Devotion on the Dzogchen Path (Online)

This is the ONLINE component of the retreat. If you’d like to register for the RESIDENTIAL component, please click here. Please note that this retreat is only open to students in the Natural Freedom Dzogchen Program.

Join the Natural Freedom Sangha for our annual hybrid retreat, Devotion on the Dzogchen Path, a time of deep practice, Dharma study, and heartfelt connection grounded in the living tradition of Dzogchen. This year, our shared inquiry will center on devotion and refuge through continued engagement with The Flight of the Garuda, Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol’s luminous songs on the already-complete nature of mind.

Through Dharma teachings, meditation, movement, and relational practices, we will explore how trust, reverence, and the softening of the heart can open us to the recognition of rigpa—our true nature—and the timeless freedom that is always present. The retreat will include daily teachings, group meditation, relational dharma practices such as Dzogchen Dialogue, movement practice guided by Laura Sicari, and spacious opportunities to rest in the essence, nature, and compassionate display of awareness itself.

Please join us to:

• Engage in practices that support the direct experience of rigpa
• Deepen your experience of devotion and refuge as gateways to recognizing natural freedom
• Rest deeply, release striving, and immerse yourself in profound practice
• Commune with Lama Willa and the Dzogchen Sangha 

Whether participating residentially at Wonderwell or joining from your side of the Zoom screen, our emphasis will be on deepening practice, strengthening devotion, and renewing our connection to the Third Jewel—sangha. Together, we will reconnect with the vastness and freedom of our true nature, discovering ever more deeply that the path is not separate from life itself, but present within every moment.

Online retreat offers a rich and authentic opportunity for practice. Through NDF’s interactive hybrid retreat system, online participants can engage in teachings, discussions, and practice sessions alongside the onsite sangha while remaining rooted in their own home environment. For many practitioners, retreating online can be a powerful way to integrate the Dharma directly into the rhythms and responsibilities of householder life.

At the same time, students are especially encouraged to attend onsite if possible. The opportunity to practice together in person with Lama Willa and fellow members of the Natural Freedom Sangha offers a rare and precious container for direct transmission, shared inquiry, and spiritual friendship. This retreat will also be the last hybrid retreat Lama Willa will offer from Wonderwell until summer 2027, making this gathering especially meaningful for those able to attend, both onsite and online.

Please have a copy of our program text available throughout the retreat: The Flight of the Garuda by Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol (available for download from your NDF dashboard). We also recommend having comfortable clothing for yoga and movement, as well as any other items you may need for periods of outdoor meditation practice.

Yoga offered by Laura Sicari 

Typical Retreat Schedule

(All times are Eastern time zone)

First Day — Orientation at 6:45 pm. Opening session begins around 7:00 pm.

Full-Day Schedule — Morning meditation 7:00 am; Breakfast break 8:00-9:30 am; Lunch break 12:00-2:00 pm; Dinner break 5:30-7:00 pm. Evening session 7:00-8:30 pm

Last Day —The closing session end at 12:00 pm.

These times are just for reference. An expanded schedule will be provided in pre-retreat information emailed during the week prior to the event.

Zoom Link

The Zoom link will be sent several days before the retreat to all those registered. If you register after that date, you’ll receive the link with your confirmation email shortly after submitting your registration. If you don’t see an email from Natural Dharma Registrar or Wonderwell Mountain Refuge, it may have mistakenly gone to your spam folder or to Promotions or Updates in Gmail.

Important: Please put these this email address in your Contact or Safe-Send list to make sure you receive our emails:

• register@naturaldharma.org

Program Cost

Our program fees provide essential support to our non-profit operations and NDF’s mission to spread the Dharma in accessible, relevant, and creative ways. Our goal is that no one misses out on our events due to lack of funds. Thanks to our generous donors, we are able to offer tiered pricing and additional support to fit varied financial situations: 

• May All Beings Benefit! *– supporting access for all and general support for NDF operations
• A Middle Way – covering the base cost
• Held in Sangha Loving-kindness – offering ease when financial resources are limiting

If the lowest cost tier creates an obstacle to your attendance, please see our financial support options on the registration page. The process is simple and does not require extensive information. Financial aid is immediately approved using discount code options that allow you to contribute the most you are able while honoring your particular resources.

* The difference between the May All Beings Benefit! tier and the Middle Way tier will be considered a tax-deductible donation and will be acknowledged as such in writing. Contributing at this level helps us offer financial aid to other participants. Thank you!!

Access to Recordings

NDF offers unlimited access to recordings, which are available in your user dashboard (more information about user accounts provided in pre-retreat materials). If you have a user account, please register with the same email you use to log into your dashboard. If not, an account will be created for you using your registration address.

Availability will vary depending on the type of event and the backlog for our precious resource volunteers. Thank you for your patience.

Natural Dharma Fellowship Full Calendar