Dates
February 6 - March 6, 2027 (28 Days)
Location
Online
Teachers
Dana DePalma, Ying Chen, Alex Haley — and Phillip Moffitt for the first week of the retreat
Prerequisite
Two Nine Bodies Insight weeklong retreats
Applications
Apply here — Applications for our initial round are open now through September 25
Practicing deeply for a month is bound to change you. The gifts of the Dharma arise naturally when we give ourselves to practice. As teachers, we feel moved to offer teachings, individualized one-on-one practice meetings, and a supportive container for those who wish to dedicate the month to cultivating the Naturally Arising Practice Method.
Each winter, Dharma Ground offers a weeklong Experienced Students' Retreat and, immediately after, a three-week Flexible Practice Intensive. The Monthlong is a single program that includes both, and adds a fuller commitment and closer support, including individual practice meetings with teachers. Those who make the Monthlong commitment practice in the same retreat and intensive as everyone else, and give themselves to the month more fully. Together they form a sangha within a larger sangha. Their steadiness of practice strengthens the field for everyone, and the wider community holds and supports them in return.
This is how we do a Monthlong at Dharma Ground: four weeks of practice from home, online with teachers and community, committing to at least four meditation sessions a day. At the center of each day are the live guided meditations we offer, with your own silent sits around them at times you choose.
The month has an arc: a group meeting before it to prepare, another after to harvest the gifts, and, in between, two integrated parts. We open the Monthlong itself with a 7-day Experienced Students' Retreat, to get established and open. From there we flow into a 21-day Flexible Practice Intensive, which includes one to two guided meditations a day, practice support groups, and individual practice meetings. Each Monthlong practitioner has six individual practice meetings, fifteen minutes each, roughly every three to four days. (Monthlong participants may also attend as many of the Flexible drop-in practice groups as they wish, and take part in three cohort meetings during the Experienced Students' Retreat.)
Much of what lets the month deepen is the potent relational field we share, the teachings and daily guided meditations, and the quiet and space you create. The four sessions a day balance staying connected to the unfolding teaching with the flexibility of a schedule that works within the circumstances of your life.
Some practitioners keep noble silence for nearly the whole month; others keep some contact with work or family and quiet everything else as much as they can. You don't have to fully enclose. What a month like this asks is enough room in this season of your life, and the motivation to protect it, so that you can truly give yourself to the practice. We'll support you in weaving retreat and relational life together.
This is a full month, and a real commitment. If you are interested in participating and have questions, please read the information on this page, watch the video, and you're welcome to arrange a short conversation with me (Dana) to talk about this opportunity.
Here is a 10-minute video of Dana describing the Monthlong program in detail.
Our first two online Monthlong retreats in 2025 and 2026 revealed something remarkable: we can sustain a long arc of practice—a month!—from home in this sangha. We “road tested” this street of life practice method together and it performed beautifully! People entered with questions about whether a month of practice from home could really hold — and discovered for themselves that it could, experiencing changes that were both subtle and profound.
“I have a different sense of what is possible for me with practicing the Dharma. It feels more available to me and as something that I am worthy of being a part of.”
“[What was most valuable about the retreat was] the opportunity to practice in such a deep way while still needing to complete my householder responsibilities.”
“I think it has fundamentally changed something in me, that I’m not able to articulate as yet.”
“The guided meditations were just stellar. So supportive, I really don't have words. To know how deep the teachers are in the practice with us is so reassuring.”
All aspects of the Monthlong (including the Experienced Students Retreat — see above for all program components) are included in registering for the Monthlong.
This program is offered in the Buddhist tradition of dāna, which means freely giving. For this retreat, donations to support Dharma Ground and teachers are offered separately. The first donation opportunity is at the time of registration and supports Dharma Ground, the nonprofit organization hosting this retreat. The suggested donation range for the hosting organization is $675 - $6,075. The second donation opportunity is at the end of the retreat and supports the teachers. You are welcome to offer any amount you wish below or above this range. Finances need not be a barrier to participation. Any offering is gratefully accepted and is tax-deductible.
If you are also enrolled in the ‘26-’27 Immersion Program, click here to read about the overlap between that program and the Monthlong.
You can find the application here. Applications for our initial round are open now through September 25, and we'll send our first acceptance notifications soon after, welcoming applications after that as space allows.
1) What if I have life or work responsibilities that I would need to continue during this month?
People are sometimes surprised that you can do a Monthlong without keeping noble silence the whole time or fully enclosing your life. You can, and having some responsibilities doesn't rule it out. As we describe above, what lets the month deepen is the quiet and space you create around it, and staying with the teachings as they unfold. What the month asks is a real desire to reduce your outside contact as much as your circumstances allow, and enough room to stay with the thread of the retreat through the month. It's still a big commitment. If you're weighing whether this is your season, be candid with us on the application, and you're welcome to schedule a one-on-one with Dana to talk through the specifics.
2) What if I want to practice for the month, but can't commit to four sessions a day?
The four sessions a day is the baseline for the Monthlong, though the real commitment is to the whole month. If four feels out of reach this season, there's a more open way to participate. You're welcome to join the February weeklong Experienced Students' Retreat and the 21-day Flexible Practice Intensive that follows, without taking on the full Monthlong. During the Flexible, the guided meditations and practice support groups are all optional, so you can practice at whatever pace your life allows. The individual practice meetings with teachers are held for those making the fuller Monthlong commitment.
3) What if I have a scheduling conflict during the month?
A lot depends on how much of the month the conflict affects. You're welcome to apply and tell us about it, or to reach out to Dana to talk through the specifics.
4) Which teachers offer the individual practice meetings?
Dana, Ying, and Alex.
Please contact us with any questions.
Dana is also available for 10-minute individual check-in meetings to discuss your circumstances and to confirm the Monthlong program is a good fit at this time, if this would be helpful after reading the detailed description and watching the video above.