Register for Open Practice Intensive (Residential)
Flexible Dates
About this Retreat
Kathe McKenna currently serves as President of Natural Dharma Fellowship’s Board of Directors. She is deeply engaged in shepherding this unique, collaborative Buddhist dharma vessel. She helped launch the feisty, multi-faceted human service provider,
Haley House, and led it through 50 years of organic growth.
Kathe’s roles as mother, wife, and grandmother have enriched her vision and sparked her commitment to breaking down the barriers that solidify inequality – from dusty back roads in Mississippi to chanting and drumming with the Nipponzan Myohoji monks from the Peace Pagoda.
Faced with the joint pincers of capitalism and the degraded state of our environment, Kathe is moving her attention in this new direction.
Buddhist meditation and philosophy first attracted and captured me in the 1970s, initially via the Theravada tradition. I then delved into the Zen traditions and have now found a home in Tibetan Buddhism. I have been a student of Lama Willa since meeting her in 2012 and a Mitra with the Margha Program since 2014.
What drew me to the Margha Program was the wish to deepen and broaden myself—to grow towards a greater sense of freedom, happiness, love, and capacity to act with skill and wisdom in the world. I had long since determined that the path of Dharma is my chosen way and was thus inspired to take advantage of the full curriculum the Margha program offers and more—to nurture a sense of connection and community with such accessible teachers and other similarly motivated practitioners.
Regarding career, I’ve been in human services as a child and family therapist and as a hospice social worker. I am currently working as a Parent Coordinator with the Judicial System of the state of Vermont, interfacing between parents steeped in conflict and the courts to which they so often turn in their efforts to find relief.
I live in Vermont, am married with children and grandchildren and a sweet Dog named Norton.
Details of this retreat
Pick your own dates—5 night minimum stay is required, and retreatants may arrive any day of the week. After December 15, registrations for shorter retreats of 2 nights or more will be welcome, but arrivals for stays under 5 nights will be limited to Fridays and Saturdays. Details below.
REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS
Thank you for your interest in our February Open Practice Intensive! We are using a different registration system than usual to allow people to choose the number of nights they wish to stay.
You may choose your own arrival and departure dates between February 6–22, 2026. For registrations made through December 15, a 5-night minimum stay is required, and retreatants may arrive any day of the week. After December 15, registrations for shorter retreats of 2 nights or more will be welcome, but arrivals for stays under 5 nights will be limited to Fridays and Saturdays.
When you click on the Register Here button, you will first be asked to choose the dates of your stay. When you enter the check-in date, the check out-date will automatically adjust to that five-night minimum. If you would like to stay longer, please change the check out date. The number to the right of the check-out date box shows the number of nights you will be charged for.
Then choose between a room at Wonderwell or attending as a commuter. If the type of room you would like is marked "sold out" for those dates, please choose different dates until you find an open room.
We hope that you find this registration easy to use, but if you have any problems, please contact us at register@naturaldharma.org. Thank you!
ROOMS FOR THE FEBRUARY OPEN PRACTICE INTENSIVE
For the February Open Practice Intensive, all rooms are private except for rooms in the dorm, but you will not have a choice between an ensuite or hall bathroom. Please email the registrar at register@naturaldharma.org if you require an ensuite bathroom for medical reasons.
Couples or friends may share a room if they wish. Please register only one person and then email register@naturaldharma.org to make arrangements for registering the second person.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Wonderwell Mountain Refuge strives to offer retreats in a manner that is inclusive for persons of all means. If the full cost of the Winter Meditation Intensive would create an undue financial burden, we encourage you to apply for a scholarship. Please visit this page on our website learn more about financial aid.
CANCELLATION POLICY
We understand that personal circumstances may require you to cancel your registration. In these cases, please contact us right away at register@naturaldharma.org. Cancellations affect our ability to offer rooms to others and create additional work for our staff, therefore we charge the following fees to help mitigate these costs.
For cancellations (based on program start date):
> 30 days: 100% refund minus a $75 admin. fee.
15-30 days: 50% refund
< 14 days: nonrefundable
If you must cancel due to an emergency or extenuating circumstances, please contact us at register@naturaldharma.org.
Wonderwell Mountain Refuge Full Calendar
Getting Here
Directions
From Boston and points East
By Car: Wonderwell is a 2 hour drive from Boston. Take Highway 93 North to Highway 89 North. Take Exit 12A. At the bottom of the exit ramp, take a right turn. When that road T’s take a left onto Route 114. Take Route 114 past Lake Kolelemook (to your right). After going through the small town of Springfield, turn right on Philbrick Hill Road. Wonderwell is at the top of the hill, on the left.
*By Bus: The Dartmouth Coach runs from Boston (from Logan Airport and South Station) to New London (the Wonderwell stop) many times a day, and is a quick, efficient way to travel here. The Coach has wifi on board. Tickets can be purchased online or at South Station in Boston.
From NYC
*By Bus: The Dartmouth Coach runs from New York City to Lebanon, NH. The coach is a direct and comfortable way to travel between NYC and New Hampshire. For more information, see the Dartmouth Coach website.
From the Upper Valley
By Car: Wonderwell is 30 minutes south of Lebanon, NH on Highway 89. Take Highway 89 South to exit 13 (Grantham). At the bottom of the exit ramp, take a right turn. Continue past the Post Office until you intersect 114, and take a left. Take Route 114 for about 4 miles until Philbrick Hill Road and take a left. Wonderwell is at the top of the hill on the left.
*See our website for information on getting picked up at a bus stop.
Accommodation
We offer a variety of accommodations, from dormitories for women and men, to double shared rooms some with private bath, some with shared bath, private rooms with private or shared baths, and a lovely Benefactor Suite at some retreats. We also offer the possibility of camping in warmer months, and all retreats also have a non-residential option, if you are commuting from home or staying at a local B&B or motel.
Winter Intensive Benefactor Suite
The Vajra Suite is a spacious private bedroom with private deck and bath, furnished with a king bed. This accommodation also includes a separate meditation room with spectacular views of the mountains and a private kitchenette. By choosing this Benefactor room option and paying at a higher rate, you are supporting Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in our efforts to maintain and improve our historic building and the grounds and to make retreat practice more accessible for all. Thank you.
Winter Intensive Private Rooms
Rooms are private, except for the dorm, but you will not have a choice between ensuite and hall bathrooms. Please email the registrar at retreat@wonderwellrefuge.org if you require an ensuite bathroom for medical reasons.
Each bed comes with a pillow, a blanket, and a bedspread. In concern for energy and water conservation we ask guests to bring their own bed linens and bath towels. Most rooms have twin beds, but we'll let you know if the room you are in has a queen bed. Wonderwell does rent sheets and towels when it's necessary for those flying in for retreat - $10 for bed linens and $5 for a bath towel. Please select those add-ons during the registration process if you need it.
Winter Intensive Women's Dorm
The women's dorm is on the second floor, has 6 twin beds and shares a hallway bathroom with a double sink, two privacy stalls and one shower. The Women's Dorm bathroom accommodates both men and women.
Each dorm bed comes with a pillow, a blanket, and a bedspread. In concern for energy and water conservation we ask guests to bring their own twin bed linens and bath towels. Wonderwell does rent sheets and towels when it's necessary for those flying in for retreat - $10 for bed linens and $5 for a bath towel. Please select those add-ons during the registration process if you need it.
Please note: when you sign up for dorm accommodations, you acknowledge the fact that you are sleeping in a room with many other people, who may snore or have other sleeping habits. Please come prepared for this. We have free foam ear plugs available, as well as fitted "snore-proof" silicon ear plugs for which we charge $2.
Winter Intensive Men's Dorm
The men's dorm has 3 twin beds and a bathroom serving only this dorm. Each dorm bed comes with a pillow, a blanket, and a bedspread. In concern for energy and water conservation we ask guests to bring their own twin bed linens and bath towels. Wonderwell does rent sheets and towels when it's necessary for those flying in for retreat - $10 for bed linens and $5 for a bath towel. Please select those add-ons during the registration process if you need it.
Please note: when you sign up for dorm accommodations, you acknowledge the fact that you are sleeping in a room with many other people, who may snore or have other sleeping habits. Please come prepared for this. We have free foam ear plugs available, as well as fitted "snore-proof" silicon ear plugs for which we charge $2.
The rooms can be drafty at times; each room may vary in temperature depending on the season. Fans and heaters are in the closet. You may bring anything else that you need for your comfort.
Winter Intensive Commuter
![Accommodation]()
If you plan to participate in the Winter Meditation and commute from your home or selected lodging other than Wonderwell, you are considered a commuter. This price includes all meals.There are many places for you to relax within the building, during breaks. There is a living room on the first floor, 2 dining rooms on the first floor, a large outdoor covered porch extending from the large dining room, a couch on the second floor and a day bed in the hallway of the third floor.
Though Wonderwell cannot guarantee availability or certify the quality or assist in making a local lodging choice, here are some nearby lodging options:
Stay with local sangha members and friends
Grantham: Home of sangha member (with Barbara P)
Wilmot: Home of sangha member (with Phil M)
New London, NH
(15 to 20 minute drive)
Fairway Motel
The New London Inn
Maple Hill Farm
Lamplighter Motor Inn
Inn at Pleasant Lake
Sunapee, NH
(15 to 20 minute drive)
Burkehaven Lodge
Dexter's Inn
Twin Doors
Sunapee Harbor Cottages
Enfield, NH
(20 minute drive; 30 minutes in winter)
The Enfield Shaker Museum
Stanford Bed and Breakfast
Shaker Hill Bed and Breakfast
Shaker Farm Bed and Breakfast
One campground in Lebanon (30 minute drive)
Mascoma Lake Campground
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
Located on twenty-five acres of rolling hills in Springfield, New Hampshire, Wonderwell was originally built as a summer home in 1911. Tranquil and serene, surrounded by woods, meadows, gardens, and century-old stone walls, Wonderwell’s stately main building offers a comfortable and spacious setting in which the transformative potential of meditation—for work, community and daily life—can be explored and realized. Recently, due to its many unique features, the building has been recognized as a New Hampshire state historic site.
The house is situated on a west-facing hillside with sweeping views of sky and mountains. On one end of the building is the Great Room, now the meditation hall, which can accommodate groups of up to 100 people. The hall has an oak balcony encircling the room above and two fieldstone fireplaces. Other features of this historic building include a large covered porch for outdoor practice, a kitchen with industrial appliances, dining facilities, 13 bathrooms, and 15 bedrooms of varying capacities sleeping up to 36 people. We have been working tirelessly, with a successful major capital campaign and continuing renovations, to bring Wonderwell into the 21st century, and complete the work necessary to keep this lovely historic building code-compliant, safe, and sustainable.
The house is partially shielded from a country road by majestic, old oak trees, and is framed by well-established perennials, with multiple garden spaces. Behind the house is an acre of open field that gives way to sloping forested land with excellent trail system potential and sites for several retreat cabins. The back of the house faces west toward jaw-dropping, sky-gazing views of Mount Croyden, behind which the sun sets in the evening.
For the many volunteers and benefactors who support Wonderwell, as well as for the people who work there, caring for Wonderwell has become a practice of sacred stewardship. For all of these people, Wonderwell is not just a building; it is a community.
Meals
Menu Types
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included in your accommodation fee. Our kitchen is dedicated to providing local fresh and/or organic foods whenever possible and we enjoy relationships with Kearsarge Food Hub, and other farmers in the area.
All meals are vegetarian, with gluten-free and dairy-free options available at every meal. Meals are served buffet style. Snacks such as fresh fruit, toast and crackers, nut butters, jams, nuts, and dried fruit are available 24 hours a day. Coffee is offered, usually until lunchtime, and hot water and all kinds of teas are always available.
The fee for the commuter registration option also includes all meals.
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