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R&B: You are a Part of Our Copper Beech Affinity Spaces ✨

Updated: Oct 6


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This fall, 22 BIPOC community members joined Dr. Marianela Medrano for our Annual BIPOC Retreat. Together, we explored the power of affinity spaces — with people of color at the center — places that nurture belonging, foster healing, and challenge the racialized structures that shape our world. Building a community in this way is no small feat, our work as grant givers involves great amounts of outreach. Each individual who attended the retreat represents dozens and dozens from our large BIPOC listserv who were shepherded through the registration process, yet unable to attend.

 

For many years now the Hemera Foundation has been an essential partner in CBI's mission to 1) spread the power of mindfulness, 2) increase accessibility to mindfulness retreats, and 3) care for those in caring professions. Hemera is set to close its doors in four years and prior to that, they are shifting from funding retreats to empowering youth initiatives. This means that for our annual BIPOC retreat to occur next Fall, it will require the support of our entire community to raise it up as a priority. 


Guided by Dr. Medrano, this year’s retreat was filled with connection, reflection, and growth. Participants shared stories, deepened their practice, and embraced the truth that liberation is a shared journey, not a solitary one. These transformative spaces are vital. With your support, we can continue creating opportunities for healing, empowerment, and collective liberation. 


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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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