Description

This sanctuary on the lands of the Whidbey Institute is a non-denominational refuge in the forest, created for meditation, sacred music and prayer. This unique structure was collaboratively designed by Ross Chapin and Kim Hoelting, and handcrafted by Kim and a small circle of fine craftspeople. Every piece of wood in the building was sustainably harvested or reclaimed, and each has a known story going back to its origin in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. One poetic guest described this space as a place “where the echoes of the forest meet the stillness of the heart, and the spaciousness of the spirit.” And another, Irish poet and singer Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, wrote this poem inspired by the sanctuary.

“My greatest hope is that all of us can find that little, holy place in all that we do — that we can dare to make it a real expression of who we are in the moment, in what we see and what we feel. It doesn’t matter if you’re a janitor or a neurosurgeon or a carpenter — with courage and fortitude, what you love should be able to bubble up out of you. That’s what the Sanctuary means to me.” —Kim Hoelting