Journey Awakening

02/13/2026

02/13/2026

5-Day Hut Tour

02/13/2026

We are looking for volunteers for Teen Camp and Family Retreat this summer.

This is an opportunity to deepen your practice through joyful service, support young people and families on the path of mindfulness, and be part of a vibrant, intergenerational sangha.

Before, during, and after these special retreats, we need additional support in areas such as registration, meal service, logistics, children’s activities, and holding a steady, peaceful presence throughout the grounds.

We are inviting mindfulness practitioners who have already attended a 7-day retreat (or longer) at Deer Park Monastery to apply for the volunteer program.

If your heart feels called to serve, learn, and grow alongside our community this summer, we warmly welcome you to apply. Your presence makes a difference.

Learn more & apply here: https://www.deerparkmonastery.org/volunteer/

08/14/2025

It's important for the world to know (now that most seem to have moved on to other news) that the fire everyone saw burning ON the North Rim is now very much burning deep INSIDE the Grand Canyon. In some places, about 4,000' below the rim.

08/04/2025

In 2015, wildlife photographer Christophe Courteau took this close up of a 6ft 6, 400lbs silverback gorilla, right before it punched him in the face.

Courteau was capturing images of a family of mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park when he found himself face-to-face with this massive silverback. Weighing roughly 400 pounds and standing 6 foot 6 when upright, the alpha male, named Akarevuro, was growing agitated as Courteau got closer to the group. Just moments after snapping this stunning shot, the gorilla charged and struck Courteau directly in the face, knocking him to the ground and briefly disorienting him.

Remarkably, Courteau sustained only minor injuries and later described the experience as a “gentle warning”, a reminder of the animal’s raw power and authority. The encounter wasn’t a full-blown attack but rather a territorial display. Silverbacks are intensely protective of their groups, and close proximity can be perceived as a threat.

The photo, snapped milliseconds before the blow, became iconic, not just for its intensity, but because it captured the gorilla’s intelligence and emotion. A reminder: in their world, we’re the visitors.