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Dhamma Dena's 2025 Queer Retreat

A Residential & Online Retreat with Leslie Booker, Ian Challis and assisted by Calvin Burnap

Oct 19 - 25, 2025 | Self-retreat: Oct 25 - Oct 31, 2025

In this 9th iteration of the annual Dhamma Dena Queer Retreat, we will come together as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Gender Expansive, and 2 Spirit Folk and other family on the gender and sexual continuum to practice the Buddha's liberating path. Through noble silence, daily instruction, personal practice, on land affinity groups, and group interviews - we will practice ways for us to do the work of living in a world so in need of love and wise responsiveness.

Continuing teachers Leslie Booker and Ian Challis are happy to welcome again the support of Calvin Burnap.

Disability Accommodations via Zoom

This retreat will hold 12 spaces to accommodate those unable to be on the land due to living with disabilities and/or illness. Zoom participation in a hybrid retreat can be challenging and so we ask for patience with the limitations as we practice together. We ask that those attending online be committed to the full practice schedule as they would be on land, to the best of their ability. Participation in dharma talks, group inquiry and interviews will be supported. Please contact retreats@dhammadena.org with questions or to request a place.

Post retreat self-retreat
To support those who would like additional practice time, we are offering the week after the retreat (October 25th to 31st) for self-retreat with the support of individual practice meetings remotely with the teachers.

Holding 50% of space for BIPOC folks to register

To support Dhamma Dena’s commitment to equity in this practice community, we are holding 50% of available spaces for BIPOC folks. On September 1 unclaimed spaces will be made available for those on the waitlist.

Cost

This retreat is offered on a dana/gift basis. You are invited to offer dana / donations for the retreat costs at any time through Dhamma Dena's Paypal or Venmo. Dhamma Dena is currently supported solely by dana to cover the retreat costs of groceries, utilities, supplies and everything it takes to maintain and run the center year round and continue to offer retreats freely. Community and generosity make this all possible - thank you!

“It is a beautiful quality, an opening of the heart into sharing. It provides an atmosphere of non-separateness and an expression of unity. It is the selfless manifestation of non-greed and non-attachment. It is the practice of all religions and is the basis of all spiritual growth."

― Ruth Denison, on Dana/Generosity

Leslie Booker

Booker is a heart - centered, spirit - driven activist and meditation teacher committed to creating a culture of belonging through her teaching and writing. She completed Spirit Rock’s 4 year Retreat Teacher Training in 2020, and shared the practices of yoga and mindfulness with New York City’s most vulnerable populations for over a decade. Booker has co - authored and contributed to several publications including the trauma - informed anthology Practicing Liberation and its accompanying workbook, for folks working towards social justice. She is a co-founder of the Yoga Service Council at Omega Institute and the Meditation Working Group of Occupy Wall Street. In 2020 she was invited to be a Sojourner Truth Leadership Fellow through Auburn Seminary and was voted by her peers as one of the 12 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement. Booker moved to Philadelphia in August of 2020 to vote in a swing state, and currently serves as the Guiding Teacher of New York Insight.

Ian Challis

Ian Challis is a student and teacher in the Insight Tradition of Buddhism. He is a core teacher, founding member and past guiding teacher of Insight Community of the Desert in Palm Springs, CA. Ayya Khema, Leigh Brasington, Narayan Liebenson, Larry Yang, and Arinna Weisman are the teachers who have most inspired and illuminated his practice and path. Serving and creating space for Queer dharma community is a passion and source of joy, and he is excited to support the continuation of this beautiful and powerful retreat under the skies of the high desert. Ian teaches regular drop-in classes as well as retreats. He is a qualified teacher of MBSR, a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader teacher training, and was formally invited by Arinna Weisman to teach in the lineage of U Ba Khin and Ruth Denison. You can find information on Ian’s work and teaching at www.ianchallis.com

Calvin Burnap

Calvin Burnap is a licensed mental health counselor based in Seattle, Washington. Since 2011 he has worked as a psychotherapist and relationship coach. He also focuses on conflict resolution work for groups and has trained in mediation and circle processes. He became a student of Arinna Weisman in 2017, and has attended the queer retreat at Dhamma Dena annually since 2018, as a student, manager, and assistant teacher. In 2022 he attended a 3-month retreat at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and is currently enrolled in the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders program. Calvin serves on the steering committee of Lotus Insight Sangha, Seattle’s TLGBQIA2S+ sangha. Calvin practices with the dharma in order to face the suffering of the world and take spiritual and direct action. Calvin's work as a therapist, conflict facilitator, and dharma practitioner is guided by his connection to resistance movements working for liberation for all beings.

QUEER RETREAT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are looking for volunteers to run our zoom and tech to include our sangha members who can't be on the land because of disability or illness.

“Volunteering is a chance to contribute and be in a smaller community of practice. I know for me it helped me to feel part of the sangha much more quickly than I would have if I hadn't been volunteering. It meant a lot to me and supported my practices, too. “ -Reed

Zoom Hosts:

To support our retreat to include our sangha members via Zoom, we are looking for 1-2 volunteers to be Zoom Hosts. Having more than two people allows hosts to choose a schedule to alternate zoom hosting duties in support of their practice (e.g. half or full days, on/off). Zoom hosts attend the retreat from remotely via zoom as part of the online spots reserved for those with disabilities.

Zoom hosts duties include:

Put info in chat
Help facilitate sangha sharing (spotlighting members, monitoring the chat)
Adjust Zoom settings as-needed (i.e. opening and closing the chat)
Share screen and sound as-needed to support teachers
Make breakout rooms
Answer tech questions as able
Communicate with the onsite retreat manager

We have several very extraordinary and experienced past Zoom hosts that will do an orientation for you and share how they kept things organized at previous Zoom retreats.

Camera/Computer Operator:

To bring together our online and in-person sangha, we need 2-3 volunteers to operate the streaming camera in the zendo at Dhamma Dena. Volunteers will choose a schedule to alternate camera operation in support of their practice (e.g. half or full days, on/off) and would arrive a day early for the training.

Camera Operator duties include:

Set up camera and computer equipment for streaming over zoom
Keeping teachers and sangha mic’d when speaking
Adjusting camera framing and focus
Navigate tech issues that may arise
Communicate with Zoom hosts

We have several very extraordinary and experienced past camera operators that will do an orientation for you and share how they've set up the tech.

If you would like to volunteer for these services to the sangha, please email retreats@dhammadena.org and tell us a little about your experience with these roles.

Thank you!

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. You may be able to find a pick up at Ontario airport through the retreat rideshare.

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 our incredible cooks. 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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