Alpine Meadows Lodge — Where Learning Becomes Living, and Living Becomes Practice

Retreat. Relax. Renew.

In this sacred land held by mountains and kissed by clouds,
we did not come for a trip to be served.
We came to serve — and in the process,
we received training in cultivating the mind,
innate disposition, lifespan, and purifying karma.

We learned to release rigid frameworks,
dissolve die-hard habits,
and confront the “lazy monsters” within —
reshaping our cosmology, worldview, life outlook,
and value system to begin living anew.

We learned how to serve, how to coexist,
and how to care — not only for one another,
but for the six realms of sentient beings. 🌍
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Practice begins in service

Under the guidance of Guru Zhang,
our retreat was more than meditation, empowerment,
or mantra recitation.

We cooked together, prepared vegetables, washed dishes, cleaned, and served one another in silence and harmony. 🍲🧽👩‍🍳

Practice begins in the kitchen.
Awakening begins in the ordinary.

Here we learn:
✨ Food is not a service — it is a shared blessing
✨ Work is not a burden — it is an offering
✨ Living together is not tolerance — it is cultivation

Guru Zhang reminded us:

“Kungfu is an accumulation of merits —
built through serving and caring for sentient beings.”

Merit is quietly formed through:
a warm bowl of soup,
a cleaned plate,
a seat offered before taking your own.

Mind cultivation is paramount —
it reflects through our body, speech, and mind in daily living.
⸻
We practiced in solitude, yet transformed together ❄🔥

We sat in the frozen stillness of the mountains,
allowing the cold to enter the bones,
stimulating the inner tummo fire,
awakening the deepest layers of strength.

The body receives —
the mind strengthens —
nature teaches what books cannot.

We revised the techniques taught by Guru Zhang —
To rediscover the original power within the body:
to rewire, restore, and release.
Embrace and ignite within.
⸻
Life itself becomes the practice

The Guru is the invigilator
The kitchen & dining area become the training ground
Snow becomes the cheerleader
The mountain becomes the meditation hall
Nature becomes the Dharma
We are the reflection of each other

Harmony is not spoken — it is lived:

🫶 Serving others
🫶 Sharing food
🫶 Cleaning without complaint
🫶 Respecting space and rhythm
🫶 Integrating with nature instead of resisting it

Here we learn to humble ourselves,
realize compassion is truly boundless, and feel deeply that community has a heartbeat.

Kudos to these remarkable participants who overcame challenges, passed the initial selection process by the Guru,
and answered the sacred call to step into this heaven on earth, Golden B.C.

Your effort, presence, and courage
not only illuminate your own path,
but also light the way for others,
inspiring us to become the best version of ourselves each day
by releasing hardened habits and letting go of stubborn frameworks. 🌄✨
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Retreat. Relax. Renew. 🌿
And when we leave the mountain,
the mountain continues to live in us. 🏔✨

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