Residential – Natural Meditation: The Power of Original Wisdom

Assisted by Matt Fritts and David Bayer

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Welcome the new year by immersing yourself in the profound path of Mahamudra. In this retreat, through guided meditations and teachings, we will explore our connection with innate original goodness and wisdom. This five-day retreat will focus on transformative practices that allow us to directly access the love and wisdom that comprise the very fabric of our deepest nature.

Topics covered in this retreat include the nature and qualities of primordial awareness/wisdom (rigpa) together with an exploration of the techniques of tranquility meditation that function to stabilize the mind, enabling us to rest at ease in our being while simultaneously accessing original wisdom. Throughout this retreat, we will also emphasize how to integrate natural awareness meditation into ways of speaking, listening, moving and being to merge this practice with daily life. By joining primordial wisdom to our everyday activities, we can discover a bottomless source for resilience, effective action, and compassionate responsiveness to this troubled world.

Please Note: This retreat is open for all.  And for those participating in the Margha Program, this retreat is an essential part of the program.

SCHEDULE – Subject to change

Friday, January 20
3:00–5:00 pm            Check in
5:00–5:30 pm            Dinner served
7:00–7:15 pm            Orientation
7:15–8:45 pm            Evening Session

Saturday, January 21 – Tuesday, January 24
7:30–8:15 am             Morning Meditation
8:15–8:45 am             Breakfast served
10:00–11:00 am         Dharma Talk and Discussion
11:15 am–12:00 pm   Group Guided Meditation
12:15–1:00 pm           Small Group Exploration
1:00–1:30 pm             Lunch served
1:45–2:15  pm            Monday only: Onsite Yoga Q&A
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
6:15–6:45 pm             Dinner served
8:00–8:45 pm             Mitra-Guided Evening Meditation

Wednesday, January 25
7:30–8:15 am             Morning Meditation
8:15–8:45 am             Breakfast served
10:00–11:00 am         Dharma Talk and Discussion
11:15 –11:45 am        Small Group Exploration
12:00–12:30 pm         Closing Session

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT 2023 RETREATS AT WONDERWELL

Information about pandemic safety protocols in place can be found on this page of our website. For details about Wonderwell itself, registration procedures, pricing, cancellation policy, and other FAQs, please use this link.

SHARED ROOMS: If you register for a shared room, you are agreeing that you accept that you may be sharing it with someone you don’t know. If you are not willing to make that agreement, please do not register for a shared room.  Note:  Men and women who don’t know each other will never be assigned to the same room.

Retreatants may always register for a shared double room with someone they know, as long as space is available. There is a box on the registration to indicate who you’d like for a roommate, and we’ll do the best we can.

You may want to consider registering for the commuter option instead. Scroll down on this page for information about nearby accommodations. 

VACCINATION REQUIRED: All onsite retreatants must be *fully vaccinated* and will need to present proof of vaccination at check-in. We cannot admit you to Wonderwell without this proof. Per CDC guidance, people are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. In addition, NDF defines “fully vaccinated” as 2 weeks after having received an eligible booster shot. We will accept your original Covid card or a photo as proof of vaccination.

TESTING: A negative COVID-19 test result is required before admittance to the retreat. Please test within 24 hours prior to your expected arrival at Wonderwell, using either a PCR test or a rapid (at-home) test kit. Please bring a rapid test kit with you to Wonderwell. We will have a limited number of test kits available for during-retreat testing.

MASK REQUIREMENTS: We are continuing to monitor this ever-changing situation and will adjust our mask policy accordingly. For the time being, we require that all retreatants and staff wear masks, preferably K(N)95, indoors during all programs. Masks must be worn in all public areas of the building, including the meditation hall. Exceptions: when retreatants are in their room or when actively eating or drinking. Teachers can be unmasked while on the teacher’s seat, as long as they can maintain a physical distance of at least six feet from retreatants.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS

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.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Wonderwell charges a $75 cancellation fee for residential (onsite) retreat cancellations more than 4 weeks before the start of a retreat. Any cancellations between 4 weeks to 11 days prior to the program are charged a $150 cancellation fee. For any cancellations 10 or fewer days prior to the start date of the program, no refunds are offered. However, if you are feeling ill or feel you might have been exposed to the COVID virus, please cancel your attendance at any Wonderwell retreat even at the last minute. In this case, we will provide a full refund of your payment.

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.

• 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 after the retreat. Please be aware that this does not happen automatically with registration. It is a separate, manual operation.
• Resources and Recordings: The retreat resources and recordings will be available in your user account. Recordings must be edited before they are posted. We appreciate your patience!  You will receive an email letting you know they are available in your dashboard.  If you have any questions about resources and recordings, please email support@naturaldharma.org.

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