Karma Yoga, Mindfulness and Community-building in Canada

Clear Sky is a brilliant place to find your edge and extend yourself further.
The people are warm and friendly. The food is healthy and delicious. The landscape is
breathtaking. The routine is fairly rigorous combining meditation and educational programs that stimulate the mind with manual work that strengthens the body. The centre is run in a holistic and sustainable way that promotes well being for people and the planet. The meditation sessions are interesting and effective and they even have a fun night once a week that may comprise of a movie or a game of pool. The Teachings are useful and are delivered in an entertaining way offering great solutions to stay grounded and find more peace, clarity and wisdom. I look forward to returning to Clear Sky in the near future.

Hi,
If you are thinking to stay at Clear Sky, congrats! This will be a real, down to earth transformative experience. If you are a spiritual seeker that want to understand yourself better to have bigger sense of fulfilment and happiness in your life, this could be the experience that your depth is seeking. The power of this place is all the transformations that people there have made and the commitment of the community to keep high standards of communication, commitment, trust and honesty. People there have made so much work on themselves and can really help you to see clearer and transcend your own unwholesome patterns and they are committed to your growth. That made my experience at Clear Sky the most transformational of all my explorative experiences. There are a bunch of people over there that are ready to shine the light where the darkness crept in. It is not the easiest and relax exploration, I must say, but if you really want to become what you are meant to be, looking at the limiting views of yourself and others is essential and Clear Sky is providing the container for you to see, understand, acknowledge, and heal the parts of you that contribute to suffering. A life time opportunity.
The natural setting is absolutely wonderful and the food is of high quality. You will be involved in a wide range of activities and will have the opportunity to understand better what are your strengths and areas of development. I personally found what I wanted to do for my career through my process at Clear Sky.

There were many programs that I was looking at before attending the "Mindfulness and Beyond" program at Clear Sky, but what I resonated most with were the words "a challenge" and that this was NOT the program to do if I wanted a vacation or lots of free time. It really was like a modern day monastery and I LOVED it! We all helped cooked the meals during the week and I really felt like I was a part of the center while I was there. We not only studied Buddhism and various mindfulness techniques, we learned how to work better with others, which has greatly improved my career and relationships. I liked how we checked in everyday as a team, studied new things and reflected throughout the day. I really miss walking on the beautiful trails at the center, listening to the bird songs and I often saw elk, deer and the onsite horse. The food was local, organic and yummy! The onsite teachers ate with us almost every day and they and the team were so kind and answered any questions I had. I was impressed by their experience and sharing. I learned so much and it really did go beyond what I expected. It was "a challenge" as mentioned, but I really grew in just 3 months. Picking and eating fresh fruit in the food forest is a must! Thank you Clear Sky!

This is so much more than farming and caring for a food forest. It is about learning to live in a mindful community and bringing buddhist meditation into everyday life.
Let's be clear though, there is some farming and at least half of each day was spent outdoors pruning, mowing, fixing irrigation, harvesting and keeping records of it all. There is also a decent size vegetable garden close to the main building.
The scenery at Clear Sky is absolutely breathtaking. It is ranch country with massive mountains all around with deer and elk often seen in large numbers.
The food is delicious and diverse. The residents are very helpful to help transition into what we could call the buddha mind set (buddhist teachings and daily meditation practice). If you are not seriously interested in questioning your asumptions, taking a closer look at your ego and changing your habits, then Clear Sky might not be your best bet. If you are though, I cannot think of a better container to go diving deeper.

I travelled to Canada without a plan, and spending time at Clear Sky was an adventure in so many ways. I feel the impact of the Karma Yoga to this day, and the people I was able to spend time with are still so close to my heart. It sounds corny, but I really can't recommend the opportunity highly enough. If you know what you are looking for, go. If you are not sure what you are looking for, go. Transform your life and learn in a most beautiful place with beautiful people.
More specifically, I was at Clear Sky as a Karma Yogi during the building work on Sky Roots. One of the things that was so brilliant for me, which I think is true for all Karma Yoga tasks, was that I was supported in confronting my patterns of behaviour and thoughts through the "obvious" moments, like reflecting on meditation experiences, and also in the "less obvious" ones, such as preparing meals together and eating in the community. Being outside of my comfort zone and in a community of learners was so important for me. The people I met there were and are so strong in supporting each other in their personal growth, and have a lot of fun along the way.