Happy Families Course Begins Sat + News from Deer Park
June 2026 Issue of Coyote Tracks from Deer Park Monastery
Dear Beloved Sangha,
We recently celebrated Vesak, the Buddha’s birthday, with more than 350 friends gathered at Deer Park Monastery. Vesak is one of the most important observances in the Buddhist tradition, honoring the birth of the Buddha and commemorating his enlightenment and passing into nirvana. It was a joyful day of practice, community, and gratitude (Watch the recap video here.)
As summer unfolds, we look forward to our upcoming Los Angeles Day of Mindfulness on July 25. This month, several Dharma Teachers, our Action Wake Up Resident Advisor, and others are traveling to Plum Village to participate in the global Order of Interbeing gathering, celebrating 60 years of the OI. Along the way, they will also join friends in London and Dublin for Hiking Zen events, bringing the practice of mindful walking to communities abroad.
We are happy to share that the long-awaited Happy Families Change the World course begins tomorrow with its first live Zoom gathering. We are also excited to announce a new retreat in Portland, Oregon, from August 1–4, offering an opportunity for our Pacific Northwest friends to come together in mindfulness, connection, and renewal.
There is also much joyful activity surrounding the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing as we prepare to welcome students for the inaugural school year beginning August 17. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Kim Nolan as the school’s founding Head of School. Our teaching team is coming together beautifully, and we look forward to introducing our teachers and sharing more updates with you in the coming weeks.
May your practice continue to bring peace, stability, and joy to your daily life.
With gratitude and trust,
The Monks and Nuns at Deer Park
Happy Families Change the World: Online Course Starts This Saturday
We warmly invite you and your loved ones to join us for Happy Families Change the World, an 8-week self-paced online course rooted in the Plum Village tradition, created in collaboration with researchers from Dartmouth College.
Happy Families Change the World Introduction Session [Replay]
“Children are experts on your behavior and your habits. If one grown-up practices, sometimes they notice, and they get curious, and they go, ‘you're not as cross as you used to be, what's that about?’”
– Dr. Orlaith O’Sullivan, on the importance of parents beginning with their own mindfulness practice
July 25: LA Day of Mindfulness
The Plum Village Cookbook: Kickstarter Campaign
Parallax Press, the non-profit publisher founded by Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh, launched its first Kickstarter campaign to support the production of the Plum Village cookbook, featuring over 100 plant-based recipes from our brothers and sisters at Plum Village. The campaign has almost reached its goal — with just $2K more to go!
Teen Retreat 2026: Let the Light In
Teens ages 13–18 are invited to Deer Park for a mindfulness retreat centered on the theme “Let the Light In.” From June 23-28, teens will have the opportunity to practice mindfulness through meditation, mindful walking, mindful eating, hiking in nature, games, and group sharing.
TNH School of Interbeing Welcomes New Head of School, Dr. Kim Nolan
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Kim Nolan as the founding Head of School of the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing. Kim brings a rare and beautiful combination of gifts — decades of leadership experience and scholarship, an ordained Buddhist chaplain, and a lifelong contemplative practitioner whose work has always been rooted in presence, compassion, and the belief that education can be a place of healing and awakening. Read more about Dr. Nolan and the School team here.
For families considering enrollment at the School of Interbeing, we warmly invite you to join our online Information Session on July 9. Dr. Nolan will be present for the session to share about her background and vision for the School.
Oregon Mindfulness Retreat: “Arrived at Home”
This August 1-4, Join us in Oregon for a four-day mindfulness retreat where you will enjoy Dharma talks, meditation, mindful meals, walking meditation, relaxation practices, and community sharing. This retreat offers sliding-scale pricing and registration is open through July 1, 2026.
The Sun My Heart Retreat in Colorado
For over a decade, Thay came to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park to offer mindfulness retreats for thousands. In 2007, Thay specifically asked the monastic community to continue offering retreats in this sacred place, even if he could no longer be physically present. Then in 2024, we hosted the “Earth Our True Nature” retreat for over 400 friends to keep this tradition alive. Now we return two years later to walk in Thay’s footsteps once more in the Rockies. We hope you will join us!
The Buddha the Scientist Retreat & Symposium
The Buddha, as a true pioneer, ignited a revolution in understanding the mind and body. His teachings offer concrete methods to develop mindfulness, concentration, and insight—an invaluable compass for seekers throughout the ages. In this spirit, Deer Park is hosting our fifth The Buddha the Scientist Retreat & Symposium to bring scientists, scholars, and mindfulness practitioners together in shared mindfulness activities, creating a space where contemplative practice informs and enriches intellectual exploration.
Dr. Sol Diamond Awarded Constellation Prize for Peace Engineering
Congratulations to Solomon Diamond, Associate Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth and OI Member, recognized for his groundbreaking work in Peace Engineering. The 2026 Constellation Prize recognizes visionaries shaping the future of engineering—those who build collaborative foundations for practice, inspire creativity and boldness in learners, and translate knowledge into strategic action for a more just and peaceful world. An online award ceremony will take place on June 15 at 9:00amPT. Diamond also recently received his Order of Interbeing transmission at Blue Cliff Monastery with the Dharma Name: True Arising of Mindfulness.
Looking Ahead:
June 13 - Aug 9, 2026 - Happy Families Change The World Online Course
June 23 - 28, 2026 - Teen Retreat (for teens ages 13-18)
July 2, 2026 -Hiking Zen: Howth Cliff Loop with Zen Monks [Dublin, Ireland]
July 5, 2026 - Hiking Zen: Hampstead Heath Mindful Walking [London]
July 9, 2026 - Online; Joyful TNH School of Interbeing Parent Gathering
July 12 - 18, 2026 - Family Retreat (waitlist only)
July 25, 2026 - LA Day of Mindfulness
Aug 1 - 4, 2026 - Oregon Mindfulness Retreat: “Arrived at Home”
Aug 9 - 15, 2026 - The Sun My Heart Retreat (Estes Park, Colorado)
August 27 - 30, 2026 - Alaska Mindfulness Retreat (Registration is closed)
September 9 - 13, 2026 - Vietnamese Retreat (registration opens today)
Oct 1 - 4, 2026 - The Buddha the Scientist Retreat (registration opens today at 4pmPT)
October 5, 2026 - The Buddha the Scientist Symposium @ UCSD (registration coming soon)