Island

View the video to see how the Tsa Tsas were made at the first workshop. Please come to this Tsa Tsa workshop and help make the Tsa Tsas that will go into the Stupa that H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya is having built near the Tara Meditation Center at Earth Sanctuary. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to gain merit by actually helping in the creation of a Stupa! Lunch and materials for making Tsa Tsa’s will be provided. Earth Sanctuary is the retreat center for Sakya Monastery. Many empowerments, ceremonies and teachings have been given at Earth Sanctuary by Dagchen Rinpoche H.E. Dagmo Kusho Sakya - it is a very holy place. Chuck Pettis willgive a tour of Earth Sanctuarys labyrinth, stone circles, dolmen and the medicine wheel after lunch. Driving directions to the Earth Sanctuary House are located at:http://www.sakya.org/Location_Driving_Instructions.htm

• FREE, Lunch included
• Please bring a snack to share with the group.
• Pre-registration requested to enable us to plan for lunch.

Call Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism at 206-789-2573 mornings to pre-register. Or E-mail: monastery@sakya.org

Many visitors who come to Earth Sanctuary leave us wonderful notes and comments. See below. Thank you! - Chuck Pettis & the Earth Sanctuary team

• Came here to morn my dad’s passing. A perfect place for those who have lost a loved one.
• The medicine wheel is beautiful and very healing. Thank you.
• I love what you have done. Very spiritual and meditative.
• Beauty, light, wonder, love, earth connection, planet spirits walk/fly this earth in wondrous being.
• So calming. Much needed.
• Love this place. Thank you.
• Fabulous! Thank you!
• Thanks! I appreciate the quiet, safe, serene natural setting.
• Thank you for this space!
• A truly sacred space.
• Thank you for opening this spirit place. It is needed and appreciated.
• What a beautiful place! Thank you!
• Second visit. Have been eager to return.
• Feels like a spiritual bath.
• Thanks for this place and your great work.
• Thank you for providing this spiritual experience.
• I have been here before, brought back others!
  Wonderful! Peaceful experience.
• Beautiful!
• Love the work you’ve done here.
• Marvelous environment!.
• Thank you for this sacred place.

So much work and money goes into creating Earth Sanctuary. The incredible experiences reported by those who stay in the Earth Sanctuary Retreat House make it all worthwhile! Thank you – Chuck Pettis & Celia Sullivan

• The overall feeling of the house reminds me of a temple. I had never stayed in a place that felt quite so much like a sanctuary. For those seeking to grow spiritually, Earth Sanctuary is a fantastic place to do it. The energy and vibe of the whole area fosters spiritual growth. After staying in the house only three nights, I felt so watched and cared for by Chenrezi, Green Tara, His Holiness Dagchen Sakya and Her Eminence Dagmo Jamyang Sakya that I felt overwhelmingly compelled to join the monastery and take Refuge. The last morning I was here I had the two Osprey parents and what I presume was their child circle no more that twenty feet above my head for five minutes. They were talking constantly and must have been teaching the baby to fly or hunt. – Damien Abel
• This wonderful place is for every urban dweller that’s forgotten we are all connected to this Earth, that reaching our Inner Bing is easier among trees, the birds and the silence that doesn’t really exist. Even silence has a sound. I discovered a sense of Peace that was lost, confidence and that “fear” leads nowhere and is unfounded. “Time out” has never been more rewarding. – BC
• I most liked the chance to be so alone in the quiet and comfort of a home that felt like a sanctuary (and visa versa). This was a supreme experience. I walked the Celestial Trail, enjoying the beauty of the woods, and came to the big tree with the ribbons tied around it. The tree seemed to invite me to sit. I can’t explain it well. I’d sat at other prayer sites on the grounds – but this one seemed to light up – as though the whole area wanted us to contemplate together. I sat peacefully and very gratefully for some time and received a gentle insight into an “issue” of mine. It was lovely. - CM
• I like the way the natural magic of the land has been restored and enhanced by love and wisdom. There are so many sacred spots so easily accessible.