Many individuals, couples and families enjoy co-creating their own retreats with Rashani. Kipukamaluhia and the entire bio-region of Kaʻu offer a perfect environment conducive for vision quests, silent (or semi-silent) retreats, rites of passage, deep rest, rejuvenation and renewal.

Occasionally, guests want silent, rigorous retreats with many hours of sitting. Most people who are drawn here, however, prefer integrative retreats, which include a combination of natural meditation (both walking and sitting,) exploring "non doing," connecting with the land and animals here, watching irises open while sipping tea, journal writing, occasional reading, singing, pure listening, quiet time alone–or with others–for discovering the marvelous solvent of self inquiry, sharing in dyads, cloud gazing during the day & star gazing at night and/or sessions with Rashani. Retreatants are invited to bring musical instruments, journals and art materials, as we never know when we'll be seized by the muse. Every retreat is different and most guests enjoy discovering their own bio rhythms from day to day.

You are not coming here to take refuge "from" the world but to take refuge in yourself and in the miracle of every unrepeatable moment.

Kipukamaluhia is a non-smoking, substance-free sanctuary. Because many people are here on retreat, and because we are off the grid, we encourage silence and all lights to be out & all electrical appliances to be off between 9:30 pm until 7 am.

General Retreat Information

A retreat can be as short as a few days or as long as several weeks. There are wonderful bodyworkers nearby who are happy to come to the sanctuary to offer massage and energy healing while you are here. There are also ancient sacred sites which you can visit and, of course, many exquisite beaches and parks and Tutu Pele herself. We recommend that you pay homage to Pele and make offerings as part of your retreat. 

To gain clarity about how to create your personalized retreat, please contact Rashani.

From the mid 1980's until recently, Rashani has offered the following retreats throughout the world:

• In the Wound is the Awakening

• Grief into Gold/Sorrow into Song

• The Council of All Beings

• The Inner Satsang/Personal Totem Process

• Exploring the Dreambody

• A Day of Mindlessness

• The Alchemy of Collage

• Embodying the Deep Feminine

• Welcome to the Feast

• Discovering Who We Are Without Beliefs

• There Was Never a Problem

• Being Shaped by the Field

• Sitting in the Fire

• Deep Ecology and Deep Democracy

• Harvesting Miracles

• Exploring the Enneagram: Discovering Who We Are Not

• The Alchemy of Intimacy/Exploring Edges in Relationship

• Natural Meditation

• Being Everything and Nothing

• Effortless Being

• Entering Together and Alone the Mystery of the Unknown

• Life, Death and Deathlessness

• Abandoning the Nonessentials

• Changing Nothing and Watching Everything Change

• There is Nothing to Teach

• Pulling Weeds in Paradise

• Practicing Imperfection

• Soetry (Song and poetry) as a Sacred Portal

• Beyond Brokenness

• WHO is awakening and from WHAT?

Though these are many different names, the fundamental nature of Rashani’s retreats remains the same. And as Rumi said, "There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." To this Rashani adds, "There are countless ways to awaken to the suchness of what is."

Rashani is a lover of simplicity and the infinite complexity of being a human being! She lovingly invites us to look directly at reality and to return to a ground of being that is neither nondual nor dual, where we can experience changeless wakefulness, regardless of what is occurring within or around us.

Rashani shares, “Realizing that there is no intrinsic meaning to things or events and that all contents of awareness are simply points of view, life becomes very simple. If we search for the essence of objects, feelings, sensations, mental images or thoughts we eventually discover that it is nonexistent, unfindable. This is the gift from what is known as the “Unfindability Inquiry.” It’s so valuable to have a direct experiential sense of the incongruity between the way we perceive reality and the way things actually are.

Some time back in the late 1980’s or early 90’s, when Thich Nhat Hanh gave his great dharma talk about the nonexistence of paper, while holding up a sheet of blank, white paper, my mind was instantly undone. He was simply saying that what we call “paper” is made of non-paper elements. The never-ending consequences of that simple realization continue to dismantle every notion and assumption that arises. Mind gave way to no-mind and since then things have not existed as they appear and at the same time do exist exactly as they appear. It’s impossible to describe in words.

We have the option to join others in their problems or to reflect to them an unconditioned state so that they can more easily inquire themselves into the unfindability of what they have labelled as a dilemma. It's naïve to think that we could survive without an ego; eventually, however, it becomes something we no longer need to analyze, escape from or improve.

Years ago, Faisal Muqaddam, with whom I studied  for nearly twenty years, said, "The ego becomes a robe of glory, ultimately. It transforms the personality shell into its true nature."  Though I currently don't rely on any paradigms, in the past I was fascinated by the various maps from several different Indigenous, Eastern and Western psychological and spiritual traditions. We have already arrived a-n-d sometimes we need to do a little house cleaning! It's easy to fall asleep again.

How do we each embody the presencing of nondual awareness? Can we remain aware of, and identified as, Awareness when difficulties arise, when loved ones die, when what we thought was “real” turns out to be a misconception of reality?

I have spent the last thirty-two years creating two sanctuaries, where simple sustained inquiry is welcomed. And this kind of inner dismantling, investigation and deconstruction begin to happen effortlessly & naturally, simply as a by-product of resting as Awareness... And we continue with the chores and tasks of everyday life. In the presence of truth that which is not true dissolves without effort. Some people jokingly say that here at Kipukamaluhia we (inwardly) deconstruct the false self/compensatory identity, also known as the idealized self image, while (outwardly) learning how to construct gardens and orchards, temples and kitchens, composting toilets and outdoor showers.

Laughter meditation does wonders also~"

Types of personal retreats at Rashani's sanctuary:

Individual Retreats, Couples Retreats, Family Retreats, Writing Retreats, Vision Quests, The Way of Council, Self Inquiry Retreats, Grief Retreats, Rites of Passage, Council of All Beings, Soetry (Song and Poetry) Retreats, Unfindability Inquiry Retreats, Silent Retreats, Dreambody Retreats, and more~

There are several medicinal herbs growing on the land and fruiting Noni trees, which Rashani planted many years ago. Many guests discover the amazing healing properties of these herbs and this fruit while here.

Accommodations/Lodging

Kipukamaluhia has four beautiful cottages with shared bathroom facilities & a community kitchen and two cottages with their own kitchens, outdoor showers and composting toilets. All of the living spaces are simply and beautifully furnished. There is also an open temple overlooking the ocean, a medicine wheel, a yoga room and two Balinese A-frames, which are used for studios. Please call (808) 929-8043 to inquire about availability.

Smaller Cottages

Single Rooms: $95 per night / $600 per week

Double Rooms: $108 per night / $680 per week

Cottages with Kitchens

Single Rooms: $170 per night / $1,070 per week

Double Rooms: $195 per night / $1260 per week

All guests provide and prepare their own meals.