Dharma School Retreat
Realize and Rise to Your Purpose
May 25-29, 2023
Join us on beautiful Oswego Lake for 5 days designed to help you awaken, inspire and activate your purpose
Enjoy 5 days of guided meditation, journal writing, deep conversation, and heartful connection. Relax on the lakefront, sip tea, and immerse yourself in a rich experience that will nourish you the very moment you arrive.
About the Dharma School Retreat
In his book The Great Work of Your Life, Stephen Cope guides you in discovering the deep purpose hidden at the very core of yourself. He points to the key unlocking this mystery – the 2,000-year-old philosophical text, the Bhagavad Gita. We’ll dive deep into Cope’s book to explore the four pillars of this epic allegory about the path of dharma.
Dharma has its roots in Sanskrit. According to Stephen Cope, "Dharma means, variously, "path," "teaching," or..."sacred duty." You might also call it your "calling," "purpose," or "sacred service." It is not to be confused with passion or your vocational duty, although some believe there is no higher calling than to serve others by way of following your dharma.
As Stephen puts it: “Dharma gives us the one thing we need to be fully human: Each of us must have one domain, one small place on the globe where we can fully meet life – where we can meet it with every gift we have. One small place where, through testing ourselves, we can know the nature of life, and ultimately know ourselves. This domain, this one place that is uniquely ours, is our work in the world.”
With Andrea and Kristin as your guides, you’ll advance your understanding of your signature calling to find more alignment, meaning and purpose in all that you do. You’ll gain a variety of insights and tools to help you awaken and energize your calling in this unprecedented time.
Is this the right experience for you?
Are you a woman+ or nonbinary folk?
Are you someone who is living your life with intention and actively feeling into your higher purpose?
Do you desire to deepen your personal contemplative practices?
Are you stuck at a crossroad of indecision, doubt or confusion?
Do you believe that being here on this planet at this moment is a gift and has meaning that is greater than you?
“This is a retreat for seekers, those interested in next level understanding of their true self. I now know what actions are aligned with my dharma, my true self, and my desires. I cannot recommend staying in the house enough – total creature comforts and Zen environment the entire time!”
– Jennifer B.
“Your dharma is your way of staying connected with your True Nature. It is the particular way in which you can devote your life to the welfare of all beings. Your dharma is your very own way of expressing the Truth … Dharma is your path home.”
- Stephen Cope
Our 5 Days Together
Day 1: Welcome To Your Retreat
Doors open at noon on Day One with the soothing backdrop of the surrounding water. Settle in, meet your community of fellow seekers, take in the views or go for a walk, pour yourself a cup of tea, and prepare yourself for a full five days of nourishment. Together, we’ll enjoy a welcoming afternoon and dinner to get acquainted with our environs and each other.
Day 2: Discernment
How does one know their dharma? What is this one place on the globe where you can fully meet life with every gift you have that Stephen Cope points to in his book? How will you know if you’ve got it right? How will you know it’s enough? Together, we’ll delve into this sacred journey of discerning one’s own dharma – the much needed work in the world that only you can do.
Day 3: Doubt
We’ll explore how doubt is an outer sign pointing to an inner struggle that is simply seeking your attention. It’s all too easy to sit at a crossroads of indecision and doubt due to common forms of fear, unworthiness, or a lack of certainty. You’ll learn about common ways many of us deny our dharma – whether we know it or not – and how to finally cast light into the darkness and dispel doubt.
Day 4: Dharma
The monk and mystic Thomas Merton wrote: “If we are eager to have everything, we will almost certainly miss the one thing we need.” Amidst the modern-day messaging that constantly demands we need something more, new, or different, you’ll discover why dharma is the only thing the world requires of you – it is THE thing your life is made of.
Day 5: One Final Sit
Our final morning concludes with one last morning meditation and a delicious brunch. Close your retreat with a full belly and heart, new friends, and greater awareness, feeling fortified with potent insights and tools to continue your path of dharma.
Arrive between noon and 1:30pm on Day 1 and check-out at 12pm on Day 5.
Each full retreat day includes group sessions of meditation, self inquiry, writing, coaching, wholesome food and drink, and a few surprises along the way.
“I was slightly nervous as this was my first retreat ever, but all of the women were so welcoming and put me at ease quickly. I can honestly say I walked away with a clear vision of my dharma. I had been unable to put words to it my whole life or create a clear understanding of it, and now I have that. Every detail of the retreat was so incredible … the location was like heaven on earth!”
– Sophia S.
What’s Included
5 days on Oswego Lake
Join your guides, Andrea Leda and Kristin Fritz, and a small group of other women+ for 5 days in Kristin’s newly built lakefront home, located on Oswego Lake, just a few miles outside of Portland, Oregon.
Daily Meditation
Each day will begin with a period of silence prior to our group session so you can tee up your day with reverence. Throughout the day, Kristin will intuitively guide us, weaving in periods of guided and/or silent meditation to facilitate our processes and foster an understanding of your own dharma.
Journal Writing
Enjoy daily Brave Page practices. This is journal writing like you’ve never experienced before. Andrea will support your personal exploration each day with guided journal sessions.
Group Gathering Spaces
Spend time in group coaching and conversation, guided by Kristin and Andrea. Group sessions are purposefully designed to guide you through each of our three pillars: Discernment, Doubt, and Dharma.
Sound Bath
Overlooking the water from Kristin’s one-of-a-kind meditation studio, you’ll be immersed in the vibrational healing of sound therapy. Designed to call forth those deeper aspects of the self that ache to be seen, Kristin’s sound bath will help facilitate your discernment of dharma.
Meals & Sit-Down Dinners
Wholesome food enhances our capacity for a wholesome experience. All meals and snacks will be selected with this in mind. Resident guests will enjoy a daily breakfast bar and all guests will be treated to vegetarian lunches by Brittany Soleil and sit-down dinners by Laura and Rachel of Two Spoons Catering.
Upon registration, you’ll have the opportunity to make known any dietary needs.
A Fully Guided Experience
If you’re looking for a retreat filled with unstructured time and space for you to do your own thing then please know this is not the retreat for you. This experience is fully guided to support you as you excavate deeper levels in service to your dharma alongside a community of like-hearted women+ who are there to do the same.
Welcome to the Lake House on Oswego Lake
Join us and a small group of other women+ for 5 days in Kristin’s newly built lakefront home, located on Oswego Lake, just a few miles outside of Portland, Oregon.
Reserve either resident or non-resident guest option
Resident Reservation
Resident guests are reserved in their own private guest suite, each with a luxurious king size bed and its own bathroom, featuring spa robes and fresh flowers.
Enjoy the indoor-outdoor flow of the spacious common areas, appointed with comfy furniture and cozy throws. Oswego Lake surrounds the property on three sides, providing a stunning backdrop from multiple viewpoints. Every detail of these accommodations is thoughtfully selected to support you on this journey.
Your resident reservation includes 4 nights and 5 days of accommodation, access to the gym, hot tub, therapeutic biomat sessions, all meals, snacks, beverages and libations … and a few surprises along the way.
*Not included: Flights/travel to and from retreat location; airport transportation; optional food, drink or activities outside of planned meals and itinerary.
$3,500 per person
Non-Resident Reservation
Non-resident guests will enjoy the full amenities of the lake house including the meditation studio, waterfront patios, a hot tub, fire pit, and two wonderfully prepared meals each day.
Your non-resident reservation includes the full retreat itinerary, access to the lake house grounds, lunch and dinner on full retreat days plus snacks, beverages and libations.
Non-resident guests can arrive each day at 7:30am to settle in prior to our morning meditation at 8am and depart in the late evening following dinner and a few evening surprises.
$1,900 per person
Deposits, Payments, & Cancelations
Your Deposit
A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot. After we receive your deposit, you will be sent an email confirmation.
Payment
Once your non-refundable deposit is paid, you will pay the remaining balance in full on May 10, 2023.
For those who register on or by April 10, you may select the 2-pay plan with payments due April and May 10, 2023.
Cancelations
If you cancel your enrollment on or before April 10, 2023 we will offer a full refund of your initial payment less your non-refundable deposit. No refunds will be offered after April 10, 2023.
Regarding COVID-19 (and variants)
In the event that this retreat must be canceled, we will offer a full refund, including your deposit. We are unable, however, to refund your airfare. We strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance.
Please note: At this time we are requesting that all retreat attendees be fully vaccinated and be prepared to show proof of vaccination during the retreat if requested by outside vendors.
“It was truly one of the most memorable and transformative experiences I have ever had. Kristin and Andrea were amazing – so warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. Kristin's home was beyond amazing. Peaceful, calm, beautiful, warm and homey. The perfect backdrop for a perfect experience! I am definitely more at peace with where I am in my life situation at this point in time.”
– Missi V.
FAQ’S
I’m not a meditator, so will I enjoy this retreat?
You don’t need to be a “meditator” to get the most from this retreat. Kristin thoughtfully holds space for anyone to connect within, regardless of their level of experience. If you are a life seeker who is ready to let go of any resistance holding you back, then you’re in the right space.
What is the refund policy?
If you cancel your enrollment on or before April 10, 2023, Andrea Leda, LLC, will offer a full refund of your initial payment less your non-refundable deposit. No refunds will be offered after April 10, 2023.
How does the 2-pay plan work?
For those who register by or before April 10, you may choose the 2-pay plan. Your two payments are due on April 10 and May 10, 2023. Your payments are minus your $500 non-refundable deposit and both payments must be complete by May 10, 2022.
I’m coming from out of town, where do I fly into?
The closest airport is Portland International Airport (PDX), which is approximately 30 minutes from Lake Oswego.
What dietary restrictions can be accommodated?
We can accommodate most dietary restrictions. Once your deposit is received, you will complete a questionnaire informing us of your dietary needs.
What’s not included?
Travel to and from our retreat spot in Lake Oswego, airfare to and from Portland International Airport (PDX), airport transfers, travel insurance, and optional food, drinks and activities not outlined in our retreat itinerary or food plan.