The Dharma Paddle: Algonquin Park

A 5-day contemplative canoe trip combining Buddhist practice and men’s work

July 15th to 19th, 2026

Apply to Join

What to Expect

Ground yourself, dive inwards, and connect with mindful men in the wilderness of Eastern Canada. Designed around contemplative and somatic practices, this journey will transform your relationship with yourself and the living world.

❋ Meditation

Cultivate presence with gentle instruction and a progressive meditation path rooted in Dharma and lived experience. Our approach bridges lineage-based contemplative wisdom with contemporary mindfulness science.

❋ Men's Work

Rediscover authentic brotherhood in an environment of openness and honesty. By sharing the journey with other men, you’ll gain a deeper reflection of yourself, forging bonds that extend far beyond the trip.

❋ Microdosing

Explore the subtle shift in perception through intentional, sub-perceptual microdosing. Facilitated by experienced guides, the focus is on integration of heightened awareness to deepen your contemplative practice.

❋ Wilderness Immersion

Step away from the digital noise and back into the natural rhythm of Nature. Our expeditions prioritize physical safety and emotional courage, allowing you to shed your daily roles and return to your essential self.

Nature is where we find ourselves, where we see ourselves honestly. Here, there are no distractions.

— Unknown

The Itinerary

A Five Day Journey

  • Arrive. Campfire. Sauna. Sharing intentions. Sleep.

  • A challenging first day on the water as we make our way into the wilderness. Settle into your earthly body in deeper connection to the elements. Learn essential meditation techniques and practice them as we paddle in silence. Make our first camp under the stars.

  • A more relaxed day with plenty of space and time for contemplative practices, group council, heartful discussion, and bushcraft.

  • Sunrise pack up and paddle with periods of silence. Optional microdosing to synergize with paddling meditation. Evening combining breathwork and council under the stars and around a fire.

  • Our final journey home. Sauna when we return to close in ceremony.

  • I felt connected, seen, and safe in a way my soul has been yearning for a very, very long time. I am so grateful.

    Former Participant

  • The retreat was incredible. I came hoping to find certain answers. Instead, I was delivered something better. I did not get what I wanted out of it, I got what my body and soul needed.

    Former Paticipant

  • As a busy COO one of America’s fastest growing companies, it’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to unplug and take the special time needed to reconnect with myself, find healing and practice mindfulness. The reconnect retreat was the perfect place to do that, meet like-minded people, and get excellent guidance in psilocybin therapy. The retreat was an incredible safe space and beautiful community of people seeking healing and growth.

    Former Participant

  • From the moment everyone was together, Louis and Jack created a warm, open, and accepting environment for everyone. There was an immediate sense of safety that allowed me to bring down my walls and truly explore myself and express it. Details were meticulous. Every morning there were sessions to settle into yourself for the experiences of the day. I would encourage anyone looking to deepen their self-awareness and care to do so with skilled guides not think twice about attending a Woven retreat. The only bad thing I have to say is that I wanted more time with the incredible men who attended the retreat.

    Former Participant

  • Having the guidance of Jack and Louis during the meditations and conscious connected breathwork sessions was powerful in a way I could have never imagined. My experience with Woven changed my entire perspective on words, gratitude, and surrender.

    Former Participant

The Dharma Paddle

What & Why

Something reliably happens in the wilderness: consciousness changes.

Away from constant stimulation and social noise, the mind settles into a slower, more coherent and ancient rhythm. Perception sharpens. Emotions flow. Small details—wind, light, effort, timing—become more vivid and more meaningful. What initially feels like “slowing down” reveals itself as deeper wakefulness, a more complete and interconnected consciousness.

On a journey like this, the group is responsible for meeting its own needs. Progress happens through steady, physical effort. Distance is crossed stroke by stroke, hour by hour. This cultivates a quiet confidence and self-trust that does not depend on performance or affirmation.

A canoe trip carries this power. The Dharma Paddle makes it intentional.

By combining silent paddling, contemplative practice, and applied Dharma, this offering turns time on the water into a gentle but powerful training ground for awareness, responsibility, and purpose. You will leave not just refreshed, but clearer—about your mind, habits, and how you want to live.

Disconnect to reconnect. Leave the phone behind

While we don’t confiscate phones during the trip, we highly encourage you to turn your phone off or leave it behind. There is no cell service in Algonquin Park.

We invite you to disconnect from scatter-brain, task-oriented consciousness for the duration of the trip so you can get in touch with the innate wisdom that lives beneath the surface, tuning into a consciousness in resonance with Nature, and thus your authentic self or soul, the other participants, and the web of life as a whole.

The Dharma Paddle

What do we mean by Dharma?

At its simplest, Dharma refers to the way things are or work—and the way we are called to live in alignment with that reality. It is about seeing clearly, acting responsibly, and orienting one’s life toward what reduces suffering and increases integrity.

Across traditions, this idea appears in different forms. In Buddhist philosophy, Dharma points to the teachings and practices that lead to awakening. In other wisdom traditions, it appears similarly, but as right relationship, the Tao or Way, or living in accordance with God. The language differs; the idea is almost the same.

For those coming from a Christian or Western background, Dharma doesn’t require conversion of belief, it can be simply understood as:

  • Living in right relationship with self, others, and creation

  • Acting in accordance with conscience and responsibility

  • Aligning daily actions with deeper values rather than impulse or habit

In the Dharma Paddle, Dharma is approached practically. It is about cultivating awareness, clarifying responsibility, and learning how to live with greater care, discipline, and purpose. The question is always pragmatic: Does this way of seeing and acting reduce confusion and suffering? Does it support a life of integrity, service, and clarity?

If it does, it belongs here.

Who this is for

  • You’re committed to becoming your best self

  • You recognize the importance of slowing down and looking inwards

  • You value deep connections with other like-minded people

  • You believe in investing in experiences that feed your soul

  • You’re ready to heal parts of yourself that are wounded or hurting

Who this is not for

  • People who don’t take breaks from tech

  • People who don’t believe in rest or self-care

  • Lone wolves who don’t play well with others

  • Anyone afraid of getting dirty in the woods

  • People who don’t like one-of-a-kind experiences in nature

Nature is a network of infinite interlocking intelligences emitting frequencies that you can tune into at levels way beyond knowing the names of birds and trees. When you do this, your capacity for imagination, innovation and feeling return naturally. Life comes back to life.

— Boyd Varty

Meet Your Guides

Since late 2022, Louis and Jack have been collaborating on a wide range of projects, from hosting 200+ person ceremonial raves to creating online courses and communities, and putting on world-class retreats.

  • Yoga, Mindfulness & Breathwork Teacher
    Psychedelic Researcher & Guide

    Louis is a psychedelic researcher and guide, as well as a yoga, mindfulness, and breathwork teacher. His work is dedicated to deepening our knowledge of psychedelics, spirituality, and planetary health, in addition to helping people connect with their innate wisdom and navigate life’s complexities through mindfulness and holistic health practices. He is passionate about personal growth and thrives on supporting others in developing their consciousness and discovering their true nature.

    Louis's journey began at 17, when he discovered the transformative potential of psychedelics after struggling with mental health. These early experiences, combined with an innate curiosity towards psychology and spirituality, sparked a lifelong passion for Buddhist and yogic philosophy, and Indigenous traditions. In 2020, he graduated from McGill University with majors in Psychology, Philosophy, and Comparative Religion. In 2026, he graduated from the University of Ottawa with a MA in Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies. As the executive director of Psygaia, a psychedelic research and education nonprofit, he understands psychedelic experience as a fundamental human right with important implications for individual, community, and planetary health. This view drives his commitment to democratizing informed access to psychedelics/

    As a certified yoga and breathwork teacher, Louis shares his expertise in rehab centers and privately, empowering others on their journey toward wholeness. In his free time, he loves skiing, trail running, writing, gardening, meditating, scuba diving, and anything else that connects him to Nature and ignites his spirit.

  • Somatic Healing Guide
    Breathwork Facilitator

    Jack is a somatic healing guide and performance coach who helps people improve their mindset and mental health. His mission is deeply personal, drawing from experiences with overcoming anxiety, PTSD, and panic attacks. Jack’s toolkit spans many modalities including shadow work, breathwork, somatic therapy, men's work, and psychedelic integration.

    In February 2025, Jack received his 80-hour wilderness first responder (WFR) training in order to provide medical support in the backcountry, building on dozens of backcountry skiing, hiking, and canoe trips he’s been on since he was a kid.

    His goal is to support you in coming into wholeness – meaning feeling safety, love, trust, and connection with all parts of yourself. Jack loves to ski, read, go hiking, play guitar, and DJ – anything that stirs up adrenaline (safely) or moves his heart.

We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.

— Andy Goldsworthy

Reserve Your Spot

This retreat is limited to 12 men.

To support accessibility for Canadians navigating the exchange rate, we’re offering a CAD-adjusted price for Canadian residents.

CAD/USD $3000

Single Payment

✓ 4 nights of accommodation + gear

✓ Fresh and organic meals and snacks

✓ 5 days of facilitated inner work

✓ Guided microdosing (optional)

✓ Daily yoga + breathwork + meditation

✓ Council with other conscious men

✓ Incredible views + wildlife in Algonquin Park

Book Intro Call

CAD/USD $3400

4 Separate Payments

✓ 4 nights of accommodation + gear

✓ Fresh and organic meals and snacks

✓ 5 days of facilitated inner work

✓ Guided microdosing (optional)

✓ Daily yoga + breathwork + meditation

✓ Council with other conscious men

✓ Incredible views + wildlife in Algonquin Park

Book Intro Call

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You’ll likely fly into Pearson International Airport (YYZ). From there you can rent a car and drive to Driftwood Paddle Algonquin, our base camp. The drive takes about 4 hours. We can arrange a shuttle or shared rides as needed, possibly for an extra cost.

  • Once you arrive at the retreat, everything will be taken care of, including meals and snacks, tents, and of course, canoes.

    Throughout each day, you’ll be facilitated as a group in men’s council, meditative practices, bushcraft, and wilderness immersion - an experience you’ll remember for life.

  • This retreat is limited to 12 spots in order to keep the container tight and create strong bonds between you and the other guys.

  • Yes, this is intentionally only for men. If you’re interested in attending other co-ed retreats with Jack and Louis for all genders, send us a message.

  • Cancel 2 months in advance and receive a full refund, minus a $500 booking fee.

    Cancellations less than 2 months in advance will incur a 50% late cancellation fee.

    Cancellations less than 1 month in advance will incur a 100% cancellation fee (no refund).

  • You can contact us.