COME HOME TO A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE & RETREAT THAT
FITS YOU.
If you’ve been yearning for something deeper, if you're ready to go beyond mere mental knowledge and certifications into embodied, personal experience and build a personal spiritual foundation that feels right for you, Practical Spirituality Bootcamp TM is what you've been looking for.
This retreat is designed to deepen your personal spiritual practice with time-tested, practical tools that create lasting change in your daily life.
If you know organized religion isn't your jam, but your dabbling here and there hasn't really created lasting change, this could be for you.
WHERE WOO WOO MEETS PRACTICAL
Practical Spirituality Bootcamp TM is a 3-night retreat that welcomes women and heart-centered men from all paths to experience a deepening of their spiritual practice in a supported, contemplative environment. Spend your days gaining practical, body-integrated experience as well as technical and theoretical know-how based on ancient spiritual non-dual wisdom.
You'll learn our step-by-step process for practically aligning with your true Self, while understanding the workings of your Inner World in ways that improve your daily life.
After three tasty meals per day, guided meditation, gentle yoga, qigong energy practices and reflective exercises, relax in the natural splendor of the land and the peace of retreat.
You'll learn our step-by-step process for practically aligning with your true Self, while understanding the workings of your Inner World in ways that improve your daily life.
After three tasty meals per day, guided meditation, gentle yoga, qigong energy practices and reflective exercises, relax in the natural splendor of the land and the peace of retreat.
Are you Spiritual but not Religious?
AT THIS RETREAT YOU'LL ENJOY:
DAILY INSTRUCTIONWhat's the essence of a successful spiritual practice? How does the Universe work on a spiritual level and what does that mean for me in my daily life? What do I need to be doing to fulfill my life purpose? We'll tackle these questions and more from the perspective of ancient spiritual wisdom applied to your modern day life.
YOUR PERSONAL SPIRITUAL PLANYou'll walk away from this retreat with a clear plan of what works for you. Getting clear on your values & beliefs and having tangible practices that support that is a gateway into deeper spiritual awareness. Navigate the ups and downs of life with confidence.
DAILY YOGA OR QIGONGBuild body-mind-spirit alignment and openness that prepare you for deeper spiritual practices (and life) - with a special emphasis on how physical practices affect the subtle body and mind states.
COMFORTABLE ACCOMODATIONSSpend 3 nights and 3 days in the peaceful setting of Sunrise Ranch. Three delicious meals per day are included with accommodations. Vegetarian and special dietary options available.
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PRACTICAL EXERCISES & REFLECTIONMake spiritual practice real for you. Through practical exercises, you'll walk away from this retreat with clarity on the core principles that you choose to guide your life and Inner World.
GUIDED MEDITATIONSLearn step-by-step, body integrated processes for incorporating the practice of meditation into your life in an accessible way. Over the course of the retreat you'll gain experience in different meditative practices that you can begin to use right away.
ANCIENT WISDOM IN PLAIN LANGUAGEEmbrace the essence of the core tenets of successful spiritual life without feeling intimidated by culture, religious dogma or background.
Learn the steps to clarifying and embodying the techniques and practices that lead to deeper self awareness and states of consciousness without endless silent meditation or sitting in a cave. |
"AFTER THIS TRAINING, I NOW FEEL LESS ALONE ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH AND I FEEL MORE LIKE I CAN CALL IN THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE POSITIVE FOR MY HEALTH [...] AND MOVING TOWARDS WHERE I WANT TO GO, WHERE I WANT TO BE."
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" FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I'VE FOLLOWED MY MIND WHEN TRYING TO CONNECT WITH MY WIFE, FAMILY, FRIENDS, MYSELF AND MY COMMUNITIES. LEADING UP TO THE RETREAT, MY MIND-CENTRIC WORLDVIEW STARTED TO BREAK APART LEAVING ME WITH SO MANY QUESTIONS. THE RETREAT PROVIDED TOOLS AND SPACE TO GO DEEP INTO MY INNER WORLD, ALLOWING ME TO CONNECT SOME DOTS AND OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH MY INNER SELF.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, LESLIE CREATED A SAFE, INVITING AND ENCOURAGING SPACE FILLED WITH SUPPORTIVE, LOVING PEOPLE. I'M RETURNING HOME WITH A MUCH STRONGER CONNECTION WITH MYSELF AND THE UNIVERSE, AND A WAY TO APPLY MY SPIRITUALITY IN MY DAILY LIFE THAT I TRUST. " |
YOUR RELIGION & SPIRITUAL BACKGROUND
Here's a couple of tricky problems with western culture's modern spiritual training options:
"CHURCH PTSD"
For many people, the only exposure they got to spirituality was in the form of organized religion. This experience tends to land somewhere between "not super helpful" to "traumatic" for many people. Unfortunately, lots of crappy things that have nothing to do with spiritual life (like shame, hypocrisy and condemnation) have found their way into people's religious experience growing up. This can leave one feeling lost as to where to look for guidance or disillusioned throwing the baby out with the bath water.
" 'IT'S ALL GOOD' - NEW AGE SPIRITUAL BYPASS"
In the aftermath of falling out with unhelpful Judeo-Christian traditions, we got left with the piece-it-together-yourself approach of New Age spirituality. Take a little mantra from here, a little bit of world view from here, throw in a few crystals and tarot cards and voila! It's all love and light, right? Well, not exactly.
On the spiritual path, just like most other places, it's important to judge by results. While the resources of new age gurus and their trappings can still be positive, the results of piecemeal spirituality tend to be spotty and limited in terms of lasting change that affects your Inner World in a life changing way.
It can be hard to sort out the half-truths from delusions in this realm of spirituality.
On the spiritual path, just like most other places, it's important to judge by results. While the resources of new age gurus and their trappings can still be positive, the results of piecemeal spirituality tend to be spotty and limited in terms of lasting change that affects your Inner World in a life changing way.
It can be hard to sort out the half-truths from delusions in this realm of spirituality.
"GONGS & CHANTING"
One of the modern problems with bonefide spiritual development is cultural access. Sure, you heard there are some Tibetan Buddhist meditating down the street, but you don't speak Tibetan, you've never chanted before and you're not even sure if there's some special protocol you're supposed to do when you meet a monk.
Wonderfully, many of the traditions of the East were successful in preserving the deeper level techniques and practices of personal spiritual development. Unfortunately, there are some cultural hurdles to feeling at home with spiritual practices based in another culture and language and this can prevent individuals from getting the results and structure that lineage spiritual practices can provide.
What we provide at Practical Spirituality Bootcamp TM is the essence of many eastern spiritual practices without the barrier of culture so you get the benefits without being thrown off by a language you don't understand.
Wonderfully, many of the traditions of the East were successful in preserving the deeper level techniques and practices of personal spiritual development. Unfortunately, there are some cultural hurdles to feeling at home with spiritual practices based in another culture and language and this can prevent individuals from getting the results and structure that lineage spiritual practices can provide.
What we provide at Practical Spirituality Bootcamp TM is the essence of many eastern spiritual practices without the barrier of culture so you get the benefits without being thrown off by a language you don't understand.
"DABBLING - I HAVEN'T FOUND MY THING"
Maybe you've taken some yoga classes, you got that meditation app on your phone and you took that weekend qigong seminar one time.
These things are all helpful, but dabbling in various spiritual practices doesn't tend to bring lasting change-your-life results. More importantly, it doesn't bridge the gap between knowing it intellectually and being able to embody and depend on it when life gets real. That's what we're all about here at Practical Spirituality Bootcamp TM.
One of the main tenents of this retreat is giving you practical step-by-step processes that integrate into your daily life and that you can depend on to support you when life brings up challenges.
These things are all helpful, but dabbling in various spiritual practices doesn't tend to bring lasting change-your-life results. More importantly, it doesn't bridge the gap between knowing it intellectually and being able to embody and depend on it when life gets real. That's what we're all about here at Practical Spirituality Bootcamp TM.
One of the main tenents of this retreat is giving you practical step-by-step processes that integrate into your daily life and that you can depend on to support you when life brings up challenges.
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"I'VE LEARNED THAT MEDITATION AND PAYING ATTENTION TO OUR INNER THOUGHTS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'VE LEARNED TO ASK MY BODY AND LOOK AT HOW MY BODY RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS AND THAT'S WHERE I CAN GET SOME ANSWERS. SO I FEEL LIKE A VERY CHANGED PERSON. I FEEL MUCH LIGHTER THAN WHEN I CAME. " |
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"I CAME IN WITH MANY MANY YEARS OF SPIRITUAL STUDY AND INTEREST AND MOMENTUM AND WORK AND IF FELT JUST KIND OF MESSY. AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S KIND OF BEEN SORTED AND CLEARED OUT AND ORGANIZED.
I CAN SEE WHAT'S THERE AND I CAN ARTICULATE IT AND SPEAK TO IT AND SHARE IT....AND ASK FOR HELP WHEN I NEED IT. AND I KNOW THAT I NEED IT. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN TO RESERVE THIS TIME AND SPACE TO GATHER FOR THIS LEVEL OF COMMITMENT AND DEVOTION AND IT'S REALLY SO WORTH IT. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I'M COMING OUT WITH IS, "WOW, IT'S REALLY WORTH IT." |
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"I FEEL FREER. AND I FEEL LIKE I CAN REALLY STEP FORWARD INTO THIS WAY THAT I WANT TO BE. IT FEELS PRETTY GOOD.
THERE'S LESS FEAR, MORE LOVE, MORE I-HAVE-DIRECTION-AND-I-KNOW-WHAT-IT-IS-AND-I'M-GOING-TO-STICK-WITH-IT. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS HAS BEEN SO WONDERFUL." |
YOUR RETREAT INSTRUCTOR
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Hi, I'm Leslie and I'll be your guide for Practical Spirituality Bootcamp.
I've been a spiritual seeker since I was a teenager and I've had the great blessing in this life of getting direct spiritual mentorship from masters in authentic spiritual lineages. I'm also a language and culture nerd. I lived in Japan for several years and lived at a yoga ashram in India where I did my yoga teacher training. My exposure to eastern culture made it pretty easy for me to get the benefits of these eastern practices without it feeling too foreign. Although I don't normally say this to people out loud, the guiding purpose of my life is God and spiritual practice. I've also been fortunate to get deep professional training in the areas of Asian Medicine and healing and am a licensed acupuncturist. Growing up in average suburban America, I was always turned off by the way folks used superficial religious "beliefs" as a cover for being crappy people. At the same time, no one in my family really talked about spirituality openly and I was really yearning to understand how it all worked and fit together. So after decades of dedicated practices and training, I strive to use my experiences of sitting with gurus, fasting and doing 10 day silent retreats, chanting, qigong and meditating...... ......to distill that essence into practical steps you can use to find your way without spending the next 20 years of your life sitting in a cave somewhere in the Himalayas. WHERE I'M TEACHING FROM:I have a belief that the basic core of the world's spiritual traditions are quite similar and that there are many paths to the mountain top.
As such, I'M NOT OUT TO CONVERT ANYONE. Whatever your established spiritual / religious belief system is, I'm here to support you and help you deepen in that. AND, to really be an effective guide, I have to stand on the foundation of the deeper trainings I've been given which are in the stream of non-dualism / Advaita Vedanta / and Vedic Spiritual practices and mysticism. Everybody has at best, an orientation and at worst a bias, and this is mine as I strive to share what I know to be true while having wide open space for others to have different experiences. You can learn more about my teachers and experience here. |
Leslie Huddart L.Ac
Teacher | Healer | Spiritual Guide |
LOCATION & TRAVEL
JUST OUTSIDE DENVER, COLORADO
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The retreat center is a two hour drive from Denver, Colorado and DIA Denver International Airport. Check out the retreat center Getting Here page for info on flight timing and shuttle options for arrival and departure days.
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COMFORTABLE ACCOMODATIONS
Spend 3 days and 3 nights in the peaceful setting of the Sunrise Ranch Retreat Center. You have a choice of single, double, triple or dorm accomodations depending on your preference and budget. Three tasty meals are included with your accomodations. (See more meal and special diet details below.)
FOOD
From the Sunrise Ranch Foods and Kitchen: Sunrise Ranch provides meals for our conference guests and the Sunrise community. We purchase our chicken and pork from people we know who live in our area. We raise our own grassfed beef and lamb. We believe that freshness and personal relationships are the best quality controls we can provide. This system ensures that our food, from beginning to end, is honored and respected. Our food producers do not use hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. The vegetables we serve are either grown at Sunrise Ranch or purchased from small, local farms, as much as the growing season will allow.
We offer vegetarian, vegan, wheat-free, and dairy-free diets when requested at least two weeks before a conference. We can sometimes accommodate attendees with other dietary needs, including allergies. Please contact us in advance to inquire about any special arrangements. If we are unable to accommodate special requests, those guests will need to provide their own food.
Snacks:
Coffee, tea, fruit and trail mix are served in the dining room for morning snacks. Afternoon snacks include fruit, a variety of cookies and/or other assorted goodies.
We offer vegetarian, vegan, wheat-free, and dairy-free diets when requested at least two weeks before a conference. We can sometimes accommodate attendees with other dietary needs, including allergies. Please contact us in advance to inquire about any special arrangements. If we are unable to accommodate special requests, those guests will need to provide their own food.
Snacks:
Coffee, tea, fruit and trail mix are served in the dining room for morning snacks. Afternoon snacks include fruit, a variety of cookies and/or other assorted goodies.
FAQ
When and how do I sign up for my retreat ?
You can easily get started with your deposit of $500 by clicking on the button below. This non-refundable deposit says, "I'm in" and in our experience, mobilizes the helpful support of the Universe to prepare you to get the most of this life experience.
After you've registered with your deposit. Our team will reach out to you to establish your room preference and will get you set up with the rest of your retreat tuition.
You'll also be asked to fill out a short form so that the retreat center can keep track of your dietary needs and emergency contacts.
All payments are done through our industry standard encrypted portal and your personal contact details are only used for the purpose of registering you and providing you with service.
After you've registered with your deposit. Our team will reach out to you to establish your room preference and will get you set up with the rest of your retreat tuition.
You'll also be asked to fill out a short form so that the retreat center can keep track of your dietary needs and emergency contacts.
All payments are done through our industry standard encrypted portal and your personal contact details are only used for the purpose of registering you and providing you with service.
what if i'm not flexible and can't do yoga ? / What are the yoga and qigong going to be like?
Any of the physical exercises at this retreat are focused on gentle movement for the purpose of supporting the body in spiritual practice and the mind-body-spirit connection. It's unlikely there will be anything you cannot do and modifications are given and encouraged.
All activities are aimed at a general population and no prior experience with yoga or qigong is necessary.
All activities are aimed at a general population and no prior experience with yoga or qigong is necessary.
What should I pack ?
Great question! The folks at Shambhala Mountain retreat center have prepared a great participant guide which you can find here.
what if I'm christian, is this retreat ok for me ?
This retreat is meant to support you in deepening your spiritual practice no matter what your religious tradition or background is. As a strong tenet, we uphold an environment of acceptance and mutual respect.
Leslie grew up going to a United Methodist church, has studied the lives of the Christian mystics, is friends with Yeshua, and currently advises and supports devout Christians in her spiritual guidance practice. That being said, her main teaching background is from the more eastern traditions of Advaita Vedanta & Monistic Non-Dualism.
If you personally feel you will not feel comfortable in an environment that is not strictly and uniquely Christian, this particular retreat may not be the best fit for you. Please feel free to reach out to discuss this with Leslie in advance if you have any questions. Our office is 303-630-9580.
Leslie grew up going to a United Methodist church, has studied the lives of the Christian mystics, is friends with Yeshua, and currently advises and supports devout Christians in her spiritual guidance practice. That being said, her main teaching background is from the more eastern traditions of Advaita Vedanta & Monistic Non-Dualism.
If you personally feel you will not feel comfortable in an environment that is not strictly and uniquely Christian, this particular retreat may not be the best fit for you. Please feel free to reach out to discuss this with Leslie in advance if you have any questions. Our office is 303-630-9580.
This retreat is at a buddhist retreat center, do I have to be buddhist to come ?
Nope. This retreat is not affiliated with any particular religious organization and is meant to support you in deepening your spiritual practice no matter what your religious tradition or background is. As a strong tenet, we uphold an environment of acceptance and mutual respect.
We will likely include a visit to the Great Stupa as a practical spiritual experience during the retreat and you are welcome to attend or skip this as you desire.
We will likely include a visit to the Great Stupa as a practical spiritual experience during the retreat and you are welcome to attend or skip this as you desire.
WHAT SHOULD I DO TO PREPARE FOR THE RETREAT ?
WHAT if my friend is also coming, can we room together?
Yes! There are several room options and we will make every effort to match you with your friend / roommate preference. If you have a specific roommate, please sign up as early as possible as this will ensure easy room availability.
The only limitations to roommate selection is room availability which will go down as the retreat fills up.
The only limitations to roommate selection is room availability which will go down as the retreat fills up.
hOW MUCH SITTING MEDITATION IS THERE ?
This is not strictly a meditation retreat, but the meditative process and training the focus of the mind is pretty central to developing a deeper spiritual life. The retreat will incorporate various forms of mindfulness and will progressive periods of some sitting meditation.
You are encouraged to adapt any sitting position to fit your needs and cushions, bolsters and chair options will be available. The point is not to twist yourself into a pretzel, it is to find a comfortable, stable seated position.
You are encouraged to adapt any sitting position to fit your needs and cushions, bolsters and chair options will be available. The point is not to twist yourself into a pretzel, it is to find a comfortable, stable seated position.
WELCOME TO UNSHAKEABLE INNER PEACE
DATES
Want to get on the waitlist to be the first to know when the next Practical Spirituality Bootcamp TM is happening?
If you'd like to be added to the interested / waitlist for our next retreat, you can sign up above in the floating banner. (this will only express your interest for this retreat and you will not be signed up for any other mailings)
If you'd like to be added to the interested / waitlist for our next retreat, you can sign up above in the floating banner. (this will only express your interest for this retreat and you will not be signed up for any other mailings)
TUITION
Includes:
- Daily instruction to take you from unsure and wandering to established and confident
- Yoga and Qigong
- Your Personal Spiritual Path Plan
- Embodied practical experience
- An experience you won't foget with a group of like-hearted souls
- Follow up group video Zoom call 30 days after the end of the retreat to connect and integrate
ROOM OPTIONS
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The Sunrise Ranch Retreat Center offers several accomodation options. All rooms include three meals per day.
After your deposit is complete, we'll contact you to set up your room preference and reservation. You'll have a choice of: * Single Room: This is a private room with a queen bed. You will not share this room with anyone else. The bathrooms will be nearby in the same hallway. * Double Room / Per Adult / Assigned or Selected Roommate: This is a shared room with two beds, usually a queen and a twin, and rarely, two twins. You will share the room with one other person from your group. You can request a specific roommate or we will assign someone of the same gender to room with you. The bathrooms and showers will be nearby in the same hallway. * Triple Room: This is a shared room with three twin beds. You will share the room with two other people from your group. You can request specific roommates or we will assign people of the same gender to room with you. The bathrooms and showers will be nearby in the same hallway. * Dorm Room: The Dorms consist of two separate rooms connected by a short hallway (one of our Dorm rooms has the two rooms connected together). One of the rooms has two twin beds and the other has three twin beds. You can request specific roommates or we will assign people of the same gender to room with you. To get to the shared bathrooms from the dorms, you will take a short walk outside under an overhang. |
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" I CAME TO SPIRITUAL BOOTCAMP WITH A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM MIXED SOURCES AND A JUMBLED BAG OF EXPERIENCES. LESLIE'S CURRICULUM AND APPROACH HELPED ME SORT THROUGH ALL OF IT TO ALIGN MY BELIEFS, VALUES AND PRACTICES TO HEART.
I'M LEAVING THIS RETREAT WITH A CLEAR PLAN TO CONTINUE ACCESSING AND SUPPORTING MY SPIRITULAL LIFE, MY GIFTS AND MY RELATIONSHIPS. IF YOU ARE WILLING AND WANTING TO PURSUE A LIFE OF VITALITY AND JOY, LESLIE HAS A WAY. " |
