What Is The Land?
The Land is a 162-acre practice retreat center located in Mendocino County in Northern California. The Land features redwood forests, trails, a restored meditation barn, a two-acre garden, a hot yoga studio and professionally prepared meals. The property is in the heart of the Anderson Valley bordered by the Navarro river, a 32-minute drive to the Pacific Ocean. The Land is the home of The Eros Monastery, a year-round retreat program whose focus is on helping guests become intimate with themselves and their lives. The Eros Monastery offers a practice-infused daily schedule as well as a monthly calendar of talks, salons, retreats and conferences. The Land also plays hosts to select private events.
“Time moves differently here. I’m writing these notes from my cosy cabin, watching the wild deer wander unhurried through the property. From some of the best sleep I’ve had in years, to the morning yoga, my stay at the land was all I hoped for and more - as a psychotherapist, it’s crucial that I find places for deep rest and I really found it at the Land. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times over the last few years and never get used to the stars at night and just before dawn. This last visit, it even got warm enough for a dip in the pool. And the food, oh my goodness.. so nourishing and grounding.”
Our Guiding Principles
Beauty
Beauty relaxes the senses. Our aesthetic is simple, elegant, rustic. To compliment the natural splendor of The Land, we use natural building materials, bedding, textiles, and colors. We recently restored a 1940s horse barn on the property into a state of the art event and meditation hall using the original redwood, hand-plastered walls and floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking a garden. We partner with Organic Erotic, a premiere design solution for the building and expression of your own interior world.
Care
We apply quality attention to each aspect of The Land because we believe that everything and everybody is worthy of care. Our amenities are beautifully designed and maintained. Our gardens are well-tended to. Our food is simple and loving. Our living spaces are well-appointed and breathable. Our guests are warmly welcomed.
Food Is Connection
The Land is centered around three daily, organic, lovingly prepared meals, served in our lodge. Many ingredients come directly from our gardens and as many as possible from local sources including Veritable Vegetable and Golden Gate Meats. On our tables, you will find meats, vegetables, and soups from your favorite cuisines, as well as nourishing dishes created by our inventive kitchen staff. The quality of food matters, because if the food is not right, nothing is right.
Earth: The Land Is the Body
A healthy human has a well-tended soul, and well-tended land has well-tended soil. Health begins at the foundation. We host programs that address the whole human ecology from soil to food to body to soul. The Earth Program is our initiative to restore and rewild the earth through our own connection to it. We build from the soil up, regenerating the land and growing food. We’ve partnered with numerous experts, including soil scientist Ray Archuleta seen in the award-winning documentary “Kiss the Ground,” and John Liu, ecologist, filmmaker and advisor to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to craft initiatives to restore The Land and surrounding Anderson Valley ecosystem. Our perspective is that we are stewards of The Land and recognize that its needs are our needs. Likewise, The Land Body Center offers guests restorative services like therapeutic massage, traditional Chinese medicine (including acupuncture) and Pilates instruction.
Circulation
Nature naturally circulates. The snow from winter feeds the plants and rivers in springtime. Nature uses fire to clear out the old and make way for new growth. The Land is designed for circulation from our hot yoga studio to the countless walking trails to the river that wrap around three sides of the property to our composting system. We also enjoy bringing new energy into the Land in the form of guests, retreats, salons and conferences.
Service
The Land is always serving us. Each person on The Land is asked to play a role in serving the whole. When we truly understand the nature of reciprocity, we see that our lives are a balance between receiving and offering. In this way, service on The Land is a joy.
Community Engagement
The Land is a part of the Anderson Valley ecosystem. We care deeply about the surrounding environment and those who live here with us. We host wildfire evacuees in times of natural disaster and host the community in weekend brunches and dinners. We partner with a non-profit to provide nourishing food to those in need in Mendocino County.