Jack Kornfield | The Lotus Blooms in The Mud

On August 16, after 14 years I returned to Vallecitos Ranch deep in the heart of the Carson National Forest in New Mexico. This is a beautiful, undisturbed wilderness ranch where meditation retreats are conducted about 6 months of each year. Because of the rural and rugged location, Vallecitos is off grid and there is no cell phone coverage at all. I took a break from my everyday life for 7 days to practice here with a group of deep and dedicated practitioners. I also had the opportunity to teach with Wes Nisker, Trudy Goodman, Grove Burnett and on the last evening, special guest Jack Kornfield. Jack hadn’t been to the ranch in 15 years, so it was a bit of a homecoming for him as well.

Of course, I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to shoot some photos of this beautiful land. My camera battery ran out on the second day at the ranch, and without a charger, I had to switch to my iPhone. Most of the following photos were taken with my iPhone. You can click on any of the photos to get a full page view.