Join Us in the Rockies Next Year⛰️
December 2025 Issue of Coyote Tracks from Deer Park Monastery
Dear Beloved Friends,
As 2025 draws to a close, we pause with joy and gratitude to reflect on our journey together. This year, our community has grown and flourished, welcoming new friends while cherishing long-standing ones. Thank you for your continued support and connection. We look forward to seeing you all in the new year, whether that be in person or online.
This month’s newsletter offers practical guidance for navigating burnout this season, along with insights into how meditation, mindfulness, and lovingkindness can nurture children of all ages and the family systems that support them.
Here at Deer Park and within the Global Plum Village community, we continue to offer practices, Dharma content, events, and retreats designed to support your emotional and spiritual wellbeing, wherever you may be.
We’re happy to announce we will be returning to the Rocky Mountains again next year and we hope you will join us for The Sun My Heart Retreat in Estes Park, Colorado.
The Hiking Zen Retreat registration also just opened today and the Wake Up Retreat (for ages 18-35) will open by January 9th.
May these offerings serve as a reminder of our shared capacity for compassion, resilience, and deep connection as we walk together on the path of mindfulness.
We look forward to celebrating the holidays with you!
With heartfelt appreciation,
The Deer Park Monastery Family
Spend the Holidays With Us
No matter where you are in the world, we welcome you to spend Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve with us in mindfulness. The Dharma Talks will be live-streamed from our YouTube channel at 4:15pmPT. Mark your calendars and bring your family. You may also join us in person if you are in the area [advance registration required].
Colorado Retreat Registration Now Open
The Sun My Heart Retreat • August 9–15 • Estes Park, CO
Join us for a nourishing week of mindfulness practice in the Plum Village tradition. This family-friendly retreat invites us to slow down, reconnect with nature, and cultivate healing in ourselves and our communities. Early bird registration is now open.
Hiking Zen Retreat at Deer Park
Join the Deer Park monks and nuns for mindful hiking and camping in the chaparral mountains surrounding Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, CA. March 1-7, 2026. We invite you to apply to attend this retreat here.
Keeping Spirits Bright: Healing Burnout with Meena Srinivasan
One of the founding stewards of the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing, Meena Srinivasan, offers support for year-end well-being—including three practical ways to heal from burnout. Read the full article here.
Buddhist Community Gathering Replay
Watch Vista Buddhist Temple’s 7th annual Buddhist Community Gathering. This year’s theme was “Resistance and Regeneration Amidst the Chaos” featuring Brother Phap Luu, Chenxing Han, and Reverend Patti Nakai.
Joyful TNH School of Interbeing Online Sharing Circles
Parents, caregivers, and interested community members are warmly invited to join us for virtual information sessions and community dialog to learn more about the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing.
Share About the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing With Your Community
The Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing, opening for grades K-5 in Fall 2026, is the first living lab school integrating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and academic excellence. We are seeking families to join the school, teachers and staff, and donations of any size. We invite you to share about the school with your sanghas, friends, and communities. Share a flyer, post on social media, or send an email to share your excitement.
Fire-Building Sessions Unite Spiritual Leaders Around the World
A historic moment is approaching for our global spiritual family: the 2026 Biennial Plum Village June Retreat will celebrate sixty years of the Order of Interbeing (OI), founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 1966. In the months leading up to the June 2026 retreat, OI members and aspirants are encouraged to organize and take part in “fire-building sessions” via their local Sanghas and local and regional groups of OI members. Learn more and view photos of sanghas around the world coming together for this powerful shared intention.
Metta Hour Podcast: Kids Series with Sharon Salzburg and Meena Srinivasan
A special kids-focused series celebrating Sharon Salzberg’s first children’s book, Kind Karl. Sharon explores how mindfulness, meditation, and lovingkindness support children and families, with insights from educators, caregivers, and researchers—including Meena Srinivasan on the importance of parent and educator wellbeing. Listen to the podcast.
Looking Ahead:
December 24, 2025 - Christmas Eve Day of Mindfulness
December 31, 2025 - New Year’s Eve of Mindfulness
Jan 3, 2026 - Joyful TNH School of Interbeing Sharing Circle [Virtual]
January 18, 2026 – Memorial Ceremony on the Fourth Year of Thầy’s Passing
January 22, 2026 – Joyful TNH School Of Interbeing Sharing Circle [Virtual]
January 25, 2026 – Pravāraṇā Ceremony to end the 2025 Rains Retreat
February 16-19, 2026 – Lunar New Year’s Eve (Tết) Ceremonies and Celebrations
March 1-7, 2026 - Hiking Zen Retreat (registration now open)
March 15-21, 2026 – Wake Up Retreat (Ages 18-35) Registration opens the week of January 5th
August 9-15, 2026 – The Sun My Heart Retreat — YMCA in Estes Park, Colorado