Labor Day Retreat with Lama Willa (Hybrid)

This hybrid meditation retreat with Lama Willa Blythe Baker takes place over three nights at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, New Hampshire. It centers on loving awareness and the innate awakened nature, drawing on the Tibetan Buddhist and Dzogchen traditions. Beginners and experienced practitioners are both welcome, and people can attend in person or online by Zoom.

This is one of only two retreats with Lama Willa at Wonderwell offered in 2027, which makes it a rare chance to practice with her at the refuge itself.

What to Expect

Lama Willa guides the retreat through teachings on loving awareness, presented as an accessible path rather than a distant ideal. The emphasis is on the awakened nature that is already present in each person, and on practices that help us recognize it. Because the retreat is open to all levels, the teaching is meant to meet newcomers and long-time meditators alike.

The retreat runs in a hybrid format. Some people will be together at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge, and others will take part from home through Zoom. A daily schedule has not yet been published.

About Lama Willa Blythe Baker

Lama Willa Blythe Baker is a lama, founding teacher and spiritual co-director at Natural Dharma Fellowship, a community in Springfield, New Hampshire, whose retreat center is Wonderwell Mountain Refuge. The fellowship describes its approach as natural meditation, inspired by the natural world.

She originally crafted the teachings of the fellowship's Margha Program. Margha means "path" in Sanskrit. The two-year program alternates between Natural Meditation and Bodhicitta, drawing on meditations adapted from traditional Himalayan Buddhist training, and it is open to newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike. Lama Liz Monson and visiting lamas now transmit these teachings at the program's retreats. Lama Willa also teaches in the fellowship's Natural Freedom Dzogchen Program, also known as the Natural Freedom Sangha.

The Setting

Wonderwell Mountain Refuge is the retreat center of Natural Dharma Fellowship, in the town of Springfield in New Hampshire. The fellowship's emphasis on natural meditation, inspired by the natural world, gives a sense of the spirit of the place. For those who cannot travel, the Zoom option brings the retreat to them.

Before You Go

No previous experience is required. The retreat is described as open to both beginners and experienced practitioners, so you can come as you are. Further details and registration information are still to come, and questions can be directed to the fellowship's registration team.