The Heart of Our Practice: From Ordinary Mind to Awakening

In this two-week retreat, we will work with four core practices taught by the Buddha and later teachers that are the treasures of the tradition. These practices help us to see and work through our habitual constructions of mind, heart, and body that keep us limited, often caught in reactivity and separated from our inherent wisdom and kind, compassionate hearts. We begin with four days developing greater concentration and stability and will continue cultivating such concentration throughout the retreat. Our second core practice is developing insight—especially into impermanence, dukkha (in its most important meaning of reactivity), and “not-self” (and “emptiness”—the interdependence and lack of solidity of all phenomena). Our third practice of cultivating lovingkindness and compassion, developed throughout the retreat, helps us increasingly to integrate wisdom, the kind heart, and the body. These three practices are the ground for our fourth practice—opening to experiences of non-dual, awakened awareness and beginning to stabilize such awareness both in formal meditation and in informal activities. In the last part of the retreat, we will connect our retreat practices with ways to continue the process in daily life. These practices will be supported by daily Qigong further supporting embodiment.

Prerequisite: Completion of at least two 5-night or longer silent Insight Meditation retreats or permission of the teacher.

We will not be requiring or administering Covid-19 tests in 2026, 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 2026 cancellation policy. All retreatants must review and agree to this policy upon registration.

For our 2026 retreats, all pricing is based on lodging. 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. We appreciate your generosity and support in building a community of practitioners committed to the Dharma. 

Housing and all meals are included in the program fee. We are now currently offering five 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)
4. Canvas Tent (furnished, single)
5. Basic Tent Platform (camping with your own gear)

*Please note: Southern Dharma is no longer able to offer Heated Kutis. All Kutis are Unheated with no electricity. 

Southern Dharma offers scholarship awards based on need at 25 or 50% discounts for lodge-based room assignments. Selecting a scholarship option affords you a high probability of being assigned to shared housing options. 

Please use the appropriate fields to let us know additional housing needs, such as specifying if you prefer being housed with others of the same gender, snore, use a CPAP machine, or need single housing (if you registered through a scholarship pathway and would otherwise be placed in the lodge). 

Southern Dharma offers additional financial aid for BIPOC and Young Adults, in addition to those with more serious financial need. Please email registrar@southerndharma.org if you are in need of financial aid above the 25% or 50% scholarship.

Participants who have utilized Hemera Foundation Fellowships in the past are welcome to utilize any of the in-house scholarship options.