ON-SITE HYBRID: LGBTQIA+ Lovingkindness and Joy Retreat
Eve Decker and Fresh "Lev" White
October 14 - 17, 2021
This is the on-site option for this hybrid retreat. The teachers will guide this retreat from their homes, and retreat sessions will be live-streamed to the meditation hall at Southern Dharma. Click here to register for the “at home” version of this retreat.
Join us this weekend as we cultivate a practice of lovingkindness and discover ways of accessing joy during these times of political and personal challenge. We’ll experience meditation, music, movement, silence, community discussions and more.
This retreat welcomes all self-identified LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, and beyond) persons for an opportunity to engage in supportive practices that encourage nurturing, healing and radical connection to joy and resilience. We will bring together periods of silence and inner practice with teachings on cultivating lovingkindness and joy. Participants will check in with one of the teachers in a small group on Saturday.
New and seasoned practitioners welcome. We’ll provide guidance for home practice. Invite your friends to sign up; bring cushions, tea and instruments if you’d like; Eve will do a bit of song leading. You might consider having your meals prepped for the weekend to allow more spaciousness with the experience.
Click here to view the preliminary schedule
Until further notice, registration for our residential programs is restricted to individuals who have or will receive their final Covid-19 vaccination at least two weeks before their arrival on site. We will be restricting total retreat capacity to allow for comfortable, unmasked participation, as well as the option of outdoor dining. Please be prepared to present proof of your vaccination upon request.
Thank you for your understanding as we work to ensure the safety of our staff, teachers, retreatants, and larger community!
Check-In 4-6pm; Early arrivals may be accommodated; email registrar@southerndharma.org to request
Optional SDRC Grounds Tour with Staff 4:30-5:30pm
Dinner with Mandatory Orientation for all retreatants 6pm
Departures will take place by 2:00pm on last day of retreat
For our 2021 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.
Registration fees do not include dana for the teacher. 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 four housing options: 1) Bed in Lodge in a shared double room, 2) Bed in Lodge in dorm with privacy partitions, 3) Unheated kuti (single cabin, outdoor bathroom), 4) Tent Platform. 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.
Southern Dharma is now offering 50% scholarship awards for BIPOC and young adults in addition to those with financial need. Indicate your interest in a scholarship during the registration process. More information available here.
This program is also eligible for Hemera Contemplative Fellowships! Apply here before registering.
About the Teacher
Eve Decker
Eve Decker (she/her) began Insight Meditation practice in 1991, and has attended more than 50 silent retreats in the western Vipassana tradition of Buddhism ranging in length from 8-90 days. She is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley; the Path of Engagement (social justice and spiritual practice training); and Community Dharma Leader training at […]
Learn more about Eve Decker
Fresh "Lev" White
Fresh “Lev” White (he/they) is a love and compassion activist. He offers mindfulness, mediation, and diversity trainings as tools for shifting towards more authentic, conscious, and passionate living. They teach and writes about how unconditional love and self-compassion are the ultimate gateways to honoring and understanding others; thus, healing our communities and our planet. Lev […]
Learn more about Fresh "Lev" WhiteCategories : Decker, Display on Website, White