Volcanic Renewal

The kitchen staff at Kirpal Meditation and Ecological Center have thoughtfully designed a whole-foods, phytonutrient-rich menu with organic and locally sourced foods where possible. Meals will be vegetarian and free of refined sugars, gluten and dairy. If your typical diet is lower in fiber and/or you are not used to eating legumes, we suggest bringing digestive enzymes to help your body make the most of these nutrients!  

Please specify food intolerances and allergies at the time of registration and we will endeavor to provide foods that you can eat. If you have ever had an anaphylactic to a particular food, please bring an epi-pen as we cannot 100% guarantee you will not be exposed to that substance.

We will be within a 15-minute tree-covered walk from the ocean, but the closest beach is now covered in fresh lava, which offers a powerful experience but is not ideal for swimming. We will be a 5-minute drive from a newly-formed unnamed beach where we will hold our closing ceremony. We will be only a 20-minute drive from Kehena beach, a beautiful black-sand, clothing-optional beach which lines a small swimmable bay frequented by dolphins.

The Hawaiian Puna coast is renowned for its rugged beauty and black sand beaches. You'll find that within an hour's drive of our location the scenery may change dramatically, from regenerating lava fields to lush rainforest to arid mountains. We encourage you to extend your stay and explore more of the awe-inspiring scenery of Hawaii's Big Island. Here is a list of nearby attractions you may wish to visit in your free time.

Each day will include opportunities for down-time. Some days may have enough down-time for you to take a walk to the coast or even drive to Kehena beach. We discourage you from planning to venture further afield during the retreat as you may miss out on scheduled activities and essential quiet-time. If you'd like to visit sites that are more than a 30-minute drive from our location, please plan to do so before or after the retreat.

Because Hawaii is so careful about screening for COVID with mandatory testing or vaccines, and because all group activities (including meals) will take place in well-ventilated settings,  mask-wearing will be optional at the retreat. 

Vaccination will not be required to participate in the retreat - unless mandated by the state of Hawaii for entry.

All retreats include a 50% deposit which is 100% refundable until Nov. 28th, 2021. Remaining balances must be paid by December 31st, 2021 and are non-refundable, non-transferable. Presh must strictly adhere to its cancellation policy to offset costs incurred prior to the commencement of retreat.

Rest assured that if the whole retreat has to be cancelled due to a COVID-related change in Hawaii's policies, you will receive a full refund. However, if you are not able to come to the retreat due to a personal COVID-related incident (like testing positive before your flight) we will not be able to offer a refund. For this reason, we strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance at the time your book the retreat. 

We strongly recommends the purchase of travel insurance to ensure that you are covered in case of any unexpected event. Many events may prevent or interrupt your travels, like personal, professional, medical, environmental or weather related events. Even though those events are rare, they can occur and reinforce the importance of being covered by travel insurance.  Should you elect to not purchase travel insurance, you will be assuming 100% of any costs incurred for trip cancellation or trip interruption. All payments made to Presh Health are non-refundable and non-transferable. TravelEx and World Nomads are two reputable organizations. There is a broad spectrum of policies and options, so make sure you are clear on what exactly is covered.

• You may fly into one of the two airports on the Big Island, both within a reasonable drive from our retreat location. 

• Kona International Airport (KOA) in Kona to the west is a 2-3-hour drive to the retreat venue depending on the route you take. This drive offers the opportunity to explore other parts of the island. 

• Hilo International Airport (ITO) in Hilo to the east is a 1-hour drive to the retreat venue.

• There is also the option of flying into Honolulu International Airport (HNL) on Oahu first and then taking a short, 35-40 minute flight to the island of Hawaii.

• We offer a complimentary shuttle from Hilo airport to the retreat center on February 21st at 3:30pm, and one from the retreat center to Hilo airport on the last day of the retreat on February 26th at 11:30am. Space on this shuttle is limited, so please contact us to reserve. 

• Renting a car for the duration of your stay will allow you the flexibility to fly into Kona airport and enjoy a longer and more scenic drive to our venue. It will also facilitate optional visits to nearby attractions such as Kehena beach (a 20-minute drive from our location).

• If you do not plan on renting a car, you can get to Kirpal by Uber or taxi from the Hilo airport. The ride will be about 60-minutes and the cost is approximately $75 one-way. You will pay your driver directly. 

• The staff at Kirpal will also arrange airport pick-up at Hilo for $80 one-way. Their vehicle can hold up to 6 guests. This option must be arranged through the Kirpal center and payment will go to them directly. We are happy to put you in contact with them upon request.

• Conditions permitting, our group will be visiting the majestic Kilahuea in Hawaii's Volcano National Park. 

• The exact route is subject change, but the distance will be approximately 3-5 miles, through rainforest and lava flows. Portions of the terrain may be steep.

• If you prefer not to hike, we still encourage you to visit the Volcano National Park's visitor center. If you bring your own car you may also drive around the park and visit it's many viewpoints that are accessible by short walks.

According to the National Park Service, " molten lava is no longer present or visible anywhere in the park. The recent eruption saw the disappearance of the lava lake inside Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit and lava flows from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō have ceased."