Family Camp: Skillful Compassion in Family Life

July 26th - August 2nd, 2026

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Arrival: July 26th, 2:00-5:00 PM

Departure: August 2nd, 10:30 AM

Lottery Registration: On February 1st, we will open a lottery form which you will be able to access on this page. It will appear as “Register For Lottery” buttons at the top, bottom, and as you scroll the page. When you click on any of those buttons, you will be redirected to a form to fill out. Once you fill it out, you will be reached out to via email on the 9th of February to hear back on your status. This form will close in 72 hours after it opens, so please be sure to mark the 1st down on your calendar.

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.

Arrival: July 26th, 2:00-5:00 PM

Departure: August 2nd, 10:30 AM

About the Retreat

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.

As we strengthen our capacity for compassion in family life, we witness the power of love and care in softening our rough edges and those of our spouses and children.  How do we carry that love into the challenges of parenthood, calming fears when they arise, inspiring in times of hesitation, supporting confidence when doubts cripple our engagement, all while creating clear boundaries of protection for our family?  This year we will build on the compassion practices of the 2025 Family Camp with wisdom from the Four Skillful Actions of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, applying them to our intimate challenges as parents and spouses.  Through daily progressive compassion training, meditations, and glimpses of current compassion science we have an opportunity to strengthen the expressions 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 9:15 am to 12:00 pm. There are six age groups:

Name                          Ages     

Tigers                          3 to 5
Lions                           6 to 7
Garudas                      8 to 10
Rites of Passage*       8 to 10
Dragons                      11 to 12
Dharmic Warriors        13 to 18

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.

Registration Lottery:

This year, we will use the lottery system to give everyone an equal opportunity for a slot to register for the Camp. Please read below to learn how to enter the lottery for a registration spot.

How the Lottery Works:

On February 1st, we will open a lottery form which you will be able to access on this page. It will appear as “Register For Lottery” buttons at the top, bottom, and as you scroll the page. When you click on any of those buttons, you will be redirected to a form to fill out. Once you fill it out, you will be reached out to via email on the 9th of February to hear back on your status. This form will close in 72 hours after it opens, so please be sure to mark the 1st down on your calendar.

Rites of Passage (for children ages 8-10)

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. 

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. At this time, we are not able to provide one-on-one support for children who require individualized assistance in order to be successful in a group classroom setting. However, we warmly welcome parents or caregivers to attend with their child to provide the individualized support they may need. If your child has a diagnosis or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), it is important for us to be aware of this, and we ask that you inform us prior to enrollment in the program. Please reach out to Rachel Steele at rachelksteele@gmail.com with this information.

DMC Virus & Flu Safety Protocols

Please read and understand DMC’s current 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, 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

We will have some Financial Assistance to give out. Once accepted to the program you will receive instructions on how to apply.

Retreat Faculty

Judith Simmer-Brown and Richard Brown

Judith Simmer-Brown is one of the Founding Faculty of Naropa University, where she has taught Buddhist studies since 1977. Since retiring in 2020, she continues at Naropa as a trainer for the Compassion Initiative and for the Masters of Divinity. [. . .]

Richard Brown, founder of Naropa University’s Education Department, has devoted his career to adapting Buddhist wisdom to contemporary teaching and learning. Early on he taught in public elementary school and in a Buddhist-inspired K-12. He has written extensively and lectured internationally on contemplative education. [. . .]

Kelly Lindsey

Kelly Lindsey is a Meditation Teacher, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and Safe and Sound Protocol Provider living in Austin, TX. Kelly’s meditative journey began more than 25 years ago and has woven together many different healing modalities and spiritual practices. Having received extensive training in Counseling Psychology, Somatic Experiencing, Tibetan Buddhism, and Classical Indian Yoga, Kelly has found a wonderful integration of deep practice and study realized in the context of everyday life as a mother, somatic therapist, and spiritual teacher. [. . .]

Rachel Steele

Rachel is a longtime educator, working as a teacher at Alaya Preschool the Shambhala inspired Preschool in Boulder Co. for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Contemplative Education from Naropa University. She is currently director at Alaya Preschool. Supporting opportunities for children and families to connect with themselves and each other through the Shambhala teachings is a passion for her and she has been involved in family programming in Shambhala since 2002. She lives in Boulder Co with her husband Brian and daughter Wini.

Tessa Ladendorf

Tessa Ladendorff was born into the Shambhala community and has been meditating since the age of 5. She attended her first month-long retreat at 20, which began her life-long love of Dharma practice and study. Tessa has a deep heart connection to the Rites of Passage program, having assisted her mother in teaching it in both Boulder and DMC Family Camp for much of her teens and twenties. She lived in Germany for several years working for Shambhala Europe, before moving back with her husband to raise their children in Boulder. She works as a mama, designer, artist, and astrologer.

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