What to know about your Private Cabin Retreat

What to know about your Private Cabin Retreat

Ways to Get Here

Flying

Clear Sky is 45 minutes from the Canadian Rockies International Airport at Cranbrook, and has regular flights from Vancouver and Calgary.  Airlines serving the airport are Air Canada, West Jet and Pacific Coastal Airlines

We provide a shuttle service to and from the airport.   Car rentals are also available at the airport.

Driving

Clear Sky is a close drive from the US border, and a 4.5 hour drive from Calgary.

We are 10 minutes from the Highway 93 South and 20 minutes from Fort Steele along the Wardner-Fort Steele Road.

Get driving directions from google maps.  As you approach the property you will Clear Sky road signs that will guide you to the parking lot.  We ask that retreatants who are driving arrive at 3pm the day of their retreat.

What to Expect During Your Stay

A Private Cabin Retreat is a chance to slow down, unwind and rejuvenate.  Depending on your meditation experience, a Personal Retreat gives you the opportunity to settle into an established meditation practice, or to learn how to begin a practice. The time is yours to do what you need for your health and unfolding.

You will have a beautiful cabin to yourself, situated 200 meters from the main building.  You will eat in silence in a separate retreat dining room, with up to two other retreatants.  Retreatants share a separate full bathroom.  If you are staying longer than a week you can have access to the laundry facilities onsite.

Private Cabin Retreats include some light Karma Yoga each day.  Karma Yoga is ‘meditation in action’.  Depending on the season and the availability of tasks, you will do 1-2 hours of Karma Yoga per day.

Although you will be doing your retreat in silence you will be able to communicate with the Clear Sky personnel on a daily basis through a communication book in the dining room.

You will have the opportunity for a 10 minute face-to-face check-in each evening with a Clear Sky resident to raise any questions or concerns about your stay.  If you would like to have regular evening meditation guidance with one of Clear Sky’s senior meditators you can select this option when you register.

Clear Sky operates as a ‘modern monastery’ and spiritual community.  During your Private Cabin Retreat you will not be participating in the daily routine of the Clear Sky residents.  If you would like to join the residents for your first dinner when you arrive and your last meal before you leave, you can select this option when you register.

Accommodation

Each Private Retreat Cabin is designed to give you a simple, uncluttered space to do your retreat.  Each cabin has:

• all the bedding, linens, blankets and towels you will need for your stay
• heat and electricity
• a flashlight
• carbon filtered spring water, cup and glass
• a meditation mat and meditation cushion
• slippers
• note that cabins do not have plumbing
• due to the risk of fire open flames such as candles are not permitted in or around the cabins.

Meals

Our nourishing, delicious food has made the kitchen a well-loved part of people’s experience at Clear Sky.
We draw our ingredients fresh from local producers and use organic food whenever possible. We also harvest from our own burgeoning 1-acre food forest and gather fresh produce from our beautiful Gaia Garden.

The Clear Sky menus are based on a balanced omnivore diet. Please let us know of any food allergies or dietary requirements you have before your visit so that we can try to  accommodate your needs.

During your cabin retreat you have a self-serve breakfast, and then lunch and dinner prepared and served for you.  We do all the washing and cleaning.  You can relax and let yourself be taken care of.

What to Bring

• Clear Sky provides all bedding, pillows and towels.
• Please bring your personal toiletries, medications etc.  We encourage you to use eco-friendly/biodegradable toiletries, as this keeps our septic system healthier. Refrain from using strongly scented or perfumed products during your time at the Center.
• Bring any specific meditation books, objects or tools that you use
• Each season brings its own qualities and we suggest checking below for appropriate clothing, footwear and incidentals.
• Note that Clear Sky has a small shop with some meditation books, meditation implements and limited personal toiletries available for purchase.

Climate

The local town of Cranbrook is the sunniest town in British Columbia, according to Environment Canada. The Eastern Rockies is a critical wildlife corridor and is the home to bighorn sheep, deer, elk, bears and more. The temperature in this part of North America also varies greatly depending on the time of year and so the Center experiences four distinct seasons. You may want to considering bringing mosquito repellent from June – August and bear spray from the Spring to Fall. We do have some cans of bear spray on site for those who are arriving by air travel.

Spring (May to June)

Temperatures at the beginning of the spring are generally warm, with daily highs averaging 17°C (62°F). Nighttime still sees the occasional frost earlier in the season. By late June, the temperatures tend to rise to 21°C (70°F) during the day, with lows of 8°C (46°F) overnight. Spring can be windy, so we suggest bringing light coats or jackets.

Summer (July to August)

The weather in summer is generally very warm, with daily highs around 27°C (81°F). Because we are in the mountains, temperatures can drop dramatically in the evenings and mornings (to about 10°C (50°F), cooler towards the end of August). To be prepared, in addition to summer clothes, a hat, sunscreen and loose clothes for meditation, bring some warmer layers. 

Fall (September to November)

Days in the fall are generally pleasant, with daily highs around 20°C (68°F). By November, the temperatures tend to drop to 5°C (41°F) during the day, with lows of -5°C (22°F) overnight.

Winter (December to April)

We enjoy a reasonably temperate climate, without the extremes that some areas of Canada experience. The weather in the colder months of winter can vary from just above 0 to an occasional -30 degrees Celsius (32 to -22°F). Bring layers of warm and loose clothes for meditation in and outdoors. A pair of micro-spikes for walking when it is icy is recommended as well as waterproof footwear that have good grip. Please contact us if you would like to purchase some micro-spikes from our store onsite as numbers are limited.