The Middle Way: An Embodiment Journey Exploring Stillness and Movement, Silence and Sound, Dark and Light
With Deborah Eden Tull, Enrique Collazo and Charlie Korda
July 31 - August 4, 2026
Open to experienced and new practitioners
Registration closes on July 17, 2026. If joining after this date, please contact us.
Beyond the dualities that falsely divide life into two, what awakens within and through us in the fertile space between? How are both meditation and movement/dance devotional practices that liberate us from the realm of concepts and ideas into direct transmission? Through Buddhist meditation, conscious movement and dance, relational practice, and deep time in nature, we will explore the living dharma of The Middle Way. We will journey beyond duality and bring curiosity to the empty space between stillness and expression, solitude and community, quietude and rhythm. With open hearts and steady feet, we will engage in practices for remembering the earth body as both teacher and temple.
If we contemplate the body not as “my body” but as the living process of mother earth, how can movement expand our attunement? If we recognize insight as nature speaking through us, how is somatic awareness essential to deepening our listening? How do we let go and surrender to the wholeness that merges doing and non-doing, form and emptiness, relative world and absolute? Surrounded by the magical pine forest of Big Bear, we will take time to dance, reflect, rest, and reconnect with what truly matters. We will allow meditation and movement to open us both to the immensity and intimacy of this Life.
All are welcome, whether dance is familiar or otherwise, the movement practices we will steep in are an invitation to inhabit your body and senses; there is nothing to know All are welcome, whether dance is familiar to you or not; the movement practices we will steep ourselves in invite you to inhabit your body and awaken your senses; there is nothing you need to know, only to experience.
HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND TEACHERS
Eden is so skillful and mindful of establishing a blanket of trust, I give into her hands fully.
Eden is very passionate and peaceful caring and attentive all at once
GENEROSITY: Retreat Costs and Fees
Registration fees for this retreat support the cost of developing and offering BBRC programs, which include lodging, meals, and staff compensation. Teacher compensation is not included in your registration fees. We price fees to make programs as financially accessible as possible.
As part of this tradition, many meditation teachers (including the teachers of this retreat) offer their teachings without set fees or compensation. As a practice of generosity from the heart, participants are invited to offer “teacher dana” (donations-generosity) to the teachers at the end of the retreat. It is encouraged but not required. Learn more about dana here.
Is cost a barrier? Nobody is turned away at Big Bear Retreat Center due to finances. We ask that financial assistance be prioritized for those who self-identify as BIPOC, hold marginalized identities, or are in financial need. For more information, please contact us at guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org.
SIMPLE YET COMFORTABLE, NESTLED IN NATURE
Accommodations
We offer several lodging choices nestled in nature for each retreat.
Meals
Our meals are freshly prepared to support your retreat experience.
Preparing for your retreat
We offer several resources and information to best help you plan your time on retreat with us.
Getting to BBRC
We have several resources to support your travel. Visit Getting to BBRC & Rideshares and Shuttles for more.
FEEL WELCOME AND INCLUDED: A PLACE TO BELONG
Our intention is to be as accessible as we can, even in ways that we may not be aware of yet. We hope this is a space of inclusivity where people feel welcome and held. For us, it is a practice of consistent attunement, presence and care to our community. However you identify – race, gender, sexuality, disability, mental health, and so on – it is our wish to meet your needs for belonging.
Please consider this about our environment:
– The center is on a hill with outdoor walkways between dining, gathering, and residential spaces.
– We are located at an elevation of 6,500 feet altitude in a ski town in the mountains of Southern California.
– We experience weather of all four seasons.
– We are located about 2 hours from Los Angeles and near 3 major airports. Learn more about getting here.
– We have a commitment to everyone’s mobility needs. Please contact us about ADA accessibility.
Visit our Planning Your Retreat page to learn more about accessibility and other resources. Contact us if we can support ahead of time.
HEAR MORE ABOUT BIG BEAR RETREAT CENTER
Big Bear Retreat Center is exceptional in every way. The accommodations are outstanding, food exceptional, staff very responsive and helpful and the teachers are always so loving and knowledgeable. Just a top notch retreat experience!! – Sheila
I love Big Bear Retreat Center. It’s my dharma home away from home. Everything about it – staff, teachers, food, accommodations, setting – is exceptional. A true gift to the community!!
Big Bear Retreat Center is indeed a refuge. A safe space to open your heart. – Laura
Teachers & Facilitators
Deborah Eden Tull is a Zen meditation/mindfulness teacher, author, spiritual activist and sustainability educator. She spent seven years as a monastic at a silent Zen Monastery, and has been immersed in sustainable communities for 25 years. Eden’s teaching style is grounded in compassionate awareness, non-duality, mindful inquiry, and an unwavering commitment to personal transformation. She teaches dharma intertwined with post-patriarchal thought and practices, resting upon a lived knowledge of our unity with the more than human world. She also facilitates The Work That Reconnects, as created by Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy. Eden has been practicing meditation for the past 30…
Learn more about Deborah Eden Tull
Enrique Collazo is a compassionate and contemporary Mindfulness Meditation teacher rooted in the Buddhist Vipassana tradition since 2005. His practice, founded in the principles of Insight Meditation, extends to empowering people of all ages in Los Angeles and the Bay Area through daylongs, workshops, and classes since 2009. Enrique is well-loved and respected for his inspirational work at Challenge Day during the school year where he facilitates Social and Emotional Learning workshops for thousands of young people all over the country, passionately advocating for their empowerment. With a heart dedicated to fostering wisdom and compassion, justice and equity, he is…
Learn more about Enrique Collazo
Charlie speaks the language of dance and movement. For over 25 years, she has brought curiosity, humor, and a touch of magic to the art of embodied awareness. A multi-trained movement specialist and expressive arts educator, she creates safe, grounded, and compassionate spaces for people of all backgrounds to explore and grow through movement. Her work spans from San Francisco to Bristol, including the creative landscapes of Burning Man. A former adjunct professor in the Expressive Arts Therapy program at CIIS, Charlie holds a Master’s in Drama and Movement Therapy and is a 5Rhythms and 360Emergence teacher. She invites participants…
Learn more about Charlie Korda