upcoming meditation retreats in the Southeast

Rooted in the Turning World (LGBTQIA+)

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$300–780 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $309-$803.40; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; free work-exchange volunteer slots (prior retreat experience required); teacher dana separate.

Zen and Vipassana · with Em Morrison, Prince M. Levy-Benítez

for LGBTQIA+

Blends Zen and Vipassana practice for the LGBTQIA+ community — meditation, teachings, and community connection to meet life's challenges with dignity and resilience. All experience levels welcome.

verified Sep 7, 2026

The Heart of Our Practice: From Ordinary Mind to Awakening

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$1,300–3,835 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $1339-$3950.05; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; free work-exchange volunteer slots.

Insight/Vipassana · with Donald Rothberg

for experienced practitioners / has prereqs

A two-week program on four core Buddhist practices — concentration, insight into impermanence and non-self, lovingkindness, and non-dual awakened awareness — supported by daily Qigong.

verified Sep 7, 2026

Awakening the Feminine Buddha: From Tara and Kwan Yin to Our Own Embodied Wisdom

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$500–1,475 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $515-$1519.25; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; free work-exchange volunteer slots.

Feminine Buddha traditions (Tara, Kuan Yin) · with Lisa Ernst

Explores embodied awakening through Feminine Buddha traditions — Tara and Kuan Yin — cultivating wisdom, compassion, and fearless responsiveness for navigating an unsettled world.

verified Sep 7, 2026

Zen and the Undoing of Doing — a Body/Mind Retreat

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$500–1,300 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $515-$1339; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; free work-exchange volunteer slots.

Zen · with Rev. Teijo Munnich, Meredith McIntosh

Integrates Zen meditation with Alexander Technique, drawing on Dogen's teaching of body-mind harmony — dharma talks, meditation instruction, and hands-on guidance during sitting and work periods.

verified Sep 7, 2026

A Life that Works

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$540–1,180 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $412-$1215.40; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; free work-exchange volunteer slots (prior experience required).

Cross-tradition Buddhist · with David McKay

Explores how dedicated Dharma practice deepens peace, developing inner meditation skills and outer capacities for living with integrity and conscious awareness in daily life.

verified Sep 7, 2026

Jhanas, Metta, and Emptiness

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$1,000–2,050 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $1030-$2678; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; free work-exchange for experienced volunteers.

Insight/Theravada · with Mary Aubry

for experienced practitioners / has prereqs

A ten-day retreat developing the jhanas through sustained sitting practice, alongside teachings on the Four Noble Truths, impermanence, dependent origination, and emptiness, with daily metta.

verified Sep 7, 2026

Grounding in Presence, Compassion, and Wise Intention

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$500–1,475 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $515-$1519.25; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; free work-exchange volunteer slots.

Cross-tradition Buddhist · with Eve Decker, Lev Michael Moses

Explores presence and radical kindness through meditation, developing clarity and equanimity while engaging intention as a transformative force, drawing on Buddhist teachings about karma.

verified Sep 7, 2026

2027 Month-Long Retreat at Southern Dharma

full (waitlist open)

Southern Dharma Retreat Center — Hot Springs, NC

$2,200–5,720 · + dana · scholarships · sliding scale

Sliding scale $3090-$8034; 25%/50% lodge scholarships; lowest tier is tent on ground/platform.

Insight/Vipassana · with Rupert Marques, Kerstin Deibert

for experienced practitioners / has prereqs

A month-long mostly-silent retreat with weekly group inquiry and individual meetings, emphasizing mindfulness foundations and connection with the natural world, plus a daily work period.

verified Sep 7, 2026