The Buddha says that the highest reason to give is to adorn the heart, to make the heart and mind beautiful. Can you feel how this relates directly to non-clinging, that the heart free of clinging is a beautiful heart? Letting go—the opening of the hand. What’s most important there is that the contraction of self, the selfing story of “I, me and mine,” in that moment of opening our hand, gets relaxed or at least temporarily challenged.
Susie Harrington
Residential Retreat Teacher
Susie Harrington teaches meditation nationwide and is the guiding teacher for Desert Dharma, which serves many communities in the Southwest near her home in Moab, Utah. She has trained in the Insight tradition since 1989, practicing primarily with Guy Armstrong, Jack Kornfield, and Joseph Goldstein. Susie has also received teachings from many others, including Tory Capron, Adyashanti, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. She was invited to begin teaching in 2005, and often offers retreats outside, believing nature to be a profound teacher, and a gateway to our true nature. Her teaching is deeply grounded in the body and often emphasizes the expression of mindfulness in speech and daily life. Susie brings the skills of inquiry, relational dharma, and the psychological/spiritual interface to her teachings, informed by her ongoing study of the Diamond Approach by A.H.Almaas and as a graduate of Hakomi Therapy (a somatic psychotherapy modality). She offers a two-year intensive program, Dharma in Daily Life, where she delights in mentoring the innate qualities of heart and wisdom in everyday practice. Her practice is rooted in periods of long retreat both indoors and outdoors, which offer nourishment and inspiration for her teaching. She was an outdoor professional for over 30 years, including years as a river guide, mountaineering guide, and backcountry ranger, and now finds her greatest delight in sharing her love of the Dharma and the natural world. Susie completed the SRMC/IMS/IRC 4-year Teacher Training in 2016.
Susie Harrington's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
May 17 - May 29, 2025 | Saturday - Thursday | 12 nights
The Nature of Awareness: A Retreat for Experienced Students
Registration Open. In this retreat we will explore the nature of awareness, or consciousness, which is at the heart of sentient life. Awareness is always with us, revealing the phenomena of our experience, yet we may not have learned how to use it as a focus in meditation. As we deepen our connection to this mysterious capacity for knowing, it becomes a powerful pathway to inner freedom and liberation.
Retreat | On-Land
August 22 - August 27, 2025 | Friday - Wednesday | 5 nights
Finding Refuge, Finding Home: A Retreat in Nature
Registration Opens - February 19. In the storms of our lives, we need refuge—a place of nourishment and support where we can replenish our tired bodies and troubled hearts. When the Buddha taught meditation, his first instruction was to go sit under a tree. We will practice together in the age-old tradition of being outside in the company of the natural world. Together, we will tap into the natural stillness and dynamism that surrounds us and teaches us balance.
Retreat | On-Land
November 14 - November 21, 2025 | Friday - Friday | 7 nights
Natural Radiance: Exploring the Freedom of Awareness
Registration Opens - February 19. Awareness is a beautiful, hidden jewel that is innate in everyone. Awareness illuminates experience, which supports clarity, understanding, and insight. It is a foundation for wisdom, compassion, and awakening. In this silent meditation retreat, we will explore this quality of awareness—what it is, and how to cultivate and abide in awakened presence.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Susie Harrington through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.