Live Online — Practicing Natural Compassion

Assisted by Eric Brus and Matt Fritts

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In this hybrid meditation retreat, we will engage with Buddhist practices of love and compassion as a means by which to open the heart and access our deepest nature. As we explore how to open our hearts, we may well encounter the obstacles that arise when we try to do so. In this way, we discover the power and potential of difficult situations and experiences to reveal our inherent compassionate nature and our capacity to care for ourselves, others, and our struggling world. Learning how to stand in the flames of our own charnel grounds with kindness and acceptance enables us to face forward in our lives with resilience, love, and the wisdom that can guide our steps. This retreat is focused on self-compassion and compassion for others function reciprocally to deepen our ability to act in the world with wisdom, openness and effectiveness.

Using both traditional Buddhist modalities and practices adapted for modern life, such as deep listening and inquiry, we will work to develop awareness of how all experiences (pleasant or unpleasant) can become the path of awakening. Body work and movement will be part of this retreat.

To allow the meditation practices of retreat to permeate our lives as much as possible, Lama Liz and Camille ask all onsite retreatants at Wonderwell to maintain “Noble Silence,” and all online participants to maintain silence as much as they can wherever they are staying. This means avoiding idle chatter and only speaking as needed for practical needs.

SCHEDULE – All times are Eastern Time

Friday, June 24
7:00 – 8:30 pm            Opening Session

Saturday, June 25 – Tuesday, June 28
7:15 – 8:15 am            Morning Meditation
8:15  – 10:00 am         Breakfast and Break
10:00 – 11:00 am        Dharma Talk and Discussion
11:15 am – 12:00 pm  Group Guided Meditation
12:15  – 1:00  pm        Flexible Session
Lunch and Break
3:00 – 3:45 pm            Group Guided Meditation
4:00 – 5:00 pm            Dharma Talk and Discussion
5:10 – 6:10 pm            Movement Session: Yoga or Other
6:15 – 8:00 pm            Dinner and Break
8:00 – 8:45 pm            Flexible Session (Q&A), Meditation, Group Exercises)

Wednesday, June 29
7:15 – 8:15 am            Morning Meditation
8:15  – 10:00 am         Breakfast and Break
10:00 – 11:00 am        Dharma Talk and Discussion
11:15 am – 12:00 pm  Group Guided Meditation
12:00 pm                     Lunch

Closed captioning is available on all online retreats.

Zoom link — The Zoom link will be sent several days before the retreat to all those registered by then. 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. It may help if you add the sending address of our booking program to your Contacts list: <register+wonderwellrefuge@retreat.guru>.

PROGRAM COST

It is Natural Dharma Fellowship’s aspiration that no one be turned away from our teachings and retreats because they are unable to pay the full cost. In order make our courses affordable for all who wish to attend, we are offering a three-level fee structure that takes into account people’s differing financial circumstances:

• Benefactor – for those who can afford it, this fee level helps provide support for those with limited financial resources and assists with the care and maintenance of Wonderwell Mountain Refuge
• Program fee – for those who can cover the basic cost of an online retreat or course
• Supported – for those with limited financial resources or recent financial hardship

The pricing options for a particular retreat are based primarily on its length and are intended to give you an idea of what it costs to offer that retreat. The amounts listed are suggestions. You may write in any amount that fits your financial situation. Any amount offered above the Course Fee level will be considered a tax-deductible donation and will be acknowledged as such.

Wonderwell Mountain Refuge strives to offer retreats in a manner that is inclusive for persons of all means. If the full retreat cost would create an undue financial burden, we encourage you to apply for a scholarship. Please visit this page on our website learn more about financial aid.

Depending on the type of work that you do, you may be eligible for a Hemera Contemplative Fellowship. Please click on this link for more information.

USER ACCOUNTS & RESOURCES

The user account feature of our website provides a secure place where materials from your retreats can be posted and accessed. If you don’t have an account already, you’ll want to set one up as soon as you register.

• Paid resources – retreat recordings and other retreat materials – will only be available in the dashboard of your user account.
• If you haven’t already created an NDF user account, please visit our website to Create an account as soon as possible.
• User accounts are manually synced with the retreat 7–10 days after the retreat. Please be aware that this does not happen automatically with registration. It is a separate, manual operation.

Please visit the Technical FAQ page on our website for useful information about user accounts, helpful tutorials, as well as answers to many other questions. You can contact support@naturaldharma.org with questions about your user account.

Wonderwell Mountain Refuge Full Calendar