RETREAT CENTER FAQs
and practical details
🏩 BOOKING & STAY LOGISTICS
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Check out our booking policies and FAQ here.
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A water bottle is essential. VVRC is located at 8,200 feet elevation in a high, dry alpine desert terrain. It is very easy to get dehydrated so drink more water than you are normally accustomed to.
Sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, flashlight.
Wash and wear clothes.
Warm clothes in the winter; rain gear; loose clothing for sitting and layered clothing for frequent temperature changes. Temperatures can drop sharply and suddenly even during summer months.
Inside shoes/slippers. No shoes are worn inside the shrine room and center.
Closed-toe shoes (there are many catci on the land).
All your practice materials and supplies.
All your prescription or over the counter medicines you might need. The nearest pharmacy is an hour drive from Crestone.
In the month of July, bringing mosquito repellent is recommended (ask us about our mosquito protocol)
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Check-in is any time after 1PM. You are welcome to arrive at the center at any time convenient to your schedule, however your room will not be available to you until 1PM on your reservation start date.
Check out is at 12PM noon. With prior notice, you are welcome to join us for lunch on your arrival and departure days. -
Self check-in instructions are sent to your email prior to your arrival, along with your room assignment and a map of the rooms as well as the parking lot to navigate our center.
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If you are able, we would love your help in cleaning and preparing the room for the next guest. Please feel free to help with any (or all) of the cleaning tasks:
Sweep and mop your floor.
Shake out and vacuum your rug.
Dust the window sill and all tables.
Remove all the sheets, and pillowcase, and put them in a pile on the floor.
Make the bed with fresh sheets (linen closet is located on the second floor above the kitchen).
Empty the trash.
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Guests are responsible for their own transportation but if you are arriving by plane or bus to Alamosa or Moffat, guest pickup can be arranged for a small fee. If you need a ride, please email us at vajravidyacrestone@gmail.com at least a week prior to your arrival.
🌿 RETREAT ENVIRONMENT & ETIQUETTE
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Our regular service is as follows:
07:30 - 08:00am Breakfast & Clean-Up
09:00 - 10:00am Community Meditation Practice Tuesday - Sunday
12:00 - 12:30pm Lunch & Clean-Up
06:00 - 06:30pm Dinner & Clean-Up
If you are visiting for a retreat, schedules may vary.
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Karma yoga is a vital part of our life at Vajra Vidya and helps support the daily functioning of our center. As a way to maintain low rates for the stay, we kindly ask all guests to participate in helping clean up after meals (breakfast, lunch or dinner). Karma Yoga should take less than an hour and everyone participates in some form of Karma Yoga, so that the task load is shared equally among all retreatants.
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The dining room is open for meals, tea, and coffee service from 5:00am to 8:30pm.
Our wonderful kitchen staff live nearby and work from the adjoining staff room — we kindly ask that you respect their space and scheduled kitchen hours.The kitchen itself is reserved for staff and those helping with meal cleanup. A retreatant refrigerator is available during dining room hours for storing personal food items and leftovers.
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The shrine is available 24/7.
Enter quietly and with mindfulness.
Remove shoes before entering.
Refrain from eating, drinking, or using phones in the shrine room.
Take off your shoes before entering the shrine room.
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Vajra Vidya Retreat Center and the entire grounds is a smoke, alcohol and drug free campus. To maintain the safety of our communal practice environment we request that all participants be free from the influence of intoxicants while on campus. This includes alcohol and cannabis, as well as psychedelics and other state-altering substances, but does not include prescribed psychiatric medications, which practitioners should keep taking as usual.
Vajra Vidya is not an appropriate place for the therapeutic or spiritual use of psychedelics or other intoxicants or sacred substances.
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At Vajra Vidya we clean and launder with non-toxic fragrance-free products. Many people are environmentally sensitive to fragrances and essential oils so please consider bringing natural body care products and avoid the use of perfumes or essential oils during your stay.
Please note Vajra Vidya Retreat Center is not a fragrance-free environment in the sense that we do burn incense, butter lamps and tea candles daily as part of traditional offering practices and we often have flower displays which can be aromatic.
We encourage you to bring natural fragrance-free shampoos, bath soaps, and skin lotions in support of sensitive individuals within the close spaces of the Retreat Center. Even the use of essential oils can cause some people to become ill so please avoid using them during your stay.
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Children are welcome to stay with us, provided they can share in the quiet and mindful atmosphere of the retreat center. We ask that parents or guardians help maintain this environment by supervising children at all times.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate pets.
🧘 CENTER AMENITIES & FACILITIES
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All meals are vegetarian. We also provide dairy-free, vegan and gluten free options for guests. We do our best to meet individual dietary needs but please note that this is not always possible.
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Both bedding and towels are provided.
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Wifi available at the retreat center. However, due to the remote location of our center, cell signal is not always available.
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Laundry facilities are available for guests staying beyond one week. A $3 contribution for laundry per load, is suggested.
The kitchen is reserved for kitchen staff but there is a communal refrigerator available to guests. There are also two grocery stores in town about a 10 minute drive away.
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Except in emergencies, Vajra Vidya Retreat Center does not provide personal transportation for those arriving without a vehicle.
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There are emergency medical services available but hospitals and pharmacies are an hour away in Salida and Alamosa.
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The dining room is open for food, tea and coffee service from 5:00am - 8:30pm. Our wonderful kitchen staff resides in the staff room located within the kitchen so please respect the kitchen times.
The kitchen area is restricted to kitchen staff or people who are cleaning up. There is also a retreatant refrigerator available during dining room hours, for storing personal items and leftovers. -
Yes. Our retreat center includes accessible guest rooms, an elevator, and shared spaces designed to support guests with mobility needs. If you have specific accessibility requirements, please contact us via email at vajravidyacrestone@gmail.com before your visit.
❤️ COMMUNITY & PRACTICE
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No prior experience is required. Guests of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome. Whether you are new to meditation or have an established practice, this is a space to rest, reflect, and reconnect with stillness at your own pace.
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Yes. While the center follows a Buddhist monastic tradition, you do not need to be Buddhist or part of a scheduled retreat to stay here. Many guests visit simply for quiet rest and personal reflection within a contemplative environment.
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Individual stays do not include formal teachings unless a retreat or program is in session. However, guests are welcome to attend our community practice held from 09:00 - 10:00am Tuesday - Sunday. Schedules and opportunities vary depending on the retreat calendar.
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Yes. Meditation interviews may be arranged with teachers based on their availability and schedule.
Please email us at vajravidyacrestone@gmail.com to schedule an interview.
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Donations support the continuation of the teachings and care of the center. Room rates cover basic accommodations, but additional offerings are always received with gratitude. Contributions help sustain this space for future retreatants.