About the Nature Sangha

Meets monthly on a Thursday at 6:00 - 7:00 pm ET.

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A monthly gathering open to anyone inspired by and drawn to practicing in and with the natural world.

 Thai Forest Meditation teacher Ajahn Chah said, "If you know nature, you'll know Dhamma. If you know Dhamma, you'll know nature." Deepening our relationship with the natural world can support our knowing more intimately Nature as teacher, refuge and path. Join us as we will explore monthly themes that include nature as Dhamma, practicing in nature, ecological activism, climate grief and more.

Sessions may include guided meditation, reflection, Dharma discussion and an opportunity for questions and responses. 

Upcoming Dates

August 28, 2025 with bruni dávila

September 25, 2025 with devon hase

October 23, 2025 with Cara Lai

Meet Your Teaching Team

bruni dávila

bruni dávila has practiced Vipassana and Zen since 1995. A student of Andrea Fella and Gil Fronsdal, she practices and teaches at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA, and also teaches Dharma in Spanish in the wider Bay Area. She completed the IMS Teacher Training Program in 2021.

Devon Hase

devon hase has practiced intensively in the insight and vajrayana traditions since discovering meditation in 2000. After a decade of bringing mindfulness to high school and college classrooms, she entered several years of silent, solitary retreat in the mountains of Oregon. She now teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and the Forest Refuge, and serves as co-guiding teacher of the online dharma community Refuge of Belonging. Devon supports practitioners in both long and short retreats, as well as through personal mentoring, with an emphasis on relational practice and connection to the natural world. Along with her life partner, nico, she co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess and the forthcoming This Messy, Gorgeous Love: A Buddhist Guide to Lasting Partnership (2026). Learn more at devonandnicohase.com.

Cara Lai

Cara Lai has spent most of her life in pursuit of meaning and happiness, which landed her on a cushion for much of her adult life. Throughout many mind-body adventures including many long-term retreats, she has explored the concentrated mind, chronic illness, the value of pleasure, the power of maternal energy, and connection to the earth. In the past, Cara has worked as an artist, wilderness guide, social worker and psychotherapist. Now she finds herself intently focused on the dharma path, practicing both on and off the cushion in unconventional ways, and using intuition as her guide. She tries her best to teach from the most authentic and vulnerable place she can muster, and is still learning about the contentment of simply existing.

FAQ

  • Recordings

    To help create a safe space for the vulnerability that arises in our sanghas and the desire to make these "community-centered," which is more authentically a live experience, recordings will be unavailable.

  • Cancellation

    If you would like to cancel your enrollment for this free program, please reach out to [email protected].

  • Additional Questions

    If you have additional questions please contact us at [email protected].