Southern Dharma Retreat Center

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Welcome Home

Southern Dharma Retreat Center offers rustic and intimate teacher-led retreats grounded in Buddhist practice traditions with a unifying thread of meditation, contemplation, and silence.

2025 Retreat Schedule Preview

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Newsletter

The Southern Dharma Newsletter is a great way to keep up with our Center,
hear about upcoming programs, and stay connected with our community.

@southerndharma on Instagram

southerndharma

Southern Dharma offers meditation retreats and programs from a variety of lineages in Buddhist and related traditions.

Today's the day! At 2 pm EST we open registration Today's the day! At 2 pm EST we open registration for our fall and winter retreats, featuring new and familiar teachers. Link in Bio for more details!

September 11 - 14: Dr Hun Lye, "An Introduction to Mahāmudrā"

September 16 - 21: Spring Washam, "The Dharma of Harriet Tubman: Liberation as a Path to Awakening" - BIPOC Retreat

September 24 - October 1: Donald Rothberg, "The Heart of Practice: Awakening and the End of Dukkha (or Reactivity)"

October 22 - 26: Lisa Ernst, "Kwan Yin and Embodying Deep Wisdom and Compassion: A Retreat for Women" - Women's Retreat

October 29 - November 2: Em Morrison and La Sarmiento, "Sashay Away From The Fray: Finding True Refuge Amongst the Defiantly Fabulous" - LGBTQIA+ Retreat

November 5 - 9: John Orr and Venerable Somasihi Bhikkhuni, "Thai Forest Lineage Retreat"

November 13 - 16: Mikey Livid and Rachael Tanner-Smith, "Get Your Mind Right: A Young People’s Retreat on the Four Great Efforts" - Under 35

November 21 - 23: Fall Work Weekend with Staff

December 10 - 14: David McKay, "Be Who You Are, Live From the Heart"

**Please note that registration for our New Years retreat with Fresh "Lev" White and Eve Decker (December 27 - Jan 1) will open on June 1. Details to come!
Join us in practice this summer! Retreat Registrat Join us in practice this summer! Retreat Registration opens tomorrow at 2pm. Link to register in bio!
We are hiring! Interested in work that supports yo We are hiring!
Interested in work that supports your practice? 
Looking for a Sangha of goofy colleagues who gather in service to the Dharma?
Yearning to live in the mountains of North Carolina?
Join us! You can find more information on our website.
southerndharma.org/current-openings
Come in out of the cold! Join us at Integrated Dha Come in out of the cold! Join us at Integrated Dharma with David McKay tonight and every Sunday at 6pm.

📍 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC 28804
New retreats for this summer are released! Take ti New retreats for this summer are released! Take time to explore what our teachers have to offer, and mark your calendars for our summer retreat registration day on March 1. Link in Bio!
You’re important to our work and community, so w You’re important to our work and community, so we wanted you to be the first to know about this change taking place at Southern Dharma. Please read on for a special message from Sonia and the Board. Check our announcement in the link in our bio!
Happy New Year! May this year be the world's most Happy New Year! May this year be the world's most awakened and aware yet. If you'd like to join us on retreat in 2025, registration is now open! Retreats fill quickly, so be sure to register soon.

Link to website and retreat calendar in bio!
Mark your calendars and set your alarms, registrat Mark your calendars and set your alarms, registration for all retreats from February - June opens tomorrow at 2pm! See you in peace in 2025 🙏
Our mission is to provide a place of refuge and a Our mission is to provide a place of refuge and a sacred container for spiritual practices of Noble Silence, meditation, reflection, and mindful awareness. This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to support your practice and the practice of others by supporting Southern Dharma. #GivingTuesday
There is still space left to register for Lama Rod There is still space left to register for Lama Rod's daylong retreat in Asheville next weekend! We also have special registrations reserved to welcome our LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC sangha members. Find out more information and register through our website - Link in Bio. See you there!
Dear friends of Southern Dharma Oasis, With sadne Dear friends of Southern Dharma Oasis,

With sadness, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are suspending our Free Store and all programming.  Certain programs have been relocated to other sites.

You may continue to make use of the potable water on the side of the building at any time. We are not accepting any donations of supplies, including clothing. Please do not leave any items outside the building. If you have questions about any of the upcoming events or you need supplies, kindly email info@southerndharma.org.

We will communicate regarding next steps through our email newsletter. You can subscribe at our website: www.southerndharma.org

With Metta,

Southern Dharma Staff
Over the last few weeks, we’ve delivered 100+ pr Over the last few weeks, we’ve delivered 100+ propane heaters to folks without power, including Weaverville’s Hillside Community in Weaverville, who are trying to rebuild their historic community center.
Find more about them at savehillside.org
🪷 TODAY! 🪷 Open House and Song Circle at Sou 🪷 TODAY! 🪷 Open House and Song Circle at Southern Dharma Oasis. Join us for some snacks and some songs, visit with the staff and volunteers and tour the space if you haven't been able to drop by yet. Light refreshments at 12:00, the song circle begins at 1:00. See you there!
Our Hurricane Helene Work Retreat has begun! Here Our Hurricane Helene Work Retreat has begun! Here is Huxley Coulter, one of our team leads for the retreat, geared up and ready to serve. Interested in volunteering? There's still time to sign up! Find more information at our website, linked in our bio.
Instagram post 17936769404928665 Instagram post 17936769404928665
Four hours and four hardy volunteers later, our v Four hours and four hardy volunteers later,  our volunteer chainsaw team cleared out fallen trees from Hurricane Helene off our SDRC founder Liz Kent’s property. Thanks, team!
☕️ ✨ today at 3pm ✨☕️ Local grief wor ☕️ ✨ today at 3pm ✨☕️

Local grief worker and facilitator Ekua Adisa has transformed one room in Oasis into a nurturing space for people to rest, reflect, and create. The Healing Space will now be open from 3-6pm every Tuesday-Saturday. Come rest and lay down your burdens in a spot of stillness with us.
📣We are looking for more local volunteers to re 📣We are looking for more local volunteers to redistribute supplies throughout the region! 📣

We have a particular need for volunteers who are proficient in Spanish, but all local volunteers are welcome. If you can help, please come to our Southern Dharma Oasis distribution site between 3-6pm Tuesdays through Saturdays at 150 Westwood Pl, Asheville, NC 28806.
Come join us for Integrated Dharma in our light-fi Come join us for Integrated Dharma in our light-filled meditation hall at Southern Dharma Oasis. (The plants are loving it!)

🪷 Where 🪷 Southern Dharma Oasis, 150 Westwood Pl. Asheville NC 28806
🪷 When 🪷 Sunday 10/26 at 6pm
🪷 Who 🪷 Teacher David McKay
And if you're wondering why folks in the Asheville And if you're wondering why folks in the Asheville area need water pumps, this is what our public utility water looks like straight out of the faucet. These hand washing stations from Down River Equipment let us wash our dishes and hands with potable water (trucked on site by BeLoved Asheville) and keep our community healthy and well.
How do you wash your hands without clean water? Ho How do you wash your hands without clean water? How do you wash dishes? Our retreat manager Dagny Deutchman knew just the thing from her years working as a river guide: A foot-pump hand wash station by @downriverequipment. @nrsweb donated four hand washing stations to us for Southern Dharma Oasis to use while we continue our aid distribution efforts after Hurricane Helene.
With hundreds of people in attendance and faith te With hundreds of people in attendance and faith teachers from different backgrounds represented, the Candlelight Vigil held by the @cityofasheville was a beautiful success. We were thrilled to see Venerable Pannavati act as one of the faith leaders for the event. Venerable Pannavati is ordained in both Theravada and Chan traditions, and is the founder and Abbott of Embracing Simplicity Hermitage in Hendersonville, NC.
Three weeks of smiles from Southern Dharma’s wor Three weeks of smiles from Southern Dharma’s work since Hurricane Helene! 🪷💚🪷
Today is the SDRC team's first day off since Hurri Today is the SDRC team's first day off since Hurricane Helene hit.
As we move into longer-term restoration and recovery, we hope for our community and the greater community of western Carolina to find respite.
We'll be back open tomorrow at 3 pm to accept volunteers and offer materials to anyone who needs them!

info@southerndharma.org

1661 West Road
Hot Springs, NC 28743

828-622-7112

Meditation
Contemplation
Silence
Awakening
For the Benefit of All Beings

Copyright © 2025 Southern Dharma Retreat Center