Gathering the Gaze of Awareness: A Meditation, Yoga and Sensory Awareness Retreat

What is Buddha’s Way? Great intimacy.
What is Yoga’s Way? Great intimacy.

Yoga and Buddhism both teach that in each moment this whole universe – including our living humanness – appears out of nowhere, and all that appears, including us, is the pure presence of the place. The great work of our lives is to become increasingly intimate with the true nature of that presence. One master described that true nature as a pristine awareness, suffused with warmth. We take up our awareness practice to become increasingly intimate with and informed by that pristine awareness, suffused with warmth.

The retreat will include teachings from Buddhism, Yoga (especially Kashmiri Shaivism) and contemporary wisdom teaching, but the practices themselves are forms meant to support the attention work that supports the settling into intimacy. The silence itself creates an atmosphere that supports intimacy work, and in that atmosphere we will practice with sitting and walking meditation and periods of yoga posture and sensory awareness practice. The yoga offered is grounded in awareness of breath and the physical movement that is grounded in and flows from that breath awareness. The emphasis is on listening rather than any physical achievement, and in this listening, each moment is always unique and new. Posture, breath, chanting, sensory awareness and the deep relaxation practice of yoga nidra are the tools of this exploration.

There will be meditation and yoga practice instruction each day and a dharma talk each evening. We will offer group meeting times and opportunities for one-on-one meetings with the teachers.

You are cordially invited
to celebrate the bigness
of being the mystery of the holy ordinary
the flowers of a moment
Ko Un

We will not be requiring or administering Covid-19 tests in 2025, but please bring mindfulness to your activity in the days leading up to the retreat out of consideration for our staff, teachers and participants. Masks will be optional and encouraged, especially if a participant is feeling unwell. Avoiding higher risk situations and making use of masks whenever possible will minimize the likelihood of transmitting viruses to others while on site. We strongly encourage folks to stay home if they are symptomatic of any communicable illness.

First-time retreatants at Southern Dharma must arrive by 5pm ET on the first day of retreat. Check-in begins at 3pm. Returning yogis can check-in between 3 and 6pm.

Departures will take place by 2:00pm on the last day of retreat. Please make sure that you can attend the full program before registering.

All registrations are subject to our new 2025 cancellation policy. All retreatants must review and agree to this policy upon registration.

For our 2025 retreats, three fee tiers are offered. Please choose the option that best fits your ability to give in this time. Any amount paid above the Base rate is a tax deductible contribution to Southern Dharma Retreat Center. Your confirmation email is your receipt for tax purposes.

We are deeply grateful for your support.

Note that registration fees do not include dana for the teacher(s). In the Buddhist tradition the teachings are offered freely and teachers are not paid for their offerings. They rely on dana contributions from students. Similarly, Southern Dharma keeps registration fees low to ensure the Dharma is accessible to all. Fees cover only a fraction of Southern Dharma’s operating expenses. We appreciate your practice of generosity to continue the dissemination of the Dharma.

Housing and all meals are included in the program fee. We are currently offering six housing options:

1. Bed in Lodge, shared double room (2nd floor)
2. Bed in Lodge, dorm with privacy partitions (3rd floor)
3. Unheated kuti (single cabin, outdoor bathroom)
4. Heated kuti (single cabin, outdoor bathroom)
5. Canvas Tent (furnished, outdoor bathroom)
6. Basic Tent Platform (camping with your own gear)

Please use the appropriate field in the registration process to let us know your preferences in regards to housing, if any, and also specify if you insist on or prefer being housed with others of the same gender. All housing options are priced the same except for the Basic Tent Platform.

Southern Dharma is offers 50% scholarship awards for BIPOC and Young Adults, in addition to those with financial need. Indicate your interest in a Southern Dharma in-house scholarship during the registration process.

This program is also eligible for Hemera Contemplative Fellowships. Please note that you must apply for the Fellowship prior to registering for any program. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.