The Power of Silence: A Silent Retreat for Body, Mind, and Spirit

With John Henderson

October 12 - 16, 2026

A DHARMAKAYA CENTER RETREAT

What can unfold when you step into a space of silence? Awareness naturally sharpens, the mind begins to settle, and over the course of several days, deeper insight can emerge. This retreat offers the opportunity for emotional release, personal clarity, and meaningful inner transformation, supporting you in returning to daily life with greater steadiness, wisdom, and ease.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Modern life is full of noise—phones, screens, traffic, conversations, and the constant stream of information that competes for your attention. At the same time, the inner world can feel even more crowded, filled with memories, worries, and unresolved thoughts. Quieting the mind is not always easy.

This retreat creates the right conditions for going inward. Through guided meditations and teachings, group practice, yoga, journaling, time in nature, and generous periods of free time, you are supported in a calm, welcoming, and distraction-free environment. The structure allows you to rest deeply while cultivating a more present, balanced, and centered way of being.

Benefits of these days of silence include:

• Deepening your meditation practice: Whether you are new to meditation or looking to go further, the retreat offers scheduled sessions that explore different approaches. The surrounding silence also encourages continuous mindfulness, which can shift the way you relate to your thoughts.
• Taking a digital detox: This is a rare chance to set aside your smartphone, computer, and other devices, stepping away from notifications, social media, and email. With fewer distractions, you can reconnect with your own experience and the beauty around you.
• Connecting with nature: Set on a 90-acre campus, the retreat environment naturally invites tranquility. Walking the wooded trails or pausing to meditate outdoors can help you feel more grounded and connected to the natural world, especially amid the season’s fall foliage.
• Fostering self-reflection and releasing negative emotions: With fewer external demands, you have more space to look inward and notice patterns, emotions, and thoughts that may otherwise go unexamined. This can open the door to healing and release.
• Being supported by community and structure: The shared experience of silence creates a subtle but powerful sense of connection among participants. A thoughtfully designed schedule balances meditation, movement, meals, and free time, removing the need to plan or decide throughout the day.

BONUS: The retreat also includes the Three-Moment Method™, created by Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche, a practical tool that can be used in real time to recognize harmful emotions and let them go.

As your meditation deepens and the mind grows quieter, you may rediscover the value of the present moment and experience lasting changes in how you meet your thoughts and emotions. By the end of the retreat, you may feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to return to your responsibilities with greater clarity and joy.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Intimate setting with personal access to the teacher
• Shamatha and guided meditations
• Gentle yoga sessions
• Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients
• Option to extend stay on Personal Retreat
• Extensive library of dharma books
• Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful paths, flora and fauna

OPTIONAL MASSAGE

If you would like to book a massage during your free time, please email in advance. For the best availability, contact us at least one week ahead.

OPEN TO ALL

No prior experience is required. This program is suitable for meditators of all levels, as well as anyone interested in exploring the teachings.

SCHEDULE

(subject to change)

Monday, October 12

• 3:00 PM Check in begins
• 6:00-7:00 PM Dinner
• 7:15-9:00 PM Welcome and Introduction
• Discussion on Retreat Mind
• Opening Meditation
• 10:00 PM Lights Out

Tuesday, October 13 – Thursday, October 15

• 7:00-7:45 AM Walking Meditation
• 8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
• 9:30-10:30 AM Guided Meditation
• 10:30 AM-11:30 PM Contemplative Woods Walk (Tuesday, Thursday)
• Gentle Yoga Practice (Wednesday)
• 12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
• 1:00-2:30 PM Personal Time, Reflection, Journaling
• 2:30-3:30 PM Gentle Yoga Practice (Tuesday)
• Contemplative Woods Walk (Wednesday)
• 3:30-4:30 PM Group Meditation
• 4:30-6:00 PM Personal Time, Reflection, Journaling
• Open Time with Teacher for Questions
• 6:00-7:00 PM Dinner
• 7:00-9:00 PM Evening Meditation, optional
• Fire Pit (weather permitting) or Fireplace, optional
• 10:00 PM Lights out

Friday, October 16

• 7:00-7:45 AM Walking Meditation
• 8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
• 9:30-10:30 AM Guided Meditation
• 10:30-11:30 AM Q&A
• Group Discussion
• Closing Ceremony
• 12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
• 1:00 PM Checkout and Departure

Teacher

John Henderson has studied Buddhist philosophy and practiced meditation for nearly 30 years. Since 2003, he has been a senior student of the Dharmakaya Center’s founder, Rimay master Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche. He has brought these teachings into his professional life as a serial entrepreneur in healthcare and real estate, and as a board member of numerous nonprofit organizations in the Northeast. Since the Center opened in 2017, John has taught dozens of programs in person and online, while also offering individual meditation guidance to retreat participants and volunteers.