September Open Practice Weekend (Residential Only)

We invite you to spend a quiet late-summer weekend immersed in practice, nature, and the supportive atmosphere of Wonderwell Mountain Refuge.

Open Practice Weekends offer lightly structured retreat time for both new and experienced practitioners. Held within a shared container of Noble Silence and sangha, these weekends provide spacious time for meditation, contemplation, rest, and personal retreat. For Vajrayana practitioners, this can be an especially supportive opportunity for sustained ngöndro practice, including prostrations, mantra recitation, and other accumulations.

Please join us to:

• Immerse yourself in individual practice within a quiet and supportive environment
• Commune with the land through mindful walking, sky gazing, and outdoor meditation
• Share simple retreat life and nourishing meals in the company of fellow practitioners

Optional morning and evening meditation sessions provide gentle structure and light guidance to frame the day, while the majority of the weekend remains open for self-directed practice. You are invited to settle into your own rhythm — whether through seated meditation, mindful walking, journaling, reading, outdoor practice, or simply resting quietly in the beauty of Wonderwell’s mountains, forests, and open sky.

Wander wooded trails, sky gaze from the porch or meadow, or curl up with tea and a book from Wonderwell’s extensive Dharma library. Whether you are looking to deepen an established practice or simply spend restorative time in silence and reflection, this weekend offers space to slow down and listen inwardly.

The weekend concludes with our Hybrid Dharma Sunday gathering, bringing together retreat participants and NDF’s local and online sangha for a shared morning of practice and dharma. Following Dharma Sunday, everyone is invited to enjoy a community lunch—a joyful opportunity to connect in conversation and fellowship before departing.

The retreat includes vegetarian breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, along with access to tea and snacks throughout the weekend.

All are welcome!

Typical Open Practice Weekend Schedule

(All times are Eastern time zone)

First Day — Opening session begins at 7:00 pm.

Full-Day Schedule — Optional morning meditation 7:00 am; Breakfast 8:00 am; Lunch 12:00 pm; Dinner 5:30 pm; Optional evening meditation 7:00 pm.

Last Day — Optional morning meditation 7:00 am; Breakfast 8:00 am; Hybrid Dharma Sunday 10:00 am; Lunch 12:00 pm; Departure between 12:30-2:00 pm.

These times are just for reference and subject to change. An expanded schedule will be posted at Wonderwell upon arrival.

Important Health Information

COVID-19 testing is no longer required. Masks are optional and encouraged if you are at higher risk. We encourage you to stay at home if you are symptomatic to protect others.

Scholarships

Cancellation Policy

We understand that personal circumstances may require you to cancel your registration. In these cases, please contact us right away at register@naturaldharma.org. Cancellations affect our ability to offer rooms to others and create additional work for our staff, therefore we charge the following fees to help mitigate these costs.

For cancellations (based on program start date):

• > 45 days: 100% refund minus a $75 admin. fee.
• 31-45 days: 50% refund of the required deposit; or 75% refund if registration paid in full.
• 21-30 days: 50% refund of total registration cost
• < 21 days: nonrefundable

If you must cancel due to an emergency or extenuating circumstances, please contact us at register@naturaldharma.org.

Natural Dharma Fellowship Full Calendar