Finding the Refuge Within: A Silent Meditation Retreat (Online)

When the world trembles, how do we find sanctuary?

This silent meditation retreat explores how to find refuge, peace, and belonging in a challenging world.

Hosted by Lama Willa from the residential retreat, which is being held in Hawai’i, the online portion of the retreat will be livestreamed via Zoom. Through meditation, communing with the natural world, and periods of silence, together we will explore the possibility that the very moment we live in holds the key to our awakening.

When we make space for true presence to enter our lives, we relax into a deeper ground of being—an innate awareness that is naturally open, peaceful, and whole.

This ground of being is not a passing state, but a wakefulness radiating through mind, heart, and body, regardless of the conditions of our lives. Progressing through gradual phases of glimpse, cultivation, and stabilization, we discover that the sanctuary we have longed for has been here all along.

Please join us to:

• Discover the wisdom of Dzogchen, the Tibetan tradition of Great Wholeness, through practices that emphasize slowing down, coming present, and waking up to our true nature.
• Enter Noble Silence as a pathway to healing and inner cultivation.
• Commune with the natural world through contemplative practices that take trees, wind, water, sky, earth, and sacred fire as one’s teacher, and discover ways to engage these practices wherever you are.
• Meet life’s challenges with presence through meditation practices that help us remain open and grounded amid uncertainty and change.

Wherever you join from, Lama Willa invites you to create a retreat space of your own and enter this journey of silence, presence, and awakening—a shared field of practice that transcends distance.

Together, we will slow down, come present, and listen deeply. Across landscapes, time zones, and horizons, we may discover that the refuge we seek is not elsewhere, but here—within and between us, always available, always whole.

This retreat is recommended for those who already have some experience with meditation and who wish to deepen, refresh, or expand their practice.

Online Retreat Schedule

(All times are Eastern time zone)

February 26

• 7:00–9:00 pm Opening Session

February 27 – March 3

• 3:00–5:00 pm Teaching and Practice
• 5:00–7:00 pm Break
• 7:00–9:00 pm Teaching and Practice

March 4

• 3:00–5:00 pm Closing Session

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

Attending From Wonderwell

Participants who would like the support of an in-person practice community while attending the online retreat will have the opportunity to join from Wonderwell Mountain Refuge as part of the month-long 2027 Winter Intensive, during which Lama Willa’s teachings will be streamed into the meditation hall. Additional details and registration information for this option will be shared as they become available.

Attending from Hawai’i

If you would like to attend this retreat in person with Lama Willa in Hawai’i, click here for more information. Please note that the residential component of this retreat is being organized and managed by local coordinators, not by Natural Dharma Fellowship’s registrar or staff. All inquiries regarding the residential retreat should be sent to islandharma@gmail.com.

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: 

• $359 – May All Beings Benefit! *– supporting access for all and general support for NDF operations
• $259 – A Middle Way – covering the base cost
• $129 – 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 a pre-retreat letter). 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