Days
Hours
Mins
Reset and Reconnect: A Five-Day Meditation Retreat
April 29 - May 03, 2026
David Nichtern
René Fay
Noel Coakley
Susan Layden
Brittaney Valentino
Seth Freedman
Eric Gerard
Presented by Dharma Moon in partnership with Tibet House US.In the rush of daily life, it’s easy for meditation practice to get squeezed into the margins — a few minutes here, a half hour there. But something profound happens when we step away from the constant pull of our schedules and devote ourselves fully to practice.In the arc of any practitioner’s journey, periods of sustained, focused practice are vital — they deepen understanding, strengthen mindfulness, and renew inspiration. They allow the mind to settle beyond surface chatter, the heart to open more fully, and insight to deepen in ways that shorter sessions seldom do.This year, Dharma Moon’s 3rd Annual Meditation Retreat at the Menla Institute will focus on the foundations of the path itself, exploring the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as taught in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, one of Buddhism’s central texts. We’ll take a fresh look at these essential teachings, offering beginners a clear foundation and giving experienced meditators the chance to refresh and deepen their practice. Together we’ll explore:ScheduleWednesday, April 29th
What Past Retreat Participants Are Saying
"This retreat was a powerful and inspiring way to deepen my practice, reify the meaning and value of the work, and make my practice more frequent. It also has deepened my sense of community and been a wonderful form of connection. I left revitalized and ready to do great things!" - Derrick
"Honestly the retreat was one of the best experiences I’ve had. It was incredible to practice and connect with folks in such a meaningful way!" - Pat C
"This was my very first meditation retreat, and honestly, it’s been incredibly meaningful. It gave me the chance to really deepen my own practice and feel more connected to the Dharma Moon community in a way I hadn’t experienced before. I’ve told my friends that coming here was the single best thing I’ve done for myself this year—and I truly mean that." - Mike S
"It was so special to be together in person and being able to connect on a deeper level with other attendees. There was something so pure and blissful about being in a community grounded in practice and compassion. I experienced actual grief when it was time to leave but I also felt inspired to participate in and create an in-person sangha back home. I found the teachings from David to be profound and extraordinarily helpful for navigating the world."
"I was able to see myself and to understand meditation deeper than ever. Spending 5 days in such a wonderful environment purified me." - Tetsuro O
"The heart connections I made were profound and transformative. The time spent in meditation and learning in a true communal context lifted me out of my habitual life of anxiety and disconnection as I have been on zoom and isolated for so long for so many things. It has had a lasting effect and one I'd like to repeat at least once a year at Menla." - Cynthia D
"It was a lovely time to connect with teachers, make new friends, be in nature, have some solitude, practice yoga and meditation in community, dance, and learn/experience wind horse meditation." - DB
"The people, teachings, container, conversations, connections (with people and nature) - uniquely touched my heart."
"I loved it! Thank you for organizing such a wonderful and heart forward retreat. The dance party was great too ; )"
"My first retreat ever. Thank you so much for offering the online option. I'm still basking in the glow of the benefits. Much appreciation to all involved.""I was so grateful to be able to feel "part of" the Dharma Moon sangha even though I joined you online from the UK. I dedicated 5 days from home and set up retreat conditions. To be able to be immersed in teachings and many meditation sessions was a real gift. To see and hear the DM team and practice together was wonderful! It meant a great deal to me. Thank you.""This was the best retreat I have ever joined, online or in-person. I felt very comfortable. Thank you for letting me know about it. Big smiles.""It was a very special experience for me. Thank you so much for having the retreat online.""I attended via Zoom but could feel the love and care of this wonderful community throughout. It was great! What an honor to spend time with you all and all the teachers.""All of the formal aspects were WONDERFUL, don't get me wrong, but things like the group of Zoom-ers who hung out for the dance party and got to have our informal breakout group, or how people who were there would always find the camera and wave to us all before the classes would start were extra special. There was a palpable warmth and spaciousness to the experience, even virtually.""I never felt the online experience was “less than” the in-person experience. My heart feels just as open as when I’ve attended in-person retreats as I absorb the material better when not distracted. I do hope to attend in person, however, someday. Very grateful for this offering. Thank you."ABOUT THE TEACHERs
David Nichtern
David Nichtern is the founder and CEO of Dharma Moon - a mindfulness-based education platform and global community. He is a senior teacher in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. This tradition combines a contemporary, secular approach to meditation with the ancient practice...
René Fay
René is the Community Director for Dharma Moon. They are a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and death doula, they studied comparative religion and gender studies, and they earned their black belt at 17. René’s career has a long and extensive history of advocacy, with ...
Noel Coakley
Noel Coakley has over 30 years of experience as a dharma teacher and practitioner, primarily as a student of Yungdrung Bön and Tibetan Buddhist and lineages. For the past 14 years, he has worked as a licensed psychotherapist, specializing in integrating contemplative practice wi...
Susan Layden
Susan Layden is a senior teacher with Dharma Moon, serving as the coordinator of the 100 hr Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program. She has been a close senior student of David Nichtern for over 10 years. She received her 100 hr meditation certificate from David Nichtern...
Brittaney Valentino
Brittaney Valentino is an E-RYT 500, YACEP and mindfulness meditation teacher and owner of Rooted Nest LLC, a yoga and meditation company based in Wilmington, DE. She is also the co-founder of Embodied Mind LLC, a mindfulness-based consulting company. Along with offering online a...
Seth Freedman
Seth Freedman is Dharma Moon's Marketing and Communications Director. A long time student of meditation, he has worked in the field of mindfulness and meditation for over a decade and has built online platforms, created programming, and run marketing for many of the leading teach...
Eric Gerard
Eric has been practicing mindfulness for over a decade and graduated from Dharma Moon's Mindfulnes Meditation Teacher Training in 2024 after many years of private study with Ethan Nichtern. He also completed Dharma Moon's two year Year Long Buddhist Studies course, which has shap...
MENLA
DONATE NOW