Great Intimacy: A Meditation and Yoga Retreat

“What is Buddha’s Way?” “Great intimacy.” “What is Yoga’s Way?” “Great intimacy.” What is this great intimacy? Soen Nakagawa Roshi wrote, “We are the flowers now blooming in this ever-blooming universe.” Out of nowhere, Life comes forth as you and me, instant by instant, and the great intimacy is the unmediated awareness of the living presence – the living ‘flavor’ – of our body, heart, and mind. This awareness can fully infiltrate each moment’s actual experience like a mist entering a forest. The awareness mist fully knows every tree trunk, branch and leaf, and this unmediated knowing is the intimacy. 

We are usually most fascinated by the content of our experience, but in this intimacy work, we can begin to know the true nature of the experiencer itself. We are home here. 

This retreat supports this coming home through periods of sitting and walking meditation, and two periods of yoga practice and sensory awareness. It’s all a flow of the same intimacy practice, a listening to the living presence of the moment. The yoga offered is grounded in awareness of breath and the physical movement that flows out of that breath awareness. The emphasis is on the listening rather than achieving, and in this listening, each moment is always new and itself. 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. As the Korean monk Ko Un wrote: 

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

We no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations to attend our programs, but do still require testing. We require all registered participants to present negative results from a Covid test performed in the 3 days prior to the start of your retreat AND that you consent to being tested upon your arrival at Southern Dharma. Any rapid antigen test is acceptable for testing, including over-the-counter at-home tests.

Thank you for your understanding as we work to ensure the safety of our staff, teachers, retreatants, and larger community!

NEW IN 2024: 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 2024 cancellation policy. All retreatants must review and agree to this policy upon registration.

For our 2024 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.