Here and Now Retreat

Most of us spend our days somewhere other than where we are, replaying yesterday or rehearsing tomorrow. The Here and Now Retreat is a meditation retreat built around a single, deceptively simple question: is what I'm doing right now keeping me here and now, or taking me then and there?

Held in the hills above Los Altos, California, at El Retiro Jesuit Retreat Center, this in-person retreat brings together up to 50 participants for a few days of practical, fluff-free mindfulness. Led by meditation teacher Charles Freligh, with Here and Now providing the music, it offers a genuine reset from the pressures of everyday life, for those who want to quiet the mind and open the heart.

If you are looking for a grounded, unpretentious approach to presence, with room for both connection and solitude, this retreat was designed with you in mind.

What to Expect

The retreat runs from a Thursday afternoon through a Sunday lunch, and the same question serves as a guide for everything: when you meditate, eat, speak and move. The days follow a gentle rhythm, and unscheduled time is considered part of the practice.

- Meditation: guided and silent practices, including an optional morning sit
- Mindful movement: optional practices such as guided yoga, plus a group session on movement
- Group sessions: themes such as mindful listening and speaking
- Noble silence: begins at the end of the first full day and is broken during the first group session of the next, when you begin speaking from here and now
- Celebration: an evening gathering where sharing a poem, story or takeaway is entirely optional
- Integration: a closing session on bringing the retreat into daily life

The four days move through arriving here, being here, living here, and finally carrying here into there. You may also bring a creative project you have been meaning to give more time and energy to.

About the Lineup

Charles Freligh holds a PhD in clinical psychology and works as a remote therapist, helping clients be more present in daily life. He is a published author (The Will to Do Nothing), a university professor and a visual artist. He has spent time living at a Zen monastery, though he does not identify as Buddhist. His teaching is rooted in the healing power of presence and combines psychology, philosophy and spirituality to make ancient wisdom more accessible and applicable to modern life.

Here and Now is the musician accompanying the retreat, adding a musical thread to the days of practice.

Venue & Logistics

El Retiro Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos has offered a tranquil, sacred space for rest and reflection for a hundred years. Trails wind through the property, and well-placed benches look out over the Bay, valley and hills. Fresh, nutritious meals are served three times daily, buffet or cafeteria style, with a 24/7 beverage and snack bar. Special dietary requests can be accommodated with advance notice, though the kitchen is not gluten-free, lactose-free or nut-free. The listed price of $1,950 is for a single room.