Family Camp: Compassion in Family Life

Registration Opens Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 12:00pm MT.

Nurture family connections while rejuvenating your spirit in the beautiful terrain of Drala Mountain Center. Family Camp is a creative and contemplative retreat the whole family can enjoy.

Take time for yourself in the mornings to practice meditation, yoga, and participate in Parenting as Path discussions, while your children participate in enriching activities with friends. The afternoon and evening hours include family hikes to the Stupa, contemplative arts and crafts, free play, song night, a talent show, and a dance party. Throughout the retreat, we will explore Buddhist teachings that can assist us in cultivating loving kindness for ourselves while developing compassionate relationships within our families, our communities, and our world.

Our family lives are knitted together by mutual love and caring, but sometimes those threads are strained as we doubt our capacities as parents, are triggered by our children’s struggles, or have differences of style from our partners. This is where mindfulness-awareness practices can help and where loving kindness practices can soften the rough edges. As we cultivate greater kindness toward ourselves, we can naturally warm our relationships with others as we navigate busy and stressful times in our families. What are the different styles of compassion? How does kindness manifest as we set safe boundaries for our children? Through daily progressive compassion training meditations and glimpses of current compassion science we have an opportunity to strengthen the bonds of love in our everyday relationships.

Stay in comfortable, platform tents among the fresh pine and fragrant summer breezes or enjoy indoor lodging with views of the unspoiled wilderness.

Children’s Activities

Children start the day with a morning session of activities,
from 9:15am to 12:00pm. There are six age groups:

Experiential activities include craft projects, time outdoors, stories, songs, hikes in the woods, and group games. Children are introduced to sitting meditation and meditative arts as ways to work with their hearts and minds. They are also introduced to the notion of basic goodness as a way to inspire intelligence, compassion, and confidence— all while having fun and developing friendships!

Please note: We do not offer programming for children under 3, however families with younger children are welcome to join us with the understanding that one parent will be with the young child during the morning programming. It is important to note that tent lodging may not be convenient for families with young children who need afternoon naps as the tents can be hot mid-day. If you are attending with young children, consider indoor lodging.

*Rites of Passage (for children ages 9-10)

This special program marks the transition children begin to make from being dependent on their parents to take on greater responsibility within the family and the community. Through sitting meditation, kyudo (Zen archery), ikebana (flower arranging), haiku, calligraphy, and other meditative arts, Rites of Passage gives children powerful tools to help them care for their own mind and emotions. These tools also empower them to relate to their internal and external worlds with confidence and gentleness. At the week’s end, this transformative program is sealed with a powerful ceremony in which the children take a vow of kindness towards themselves and others. There is an additional fee of $110 Program Tuition per child for Rites of Passage. Rites of Passage will be led by Tessa Ladendorff.

Attendance Requirements

All children and at least one adult must attend at least 5 days of the 6-day program. Additional adults may attend less than the required 6 days. Full attendance helps support the community building of Family Camp, and allows participants to experience the beginning-middle-end journey of the camp— which is part of its magic! Rites of Passage children and their families need to stay through the conclusion of the program to participate in the Rites of Passage Ceremony. If you need to attend only a portion of the retreat, please register using discount code: special108. Then email frontdesk@dralamountain.org all family members’ arrival and departure dates. We will adjust your dates and finances and contact you for payment.

Please see this article about Family Camp on our blog: Family Camp at Drala Mountain

Special Accommodations

The children’s programming is carefully created by the teachers to offer opportunities for contemplative activities at the developmental level of the children in each classroom. In order to support the success of the classrooms it is important for us to know if your child will require any special support to be able to attend to what is offered. Please reach out to Rachel Steele at rachelksteele@gmail.com if your child has any special needs or attentional challenges that may need to be accommodated. Once registration has opened, we recommend registering first before reaching out to Rachel, as registrations fill up fast.

Early Registration Recommended

Registration Opens February 12, 2025 at 12:00pm MT

Space for this program is limited. If you have questions, we recommend you still register to the best of your ability to reserve your spot, and then we will sort out your questions. If you have questions after you register, email is the fastest way to receive a response: frontdesk@dralamountain.org. Please allow 3 business days for a response. Questions are addressed in the order they are received.

A waitlist will be enlisted as soon as children’s age groups begin to reach their capacity. Waitlisted families will be invited into the program based on time of registration and children’s age group availability.

Public Health

Our COVID-19 policy requires overnight guests to provide proof of a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours of arrival, and to bring sufficient tests to test daily during the stay. Please read and understand DMC’s current COVID-19 policy at this link.

Registration Fees

Registration fees include the Program Tuition and Lodging fees. Our regular room rates are discounted to make Family Camp more affordable. Initial housing costs shown include adult meals and lodging, as well as the 1st Adult’s $250 tuition. Tuition for the 2nd Adult ($250) and Child(ren) ($350 each) are added to the total as each individual is added to the registration. Children’s meals and lodging are included in their tuition cost. An additional fee of $110 Program Tuition per child is charged for Rites of Passage.

Registration fees cover Drala Mountain Center’s operational costs of facilities, lodging, food, supplies, DMC support staff, and direct program expenses, including a base honorarium for the Family Camp Directors. Lodging costs will be visible when registration opens.

The Heart Offering

Many Family Camp teachers and program staff volunteer their expertise to create the magical container and experience of Family Camp. To show our deep appreciation for all their hard work, we collect a Heart Offering. One hundred percent of this offering goes towards both teaching and non-teaching program staff honoraria. The Heart Offering is our path towards reaching a sustainable family program — we appreciate your support of these dedicated leaders.

Choose ONE payment per family.

• $100 – Jade
• $150 – Gold
• $200+ – Diamond
• Other – Choose an amount that works for your family

Please offer from a place of generosity regardless of the amount.

Complete this payment via: Venmo @kelly-lindsey-9 or Paypal @kellyannlindsey. 

If you do not have a PayPal or Venmo account, please contact kellyannlindsey@gmail.com to make payment arrangements.

PLEASE NOTE:  Drala Mountain Center does not process this payment.

Financial Assistance and Scholarships

Click here to learn more about Financial Assistance and Scholarships. First, register using discount code: special108 (this registers you without payment). If you receive a scholarship, you will receive your award via email, and we will connect with you for any remaining balance.

Family Camp Directors: Kelly Lindsey and Rachel Steele
Rites of Passage Director: Tessa Ladendorff
Senior Teachers: Judith Simmer-Brown and Richard Brown