Open Practice: A Nature-based Long Weekend (Residential Only)
Description
Save the date: registration will open soon, and details will be shared when available.
This retreat is supported by Hildur Palsdottir and Shemaleiah Geremia-Smylie.
Open Practice Weekends invite both new and experienced meditators to deepen their practice while attuning to the seasonal beauty of Wonderwell. Join us for this three-night retreat over the Summer Solstice weekend, when the height of light and the turning of the year create a natural invitation to settle into meditation, connect with the rhythms of the natural world, and deepen your relationship with your own experience.
Please join us to:
- Deepen your practice within a supportive community
- Connect with the land through outdoor and walking meditation, sky-gazing, and quiet presence
- Rest and reflect in Wonderwell’s peaceful nooks, with access to a rich library of Buddhist texts
This retreat includes optional dharma talks and meditation sessions, along with opportunities to practice outdoors on Wonderwell’s new porch and to engage in silent walking meditation through the woods and fields. Lama Liz will offer an opening teaching, and the weekend will conclude with a hybrid Dharma Sunday from her Forest Teachings series, exploring the interwoven nature of mind, form, and relationship—an invitation to recognize our inseparability from the living world.
Held over both the summer solstice and Juneteenth weekend, this retreat offers a meaningful threshold for reflection on cycles of light, history, and our shared belonging within a larger field of connection.
You are welcome to follow the offered structure or shape your own rhythm of practice and rest.
This residential retreat includes vegetarian meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as tea and snacks available throughout the day. Set on Wonderwell Mountain Refuge’s verdant campus in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley, the land itself becomes a companion in practice—offering space, beauty, and steady support throughout your retreat.
Typical Retreat Schedule
(All times are Eastern time zone)
First Day — Opening session begins around 7:00 pm.
Full-Day Schedule — Optional morning meditation 7:00 am; Breakfast break 8:00-9:30 am; Lunch break 12:00-2:00 pm; Dinner break 5:30-7:00 pm. Optional evening session 7:00-8:30 pm
Last Day — The retreat ends at 12:00 pm after Dharma Sunday and is followed by a light potluck lunch.
These times are for reference only. A detailed schedule will be provided upon arrival.
Important Health Information
COVID-19 testing is no longer required. Masks are optional and encouraged if you are at higher risk. Please stay at home if you are symptomatic in order to protect others.
Scholarships
Natural Dharma Fellowship strives to offer retreats in a way that is inclusive and accessible. If the full retreat cost would create an undue financial burden, you are encouraged to apply for a scholarship. Please visit the website page to learn more about financial aid options.
Please do not apply for financial assistance until after you have registered for the retreat. If the required deposit would be an obstacle, please contact the organizers.
Cancellation Policy
We understand that personal circumstances may require you to cancel your registration. In those cases, please get in touch right away. Cancellations affect room availability for others and create additional work for staff, so the following fees help offset those costs.
For cancellations (based on program start date):
- > 45 days: 100% refund minus a $75 admin. fee.
- 31-45 days: 50% refund of the required deposit; or 75% refund if registration paid in full.
- 21-30 days: 50% refund of total registration cost
- < 21 days: nonrefundable
If you must cancel due to an emergency or extenuating circumstances, please contact the organizers.
Accommodation Options
Suite/Benefactor
The Vajra Suite is a spacious, air-conditioned private bedroom with private deck and bath, furnished with a king bed. This accommodation also includes a separate meditation room with spectacular views of the mountains and a private kitchenette. By choosing this Benefactor room option and paying at a higher rate, you are supporting Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in our efforts to maintain and improve our historic building and the grounds and to make retreat practice more accessible for all. Thank you.
Private Room w/Queen Bed & Ensuite Bath
This private room selection provides a queen size bed and en-suite bath. There are two rooms located on the second floor and one on the third floor. These rooms can also be used by couples staying at Wonderwell. In that case, please select "2 guests," and an adjustment is automatically made in the room price for the second person. The second guest will then receive an email with a link to complete the personal registration questions and will not be considered registered until those questions are answered and received. The queen beds come with 2 pillows, a blanket, and a bedspread. In concern for energy and water conservation we ask guests to bring their own queen bed linens and bath towels. Wonderwell does rent sheets and towels when it's necessary for those flying in for retreat - $10 for bed linens and $5 for a bath towel. Please select those add-ons during the registration process if you need it. The rooms can be drafty at times; each room may vary in temperature depending on the season. Fans and heaters are in the closet. You may bring anything else that you need for your comfort. We ask that guests bring their own queen bed linens and bath towels. Fireplaces in bedrooms are not to be used and no candles please.
Shared Room w/Ensuite Bath
If you register for a shared double room, you must accept sharing the space with someone you don't know. Each shared room in this price range contains two twin beds and an ensuite bathroom.
Shared Room w/Hall Bath
If you register for a shared double room, you must accept sharing the space with someone you don't know. Each shared room in this price range has two twin beds with a hallway bathroom shared with another room.
Teachers
Organization
Lama Liz Monson
Place
Place map
Categories
Contact Information
Thu, Jun 18