Overview of our Public Health & Safety Guidelines

We ask that you observe the following health and safety guidelines during and in advance of your retreat. These protocols apply to all retreatants, teachers and staff and are intended to protect us all from covid-19 and other easily transmissible illness such as the flus and viruses.

For the reasoning behind our Board’s health and safety decisions, you can visit our website.

We require each participant to take 2 rapid tests for covid-19 in the week prior to your retreat. You will take the first one on Tuesday and the second on Friday, the start day of the retreat, prior to check-in. Your test results should not be emailed to us but instead presented at check-in. Photo verification is acceptable. Both these tests must be negative for you to be able to participate in the retreat.

On retreats longer than 3 days, an additional test is required for all retreatants, teachers and staff in the morning on the third full day of the retreat. If everyone onsite tests negative at this time, masking becomes optional.

Each participant must provide their own tests. Cloud Mountain has tests available for a purchase price of $10 each.

On retreats of 3 nights or shorter, masks will be required for the duration of the retreat. On retreats of 4 nights or longer, for the first 3 days of the retreat, masks will be required until group-wide covid-19 rapid testing allows masking to become optional.

During the periods of mandatory masking, you may remove your mask for the following activities:

• 1. When you are alone in your private sleeping space or a bathroom.
• 2. Any time you are outside AND are not within 6 feet of any other person or building.

Masks must be worn correctly, covering nose and mouth. We require the use N95, KN95, KF94 or medical masks.

Bandana and gaiter-style masks are not acceptable.

Teachers are permitted to remove their masks when teaching for the entirety of the retreat.

There is currently no vaccination or booster requirement in effect. However, we still strongly encourage vaccination and up-to-date boosters for everyone attending retreat, especially as new ones become available.

The first night’s dinner will be held in silence to prevent possible covid transmission due to unmasked socializing.

Some people may wish to remain masked after masking becomes optional. We provide extra support for people who are immunocompromised or otherwise at high risk from covid-19, or who are caring for others at high risk. Please let us know in advance if you require additional support beyond our standard protocols.

The primary spaces for group activities (the meditation hall, group interview spaces and dining room) have special seating with increased ventilation available. Please send an email to info@cloudmountain.org, in advance of the retreat, if you wish to stay masked and reserve special seating.

If someone tests positive while on retreat, that individual will be immediately isolated and the staff will expedite their return home. Cloud Mountain does not have the training or facilities to support anyone ill with covid-19. Please be sure you have an action plan in place in case you were to test positive, including someone you can contact to give you a ride home if you carpooled.

In the event of a positive test, everyone present on site would be informed of the positive test and masks would again be required for everyone on site. If you would be returning home at the end of the retreat contact with high-risk individuals, we encourage you to pack extra tests to be able to take a rapid test before you leave.

RETESTING:

On retreats of 6 nights or fewer: No retesting would take place. Masks would be required for the duration of the retreat.

On retreats longer than 6 nights: A round of retesting would take place three days after the first round. If everyone tested negative, masks would become optional.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

We continue to encourage social distancing as a practice, especially in the meditation hall and dining rooms. Diverse dining options are offered to allow for social distancing or complete isolation at mealtimes.

SINGLE SLEEPING SPACES

We are currently housing all retreatants in single rooms. Some doubles are available, but only upon request and with informed consent.

VENTILATION OF INTERIOR SPACES

The meditation hall has the benefit of an excellent air purification system with ozone and UV components effective against coronaviruses and many other transmissible pathogens.

HAND HYGIENE & SURFACE SANITIZATION

These precautions are minimally relevant to covid-19 transmission, but are HIGHLY relevant to preventing transmission of many colds, flus, viruses and other transmissible pathogens. We encourage you to make free and abundant use of the hand sanitizer available at stations outside the main doors of most buildings, and to make a regular practice of thorough handwashing. Hand sanitizing is mandatory before passing through the buffet line at meal times.

Several yogi jobs involve regularly sanitizing high-touch surfaces in buildings and bathrooms throughout the center to enhance overall health and safety against the many transmissible illnesses that pass all too easily through retreat centers.

(Please note: Non-refundable portions of retreat fees are also non-transferable to other individuals or retreats)

Attendance for the full length of the retreat is required, including timely arrival, timely departure and full participation in work meditations. These are extremely important areas for maintaining the integrity of the retreat as a whole and for enabling Cloud Mountain to continue to offer retreats that are grounded in the tradition of a cooperative and interdependent structure.

Late arrivals and early departure requests are only granted under exceptional circumstances. Any exception request to the policy to arrive late, depart early or participate in work meditations needs to made and approved by both the retreat center and the teacher(s) prior to registering into the retreat. Your space on the retreat may be withdrawn and a cancellation issued (with the appropriate cancellation fee withheld) if you discover after registering that you cannot attend the entire retreat.

These areas of maintaining the integrity of the retreat environment are of such strong concern to us that an individual’s continued retreat privileges are contingent upon respecting and abiding by these expectations. A first instance of non-compliance in any of these areas will result in our sending a warning letter. A second instance will result in a one-year suspension of retreat privileges. “No shows” – those who do not alert us that they will not be attending the retreat – will not be registered for future retreats. We see these as ethical breaches; each retreatant has given their word in advance that they will abide by these expectations. Breaking these promises can be viewed as both false speech and taking what is not offered. In instances where the non-compliance is egregious, we retain the right to withdraw retreat privileges permanently.

Spaces on retreats are not transferable to other individuals. Non-refundable portions of retreat fees are also non-transferable to other individuals or retreats. Regretfully, we do not offer free transfers between retreats.

Please see the cancellation fee schedule below. To request an exception to the cancellation policy, please provide a detailed explanation in an e-mail and send to info@cloudmountain.org. Exceptions will be considered for personal & family medical emergencies only.

CANCELLATION FEE SCHEDULE:

Cancellation policy for all retreats less than 5 days in length:

• The retreat fee, less a $50 cancellation fee, will be fully refunded if Friends of Cloud Mountain is notified more than 6 months prior to the start of the retreat.
• The retreat fee, less a $100 cancellation fee, will be fully refunded if Friends of Cloud Mountain is notified 6 or more weeks prior to the start of the retreat.
• Half of the retreat fee will be forfeited if FOCM is notified between 2 to 6 weeks prior to the retreat.

• The retreat fee, less a $75 cancellation fee, will be fully refunded if Friends of Cloud Mountain is notified more than 6 months prior to the start of the retreat.
• The retreat fee, less a $150 cancellation fee, will be fully refunded if Friends of Cloud Mountain is notified 6 or more weeks prior to the retreat.
• Half of the retreat fee will be forfeited if FOCM is notified between 2 to 6 weeks prior to the retreat.
• The full amount of the retreat fee will be forfeited if FOCM is notified less than 2 weeks prior to the retreat.

• With notification to FOCM more than 6 months prior, you will receive a full refund, less the cancellation fee of $100.
• With notification 4 – 6 months prior, the fee for cancellation is $450.
• With notification 1 – 4 months prior, the fee for cancellation is $750.
• With notification less than 1 month prior to the start date of the retreat, the full amount of the retreat fee is forfeited.

• With notification to FOCM more than 6 months prior, you will receive a full refund, less the cancellation fee of $150.
• With notification 4 – 6 months prior, the fee for cancellation is $600.
• With notification 1 – 4 months prior, the fee for cancellation is $900.
• With notification less than 1 month prior, the full amount of the retreat fee is forfeited.