Practical Details

• Minimum Stay

  Vajra Vidya Retreat Center has a minimum two-night stay.

• Minimum Booking Advance Notice

  Advance notice of two days is required to reserve a retreat room.

• Deposit with Booking

  You will be asked to pay a 50% deposit at the time of booking your retreat room during checkout. You can also make your full payment during checkout if preferred.

• Cancellation Policy

  Two weeks or more advance notice of cancellation is required in order to receive a refund of your deposit, less a $35 processing fee.

  If cancelling within two weeks of arrival date there is no refund. However, you may use the deposit as credit toward a future retreat or consider giving it as a donation to the retreat center.

• Meals

  Your daily rate includes three wholesome organic meals! Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• Meal times

  Breakfast at 7:30 am, Lunch at 12:30 pm, and Dinner at 6 pm.

• Special diets

  We are often able to accommodate special diets. If you have special dietary needs, please let us know.

• Linens, towels and laundry

  Bed linens are provided. Laundry facilities are available for guests staying beyond one week. A $3 contribution for laundry per load, is suggested.

• Check in

  Check-in time is 1PM or after. 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

  Check-out time is 12 noon.

• Join us for lunch!

  With prior notice you are most welcome to join us for lunch on your arrival and departure days.

• Office hours

  Regular office hours are 9 am -12 noon, Monday through Friday.

• Our retreat rooms

  Each room is appointed simply, with a single bed containing storage drawers, a nightstand, lamp and tiered shrine for you to place your personal practice items upon. There is one double room, popular with couples visiting on retreat, and two of our single rooms have their own private bath. Most rooms share several bathrooms among them. The floor plan at the end of this page shows the layout. Most retreat rooms are located on the second floor and there is an elevator in the building for your convenience.

• Dining room amenities

  The dining room is open for tea and coffee service from 5am-10pm.

  The kitchen area is restricted to those who need to be in the kitchen to prepare meals or perform clean up duties.

  There is also a retreatant refrigerator, separate from the kitchen area, available during dining room hours, for storing personal items and leftovers.

• Cleaning policies

  As a way to maintain low rates for stay, encourage balanced practice and giving back, we ask all those who stay to contribute an hour a day after lunch in physical service. Everyone participates in some form of Karma Yoga, working to help maintain the Center.

  The cleaning policies at Vajra Vidya have three main objectives:

  • To keep the center superbly clean, so that everyone feels uplifted.

  • To complete doing your service at the scheduled time, so there’s maximum time for practice. Your duties should require less than an hour.

  • To share the task load equally among all retreatants.

• Leaving your retreat room properly

  When you leave the retreat, please clean your room before lunchtime as the official checkout time is 12:00 noon.

  • 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 take them downstairs to wash at breakfast time. (If you are leaving early, please just start the washer and the staff will finish the process).

  • Make the bed with fresh sheets and a fresh blanket (found in the hallway closet near the bathroom at the head of the stairway).

  • Empty the trash.

  The room should be completely clean and ready for the next retreatant!

• Smoke, alcohol and drug free environment

  Vajra Vidya Retreat Center and the entire grounds is a smoke, alcohol and drug free campus. Please be aware that during summer months we take great caution to prevent the risk of wild fires.

• High elevation requires good, regular hydration

  Please remember that Vajra Vidya Retreat Center is located at 8,200 feet elevation in a high, dry alpine desert terrain. It is very easy to get dehydrated before you know it! Drink more water than you are normally accustomed to. Of course walking and hiking magnifies the need for fluids.

• Fragrance Policy

  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.

• Medical Services

  There are emergency medical services available but hospitals and pharmacies are an hour away in Salida and Alamosa.

• Rest & allow for altitude adjustment

  Get plenty of rest while you are adjusting to the altitude.

• Essentials to Bring

  • Water bottle and electrolyte support.

  • Sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, 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 to avoid unpleasant meetings with “Mr.Cactus” 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.

Self Check-in and finding your room

After booking you will receive an email confirmation with your room number. You can use the Second Level Floor Plan image below to locate your room. Upon arrival, park in the lots shown in the Vajra Vidya grounds image below. Enter through the 'Front Entrance' (Double Red Doors).

If you are located on the South Wing, make a right after coming through the front entrance, follow the hallway around a left bend and go through the doorway at the end of the hall where you will find the staircase. Go up the stairs and down the hall to find your room number.

If you are located on the North Wing, make a left after coming through the front entrance, follow the hallway around a right bend and go through the doorway at the end of the hall where you will find the staircase. Go up the stairs and down the hall to find your room number.