Wake Up Retreat 2026 ~ Am I Good Enough?

If in the present moment, we do our best, that is more than enough. That is all we can do for the future.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

From 10 – 17 August, 2026, Plum Village hosted our annual Wake Up Retreat for young people aged 18 -35. We welcomed nearly 900 participants from around the world who gathered together to live simply and happily in nature and in community.

This year’s retreat theme was Am I Good Enough? We learned how to cultivate the four elements of true love: loving kindness, compassion, joy and inclusiveness, in order to have a greater understanding, acceptance, and appreciation of ourselves and others, so that we can heal and transform all our relationships. Through workshops and presentations on the Art of Communication (Beginning Anew), Touching the Earth, and the Five Mindfulness Trainings, we discovered how to transform some of our frustration, anxiety, and despair about the different poly-crises that our world is currently facing into hope, faith, and renewed aspirations.

Throughout the week, we increased our awareness of how to deepen our connection to ourselves, our ancestors, our society, the world, and Mother Earth, acknowledging the interbeing of everyone and everything and how ultimately there is no separation. We nourished ourselves with inspiring Dharma talks, sitting and walking meditation, circle sharing and mindful meals in families and affinity groups, and music jams and other creative expressions. We recognized the importance of approaching everything with the spirit of curiosity, joy, play, and “beginner’s mind” and to challenge our views and perspectives with the question: “are you sure?” In being truly present for ourselves and each other by listening deeply and sharing from the heart, we were able to touch a spiritual dimension in our lives and savor our profound inter-connectedness.

We invite you to delight in some of these precious moments in this photo album and celebrate the joy and togetherness of our beautiful, beloved Wake Up community.

You are warmly invited to practice with us for the upcoming Earth Cohort of our 7 week online course: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet, which runs from 18 October to 6 December, 2026.