Mentalphysics in the High Desert

This past weekend, I felt a strong almost urgent need to return to the desert. With so much unfolding in the world right now, my nervous system felt like it was short-circuiting. The desire to slow down for a moment (or a full weekend) and recalibrate quickly became the driving force behind booking a last-minute trip to Joshua Tree.

While I still have my sights set on one day camping beneath the stars and monumental boulders that define the hallowed ground of Joshua Tree National Park, this particular trip leaned more toward the usual creature comforts, with the added bonus of a new desert experience: staying at the iconic Institute of Mentalphysics / Joshua Tree Retreat Center.

My favorite vacation rental site, Homestead Modern, partnered with the Institute of Mentalphysics / Joshua Tree Retreat Center (JTRC) back in 2022, restoring fourteen original post-and-beam mid-century bungalows situated along the northwest, desert-facing edge of the property. The bungalows feel both deeply integrated into the larger compound and, somehow, entirely their own, each one oriented outward toward the vast landscape, creating a sense of quiet, private desert refuge.

The room I shared with my friend and frequent fellow road-tripper, Suné, looked out over the desert floor, filled with chollas, Mojave yucca, creosote bush, and of course, the ever-present Joshua Tree. From our bungalow’s kitchen window, you could also see the glow of the snow-capped mountains toward San Bernardino, highlighted against the pink-cast desert sky.

Admittedly, I’ve likely driven past the Joshua Tree Retreat Center dozens of times over the years, without ever feeling compelled to make the hard left turn into the property while traveling east on the 29 Palms Highway.

I’m now realizing what a missed opportunity those drive-bys have been. Little did I know or fully appreciate the depth of architectural, spiritual, and cultural history that lay beyond the entrance gate.

Now, with a reason or perhaps an excuse to finally stay there, I found myself genuinely excited to explore this unfamiliar compound and better understand its relevance within the desert landscape.

Shortly after checking into our beautifully designed mid-century bungalow, we set out on a walkabout, hoping to get a more comprehensive lay of the land and a deeper understanding of the buildings, art garden, and history that surrounded us.

Through a mix of research, conversations with staff, and our own curiosity especially around the visible decay of structures that clearly held historic importance we learned that many of the original buildings were designed by the founder of the Institute of Mentalphysics and Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Ding Le Mei (born Edwin J. Dingle), in collaboration with architect Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright was initially approached for the project, but due to differences between the two men, he passed the work on to his son Lloyd.

And incase you were wondering… “MENTALPHYSICS is an experiential method of self-realization that teaches the oneness of life embodied in all substance, energy and thought. Also known as Super Yoga, Mentalphysics combines ancient universal truths, breathing exercises, diet control, recognizing and working with one's individual chemistry, exercises, and meditation.”

In 1941, Ding Le Mei acquired upwards of 400 acres of desert land, citing the presence of powerful energy vortexes, as central to his vision. He imagined the site as a place for spiritual education and transformation, which would ultimately become the Institute of Mentalphysics.

According to the Retreat Center:

“The energy of a vortex acts as an amplifier. An amplifier takes a signal or frequency and makes it stronger. When standing in a vortex, the energy may magnify what we bring to it on a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual level. It may augment intuition, heighten joy, or even create physical effects such as the release of pain. For some, the experience can lead to profound insight or a deeper understanding of one’s path.”

The Joshua Tree Retreat Center recognizes eighteen such vortexes across the property. Whether seeking clarity, creativity, inspiration, or guidance, visitors are invited to experience these natural energies—rooted deeply within the desert itself.

Design elements throughout many of the early buildings on the property were guided by sacred geometry and the principles of organic architecture, incorporating desert masonry techniques reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, (which I wrote about in an earlier post linked above.) Together, these buildings feel as though they emerge naturally from the land rather than sit upon it raw, weathered, and mirroring the surrounding landscape.

The Homestead Modern restored Bungalows, however, were a later addition to the compound and originally intended as housing for teachers and students. Designed in 1960 by architect Harold B. Zook, who had at one time worked with mid-century architect Albert Frey, and whose style is less influenced by the Wrights’ organic architectural ethos and more characterized by the light, open, post-and-beam “Palm Springs” style so prominent throughout the desert.

Beyond the architecture and layered history of this unique place, the Institute of Mentalphysics / Joshua Tree Retreat Center continues to offer programs and workshops focused on wellness and spiritual practices, staying true to the origin story and vision of its founder, Ding Le Mei.

The site also offers healthy vegetarian fare at the Food For Thought Café, located just beyond the entrance gate and open to the public most days for breakfast and lunch as well as an Art Garden featuring installations and the works of local and visiting artists.

For me, the collaboration between Homestead Modern and the JTRC felt, in many ways, essential. Had the Bungalows not been offered through a familiar rental platform, I may never have moved past my oddly dismissive assumptions about the property or given myself the opportunity to stay and truly experience it.

And admittedly, it’s the act of staying there that asks something more of you. It invites attention to the land, the architecture, the art, and the wide range of classes and offerings, many of which appear to be deeply woven into the local community and the retreat center’s ongoing spiritual life.

It also, perhaps without knowing it at the time, carries the vortex energies - the hum of the desert - subtly re-aligning the very real misalignment I felt before arriving. That alone was worth the price of admission.

In reflecting on the weekend getaway, my brief stay at JTRC felt like a potent reminder of how much becomes possible when we soften our assumptions about things - how, beneath initial resistance, there’s often a deeper alignment waiting to be felt. When we allow ourselves to stay curious, we open the door to connection, perspective, and the possibility of something quietly expansive on the other side of the unknown.

One final mention though it deserves far more space than I can give it here is the Wind Phone, a recent and deeply moving addition to the JTRC property. The experience was so powerful that it will be the focus of my upcoming post.

Stay tuned (in)…

To Learn More:

• Want to stay and experience The Bungalows? Visit: The Bungalows at Homestead Modern.

• Want to learn more about the history and class offerings at The Institute of Mentalphysics? Visit JTRCC.org

• Need help planning your next desert gateway? Contact me directly at hello@greencenturymodern.com