Teen Mindfulness
Willow Brook, Greg Weeks, John Combs, Manny Fassihi, Abhi Joseph, & Karin Grumstrup
July 10-13
$400 (Scholarships Available)
Mindfulness practice is a life skill, one that benefits people of all ages. For teens especially, this form of compassion to oneself and the world can make all the difference in an often challenging stage of life. Meditation relieves anxiety, provides clarity and gives us a sense of confidence in ourselves. It also tunes us into other people and increases empathy. Mindfulness and meditation are skills that require practice to develop yet require no special ability.
Join our dedicated teachers in the breathtaking mountains at Lama Foundation for three days of mindfulness cultivation and practice. This is our fifth annual retreat for youth, focused on developing basic meditation techniques through exercises that concentrate our whole being. Activities include seated and walking meditation, hiking, yoga, tai chi, communication development, and more. We will enjoy evening campfires, daily community service (seva), time for socializing, and time to rest.
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Willow Brook is an earth loving educator, spiritual seeker, artist, and yoga teacher. She is a licensed K-12 art educator and has taught students in countries across the world including alternative education models like Waldorf and Montessori. Willow lived at the Lama Foundation and went to many spiritual camps as a teen and young adult. She has a lifetime of interspiritual practice with a deep training in meditation. She is overjoyed to be a returning member of the Teen Mindfulness staff.
John Combs is a Buddhist practitioner of many years having started a meditation practice during his time at the Lama Foundation in 1995 where he was a resident for two years. John considers Lama his spiritual home. He has participated in many retreats since then and took refuge vows and bodhisattva vows in 2001 with Reggie Ray and has been part of that sangha ever since. He recently completed the two-year mindfulness meditation teacher certification with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. John lives in Colorado where he serves as a host home provider for two developmentally disabled adults who live with his family.
Abhi is a spiritual seeker, artist, and yoga philosophy teacher based in Colorado. He holds a degree in Art Education from Colorado State University, along with a K-12 teaching license. Born and raised in India, Abhi spent many years running mindfulness retreats in the foothills of the Himalayas while deepening his understanding of contemplative practices from various traditions. As a teenager, Abhi experienced a life-transforming retreat, shaping his deep commitment to creating safe spaces where young minds can embark on similar journeys of self-discovery. In a world increasingly dominated by left-brain thinking due to the overuse of technology, he is passionate about helping teenagers tap into their creative, intuitive right brains using mindfulness tools. As a father of two teenagers he understands the importance of guiding young people through movement, breathwork, and storytelling rooted in traditional yoga teachings. At this retreat, Abhi looks forward to sharing these ancient practices, inviting teenagers to step into a world where breath becomes art, movement becomes meditation, and stories awaken the wisdom within—an experience that has the power to transform their lives.
Manny Fassihi has been practicing mindfulness for nearly 15 years, with a journey that has taken him from studying Religious Studies at Stanford to practicing in the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan for several years. He spent several months in Bodh Gaya deepening his understanding of Buddhist philosophy, attended numerous retreats, and even spent time ordained as a monk in 2014. Manny has taught at various retreats, including Teen Mindfulness 2024, bringing a thoughtful yet engaging approach that blends depth with playfulness. As the creator of Multitudes, a guided conversation game, he is passionate about fostering meaningful connections and helping people recognize the many layers within themselves and others. Now based in Taos, New Mexico, he lives with his fiancée, Willow, continuing to explore the balance between contemplation, creativity, and the everyday adventure of being human.
Greg Weeks has been a dedicated student of meditation and spirituality since his three-year residency at the Lama Foundation in the early 1990s. He completed his undergraduate studies at Naropa University in Boulder, CO, earning a BA in Contemplative Psychology. Greg then went on to receive a Master’s degree in Psychology and Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe.
With a private practice in Santa Fe, Greg works with teens, men, families, and individuals, helping them navigate a wide range of life challenges. He integrates mindfulness and awareness practices at the core of his therapeutic work, creating a compassionate and grounded approach to healing.
Greg has found that teenagers, in particular, possess a natural ability for meditation and mindfulness, and he is passionate about fostering these skills in the next generation.
Karin Grumstrup is an elder and nature lover that finds great joy in never acting her age. She has had a meditation practice for over 40 years and lived and worked at Spirit Rock Buddhist Meditation Center following her retirement where she supported teen meditation retreats.
During her 40+ years as a nurse practitioner, Karin found that caring for her patients of all ages was a profound spiritual practice in listening, connecting and offering deeper opportunities for health, growth and community.
She has two grown sons who still tell stories of their adventures hiking through forests, mountains and ocean sea shores.
Karin now lives in Taos enjoying her greatest love of communing with nature and taking daring new leaps.