The vision: providing a sustainability-focused retreat space for a community engaged in creating an enlightened society. It was a natural and auspicious partnership that formed from those conversations between myself, Alan Anderson, and Lisa and Belden Paulson here in Southern Wisconsin. The Paulsons had begun this story in the 1970’s as educators, activists and authors in the areas of intentional community, ecology, and sustainability. By 2000 they were ready to hand off their legacy to another like-minded group of people, with the hopes that their hard work and passion for the earth would be carried on further into the future. This was also the time when Shambhala International was looking to create and establish a land center in the Midwest. Image 15The space already existed…a ‘bio-shelter’ structure that was built to demonstrate a working sustainable living space. The set of common values had been practiced over time by both the Paulsons’ High Wind Association community and Shambhala International. Many people have been involved in tilling, planting and cultivating Windhorse Retreat Center for Meditation, Peace and Sustainability. We have reached another phase, and I am humbled and inspired to find myself at the beginning of this journey, once again, to help nurture and water the new seeds that Rebecca McAllister has planted in this community – and cared for with such a big heart. Windhorse Retreat Center is the only Shambhala land center in the Midwest. It is located in southeastern Wisconsin and serves the cities of Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, andnapolis. It has provided year-round space for programming since 2002 for group and individual retreats, spiritual retreats, artistic gatherings, nature retreats, and private events. The retreat building sits on a three acre site and was built as a state-of-the-art passive solar bio-shelter and greenhouse in the 1980‘s by Belden and Lisa Paulson – educators, activists, and authors – who cultivated a group of like-minded individuals interested in starting an intentional community based upon ecology and sustainability. It is energy-efficient, super-insulated, and bermed into the side of a hill. There are an additional 33 acres of Shambhala property nearby, with hiking and cross-country ski trails that lead directly into the neighboring Kettle Moraine State Forest.
