A Powerful Week of Healing at the November Wellness Retreat

Firefighter ringing a gong on a forest nature meditation walk

I am honored to share a glimpse into the profound experience that unfolded at our recent Firefighter Wellness Retreat at Wellspring Spa and Retreat in Ashford, Washington. This gathering brought together 21 wildland firefighters from across the West, from Washington to Alaska, Oregon to Colorado, including smokejumpers, hotshots, early-career firefighters, and others nearing retirement. At first many were trepidatious, unsure of what to expect or what the heck this mindfulness thing was. However, after some time in the classes and connecting with the open-hearted, authentic firefighters working alongside them, they quickly dove into the material and connective experiences.

What united them was not their job titles, but their willingness to show up for themselves and for each other. Throughout the week, we witnessed firefighters opening their hearts, moving through pain and grief together, discussing hardships of this job like separation from family and intimate relationships at certain times of year, and rediscovering joy and community. It was an honor to hold space for so much courage, honesty, and transformation.

Participants offered powerful reflections on their experience:

“The work you [the facilitators] do is understatedly valuable, critical, life-saving and life-changing.”

“You’ve hooked me on this journey to help heal my community, given me a purpose more meaningful than doing the job.”

“My reluctance was met with patience. I was given the space and time to get to where I needed to go.”

“Thank you for helping me love myself and others around me more, and for giving me the tools to cultivate mindfulness in my life each day.”

Firefighter making a mala bracelet, a meditation tool to bring on the fireline

A glimpse into the mindful work day, an activity offering new ways to work and engage with tools

A photo from the pile burn and smores party on the land

Each retreat we offer pre and post surveys to measure the impact of the experience on the firefighters. The impact of the week was reflected in the retreat’s survey results:

• 89% said it is very important for wildland firefighters to attend an event like this.

• 89% said they learned something they will use in their daily life.

• 95% shared that the small-group sharing activities were extremely important.

• 84% said the grief-processing discussions were extremely important.

These numbers help tell the story, but the real impact was felt in the quiet moments, the tears shared, the laughter returned, the deep reverence for connection to nature in a new light, the deep breaths taken, and the sense of connection rebuilt.

A glimpse into a late-night warming fire filled with song and laughter

Firefighting takes notes on ideas for how to bring mindfulness back to her crew and cultivate wider-scale industry change from the ground up

We are grateful to every firefighter who trusted us with their vulnerability and their healing, and to every supporter, like FireUp , Wellspring Spa and Woodland Retreat and Bess Family Foundation, who make this work possible. Together, we’re building a future where the people facing the flames are met with the care, community, and tools they deserve.

We can't WAIT to tell you more after our two upcoming retreats in December and January 2025, stay tuned for more tales from the monasteries.