Metta Retreat

with teacher Melissa Coats

Thursday April 24 - Wednesday April 30, 2025

This retreat is an opportunity for cultivating and deepening Metta (loving-kindness) through continual practice in a supportive container of noble silence. Metta will be offered in the context of the greater path to liberation taught by the Buddha. The retreat will include guided and independent meditation sessions, walking meditation periods, guided movement sessions, individual practice meetings, Dharma talks, sutta reading, and morning/evening Metta chanting. Optional pre-retreat practice discussion and post-retreat online integration will also be offered. A minimum of half of the spaces are allocated for BIPOC. 

This retreat is open to all, offered on a donation basis. It is offered as a gift from donors of the center, volunteers and staff of Dhamma Dena and the teacher who is volunteering. Retreat support and guidance are offered for the benefit of all beings to the best of our abilities. There are no prerequisites, however, we strongly recommend having some experience with mindfulness and metta practices and we ask for your sincere commitment to practice and participation.  

Please read this information packet before registering.

Teacher

Melissa Coats, aka “Mel”, is a devoted, long-time Dharma practitioner, living a life of practice and service. Seven years ago she gave up conventional home life and career to go forth and delve deeply into the Dharma. She has lived in long-term practice at monasteries in Myanmar, including time as an ordained nun, and has given over a year of residential volunteer service to the community at Dhamma Dena. She currently lives giving service at a small Buddhist hermitage for long-term practice. She identifies as mixed-race Asian American and queer, and she was empowered to teach in 2020 by Arinna Weisman.

Retreat Info

Cost of Retreat/Dana

According to the practice of Dana,  part of the Buddhist teachings that have been passed down for over 2,500 years, this retreat is offered freely at no cost. 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. 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. 

The teachers and the center receive no outside compensation, and are supported solely by the community that has experienced the benefit of these teachings and wishes to share that benefit with others, by offering what they can so that these teachings and this retreat center can continue into the future.

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 "Metta 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 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.


I want to come but I can’t afford to get there. Is there any support I can get with travel costs?

The Open Dharma Foundation offers scholarships for helping to cover the cost of travel for retreats. You can apply here: https://opendharmafoundation.org/scholarship

When should I plan to arrive and depart?

Please feel free to arrive anytime during the day before 5pm on the Arrival Day of the retreat. Registration will be from 2-5pm, followed by a light dinner meal at 5:30pm and the retreat opening at 7:30pm. The retreat will end at 11am on the Closing day so please schedule flights at 2pm or later in order to complete the retreat and have time to get to the airport.

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 confirmation form so we can do our best to meet them. We do have kitchens available if your diet requires that you cook your own meal. If you plan to do this, please email us at retreats@dhammadena.org so we can arrange a kitchen for you to use.

Will this retreat be in silence?

Yes, this retreat is conducted in noble silence, as we are embarking on an inward journey. Respect for noble silence offers all meditators the gift of retreat. There are ample opportunities to discuss practice with the teacher, and integration conversation opportunities at the end of the retreat. We enter into noble silence together during the evening session on Arrival Day. After that, please refrain from talking, making gestures, writing notes to other meditators, or interacting. Allow each person to settle into their process without social distraction. Logistical concerns addressed with the manager and logistical speech necessary for yogi jobs are exceptions.

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. Your donations go beyond this one retreat, sustaining the teacher, the cook and the meditation center to continue to offer these teachings freely. We so appreciate your offerings.


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?