Life is About Connection: Using Somatics and Metta

with teacher Sakti Rose

February 14 - 17, 2025

This course is designed to help us heal from blockages to our development on all layers - psychologically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Using somatic and meditative techniques, we can begin to heal the wounds from ancient and more recent traumatic events. We can rediscover safety and resilience instead of reenacting automatic patterns of flight, fight, and freeze. Our two days plus two half days together will be filled with meditation, mindful movement, applied somatics (body informed), group interaction, dyads, and

creative expression. Through simple embodied practices, we can reawaken safety and joy in each moment and thereby reconnect to our innate wisdom and authentic self.


Who is this course designed for:


The course is for those who already have a dharma practice and are interested in the somatic work of releasing and uncovering patterns from the past that block our progress in our spiritual journey.


The schedule for the course will include morning and evening silence. This course will not be in total silence - although we will have complete silence in the dining area, in our sleeping areas, and in meditative sessions, in mornings and evenings. Early morning movement and formal meditation, followed by silent breakfast, yogi jobs. A more detailed schedule will appear a little before the course begins.


Zendo time will include didactic and experiential exercises, relational exercises, Q&A, and periods of metta and silent and guided periods of formal meditation practice. I offer this course to further expand your awareness of your unique embodiment and ability for self healing in a field of safety. It is an entrée into the first foundation of mindfulness. 


If you have not spent time in the high desert at Dhamma Dena, it is a rare chance to be enriched by the beauty and spacious vistas of the desert landscape.

Teachers

Sakti Rose, M.A., S.E.P studied and taught meditation under the guidance of Ruth Denison beginning in 1995. Sakti is a senior Somatic Experiencing practitioner and teacher, helping individuals suffering from symptoms of stress and trauma. She trained directly with Peter Levine, the Somatic Experiencing founder. She graduated Naropa Institute in Contemplative Psychotherapy. She has taught skills joining healing and meditation at Spirit Rock since 2008. She taught on the faculty of Karuna Training and has practiced Tibetan Buddhism since 1974 with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and many great antique masters in the US and Asia. She is currently a student of Ven. Tsoknyi Rinpoche. www.saktirose.org

Retreat Info

Dana

This retreat is offered freely at no cost. Dana is a word in the ancient Pali language which means Generous Giving, which the Buddha tells us is a heart quality that arises from our gratitude and deep connection to each other.  All of the teachers on this retreat are offering their time and knowledge on a Dana basis and receive no compensation.  The practice of Dana, is part of the Buddhist legacy that has been passed down for over 2,500 years, beginning in Asia and continuing till today. Historically, teachers at monasteries would offer teachings out of generosity, and the community would support the teachers and the centers, generously giving to the level of their ability.

The teachers and the center, in offering the teachings and retreat freely, are acting in a manner that reflects their alignment with the Buddhist teachings and their mutual interdependence with the community. In addition, the practice of Dana invites us to disrupt the transactional consumer economy where everything and everyone is commodified and to live into a world where we can support all beings, and the planet, through generosity and care. You can make donations to Dhamma Dena at any time through paypal or venmo, or by sending a check to: Dhamma Dena, PO Box 183, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. Please write "New Years Retreat" in the memo. You are invited to offer the teachers and the cook dana at the end of the retreat.

Covid Protocols

In order to attend this retreat, a negative Covid-19 rapid test upon arrival is required.

Please review our full COVID-19 Protocols for a residential retreat here.

Important Dhamma Dena Policies

Before attending a retreat at Dhamma Dena, please also review our important policies.

Questions? Please contact us at retreats@dhammadena.org

Retreat FAQ

What time should I plan to arrive and depart?

The retreat begins the evening of February 14th and ends at lunch on February 17th.  Please feel free to arrive anytime during the day before 5pm on Friday, February 14th so that you can acclimate to your housing, our center, and the desert. We’ll be doing registration from 2-5pm, followed by a light dinner meal at 5:30pm, and the retreat orientation at 7:15pm after the meal. The retreat will close before lunch on Monday, February 17th. If you would like to arrive a day early or stay a day later to help with set up and clean up please email us at retreats@dhammadena.org. 

What is the nearest airport to the center?

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP). Ontario (ONT) is the second closed aiport (about an hour and a half away) and sometimes has cheaper flight options, however we are unable to do pick ups and drop offs there.

Will I be able to get a ride to and from the airport to the center?

We offer rides to and from the Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) for $30 each way. You can specify that you need to be picked up or dropped off in your registration and we will contact you to arrange that. You can also email us at retreats@dhammadena.org. Please be prepared to wait for consolidated pick-ups and drop-offs and please avoid late night or early morning arrivals and departures. There will also be a retreat carpool/ride share and encourage retreatants to support each other and the center by offering each other rides to and from the retreat.

Does this retreat include food and lodging? What will those be like?

Yes, this retreat includes lodging and 3 vegetarian meals daily, prepared by retreat cook extraordinaire, Parisa Ghaderi. Dhamma Dena has been lovingly (and often creatively) built by Ruth Denison’s students over the course of the last forty years. The structures and atmosphere can be described as rustic, quirky, beautiful and a work in progress. There is a main house where the kitchen and the office are located, the zendo (or meditation hall), two main houses for retreatants, as well as a range of other structures and trailers to stay in. On the grounds, there is also a walking labyrinth as well as four outhouses, two outdoor showers and a bathhouse.  Residents are provided with either their own room or trailer or a shared room or trailer and access to single stall shared bathrooms as well as outhouses and outdoor showers around the land. Housing options depend on what is available at the time you arrive. Please let us know if you have accessibility needs around your housing before you come. We have a very limited number of single rooms, so please only request this if it is absolutely necessary for you. Camping on the land or staying in your van/RV are also options.

I’m on a special diet. Will I be able to cook my own meals?

Food provided for retreatants will include options for a variety of diets, and we ask that you indicate your dietary needs in the registration form so we can meet them. We do have kitchens available if your diet requires that you cook your own meal. Please indicate this is what you plan to do on your registration form (or email us at retreats@dhammadena.org) so we can arrange a kitchen for you to use.

How much dana should I give?

There is no one answer to this question. We encourage you to give dana according to your heart and your means and to cultivate and appreciate the beautiful quality of generosity within. The center, the teachers and the cooks offer their services freely and receive no payment other than what the community gives to support them and to support the teachings to continue to be given freely into the future.

Can I bring my dog or pet?

No, we cannot accommodate dogs or other pets on this retreat. If you have a service animal as described in the American Disabilities Act, please let us know as soon as possible so we can reserve you an appropriate room.

Is this retreat wheelchair accessible? Will it meet my access needs?

Yes, the facilities are wheelchair accessible, offering two ADA bedrooms and bathrooms and a fragrance free environment. Please let us know your access needs when registering. Dhamma Dena is committed to making the center accessible to all who would like to come.

What do I need to bring?