Illness touches all of our lives at one time or another. We will become ill ourselves at some point and have to face our vulnerability and our limitations. It’s also likely that we’ll be called upon to be a caregiver for a loved one or a friend, if we haven’t already. Buddhist teachings offer us compassionate and practical wisdom that empowers us to convert challenging situations into transformative learning. Our retreat will include meditation instruction, intensive practice of sitting and walking meditation, dharma talks, and experiential exercises. This is an excellent opportunity to turn fear into loving curiosity and to remember that every experience we have can become grist for the mill of awakening.

Preliminary Retreat Schedule

David Chernikoff is a meditation teacher, spiritual counselor, and life coach who taught psychology and meditation at Naropa University for many years. In the early 1980s, he worked at Ram Dass’s Hanuman Foundation Dying Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico and then became the director of Mesilla Valley Hospice in Las Cruces, N.M. He later spent three years in Nepal doing development work for the Seva Foundation and studying with Tibetan teachers, after which he returned to the U.S. and became the education and training director of the Spiritual Eldering Institute. In that role, he taught conscious aging programs throughout the U.S., in Canada, and in Ireland. David is currently one of the guiding teachers of the Insight Meditation Community of Colorado and has a private practice in Boulder. For more information and sample teachings, please see his website: www.davidchernikoff.com.

For our 2021 at home retreats, three fee tiers are offered. Please choose the option that best fits your ability to give in this time. We are deeply grateful for your support.

Please note that registration fees do not include dana for the teacher or the Center. In the Buddhist tradition the teachings are offered freely and teachers are not paid for their offerings. They rely on dana contributions from students. Similarly, Southern Dharma keeps registration fees low to ensure the Dharma is accessible to all. Fees cover only a fraction of Southern Dharma’s operating expenses. We appreciate your practice of generosity to continue the dissemination of the Dharma!

A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Please indicate your interest in a scholarship during the online registration process.

Southern Dharma is delighted to be presenting this program in collaboration with Sage-Ing International.

Sage-ing International is a non–profit organization dedicated to helping elders (people in the second half of life) reclaim their role as leaders, sharing wisdom and spirit essential to creating a better world for current and future generations.  For more information: https://www.sage-ing.org/