We are following COVID-19 protocols

New Year's Retreat

with teachers Dalila Bothwell and René Rivera

Saturday Dec 28, 2024 - Thursday Jan 2nd, 2025

This retreat is currently full with a long waiting list.

Please join us at Dhamma Dena for the annual New Year’s Retreat. This year the retreat will be co-taught by Dalila Bothwell and René Rivera. We will gather together at this significant time to reflect on the past year and create space for the new one. We will call in our intentions, release what is past and be together in community to cultivate hope and change. We will honor the year ending and what it has brought us, including everything, rage, disappointment, resentment, fear, and worry, as well as our satisfaction, joy and contentment.

It is said that our practice is like a bird that needs two wings to fly: wisdom and compassion. Over this retreat we will cultivate these two qualities through the four foundations of mindfulness and the heart practices. This retreat will be held in a silent container with opportunities for community connection through circle (including a recovery circle), ceremony and celebration. We will offer Dhamma talks, sitting and walking meditation, heart-centered practices, and chanting. The deep silence and beauty of the desert will support our practice.

This retreat is appropriate to all practitioners new and experienced. We offer priority registration for BIPOC, Trans, Non-binary, and Gender Non-conforming participants.

Teachers

Dalila Bothwell

Dalila Bothwell’s Dharma-meditation practice lives at the intersection of love for community, land, and 12-step recovery. The granddaughter of Claudia and Gussie Pearl, she finds refuge and hope in the liberation teachings of revolutionary lovers - from the Buddha to bell hooks. During her nearly decade-long tenure as a director for New York Insight Meditation Center, she learned the priceless value of sangha and the role relationships play in embodying the teachings and in creating kinder human beings. Dalila is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders Program, formally educated in nutritional science and food studies and has served with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Insight Meditation Society, and Dharma communities throughout the US. She loves dancing furiously in her kitchen and taking long walks in the Sonoran desert with her handsome pup, Brisco. Dalila believes freedom is a holistic art.

René Rivera

René Rivera is a meditation teacher and restorative justice facilitator working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer Latinx trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people, and offers classes and retreats for many Buddhist centers and groups. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender based violence.

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 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

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?

Loose and comfortable clothes, suitable for both moderate and cold weather
Slip on shoes for going in and out of buildings more easily
Shoes suitable for hiking in the desert
Sunglasses
Sun hat
Sunblock lotion
Water bottle
Flashlight or headlamp
Alarm Clock (we have additional alarm clocks to borrow from the office, as you are asked to check in or put away your mobile phone for the retreat)
Toiletries and personal hygiene products – please avoid all fragrances (see the Fragrance Free Policy)
Warm outerwear as evenings and mornings can be quite chilly in the desert
Optional but highly recommended: fragrance free lip balm, body lotion or oil (skin gets dry in the desert), gloves & scarves, umbrella & rain gear, your personal meditation cushions/benches (the Zendo is well-stocked with a wide variety of these, as well as chairs, so you don't need to bring your own unless you wish)
Sheets and towels will be provided but you’re welcome to bring your own

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