Our Story
DAWAFields....Where the arts, spirituality, and somatic healing practices converge
At the core of DAWAFields' mission is the aspiration to be an artful, spirited, and embodied sanctuary for people to practice joy, rehearse the choreography of daily ordinary bliss dancing with the deities, and to know in ones bones the way to BE peace, and to be well, in a world constantly cycling through chaos, disease, and injustice.
Founder and owner, Chaplain Katie Willis, holds an MFA in creative writing and an M.Div in Theology. Through her own medical crisis she came to appreciate the power, and imperative, of somatic practices to heal what the spirit and the muses alone can not do, which is attain embodied, complete balance, and wholistic well-being. Above all she has come to embrace the often forgotten about third and fourth Noble Truth of the Buddha's dharma; the Truth of the end of suffering. and the Truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. She has centered those truths at the foundation of DAWAFields.
Spirituality...
DAWAFields honors all traditions though our sanctuary is rooted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Broadly defined spirituality is the practices, or rituals, and beliefs that imbue purpose to our days, provide a community, and sense of belonging, allowing us to make meaning of our lives. It's a path and it's a map.
Whether you believe in philosophy, non-theistic humanism, Judeo-Christian, ancient pagan traditions, music and art, or the Red Sox DAWAFields is here to provide space for your meaning-making. We believe in believing. We create the container for you and your group to explore, integrate, transcend, ground, celebrate, worship, praise. We hold the space for you to deepen your understanding, learn, commune, reconcile, and to grow as an individual and as a community. We are inclusive and affirming of any being who arrives on our road. We are a "Body-sovereign Sanctuary" protecting human rights of female identifying people and providing accommodations for those coming to Vermont for reproductive healthcare at nearby medical facilities.
The Arts ...
Imagination and faith are so very important, maybe the most important, for a practitioner to have, says Lama Migmar of the Sakya Institute for Tibetan Studies. If you can't imaging enlightenment you will never realize enlightenment? If you can't imagine what god is how will you recognize god when you encounter god's divinity in this realm? How will you perceive the stage of no suffering if you can't ever imagine when this madness will ever end? To go beyond this realm of suffering you have to imagine joy and just-peace. You have to play make-believe with full purchase of that imagined reality. When we sing, paint, make music, dance, sculpt, and stage plays we create a little play between what is and what will be, so we can insert what CAN be, which is whatever we can imagine.
Healing Somatic Practices ...
The body has a wisdom, a knowing, and a frequency apart from the mind and the spiritual vibration of oneself . The body, soma, has an innate ability to heal the mind in a way that bypasses the logic engaging with the sensual. The Soma has the calibrating precision to harmonize with the spiritual to bring a being into balance and restore a person to their essential nature. At DAWAFields we offer Reiki, massage, forest bathing, yoga, EFT (tapping), aromatherapy, and sound healing. We have practitioners come to us to share fire walking, cold water immersion, charka vocalization, drumming, herbalism, kombo and such things...
Land and Lineage Acknowledgement &
Dedication of merit.
DAWAFields recognizes the indebtedness we have, and the reciprocity we owe, to the First Nations' Tribes that lived in harmony with Mother Earth and the N'Dakinni of this particular parcel of sacred land where our sanctuary is situated. We are grateful to now stuart this land and respect all the spirits who contributed to the geologic vibration of the place as we claim it now for occupation by only the well intended, peace bringers, protectors from harm, and dispellers of misery.
DAWAFields is empowered by, and upholds the sacred feminine wisdom aspect in all religious traditions and particularly of the Vajrayana deities and protectors, and is dedicated to preserving and furthering the female Wisdom traditions. Dakinis Ascending Wisdom Adventures is not only the who and what of the acronym that describes us it is also the where because dawa means "moon" in Tibetan. Founder, Chaplain Katie, personally recognizes her teachers Lama Kempho Migmar, Jetsun Kushog Chime Luding, Dzongsar Kyntse Rinpoche, HH Sakya Trizin, HH Dalai Lama, Lama Allione, Dzigar Rinpoche, and the Theologians of Boston School of Theology and Harvard Divinity School, especially Dr. Shelly Rambo, Dr. Courtney Gyoto, Dr Hallisey, Dr. Gyatso
Any good merit that arises from our endeavors, and the endeavors of our guests, is offered up for the benefit of all beings so they may have happiness and the causes of happiness, and joy filled natural great bliss and the causes of joy filled natural great bliss. May any mistakes or misdeed made due to our own or others ignorance be granted abeyance. May the protectors of all ten directions never abandon us and remove all obstacles to our success for the sake of all sentient beings.
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What time is check-in and check-out?Check-in is at 3pm. You may arrive as early as 1pm to enjoy the property, but the farm house will not be accessible till 3pm. Please let us know if you plan to come early and make sure to check in with DAWA Crew when you arrive. Check-out is 11:30am. We can not accommodate late check-out requests in advance. If it is possible the staff will give you that option the night before your departure day.
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Can I insert an image, video, or gif in my FAQ?Yes. To add media follow these steps: 1. Enter the app’s Settings 2. Click on the “Manage FAQs” button 3. Select the question you would like to add media to 4. When editing your answer click on the camera, video, or GIF icon 5. Add media from your library.
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How do I add a new question & answer?To add a new FAQ follow these steps: 1. Click “Manage FAQs” button 2. From your site’s dashboard you can add, edit and manage all your questions and answers 3. Each question and answer should be added to a category 4. Save and publish.
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How do I edit or remove the “FAQ” title?You can edit the title from the Settings tab in the app. If you don’t want to display the title, simply disable the Title under “Info to Display”.
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What is an FAQ section?An FAQ section can be used to quickly answer common questions about you or your business, such as “Where do you ship to?”, “What are your opening hours?” or “How can I book a service?” It’s a great way to help people navigate your site and can even boost your site’s SEO.
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Can I bring my pet?We love pets, but unfortuabtily guests can not bring their own at this time, unless it is specifically designated friendly retreat. If a retreat does not say "Pets Invited" then it is not designated as such. Please do know that the owners cats, Frankie and Roxie, are in residency so you should expect to see them from time to time. If you are allergic you will need to bring whatever allergy medicine you require to feel comfortable. If you let us know at the time of your reservation every attempt will be made to keep Frankie and Roxie out of your room, but we can't guarantee a dander free room.
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What if I snore, or someone in my shared room snores.We do not have dedicated rooms for those who snore. If you know that you do please choose a sleeping accommodation that is merciful to your retreat companions at the price point that will allow you to have the room to yourself. Or, request to be assigned to a room with a someone you know who is used to that. We do provide a complementary set of ear plugs to any guest who finds that they need them.