Ac. Diiptimanananda Avt. and Avtk. Ananda Acira Acarya organized a meditation retreat on Kauai Island, Hawaii, from October 19 to 26, 2026. Kauai is also known as the Garden Island and is sparsely populated, with only about 70,000 residents. Roads reach about three-quarters of the way around the island. In this beautiful environment, the participants enjoyed a week of meditation and other spiritual practices. Hurricane Lowell affected Kauai on September 7–8, 2026, and we could still see tree debris in many places. Most roads had reopened, but some trails remained closed.
We rented two cars and visited places in both the north and south of the island. Some parts of Kauai receive an average of 200–300 inches of rain per year. However, we were fortunate to enjoy mostly sunny weather, with occasional rain showers.
We started the retreat with a Sadhana Shivir at Anini Beach, near our lodging. It was a beautiful experience to meditate in the fresh air under the shade of tropical almond trees (Terminalia catappa), with the roar of the waves in the distance along the coral reef that protects the beach from the large Pacific Ocean waves. It was a nice start to the retreat and gave us a relaxed day after traveling.
The next day, we drove to Waimea Canyon State Park. Part of the park was closed because of the September hurricane, but we enjoyed beautiful views over the canyon and did our noon meditation there in the fresh mountain air and cool breeze.
On Thursday, October 22, we took a boat trip to the famous Nā Pali Coast. This was another highlight of the retreat. We saw dolphins and the beautiful coastline, which can only be reached by boat, helicopter, or difficult hiking trails that were closed at the time. The guide explained the history and culture of the coast, its bird and sea life, waterfalls, and geology. We also had a chance to snorkel and swim in the ocean, with colorful tropical fish swimming right next to us. I personally love swimming and stayed in the water for the full 45 minutes allotted.
On the way back, we stopped at the famous Poipu Beach and saw sea turtles and seals on the beach, and fish in the ocean. However, we enjoyed swimming more at Anini Beach, where the water was calmer and easier to enter.
On Friday, October 23, we took a shuttle to the Wainiha area, visited Limahuli Garden and Preserve, and hiked the trail to Hanakāpīʻai Beach. The hike was about two miles each way, and we were fortunate to have sunshine and no rain that day, as the area receives a great deal of rainfall. For me, the highlight was meditating by a river close to the beach. The sound of the river and the beautiful surroundings brought me to another world.
Over the weekend, we took it easy after two intense days. We visited Anini Beach, did Sadhana Shivir by Hanalei Beach with the roar of ocean waves crashing onto the shore in the background, and visited the gardens of a Hindu temple. We enjoyed not having to drive far.
On the last day, Monday, October 26, we split into two groups according to our flight departure times. I was in the later group, and we enjoyed another visit to Anini Beach and a visit to Smith’s botanical garden. During this last swim at Anini Beach, I was fortunate to see six Hawaiian green sea turtles, called honu in Hawaiian (Chelonia mydas). They were eating seaweed on the ocean floor and coming up to breathe from time to time. At one point, I almost swam into a turtle as it surfaced and found myself seeing it up close. It was very beautiful, with patterns on the skin of its head. I kept very still, as we must not touch them or disturb them.
Overall, this meditation retreat was very special, with beautiful nature and deep moments of meditation. Nature supported our spiritual practice through its beauty, sometimes its stillness, and sometimes its energy.
Ac. Diiptimanananda Avt., PRS NY Sector