In Person — Practicing Natural Compassion

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Assisted by Eric Brus and Matt Fritts

This is the residential component of the hybrid retreat. For the online component, click here.

Registration will close Friday, June 17. There are currently two places at Wonderwell, both for women in shared rooms, one with ensuite bath and one with hall bath.

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
3:00 – 5:00 pm            Check in
5:00 – 7:00 pm            Dinner and Break
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

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT 2022 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 youyr original COVID card or a 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 PCF 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 have concerns about exposure 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.

• 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