2027 Month-long Retreat at Southern Dharma

“Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower, but is already here in relaxation and letting go.” Lama Gendun Rinpoche’s words set the tone for this month-long period of practice, inviting retreatants to soften, settle, and discover what becomes visible when striving gives way to presence.

This extended retreat offers a rare chance to return to continuity of awareness and experience the unfolding of practice over time. As life slows and the mind grows quieter, mindfulness begins to gather momentum. With deeper practice, participants may encounter both the conditioned habits that shape the mind and the more beautiful, wholesome qualities of human heart and mind that support sensitivity, contentment, and balance.

Practicing in community, with guidance from teachers and the support of the surrounding natural world, creates a nourishing setting for awareness and insight to deepen. The retreat is designed to encourage a more intimate relationship with life, while honoring the quiet and simplicity that allow practice to mature.

In the spirit of renunciation and simplicity, the majority of the retreat will be held in silence. Each week will also include periods of group inquiry and individual meetings with the teachers. Teachings will be organized around the four foundations of mindfulness and supported by guided meditations. Dharma talks and reflections will combine live teaching with recorded talks from respected Dharma teachers. Rupert and Kerstin’s emphasis on intimacy with the more-than-human world will also be woven throughout the retreat.

Southern Dharma is committed to making this retreat accessible to people from a range of financial backgrounds. For that reason, the program follows a community-supported format, with approximately one hour of daily work in which retreatants help care for the center during the stay.

The retreat is rooted in the Buddha Dharma’s concern with freedom and the conditions that limit it. It is intended to deepen intimacy with this precious life while also helping participants gather the inner resources needed to offer the unique gifts of their lives in response to the times we are living through.

Prerequisite: Applicants are recommended to have completed at least 14 nights of structured, teacher-led Buddhist meditation retreats, including a minimum of two silent residential retreats of six nights or longer. Prior residential retreat experience is required for consideration. Online retreat experience does not meet the prerequisite, and future retreat attendance does not count. Southern Dharma will accept or decline applications at its discretion.

To apply, please complete a waitlist form. Southern Dharma staff will confirm registration for this 2027 retreat by February 28, 2026, and then on a rolling basis after that date.

Covid-19 tests will not be required or administered in 2026. Participants are asked to bring mindfulness to their activities in the days before arrival out of consideration for staff, teachers, and fellow retreatants. Masks are optional and encouraged, especially if someone feels unwell. Avoiding higher-risk situations and using masks whenever possible will help reduce the chance of transmitting viruses on site. Anyone with symptoms of a communicable illness is strongly encouraged to stay home.

First-time retreatants at Southern Dharma must arrive by 5:00pm ET on the first day of retreat, with check-in beginning at 3:00pm. Returning yogis may check in between 3:00 and 6:00pm. Departures will take place by 2:00pm on the final day, and participants should be sure they can attend the full program before registering.

All registrations are subject to the new 2026 cancellation policy, which all retreatants must review and accept upon registration. Pricing is based on lodging, and participants are invited to choose the option that best reflects their ability to give at this time. Any amount paid above the base rate is a tax-deductible contribution to Southern Dharma Retreat Center, and the confirmation email serves as the tax receipt.

Housing and all meals are included in the program fee. Five housing options are available: bed in Lodge, shared double room (2nd floor); bed in Lodge, dorm with privacy partitions (3rd floor); unheated kuti (single cabin); canvas tent (furnished, single); and basic tent platform (camping with your own gear). Please note that heated kutis are no longer available, and all kutis are unheated with no electricity.

Need-based scholarship awards are available at 25% or 50% discounts for lodge-based room assignments, with scholarship selections carrying a high likelihood of shared housing. Additional housing needs can be noted during registration, including preferences related to gender, snoring, CPAP use, or a request for single housing if a scholarship pathway would otherwise place the participant in the lodge.

Southern Dharma also offers additional financial aid for BIPOC and Young Adults, as well as for those with more serious financial need. Participants needing aid beyond the 25% or 50% scholarship are encouraged to inquire. Those who have previously used Hemera Foundation Fellowships are welcome to use any of the in-house scholarship options.

Registration fees do not include dana for the teacher(s). In the Buddhist tradition, teachings are offered freely, and teachers rely on dana contributions from students. Your generosity helps sustain a community devoted to the Dharma.