Founded in 2021 by Dharma teacher Milo North Burn, Boundless Refuge is a sanctuary for the practice of Awakening.

In the fire of 2020, Milo had just returned from serving as resident teacher at Dharmagiri Hermitage in South Africa when the pandemic called him to weather the uncertainty in a cabin in the San Juan Islands. During this period of soul-searching, he clarified his aspiration to teach extended annual retreats—a vision he had carried since the beginning of his teaching journey.

With the blessing of his closest mentors, Milo held his first three-month intensive in that same forest cabin. A handful of dedicated practitioners pitched tents among the trees, forming an intimate cohort committed to exploring the depths of contemplative practice. The retreat proved transformative enough to warrant a second offering the following spring. Over those foundational two years, twenty people participated in these extended retreats, with many reporting profound, life-changing realizations.

Finding Our Ground

As interest grew and the desire to serve more practitioners deepened, the Boundless Refuge volunteer team began searching for a new space. Synchronicity arrived at the end of a three-month retreat Milo was sitting at Insight Meditation Society, when conversation with a fellow yogi led to discovering our current home—an old house on beautiful land near Willits, California. We held our third annual three-month retreat in this space in 2024, and our fourth in spring 2025.

The retreat has evolved to include part-time co-teachers and practice positions of greater responsibility such as head cook, sit leader, and groundskeeper. This expansion reflects our commitment to creating conditions where sincere practitioners can explore the art of living from our deepest, most trustworthy foundation.

A Growing Field of Practice

Milo has found this form of long retreat to be an excellent vehicle for dharma transmission and intends to offer it annually as long as there is energy and interest to do so. His vision for Boundless Refuge extends beyond the three-month intensive to encompass multiple training opportunities for deep dharma practice. We offer alumni sangha gatherings throughout the year for our growing community of practitioners to reconnect with Milo and each other. Year-round practice discussions provide ongoing support for contemplative inquiry.

The volunteer operations team and ongoing work periods on the Mendocino land offer opportunities for practicing dharma in the context of service and stewardship. We are also developing a fall three-month Practice Period as a counterpoint to the spring retreat, emphasizing integration and the art of bringing awakened awareness into all aspects of life.

Through all our offerings, we remain committed to the partial-dana model that honors both practical needs and the heart qualities most supportive of dharma transmission—simplicity, responsibility, generosity, and warm-hearted community.