STAY AT METTA EARTH
Make It Your Own.
Welcome to Metta Earth with its magical beauty of mountains, forests, and fields. Metta Earth is a farm and educational retreat center integrating contemplative practice, deep ecology, regenerative food systems, and social activism to create resilient community. Your visit here is an opportunity to rest, relax, and benefit from the rich nourishment of this place.
Your stay will be extra nourishing with our full commitment to offering you organically grown food, most of which is grown right here on the farm.
Our organic dedication extends to the sourcing of all our linens, pillows, towels, beds, and more. We heat with wood harvested in the forests here, and source all our electricity from renewables…solar and offsite investments in wind. The spaces here are natural wood, soft and natural lighting with rustic farm decor. We make our beeswax candles, homemade kombucha, gluten free bread, and many other products you can purchase from the farm.
Whether you come for one of our programs or for a private retreat, you can visit the heritage barn or see our herb and flower gardens. The fields and forests are great for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and walking. The Green Mountain National Forest trails are all nearby, and the headwaters of the New Haven River with its pure waters are a short walk down the dirt road.
The Metta Earth Sauna Sanctuary
Reconnect. Restore. Rekindle Your Inner Warmth.
A wood-fired sauna experience rooted in the rhythms of the land — offering deep renewal, seasonal well-being, and spacious time for rest.
A Sanctuary for Embodied Well-Being
The sauna is crafted with natural materials and warmed by a traditional wood stove, creating a radiant, grounding heat that supports circulation, detoxification, and deep relaxation. Each session honors Metta Earth’s intention for spaciousness, simplicity, and connection to the land.
Book a private sauna on select Sundays via the portal below. You can always talk to us to include a sauna experience during your retreat time here.
The Experience
Wood-fired, handcrafted cedar log sauna
Seasonal cool-down immersion (snowbanks, fresh air, outdoor cold-plunge options)
Herbal tea blends from Metta Earth’s gardens
Private changing area and rest space
An optional silent or quiet practice room, rest by the wood stove and deepen to presence
What to Expect
Arrival & Welcome (15 minutes)
You will be greeted with warmth, introduced to the space, and invited to settle in with a seasonal herbal infusion.
Sauna + Cool-Down Rounds (90 minutes)
Move at your own pace between the soothing heat of the sauna and the grounding freshness of the outdoors. Choose quiet contemplation, mindful movement, or cozy conversation with your group.
Integration & Rest (15 minutes)
Relax by the fire, journal, sip tea, or simply let the experience settle into your body.
Each 120-minute session leaves plenty of space to soften, reflect, and restore.
Weekend Sauna Schedule
All sauna experiences are 120 minutes.
Private or small-group booking through Acuity.
Sundays
4:30 – 6:30 pm
6:30 pm Dinner
Rates & Options
Private Session (1–2 guests)
$120 / 2 Hours
Small Group (3–6 guests)
$180 / 2 Hours
Stay for Dinner
Share an organic farm-to-table dinner at 6:30 pm. An additional option when booking any sauna session – Dinner add-on is $45 per person
What to Bring
Water bottle
Swimsuit (optional for private groups; required for shared sessions)
Two towels
Warm layers or a robe for outdoor cool-downs
Sandals or slippers
Journal (optional)
Sauna Etiquette
Phones off and stored
Fragrance-free policy*
Silence or quiet conversation only
Respect shared space and nature surrounding the sauna
*Let us know if you need a completely fragrance-free sauna, as we often use organic essential oils in the wooden bowl for gently dousing the sauna rocks, which makes a healthful steam, such as eucalyptus.
Health & Safety
Saunas are safe and nourishing for most, but please consider:
Not recommended during pregnancy (unless approved by a provider)
Avoid alcohol beforehand
Listen to your body—step out if you feel dizzy or overheated
Ages 18+
Gillian and her partner built a beautiful space that’s welcoming, relaxing, and nurturing. After three rounds of heat and cold plunge I spent some time meditating in the well-equipped yoga room with heated floor. My friend and I were even given some natural oils to try for adding to the steam — small details that added to the thoughtfulness and care of the owners. I highly recommend this sauna and cold bath experience and if I lived closer I’d become a regular!
– Matty from Brooklyn, NY
I can still feel the snow gently falling across the mountain as I sat in the beautiful sauna at Metta Earth taking in the winter garden and grey hills. I can feel the deep silence found during my time surrounded by the heat of the wood fire and the exhilaration in the nearby cold plunge. From the moment I was greeted by Gillian and Russell with tea from the Metta Earth gardens to the deep post sauna rest in the yoga room, I felt fed and held. The meal was delicious and nourishing as my body soaked up the gift of an afternoon of release and replenishment during my November visit.
– Emily from Charlotte, VT
METTA MEALS
Meals can be vegan or vegetarian (or may include our grass-fed meat, as desired) and are lovingly prepared with seasonal, local and 100% organic foods. A large amount of the vegetables, fruits, and herbs come from our organic gardens, greenhouses, and farmstead, while the rest is mostly sourced from organic farmers in our bioregion. We are happy to co-create menus, if desired, and can be adjusted for many special dietary needs. Please let us know your requests ahead of time. Being close to the farm, participants can learn about harvesting, cooking, putting food by, and other aspects of organic, local food.
The Community Plan:
Three meals a day at cost of $75/person/day
Breakfast ~ $20 Lunch ~ $25 Dinner ~ $30*
*Suna and special event dinner prices vary according to the focus.
Meals may be taken to a designated spot outdoors on a tray. You can also enjoy meals on the main house porch or in several indoor dining areas. We will ring a bell to let you know the meal is ready. Meals are served approximately at the following times (can be adjusted to fit program needs), so it’s helpful if you are nearby during those times to hear the bell, so that your food is still a good temperature. You can decide which meals you would like, give us quantity feedback, and dietary preferences.
• Breakfast 8:30am
• Lunch 12:30pm
• Dinner 6:30pm
Accommodations
Please note that there may be varying availability in these spaces according to the season. Two nights minimum overnight stay. Day long retreats are possible also.
Yurts
Yurts are available for individuals, couples, or small groups.
We have four yurts nestled on a knoll among maples, beeches, balsam, and other trees. They each are positioned for a sense of privacy from the others and have little paths connecting them. They all are well loved and humble, beautiful, light filled circular spaces with a round dome skylight, lattice siding, windows with screens for summer use and in winter extra insulation provided by window quilts.
Each yurt has a wood stove for colder weather. The yurts are furnished simply with various configurations of single and double beds, tables, chairs, shelving, and sheepskins or other floor rugs.
At night a few of the paths are lit with solar lamps, so it is wise to bring a flashlight/headlamp as well. Beeswax candles provide inside night lighting. Some of the yurts have string, solar lights around the inside of the yurt walls.
The 20’ yurts provide shared space for up to 4 people and the 16’ yurts provide space for 1-2 people. Organic cotton and natural latex 3” mattresses are provided with organic linens including a pillow and pillow case, set of sheets, wool blanket, and a set of organic towels. Participants need to bring a sleeping bag for extra warmth. If need be, Metta Earth has a few extras available.
The 20’ yurts can also be set up as a group dorm-style sleeping space for larger groups up to 8 people using sleeping pads and sleeping bags, which in this case we ask participants to provide.
At night a few of the yurt paths are lit with solar lamps, but it is wise to bring a flashlight as well. One outhouse is available, but the Metta Earth main house is only a few minutes walk for regular bathrooms.
Each yurt is winterized with insulation and a wood stove and two of them have a view of the fire. When tended carefully the stoves create a warm haven. Bring slippers or indoor shoes for added comfort.
Owl Yurt: This yurt is a 16’ yurt on the northern most section of our East Knoll. It has a wooden floor and a small Jotul stove. This space has filtered light from the forest with three windows, a door with a window, and a skylight dome window. One standard size bed and simple furnishing and rugs offer a cozy space for a single person or couple.
Peregrine Yurt: This yurt is a 20’ yurt nestled in the forest glade with a view of the mountains. It has a wooden floor and a large Jotul stove with glass doors to see the fire. This yurt has a queen bed on a frame and can be outfitted with an additional single bed. Four windows circle the yurt, as well as door with a window, and a skylight dome window. Simple furnishings and rugs bring earthy elegance to this yurt.
Hummingbird Yurt: This yurt is a slightly smaller 16’ yurt nestled into the edge of the woods. It is a bit more rustic with a small wood stove. This yurt can be outfitted with 1-2 single beds on frames and some simple furniture.
Sparrow Yurt: This yurt is a 20’ yurt with a painted barn red floor and a large wood stove. Four windows circle the yurt, as well as a door with a window, and a skylight dome window. This space has a standard size mattress on a frame and can also have 1-2 single beds on a frame. This space has simple furnishings.
$125/night for individuals, couples, or families in any of the available 4 yurts. During group retreats with shared spaces we charge $65 a person.
Rooms in the Metta Earth House
North Room is a shared space for 2-4 people with a queen bed on a frame and 2 single beds on frames with the option to bring in an extra single mattress on the bamboo floor. This room is spacious and refreshing with views of the mountains and land in three directions. It is filled with light most of the day and has an attached newly remodeled bathroom.
Mountain Room is a shared space for up to 3 people with a natural latex and organic cotton mattress on a frame and a single natural latex and organic cover mattress on a frame, with the option to bring in an extra single mattress on the floor. This room has sustainably harvested bamboo floors, is enriched with an extensive book collection for your enjoyment and has large windows with exquisite views of the garden and mountains. It has a shared bathroom nearby down the hall.
East Room is a shared space for 2 people with a double bed on a frame and a single bed on a frame and has a hardwood floor, adjoining shared bathroom, and views of the mountains and gardens and sunrise.
West Room is a serene, small, upstairs, single room with a hardwood floor and simple décor, also with a shared bathroom. It has a single bed on a frame.
$145-$165/night for individuals, couples, or families in rooms in the main house. During group retreats with shared spaces we charge $75 a person.
Bell Tents
The loveliness of spring, summer, and fall call out for more outdoor living, especially after the long winters of the northern Green Mountains. The simplicity and tradition of these light and airy tents invite the solace of nature. Each tent is a natural white color and has a simple, wooden platform, rain fly, screened window and door, and is furnished with futon, solar lamp, and baskets for storage. We are proud to offer such a space for our interns and residents to sleep and dream.
We have 4 bell tents that are lovely, roundish shaped tents with a peak. Three of them are smaller, one-person tents, and one is larger for a couple or 2 people. We usually provide a mattress with an organic bed sheet, and a sheepskin rug, and a simple storage crate/table. Please bring your own bedding including a sleeping bag for extra warmth, especially in the potentially colder shoulder seasons in May and in September.
$55/night for individual or couple in any of the 4 available bell tents.
Camping
If you have a tent, insulated ground mat, and sleeping gear, we have many inspiring sites in the surrounding forest glades, meadows, and fields. Those who choose to camp have access to outdoor composting toilets, and outdoor shower available in the warmer seasons. Camping requires a certain hardiness and adequate gear. Weather during the growing season (May – October) in the mountains of Vermont is unpredictable. Temperatures range from freezing temperatures at night in the spring and fall to gloriously warm days and even hot days. $35/night/per person
Metta Retreats
Enjoy A Retreat.
A Metta Retreat promises a peaceful space and hearty nourishment for connection and communication with the self and other. We delight in collaborating with you to create a retreat that meets your needs, interests, and intentions.
Please contact us directly to customize your Metta Retreat. After the retreat details are confirmed by email, we will arrange payment with you to hold your reservation.
Thank you!
Hermitage Retreat
Rest and enjoy the peace and solitude with a Hermitage Retreat for yourself or as a gift for someone you love.
We have 4 yurts at Metta Earth that each have a wood stove for warmth, beeswax candles for light, and organic bedding for deep dreaming and resting. We delight in customizing each retreat with organic, vegetarian meals delivered to you with much of the food grown in our farm and gardens.
We also offer the option to be supported with individual sessions in:
- yoga/mediation
- art making
- fasting or whole foods wellness
- deepening connection to nature
- or many other ways of guiding, mentoring, or facilitating your experience…always honoring the pure, bare minimum of just being in sanctuary space.
Individual & Group Retreats
Convene in a space that encourages connection.
Metta Earth offer’s space and offerings for you to enjoy a personal retreat or time with loved ones. This time can be spent enjoying the natural beauty of the land, relaxing and resting, or guided through contemplative practices or re-skilling sessions. Our Group Retreats offer day-long and overnight options for organizations and institutions.
We prepare organic, vegetarian meals with produce we grow on the land or source locally from the bioregion.
Depending on weather and availability, space can be rented to stay in the main house, yurts, bell tents, or camping. Scroll up the page to read details on each of these types of accommodations.
- Gather for a board or strategic planning retreat
- Engage deeply with family members
- Trainings
- Any other creative intention for a group retreat
Private Contracts
We offer our spaces and teaching for day-long retreats or overnight retreats for organizations and institutions. We offer a variety of teaching and programming, in addition to seasonal, vegetarian, organic meals from food grown on site or sourced locally in our bioregion.
Special Event
For a meaningful ceremony set in nature, treat yourself and loved ones to a Special Event retreat at Metta Earth. We are excited that there are those who love our little sanctuary enough to want to make some of their most special memories at Metta Earth. It brings us great delight to co-create beauty for you and those you treasure.
- Plan a Metta Earth birthday party
- Bar/Bat Mitzvah
- Other holiday gathering
Guided Offerings
Options for Retreat Participants
Although we have group retreats, trainings, and classes that happen throughout the year, we may not have any group offerings at the time of some personal or hermitage retreats. Therefore, we offer private sessions for one or more retreat participants alone or together, which are guided by one of our team. Possible sessions are listed here, but they can all be individually designed to support specific interests and needs.
Enjoy the quietude and simplicity of a yurt retreat
Other Notes
This area of the Green Mountains has limited cell phone access. AT&T seems to have service, and other companies provide some limited access. Our Metta Earth phone line is available for pre-arranged use. The main house has a strong, wireless internet connection, which can be accessed in the main house or on the main house front porch and outside the house in several places.
We ask that dogs and other pets stay in their home territory.
Metta Earth is a sanctuary free from smoking, recreational drugs, and generally alcohol. On some occasions we serve organically grown wine, mead, and such things for some festive events.
Bring a bathing suit and gear for swims in the beautiful nearby New Haven River. You are welcome to walk anywhere on Metta Earth land. Or you may want to walk on the surrounding dirt roads, all with very minimal cars and great mountain views or along the river.
We can give further directions and information about the region when you are here.
Warmest welcome!