Maui, HI: Ram Dass Legacy 2026: ‘Open Your Heart in Paradise’ Maui Retreat

This Maui retreat honors Ram Dass's beloved Open Your Heart in Paradise gathering, held at the Napili Kai Beach Resort in Lahaina, on the upper West Maui coast. It is hosted by the Ram Dass Love Serve Remember Foundation with Krishna Das & Friends, and it is open to longtime pilgrims, truth-seekers and newcomers alike.

For over 18 years this meditation retreat has drawn people who want to step away from daily routines and into a safe space for silence, reflection, contemplation, healing and celebration. Those who have returned year after year and those arriving for the first time are met the same way: as a homecoming. It runs five nights.

What to Expect

The retreat is shaped around the themes the organizers name: silence, reflection, contemplation, meditation, healing and celebration. It is a chance to experience the Ram Dass legacy in person, in a setting made for stepping fully out of ordinary life. Krishna Das & Friends are part of the gathering, so devotional music and the spirit of kirtan belong to the atmosphere alongside the quieter practices.

The retreat begins on a Wednesday afternoon and closes on the Monday morning that follows, which leaves a few unhurried days between arrival and departure. A detailed daily schedule is not set out here, so expect the rhythm to be one of contemplative space balanced with shared celebration.

About Ram Dass

Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert, 1931 to 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist and writer. His 1971 book Be Here Now, described by multiple reviewers as seminal, helped popularize Eastern spirituality and yoga in the West. Over the following four decades he wrote or co-wrote twelve more books on spirituality, including Grist for the Mill, How Can I Help? and Polishing the Mirror.

In the early 1960s, as Richard Alpert, he was associated with Timothy Leary at Harvard University, where they researched the therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs. This retreat carries his name and legacy forward through the foundation that continues his work.

The Setting

The Napili Kai Beach Resort is an unpretentious oceanfront property in upper West Maui, at 5900 Lower Honoapiilani Road in Lahaina. It offers a real getaway without giving up convenience. Sunsets here are memorable, nature walking trails are close by, and the ocean invites swims that include snorkeling among reef fish and turtles.

Before You Go

No prior experience is required. The retreat has welcomed newcomers on their spiritual journey for as long as it has welcomed seasoned practitioners, and the environment is intended to feel safe and open to both. Bring what you need for time on the beach and the water, along with whatever helps you settle into silence and reflection.