Back to Nature

An Autumn Insight Retreat
Taught by Howard Cohn

October 1 – 4, 2026
Triveni Ashram, Paulden, Arizona


" Each breath is a return— 
to the earth in you and beneath you,
to the awareness before thought,
to the simplicity that holds all complexity."

Shift out of your daily life routines into the welcoming silence of your own nature. This insight meditation retreat, with Loving Kindness practice, will help you to rediscover your natural clarity and tenderheartedness — not by escaping the world, but by meeting it more intimately, exactly as it is.

Through sitting and walking meditation, we will gradually empty our minds of their usual preoccupations and open to the raw, alive presence that is often hiding in plain view. In these serene foothills, the rhythm of the internal and external weather is our anchor. The wind in the junipers is our teacher. Each breath is a return — to the earth in you and beneath you, to the awareness before thought, to the simplicity that holds all complexity.

This retreat is for both new and experienced practitioners. Come as you are. Leave as you’ve always been: awake, tender, at home.
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Courtesy Mission Dharma
Our Teacher

Howard Cohn is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California. He has led the Mission Dharma sitting group in San Francisco for over 35 years, been in private practice as a psychotherapist, and led Vipassana retreats worldwide since 1985. He incorporates the influences of Theravada, Zen, Tibetan Dzogchen and Advaita Vedanta in his teaching, with an emphasis on reawakening our intrinsic freedom. Among his many teachers and mentors are Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, U Pandita Sayadaw, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and the Advaita Vedanta Master H.W.L. Poonja. Howie is known by his students for his kindheartedness and warm sense of humor.
We are so honored to receive the gift of Howie's teachings every autumn since 2007!
Howie receives no compensation from your fee for his teachings, offering his time and wisdom freely.
Honoring our ancient tradition of dana (generosity), the teachings of The Buddha are considered priceless and offered freely to all. We are thus inspired to help Howie lead a life devoted to teaching the dharma by offering a gift of dana in any amount, before, during or after the retreat. In the act of giving, we develop our ability to let go, cultivate loving-kindness for all beings, and honor our inter-connectedness.


The Retreat

We’re so happy to announce a new venue for our Autumn Insight retreat. The community of Triveni Ashram have generously and joyfully welcomed us into their home!
This will be our 28th annual fall retreat, begun by Carol and Monty Cook in the autumn of 2000. Our gratitude flows endlessly to them for their dedication and love of sangha and their community!

Our days together will comprise meditation instructions, sitting meditation, walking meditation, question & answer sessions, and evening dharma talks, as well as opportunities for checking in with the teacher.

Noble silence will be observed throughout the retreat in order to provide an optimal container for internal work. We'll receive guidance in the Five Precepts, the Four Foundations, and in the practice of loving-kindness (metta), cultivating friendship toward oneself and all beings. One-on-one or group check-ins with the teacher will be available, as well as guided movement sessions on Friday and Saturday afternoon, as the schedule permits. Cushions and chairs will be available.

Set-up and check-in for participants will be from 12:00 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 1. No lunch will be served Thursday, and the retreat starts at 2:30. We will wrap up sometime after lunch on Sunday, October 4, 1:00 - 2:00 pm.
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Venue Photo Courtesy Triveni Ashram
The Setting

The retreat will be held at Triveni Ashram in Paulden, Arizona, approximately 30 miles north of Prescott.
Lodging will be available, as well as space for tent camping and small camping vehicles. Participants wishing to camp must bring their own bedding and other gear. No fires are allowed in the camping areas. 

Vegetarian meals will be provided each day of the retreat, and more details about our hosts and how to prepare will be provided to all participants who are invited to attend. An online ride-share signup sheet will be available for those wanting help with transportation.
If you experience symptoms or a positive test for any infectious illness in the 10 days prior to the retreat, we ask that you not attend.

Registration & Fees:

Retreat fees are $290 for tent or vehicle camping, and $350 for a bed, to fund our use of the venue, expenses and meals. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you are unable to pay part or all of the retreat fee we offer full or partial scholarships. For funding assistance, please email us with this link after registering and before September 30, 2026.
Once the first 50 positions are filled, names will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which they are received. 
If you must cancel your reservation please let us know as soon as possible to allow others to plan ahead. Refunds will be issued for 50% of your fee through September 1, 2026. No refunds will be issued after that date and any un-refunded fees will be used for our retreat scholarship fund.
After you are confirmed to attend, we ask that you pay your fee before September 1, preferably with Paypal, using the link below:

You may also pay by check through US mail, payable to:

"Prescott Insight Meditation"
PO Box 10014
Prescott, AZ 86304

Please write in the memo field "COHN RETREAT".

To get on the mailing list for announcements about this and other retreats, or about our weekly Tuesday night sits, please use the form at the bottom of our Connect page.

When you are in the present moment you are free. Free from the past, free from the future. Free from expectations, free from judgments...Free to awaken, to open, to tap into the happiness that is within you always – the happiness that is your true nature.  Free to be just as you are.  Free to just be.
       –  Howard Cohn,  from his book Invitation to Meditation