8941 Overland Road, Ward, CO, USA
Up to 30 in group
May 6 - 10, 2024
About this Retreat
Thanissara is the co-founder and co-guiding teacher of
Sacred Mountain Sangha. She started Buddhist practice in the Burmese school in 1975. She was inspired to ordain after meeting Ajahn Chah and spent 12 years as a Buddhist nun, where she was a founding member of Chithurst Monastery and Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK.
She has facilitated meditation retreats internationally for the last 30 years and has an MA in Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy Practice from University & the Karuna Institute in the UK.
With Kittisaro, she co-founded Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat and helped initiate and support several HIV/Aids response projects in South Africa.
She has written several books, including two poetry books. Her latest book is Time To Stand Up, An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth. Thanissara is a member of the Spirit Rock Teacher Council.
Elaine Yeh met Master Hua when she was studying computer science at the University of Texas in 1989 and was inspired to become his monastic disciple. During her 33 years as a Buddhist nun, she worked on translating Chinese Buddhist texts, served as principal at Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue Schools, and taught at Dharma Realm Buddhist University. She earned an MA in Buddhist Classics from Dharma Realm Buddhist University and an MA in Asian Studies from UC Berkeley. In recent years she has been exploring how Buddhist and Western psychological approaches can work together to bring about deeper self-transformation and lay the foundations for Kuan Yin’s great compassion.
Djuna is a core teacher and board chair for Sacred Mountain Sangha, supporting her primary Dharma teachers, Thanissara and Kittisaro. She teaches on retreats and daylong events at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and leads their Dharma and Yoga Teacher Training. Djuna is faculty for Prajna Yoga and offers workshops and teacher training internationally. She is also a certified yoga therapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in private practice.
Djuna’s teaching weaves asana training, with somatic movement, biomechanics, and the wisdom of yoga and the Buddha Dharma, into each offering. Her movement sessions are crafted to cultivate embodied awareness while supporting the body’s innate capacity to heal. As a long-time Dharma practitioner, she approaches the asanas as vehicles of insight, inviting us to awaken to present moment experience through the intelligence of the body.
Yong Oh serves as a teacher on the Dharma Council for the Durango Dharma Center and has sat on the board of directors since 2019. He is also a core teacher for
Sacred Mountain Sangha. Yong began meditating through the Soto Zen tradition and eventually transitioned to study, practice, and teach in the Insight tradition. He teaches retreats at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Vallecitos Mountain Retreat Center, and Big Bear Retreat Center, as well as being a visiting teacher for other community centers across the US and Canada.
Yong is a graduate of the 4-year Insight Meditation Society Retreat Teacher Training program, Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s 2-year Community Dharma Leaders program, and the Sacred Mountain Sangha 2-year Dharmapala training, taught by his primary teachers Kittisaro and Thanissara. He has also worked as a coach for the Ten Percent Happier app, as a mentor for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, as faculty for the Mindfulness Mentor Training program, and as a mentor for Cloud Sangha. He is currently a participant in the 2-year Nature Dharma Retreat Teacher Training program and is a member of the 2023 Eco-Advisory Group sponsored by the Bess Foundation.
Yong is also an acupuncturist, loves mountains and forests, and brings the practice of meditation into nature. He also has a particular interest in devotional expression, and supporting caregivers as well as communities of color in the Dharma.
Yong offers practice interviews on a Dana basis. Please contact him at yongoh.practice@gmail.com.
Details of this retreat
RETREAT POSTPONED
Sacred Mountain Sangha in collaboration with Rocky Mountain Ecodharma
Amidst the stark realities of our times, the need for a more resilient, transparent, engaged, and collaborative Dharma culture has been illuminated by the destruction of Gaza. This retreat emerges as a response to this need as a contribution toward its realization. Inspired by the interventions of the Buddha to stop wars and the courageous stands of spiritual movements against political injustices throughout history, we recognize a moral imperative to act and to resist the descent into chaos and the normalization of mass atrocities and extreme violence.
Through an integration of Dharma teachings, psycho-spiritual practices, and healing modalities, this retreat offers a sacred space to navigate the depths of our collective grief, rage, and overwhelm. Rooted in devotional chanting, ceremony, prayer, and heartfelt dialogue, we will cultivate mindful engagement guided by the compassionate durability of the Bodhisattva vows.
Central to our focus is the creation of a compassionate and safe container within which to explore the profound impacts of Gaza on both personal and collective levels. Where needed, affinity groups provide additional spaces for deeper reflection. Collective rituals connected to Pachamama, the great Spirit of Earth, will also support our journey toward healing and transformation.
We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and identities. Participants are encouraged to come with an open heart and mind, ready to engage authentically in this exploration. Following the retreat, participants will have access to ongoing support networks, online communities, and additional resources to continue our collective journey of inner and outer transformation.
Join us as we co-create a Dharma culture capable of meeting the world's challenges with resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment to justice, healing, and mutual liberation
Lodging Options - view lodging options here
You will stay in the lodge for this retreat, camping is not available. There are a limited number of single lodging options, such as single rooms, mini singles and glamping. All the other rooms are shared accommodations. Contact Kathy at registrar@rmerc.org for any rooming questions.
Lodging Prices are inclusive of all retreat costs
$490 Mini Single
$490 Glamping
$420|840 RV Camping (single|double)
$490 Semi-Private Nook (single)
$700 Single Room
$565 Shared Room (2 single beds; cost per person).
$1230 Double Room (1 double bed; cost per couple).
Scholarships
It is our intention that cost does not impede practice. If you cannot afford to attend without a fee reduction, you can ask for a scholarship on the registration website, and then pay the remaining amount. Anyone with financial hardship is welcome to apply and will be assessed based on needs and fund availability. We ask that you request the lowest amount required to attend the retreat so that we can offer support to as many people as possible. But do not let cost be an impediment to your attendance.
Payment, Deposits
A non-refundable deposit of $120 is due at the time of registration. Full payment is due 60 days before the retreat start date; you will receive an email reminder before your credit card is automatically charged at that time.
Cancellation, and Refund Policies
If you cancel your retreat at any time, the $120 registration fee is not refunded.
Cancellations received 60-30 days prior will get a refund of half of the final payment.
Cancellations 30-7 days prior will get a refund of a quarter of the final payment.
For cancellations inside of 7 days there will be no refunds.
Teacher Donations (Dana)
The cost of the retreat is set as low as possible and only covers expenses: renting the center, food, cooks, insurance, and staff travel. None of this cost share goes to the teacher, who is solely supported by the dana (generosity) of the participants. In the tradition of the Buddha, teachings are offered without a set fee, keeping costs as low as possible, so no one is excluded due to finances. In turn, we ask that your donation be as generous as possible within your means. Please bring a check or cash. We are grateful for your support.
Infectious Disease Policy
See the complete infectious disease policy here.
RMERC prioritizes creating a safe and comfortable retreat environment. While we don't require vaccinations, testing, or masks, individual retreats might have stricter policies. We recommend wearing N95 masks during travel and self-monitoring your health before arrival. If you experience symptoms, contact the retreat leader and consider adjusting your plans. HEPA air purifiers are available in shared rooms, and mask-wearing is always welcome.
Time and Transportation
The retreat begins at 4:00pm on the first day, and ends after lunch on the last day. If you are flying into Denver, the airport is about 90 minutes from the center, so you should plan on your flight arriving no later than 1:00pm to reach the retreat center on time. Return flights departing from the Denver airport should leave no earlier than 4:30pm, so you can get to the airport on time. Please do not plan on leaving the retreat early or arriving late. If camping, you might want to allow some extra time to set up your tent before the retreat starts.
Please note that the center is at 8500 feet, similar to most Colorado ski towns. If you are concerned about acclimating from sea level, you might consider arriving a day or two in the Denver/Boulder area before the retreat.
Contact
You will be out of contact with no internet access or cellphone service during the retreat. Please complete all personal business before you arrive. The staff will have the ability to make and receive emergency calls or emails on your behalf, but phone and internet are not available for personal use.
Food and Meals
Three simple vegetarian meals a day will be provided from dinner the first day through lunch on the last day. If you want a snack between meals, or supplemental protein such as jerky or packaged fish, you can bring a small quantity of packaged unrefrigerated food. Tea, coffee and such are available all day long, along with some simple snacks such as mixed nuts and fruit. Please do not bring anything that needs refrigeration (medicine excepted). Excessive snacks are unnecessary: if you need a boost, a little gorp or an energy bar is sufficient for most people.
Special Needs
Figuring menus and quantities, shopping, organizing, and cooking are complex and crucial tasks for a retreat. All meals are ovo-lacto vegetarian with vegan and gluten free options available. We can accommodate common food allergies such as gluten or dairy, but not food preferences. Make sure to include on the registration form full details of any special allergy or health needs you have beyond basic vegetarian, and we will contact you if they require discussion.
Helper (Yogi) Jobs
Some of the work necessary to support the group will be handled by participants during the retreat. You will be able to choose your yogi job, and will keep it throughout the retreat. Most participants find serving others in this way quite enjoyable, and a great opportunity for practice in action.
What to Bring: Click Here for a What to Bring List