When we reflect on the elemental nature of the body in the first foundation of mindfulness, we’re seeing the interconnected nature of our experience. Our mind and ego functions through constriction, a narrowing of attention to this mind-body. We create the sense of self we wrap our lives around, and believe ourselves to be independent, fixed, and separate. Taking a walk, we have the experience “I am taking a walk through the park,” as if wherever we are is separate from our body. But we are the earth’s moving surface, looking at itself, tied by gravity. And we literally—not just metaphorically—come from the earth.
Mark Coleman
Residential Retreat Teacher
Mark has trained extensively in the Buddhist tradition, both in the Insight meditation and in the Dzogchen tradition. He is a senior teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has taught insight meditation retreats since 1997.
Mark is a life-long nature lover and is passionate about guiding people into the beauty of meditation and nature. He has led wilderness nature retreats worldwide for over twenty years. Through his organization Awake in the Wild Mark leads year long nature meditation teacher trainings in the US and Europe.
Co-founder of the Mindfulness Training Institute Mark also leads year long professional mindfulness teacher trainings in Europe and the US.
He is author of Awake in the Wild - Mindfulness in nature as a path to self-discovery, Make Peace With Your Mind, From Suffering to Peace and his recent book A Field Guide to Nature Meditation.
He lives in Sausalito, Marin and likes nothing more than hiking, biking and kayaking in the outdoors.
Mark Coleman's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
November 15 - November 22, 2024 | Friday - Friday | 7 nights
Natural Radiance: Exploring the Freedom of Awareness
Spaces Available. Awareness is a beautiful, hidden jewel that is innate in everyone. In this meditation retreat, we will explore this quality of awareness—what it is, and how to cultivate and abide in awakened presence. We will investigate how mindfulness supports a depth of awareness through various meditation practices, and we will consider what obscures the clarity of awareness both in meditation and in everyday life. As our mindfulness grows, we discover how this capacity for awareness is available in every moment.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Mark Coleman through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.
