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+ Labyrinth

> we're wanderers at heart
 

Copper Beech is a global community and we are wanderers at heart. Just like the roots of a tree, our mission ripples far and wide and exists well beyond the confines of a physical space. However, our primary location for programs happens to be at Holy Family, a Catholic Retreat Center located in West Hartford, CT. Yes, a Passionist retreat center dedicated to contemplation and compassionate action is the primary location for our secular organization and is where we offer courses, day programs, and overnight retreats!

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Here are a few of our favorite things about the Holy Family campus:  

  

  • We have access to 48 wooded acres featuring lovingly maintained perennial gardens, sculpture gardens, 
    and wooded trails for hiking.  

  • The grounds feature an enchanting Labyrinth—where you can walk, meditate, and take time for introspection  

  • It's a short ride from Bradley International Airport, and 15 minutes from Union Station, Hartford's Train and Bus Station. 

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The Holy Family campus is located at 303 Tunxis Road named after the Tunxis village indigenous to our grounds. Please see below for a land acknowledgment. Here are a few important things to note:

  

  • We aren't a religious organization
    We are not affiliated with any one religion or spiritual tradition. We’re just a bunch of humans from all walks of life who believe in the power of mindfulness. Our programs reflect a diverse blend of spiritual traditions and non-spiritual practices, and we've got a little something for everyone. (asian reverence (buddhism..., derived from with credit, care, etc...) 

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  • The main campus we use is filled with catholic iconography
    There is Catholic iconography located throughout the Holy Family campus. As a secular organization dedicated to social justice, this is something we want to point out as a way of acknowledging that harm, as well as good, has come from the Catholic faith. We know this can stir up a lot of different feelings for folks in a way that perhaps only attending our virtual or other campus retreats might help to address. If this is the case for you, please check out our online programming or contact us for support! 

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  • We're focused on relational repair
    It is our mission to help build a more just and harmonious world, which includes taking an honest look at the harm caused by white supremacy, colonization, systemic racism, and patriarchal systems (browse our Healing + Justice page to learn more about this work and discover how you can get involved). Living out this mission within a Catholic space may seem odd at first glance, but for us, it feels symbolic of relational repair and offers our community an opportunity for healing conversations and connections when helpful.  

 

In addition to offering retreats and programs at Holy Family, we partner with several other retreat centers throughout the state and have been known to pop up in schools, workplaces, cafes, and coffee shops; at local events, fairs, festivals, and more. Explore our program calendar and follow us on Facebook or Instagram to find out where Copper Beech is headed next! 

“It’s wonderful to experience the warmth and hospitality of everyone at Copper Beech. It makes it a lively place to teach and practice.”

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— sharon salzberg

HOURS OF
OPERATION

Important Notice: Copper Beech Institute is permanently closed as of October 2025.

THE LABYRINTH​

The circular stone labyrinth on the Holy Family grounds is a place for walking meditation, where we can be quiet, introspective and gain new insights on ourselves. Both the labyrinth and circle are ancient symbols of wholeness, as well as the fullness of life to which each of us are called. Nearly every spiritual tradition throughout the ages has found in the circle a hopeful expression of the healing and completeness that is our deepest spiritual identity.

The History of Labyrinths

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While labyrinths date back more than 4,000 years, the medieval labyrinth that the one at Holy Family is based upon dates to the Middle Ages. When medieval pilgrims were unable to undertake a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, they would go instead to one of many pilgrimage sites throughout Europe. There, they would often convene at a labyrinth formed of stone in the floor of a Gothic cathedral. Within the safety of the cathedral, they would walk the labyrinth, symbolic of their life’s journey to the divine.

Spirituality of a Labyrinth

Life is full of twists and turns. Unexpected events can take us in directions that may surprise and even stress us. Learning to respond to these events with grace and resilience is the work of spirituality. Walking mindfully through the labyrinth, we become aware that each step is an opportunity to practice peace. So often in life, we walk in order to get somewhere else or accomplish a task. In the labyrinth we walk in order to walk. We no longer walk to get there; we walk to arrive here in the now. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one path leading from its entrance to its center and back out, albeit by a winding route. As we walk with deep care and attention, we practice trusting that we are always being guided safely to our home in this moment.

> VISIT THE LABYRINTH

 The Holy Family grounds are open to the public daily from dawn until dusk. You are welcome to come hike, explore, and walk the labyrinth at any time.

Mindfulness Retreat Center in West Hartford CT
LandAcknolwedgement
Meditation Retreats

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Copper Beech Institute acknowledges that Indigenous peoples and nations, including Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Niantic, and the Quinnipiac, along with other Algonquian-speaking peoples, have stewarded through generations the lands and waterways of what is now Connecticut. The Tunxis, a sub-tribe of the Saukiog, established a seasonal village on the un-ceded land where Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center resides. Copper Beech Institute pays tribute to the Tunxis and other native Connecticut communities. 

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We invite you to consider the land on which you live and work by reflecting on the various legacies that brought you to be where you are. Some tools to help with this are the Native Land Map and the Honor Native Land Guide.

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS
WE PARTNER WITH

In addition to hosting retreats at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, we partner with several other retreat centers throughout the State, including:​

  • Guest House - Chester, CT

  • Mercy by the Sea - Madison, CT

Program locations are listed on our program calendar page. Click here to browse our calendar.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Since 2012, Copper Beech Institute has offered space for reflection, connection, and transformation through mindfulness practice. In 2022, we deepened our compassionate action, dedicating ourselves more specifically to healing racial injustice and creating a greater sense of belonging for people of color in our programming.

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In 2025, due to funding challenges, we reached a point of completion—the sunset of our organization. While Copper Beech is closing, the work of racial justice and mindfulness continues. This moment brings many emotions, yet it also offers us the opportunity to honor all that has been, and to close this chapter with the same love and intention with which it began while applying our efforts beyond the bounds of the institute.

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We invite you to visit our blog to witness the impact of our last two years and beyond, and to explore our website as a reflection of all we offered. Final programming for Copper Beech Institute ceased in June 2025, and the office officially closed as of October 2025.

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