Calling all children of the Afrikan Diaspora; calling all folx of Afrikan descent. In the USA, February’s the time to celebrate Black History month. It’s a time we remember our rich global histories, and celebrate our resilience, resistance, creativity and joy. Join us for a four day in-person healing retreat acknowledging our diverse ancestral lineages, historic and contemporary Buddha-dharma teachers, and personal and social identities.
In these challenging and difficult times, let’s remember sacred connection, and loving kindness. Let’s review the wisdom that enables us to survive and thrive in a beautiful, hostile, and holy world – and generate visions for the future in which we want to live. We’ll use embodied prayers to call in our ancestors, the elements, and our planetary kin; we’ll ground in the generative power of the land, our holy and creative body-minds, and the healing medicine found in meditation, ritual, movement, writing, drumming, chant, and story-sharing.
Our co-facilitators, Buddhist meditation teachers, Vimalasara, Arisika, and Aleta, offer teachings based in Buddhist and Afrikan Diasporic wisdom traditions. They have offered monthly Afrikan Wisdom classes for the past four years and have worked for decades in service to the healing of peoples of Afrikan descent. We welcome all folx of Afrikan descent including those who identify as multi-racial, biracial, multicultural, and white adopted.
Vimalasara aka Valerie Mason-John is the award winning author of 11 books. They are an ordained buddhist working in the field of trauma, addiction and Afrikan Wisdom. Trained in mindfulness, pranayama breathing, five rhythms and exploring shamanism, they integrate these teachings through the lens of Afrikan Wisdom. They are a founding facilitator of Compassionate Inquiry and have achieved level one in internal Family systems. They have a private practice and work as an international public speaker as well as leading retreats in North America, Mexico, Europe and England
Arisika Razak:Arisika Razak, MPH, Core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center is the former Chair of the Women's Spirituality Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She served as an inner city nurse midwife for over two decades and her teachings incorporate diverse spiritual traditions, women's health and healing, multicultural feminisms, queer theory and diversity theory. Arisika has led national and international healing workshops, and ritual celebrations for over four decades; she has contributed to numerous books and publications and continues to present at online and in-person conferences on the subjects of Afrikan wisdom traditions, Buddhism and womanism and embodied spiritual traditions. She is a graduate of the Spirit Rock Dedicated Practitioner Program, the Mindfulness Teacher Certification Program and the Embodied Social Justice Certificate Program.
Aleta Toure:
Aleta Toure'. East Bay Meditation Center Visiting Teacher, bears witness as a vessel for social change through organizing education and healing arts. She centers healing in monastic lifestyle knowledge, through Intentional Communities, and Black cooperative movements. Her cooperative serves communities through Black Trauma Anonymous (BTA), Tai chi, Ecstatic Healing Dance and Healing Responders. Aleta spends time within Peace Pagodas, monasteries, heritages and dojos which have framed her work through Free Marissa Now, "I am Troy Davis" University Without Walls and other Diasporic Movements. She leads the 2025 California Reparations Interfaith Healing Walk to bring healing, theory and practice back as a Liberation tool.
Retreat Cost
This retreat is offered on a dana/gift basis. You are invited to offer dana / donations for the retreat costs at any time through Dhamma Dena's Paypal or Venmo. Dhamma Dena is one of the only insight meditation center in the country offering residential retreats for free, on a dana basis, in mutual interdependence with our community and in faith that our community will sustain this sacred refuge. Dhamma Dena is currently supported solely by dana to cover the retreat costs of groceries, utilities, supplies and everything it takes to maintain and run the center year round and continue to offer retreats freely. We make this all possible together and are so grateful for your contributions.
Teacher and Cook Support
Our teachers and cooks at Dhamma Dena, like many around the world, offer their teachings and service freely and rely on the generosity of students for support. This approach is rooted in the Buddhist practice of “dana”, a Pali word meaning “generosity” or “giving freely”. This practice of dana has sustained the free offerings of these wisdom teachings for much of Buddhism’s 2,600-year-old history. Practicing generosity is believed to foster lovingkindness and compassion, deepen awareness of our interconnectedness, and encourage non-attachment. You will have the opportunity to make donations to the teachers and cook at the end of the retreat, which enable them to lead lives dedicated to teaching and service. Your gifts are deeply appreciated!
Registration
Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions included in the registration. Please note filling out the registration form does not guarantee a spot in the retreat. You will receive an email notifying you if you have been accepted to the retreat. Thank you for your patience! If the retreat is full, we will put you on a waitlist, so please do sign up.
