For more than 30 years, Southern Dharma Retreat Center (SDRC) has offered affordable, teacher-led retreats in a variety of spiritual traditions with a unifying thread of meditation, contemplation, and silence. Voted one of the top eleven retreat centers in the country by readers of Tricycle magazine in 2009, SDRC is proud of its tradition of excellence in providing a comfortable gathering place in a safe and secluded mountain environment removed from the distractions of everyday life where new and renowned teachers come to share their insight and wisdom. At Southern Dharma an atmosphere of peace and tranquility prevails, offering opportunities for quiet reflection and enabling one to uncover truths within the heart that can lead to personal growth and transformation.

The center was founded in 1978 and incorporated in North Carolina as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1990. It is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, about an hour northwest of Asheville by car, on a large preserve of forest land adjacent to the Pisgah National Forest. The natural beauty of the setting contributes immeasurably to the Southern Dharma retreat experience, as do the lovingly-prepared vegan meals and attentive staff. Retreats are small, with generally fewer than 25 participants. Most include opportunities for individual or small-group meetings with teachers.

You will find the complete schedule of 2010 teacher-led retreats on this website, along with a registration page. We invite you to explore the rich variety of offerings available from March through December. You will find Buddhist retreats in the Soto Zen, American Zen, Vipassana, New Kadampa, Won-Buddhism, and Thich Nhat Hanh traditions, along with Sufi Dances of Universal Peace, universal chanting, insight dialogue, and a retreat on Buddhism and the Twelve-Steps. There are retreats varying in length from two to seven nights, retreats for advanced practitioners and for beginners, a retreat for women and another focusing on healing meditation. We hope you will find something just right for you.