EcoDharma Retreats
Earth Awareness Community Retreats
Sponsored by the BESS Family Foundation
What is “EcoDharma”?
The fusion of traditional Buddhist principles with contemporary ecological awareness, offering guidance and practices for navigating the complex challenges of the 21st-century socio-ecological crisis. Like many indigenous traditions around the world, Zen Buddhism celebrates the fundamental inter-connectedness and Interbeing of all phenomena. The ‘Eco’ paradigm can help us make the shift from ways of living based on hierarchy, control and oppression to those based on co-intelligence, co-operation, mutuality and partnership. Thus, “Ecodharma” encompasses revitalized teachings, insights, frameworks and practices of contemplative traditions, especially Buddhism, through which we can act in these times of polycrisis, a large part of which is ecological-climate crisis.
Earth Awareness Community Retreats are intended to foster community among mindfulness and meditation practitioners and teachers whose work and interests are focused on the intersection of mindfulness, meditation, and climate change. The BESS Family Foundation is sponsoring these retreats. Attendance at retreats is free, other than a refundable deposit due at registration. Travel and other costs are participant responsibilities.
Each retreat will have its own theme and format designed to build and support the earth awareness community. Retreats will provide a space for rejuvenation through practice, ample time for discussion, and opportunities for collaboration. One retreat each year will be by invitation only for trained mindfulness and meditation teachers who are actively teaching. All other retreats are for mindfulness and meditation practitioners and teachers already involved in earth awareness work or who would like to become more involved.
Retreats will be held in 2025 – 2027 at four geographically dispersed retreat centers in order to promote the development of regional earth awareness communities in the United States:
- Northeast Region: Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
- Intermountain West: Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center
- Mid-Atlantic: Seven Oaks Retreat Center
- Pacific / West Coast: Big Springs Retreat Center
Our intention is to foster regional communities, so please apply to the retreat in your geographic area.
To attend a retreat, fill out the application. If your application is approved, you will be invited to register.
