Summer Natural Meditation Retreat (Hybrid)

The Summer Natural Meditation Retreat is a week-long Mahamudra meditation retreat in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, held at Wonderwell in Springfield, New Hampshire, and also available online by Zoom. It is the annual summer retreat of the Margha Program at Natural Dharma Fellowship, and it is open to everyone, with no prior practice required.

The retreat is led by Lama Liz Monson and Lama Gursam. Together they guide participants through meditation, teachings and contemplation that draw on Mahamudra and point toward the present, fresh wakefulness of our intrinsic buddha nature.

What to Expect

The week centers on the Mahamudra techniques of Vipashyana, often translated as insight or clear seeing. These practices are meant to strengthen our capacity to experience reality directly and completely, beyond the veils of misunderstanding and conceptuality that usually shape what we perceive. The days combine sitting meditation, teachings from the lamas, and periods of contemplation. The retreat runs for seven days, and you can take part in person or from home.

A daily schedule has not yet been published. Registration details and session times will follow.

About Lama Liz Monson

Lama Liz Monson is a lama, the managing teacher and a spiritual co-director at Natural Dharma Fellowship. She is one of the teachers who now transmit the Margha Program's teachings at its retreats. Margha means "path" in Sanskrit, and the two-year program alternates between Natural Meditation and Bodhicitta, using meditations adapted from traditional Himalayan Buddhist training.

About Lama Gursam

Lama Gursam joins the retreat as a visiting teacher. Visiting lamas are part of how the Margha Program is carried forward, sharing the teachings alongside Lama Liz at the program's retreats.

The Setting

Wonderwell Mountain Refuge is the retreat center of Natural Dharma Fellowship, a community based in Springfield, New Hampshire. The fellowship describes its approach as natural meditation, inspired by the natural world, and the retreat is held in that spirit. Those who cannot travel can follow the same retreat online via Zoom, so the hybrid format keeps it within reach of practitioners far from New England.

Before You Go

The retreat is open to all levels. Newcomers are welcome, and so are seasoned practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of Mahamudra. The Margha Program as a whole is built for both. If you plan to attend in person, check the registration details once they are announced for information on lodging, meals and what to bring. Questions about registration can go to the fellowship's registration office.