Mount Madonna Center — Watsonville, United States

Yoga retreat center on a 380-acre Santa Cruz Mountains summit, Watsonville, CA

Before there was a center, there was a retreat. In 1973, a group of students began coming together to study the classical Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path) under Baba Hari Dass, a master yogi who, the center says, observed silence for most of his life. Mount Madonna Center, on a mountain summit above Watsonville, California, grew out of those gatherings and still teaches from his example. It operates under the Advaita Society – Hanuman Fellowship, a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit. The land is 380 acres of redwoods, old oaks and madrones, and open meadows, looking over the Pajaro Valley and Monterey Bay. Trails lead to sunset viewing points, and the skies are clear enough for stargazing. A multigenerational community lives on the mountain, and the campus sits within reach of Santa Cruz, Monterey, Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. The calendar is built around signature annual retreats, each drawing on practices Baba Hari Dass taught. Going Deeper is a winter meditation retreat of simple diet and silence, with sadhana he created for it. Silence Speaks, running November 11 to 15, 2026, treats silence as a yogic practice. The New Year's Yoga Retreat, now in its 48th year, closes with a Vedic fire ceremony (yajna) for peace on New Year's Day. Living Yoga in spring centers on asana, and the 49th Liberation Yoga Retreat is set for June 30 to July 4, 2027. Between retreats, overnight guests practice with residents and staff in the Redwood Room, and day visitors can take a Mountain Experience with a guided walk, a Classical Ashtanga class and vegetarian meals. The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and OM Park open for contemplative visits on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center offers Ayurvedic consultations, therapies and massage. Schools of Yoga and Ayurveda run teacher trainings and certificate programs, and outside teachers can host their own groups on the campus.

Traditions: Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path), Ayurveda, Meditation, Pranayama, Kirtan, Vedic fire ceremony (yajna)

Programs: Going Deeper Meditation Retreat, Silence Speaks: A Silent Meditation Retreat, New Year's Yoga Retreat, Living Yoga Spring Retreat, Liberation Yoga Retreat, Mountain Experience Day Visit, Personal Overnight Retreats, Yoga Teacher Training 200-Hr