HERMITAGE AT LAMA FOUNDATION

Since its early days, personal retreats have been one of the cornerstones of the Lama​ Foundation. Time apart from community life for deep listening, reflection and spiritual practice has given sustenance and form to the sacred charge with which the Foundation has been entrusted and has profoundly shaped resident and visitor experience.

The hermitage experience exists in the pause between the in-breath and the out-breath. It is our transport to other dimensions; to our deeper and truer selves; the loving containers that embrace us as we step from our ordinary lives into sacred silence and solitude with the prayerful support of the community.

Whether we come to do a specific practice under the guidance of a teacher or simply to remove another layer from everyday life, it is here that we reconnect with Spirit and the natural world and re-create the rhythms that support and feed us.

Our hermitages are intended as personal retreat spaces for a solo experience. We wish to maintain the solitary quiet energy of these spaces. We do not allow use for regular stays on the Mountain, or for couples, families or groups..

Length of Stay

The minimum stay is three nights with a max of up to two weeks, depending on the nature and purpose of the retreat. We have accommodated longer retreats under special circumstances. If you’re interested in a more long term hermitage, please contact our Hermit Guardian at hermit@lamafoundation.org and let us know more about what you have in mind.

Arriving for Hermitage

Plan to arrive by mid-afternoon. We have found this is necessary to allow comfortable space for registration, orientation, and getting your belongings to the hermitage.

Please pack light, bringing only what you personally can carry on steep or narrow paths for 5-10 minutes.

Recommended Preparations

The sun can be quite intense at this elevation and the air is very dry. Daytime temperatures can be hot; nights are often cool.

We recommend that those who are not used to this elevation take liquid chlorophyll in water several times a day for several days before arrival.

Items to bring include layers of clothing, a warm jacket or coat, hat and gloves in all seasons, sunglasses and sunscreen, flashlight/headlamp (for night time reading), rain wear, sturdy walking shoes, toiletries, specialty food and personal practice materials.

Please let us know if you have additional questions or concerns. Hermitage at Lama Foundation can be a very special, sacred experience, and we appreciate your interest.

Hermitage Fees

The fee for a hermitage, including food, is $60-120* per night, based on your ability to pay. The sliding scale is there to help people with few financial resources be able to have the opportunity to experience hermitage time. We ask that if you are able, to pay near the top of the scale.

Once your reservation has been confirmed, we ask that a non-refundable deposit of half the total fee be paid in advance to reserve the space. You will receive a link to where you can make this payment online in your confirmation email.

We also accept checks made out to Lama Foundation, and mailed to Lama Foundation, Attn. Hermit Guardian, PO Box 240, San Cristobal, NM 87564.

Or you may wish to pay over the phone, please call (575) 586-1269 and ask for the Hermit Guardian, or contact the Hermit Guardian through the Contact page. Remember to include a phone number and a good time for us to call to take credit card information.

*Special considerations may be made if you are unable to cover the $60 base nightly fee.  Please contact our Hermit Guardian at hermit@lamafoundation.org to make a request.

 

If you have received confirmation of your stay from our Hermit Guardian, you can pay for your reservation by clicking the button below.

 

Facilities

Lama is a wilderness experience. There is no electricity or running water in the hermitage cabins, and the “restrooms” are simple outhouses. As with any wilderness area, we have many critters around that co-exist with us which can possibly include bears, deer, elk, various mountain cats, chipmunks, rats, mice, spiders and non-poisonous snakes.

We provide:

  • Drinking and washing water in large jugs
  • A small propane burner for cooking
  • A wood stove and a small amount of firewood
  • Cooking impliments
  • A sleeping mattresse
  • Bedding (You may want to bring an extra sleeping bag during cold months)
  • A meditation cushion
  • An oil lamp or lantern
  • Candles
  • A first aid kit
  • An assortment of staple foods (grains, nut butters, rice cakes, dried beans and legumes, cereals, seasonings, honey, teas, coffee)
  • Fruits or vegetables on request, depending on availability

If simple vegetarian food does not meet your needs, please bring your own special food.

All food must be stored inside the cabin! Even if you bring a cooler or other container, animals are industrious and can easily get to your food if it is outside.

Availability

 

Schedule Your Stay