Music Festival, Teen Camp, Family Retreat & Rains Retreat Registration Opens This Week
March 2026 Issue of Coyote Tracks from Deer Park Monastery
Dear Beloved Community,
As we welcome the freshness of spring, let this season remind us to breathe deeply, embrace new beginnings, and cultivate kindness toward ourselves and others. We are currently in the middle of the Wake Up Retreat, our annual mindfulness retreat for friends ages 18-35. Over the weekend we offered a Chanting for Peace Ceremony to send our prayers to those affected by war and violence. A delegation of Dharma Teachers will be traveling to the East Coast next week to visit Dartmouth for the fourth year in a row, as well as visits to Harvard and New York City for various events, including a Thich Nhat Hanh Memorial Walk down Thich Nhat Hanh Way on April 25th.
“Breathing in, I see the flowers bloom. Breathing out, I smile to the spring.”
In this month’s issue of Coyote Tracks, you’ll find volunteer opportunities and various offerings to help you to take refuge within yourself and our sangha, finding an inner island of peace, stability, and compassion.
We are happy to announce that Rains Retreat 2026-27 applications are now open. Rhythm of the Earth Mindful Music Festival tickets are now on sale. Teen Camp registration and the Family Retreat lottery opens tomorrow as well.
Enjoy your mindful breathing as you read the March issue of Coyote Tracks.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Your Brothers and Sisters at Deer Park
Rhythm of the Earth Mindful Music Festival Tickets Now On Sale
Tickets are now on sale for our 3rd Annual Rhythm of the Earth Mindful Music Festival. This is an invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect—with the rhythms of the Earth, with one another, and with the simple joy of being alive. Bring your friends, your smile, and your open heart for a day of good tunes, mindful presence, and celebration in nature—all in support of the Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing. Reserve your tickets (or an entire dorm room) here.
Volunteers Wanted for Teen Camp
We are looking for volunteers for Teen Camp and Family Retreat this summer. This is an opportunity to deepen your practice through joyful service, support young people and families on the path of mindfulness, and be part of a vibrant, intergenerational sangha. Before, during, and after a special retreat, we need additional help, so we are inviting mindfulness practitioners who have already attended a 7-day retreat (or longer) at Deer Park to apply for the volunteer program. If you cannot volunteer this year, we invite you to spread the word to your sangha. If your heart feels called to serve, learn, and grow alongside our community this summer, we warmly welcome you to apply. Your presence makes a difference.
Hiking Zen Book Signing & Walking Meditation [South Park, San Diego]
Join Brother Phap Luu, co-author of Hiking Zen: Train Your Mind in Nature, for a mindful walk followed by book signing and reading at The Book Catapult in South Park on April 4th. Learn more & reserve your spot here.
Americanizing Buddhism: Evolving a Living Buddhist Tradition in America
Brother Phap Dung will be hosting a new in-person & online course this spring, Americanizing Buddhism: Evolving A Living Buddhist Tradition in America. This hybrid course will be taught live in person on Saturday evenings and the recordings will be available for folks joining online. NEW DATES: April 18 - June 13, 2026. Register here.
750+ Gathered for Walk for Peace LA
On Saturday, February 14, 2026, over 750 people gathered in the heart of downtown Los Angeles for a silent Walk for Peace hosted by Sangha House LA and Deer Park Monastery. Read the full article, watch the videos, and view photos here.
Dartmouth Retreat: Cultivating Compassion & Understanding with Mindfulness
Join us in New Hampshire for a two-day, non-residential mindfulness retreat at Dartmouth College. This will be our fourth year visiting Dartmouth, now a valued campus tradition, offering simple and profound mindfulness practices for meeting strong emotions, navigating difficulty, and remembering our shared humanity.
Learn more & register here.
The Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing is Hiring Teachers
The Thich Nhat Hanh School of Interbeing is searching for Founding Teachers. If you or someone you know feels called to support this vision of education grounded in wisdom and compassion, we warmly encourage you to apply or share this opportunity. View open career opportunities with the school here.
Colorado Mindfulness Retreat
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. Learn more & register here.
Deepen Your Practice: Taking Refuge
Learn how to take refuge within yourself during dangerous or difficult moments, or whenever you feel overwhelmed or disconnected. This practice helps you return to your inner island of calm and stability—and concludes with a beautiful song rendition to deepen the experience. Read the full article here.
Not a Choice, a Current: A Homecoming to Deer Park
One of our newest Dharma teachers shares her journey of practice that has led to moving into a lay community and helping to found the Thích Nhất Hạnh School of Interbeing. Read the full Mindfulness Bell article here.
Introducing Living Gems
The Plum Village community is delighted to launch Living Gems. After nearly three years of careful collecting, restoring, and organizing Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, the archive is ready to be shared with the world. Learn more here.
Love Letter to Deer Park: Watering Seeds of Mindfulness
A friend of Deer Park shares how community activities were challenging for her, but she knew she was where she needed to be. Read the love letter here.
Looking Ahead:
March 19, 2026 - Online Joyful TNH School of Interbeing Parent Gathering
March 27-29, 2026 - Theme Weekend in Clarity (nuns) Hamlet only: Fermentation and Meditation (Register here)
April 4, 2026 - Happy Farm Community Work Day
April 4, 2026 - Hiking Zen Book Signing & Walking Meditation [San Diego]
April 18–19, 2026 - Dartmouth Retreat: Cultivating Compassion & Understanding with Mindfulness [New Hampshire]
Apr 18 - Jun 13, 2026 - Americanizing Buddhism: Evolving A Living Buddhist Tradition in America [Online or In-person Course]
April 25, 2026 - Peace Walk “In the Footsteps of Thay” in New York City
April 25, 2026 - New York Day of Mindfulness (more information coming soon)
April 26, 2026 - Hiking Zen Mindful Walk in Prospect Park [Brooklyn, NY]
May 9, 2026 - Rhythm of the Earth Mindful Music Festival
Happy Families Change the World Course (Dates TBD; coming later this Spring)
June 23 - 28, 2026 - Teen Camp (registration opens on March 20; volunteer applications open now)
July 12 - 18, 2026 - Family Retreat (lottery opens on March 20 at 9am PT)