Tag Archives: retreats

Opening the Heart: Joy of Living 2 Retreat (@Dharmalaya, 29 May – 4 Jun 2020)

Posted on by

What: Meditation retreat (residential)

Topic: Opening the heart with meditation

Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India

When: 29 May – 4 June 2020

Language: English

Facilitators: Tsunma Kunsang Palmo and Mark Moore, with yoga led by Daphne Charles

Description:

A six-day meditation retreat designed by world-renowned meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, with special features unique to the retreats at Dharmalaya, including a yoga programme integrated with the meditation instruction.

Meditation empowers us to use any situation or experience, even difficult emotions and pain, as a gateway to joy and inner peace. In this second retreat in the Joy of Living series, we explore ways in which meditation can be used to create an open and joyful heart.

Over these six days, we will explore how meditating on love, compassion, joy and equanimity can open our hearts to the world around us and decrease the self-fixation that lies at the root of suffering. In this retreat, we will examine:

  • How our tendency to fixate on our own wellbeing creates anxiety and suffering
  • How positive mental states like love and compassion erode the causes of dissatisfaction
  • How these positive mental states can be cultivated through meditation
  • How ordinary experiences, and even ‘negative’ factors like difficult emotions and physical pain, can be transformed

For details and registration, see this page. 

Calming the Mind — Joy of Living 1 Retreat @Dharmalaya (9-14 March 2020)

Posted on by

What: Meditation retreat (residential)

Topic: Calming the mind with meditation

Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India

When: 9-14 March 2020 (see below for details)

Language: English

Facilitators: Mark Moore

Description: A six-day meditation retreat designed by world-renowned meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, with special features unique to the retreats at Dharmalaya.

Awareness meditation empowers us to use any situation or experience, even difficult emotions and pain, as a gateway to joy and inner peace. In this first retreat in the Joy of Living series, we explore ways in which awareness meditation can be used to create a peaceful mind and joyful heart.

Over these six days, we will explore the landscape of our experience with mindfulness and presence, learning how to use the body, sensory experiences, thoughts, emotions, and even awareness itself as supports for meditation.

This retreat is suitable for people of all backgrounds, including experienced meditators and those who are new to meditation.

For details and registration, see this page. 

Calming the Mind — Joy of Living 1 Retreat @Dharmalaya (7-12 Oct 2019)

Posted on by

What: Meditation retreat (residential)

Topic: Calming the mind with meditation

Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India

When: 7-12 October 2019 (see below for details)

Language: English

Facilitators: Tsunma Kunsang Palmo and Mark Moore, with yoga led by Daphne Charles

Description: A six-day meditation retreat designed by world-renowned meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, with special features unique to the retreats at Dharmalaya, including a yoga programme integrated with the meditation instruction.

Awareness meditation empowers us to use any situation or experience, even difficult emotions and pain, as a gateway to joy and inner peace. In this first retreat in the Joy of Living series, we explore ways in which awareness meditation can be used to create a peaceful mind and joyful heart.

Over these six days, we will explore the landscape of our experience with mindfulness and presence, learning how to use the body, sensory experiences, thoughts, emotions, and even awareness itself as supports for meditation.

This retreat is suitable for people of all backgrounds, including experienced meditators and those who are new to meditation.

For details and registration, see this page. 

Sustainable Thriving Intensive Workshop (11-28 Jun 2019 @Dharmalaya)

Posted on by

Raising the Roof

What: Intensive workshop-retreat (residential)

Topic: Sustainable Thriving: principles and practices for better living, including permaculture, earthen building, and creative life design

When: 11-28 June 2019 (must attend from the start and stay for the duration), with an optional extended practicum afterward.

Language: English (with Hindi translation if requested)

Facilitators: Mark Moore and artisans from the Dharmalaya community

Description: An eighteen-day residential training workshop exploring key principles and practices of “sustainable thriving,” including voluntary simplicity, permaculture, earthen building, and creative life design. The first six days will provide initial training with hands-on workshops during the day and presentations/discussions in the evenings; the middle six days will be a practicum for improving skills and deepening understanding through morning and afternoon work sessions, while continuing our discussions and explorations in the evenings; and the final six days will be organized according to the needs on site and the interests of the group. For those desiring even more hands-on experience, there will be an optional extended practicum providing an opportunity to improve your skills and understanding further by working alongside our team of artisans. There will be group meditation sessions in the mornings and evenings, and opportunities to practice yoga or chi kung.

› What is ‘sustainable thriving’ and why should I care?
See this page for an introduction.

For information and registration, see this page. 

Calming the Mind — Joy of Living 1 Retreat @Dharmalaya (14-16 Apr 2019)

Posted on by

What: Meditation retreat (residential)

Topic: Calming the mind with meditation

Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India

When: 14-16 April 2019 (see below for details)

Language: English

Facilitators: Tsunma Kunsang Palmo and Mark Moore

Description: A three-day meditation retreat designed by world-renowned meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Awareness meditation empowers us to use any situation or experience, even difficult emotions and pain, as a gateway to joy and inner peace. In this first retreat in the Joy of Living series, we explore ways in which awareness meditation can be used to create a peaceful mind and joyful heart.

Over these three days, we will explore the landscape of our experience with mindfulness and presence, learning how to use the body, sensory experiences, thoughts, emotions, and even awareness itself as supports for meditation.

This retreat is suitable for people of all backgrounds, including experienced meditators and those who are new to meditation.

For details and registration, see this page at the Dharmalaya Institute’s website.

Compassionate Living Intensive Workshop (15-26 Apr 2019 @Dharmalaya)

Posted on by

What: Intensive workshop-retreat (residential)

Topic: Designing a life of compassion in action, integrating personal and professional development with a lifestyle of sustainable thriving

When: 15-26 April 2019 (must attend from the start and stay for the duration)

Language: English (with Hindi translation if requested)

Facilitators: Mark Moore and other members of the Dharmalaya faculty and community

Description: Twelve-day residential workshop-retreat focused on creating a more compassionate life, through opening the heart, informing the mind, developing our innate qualities of sensitivity and compassion, and putting that compassion into practice by reducing our harm footprints and increasing our help footprints in all spheres of life. The primary emphasis in this programme is on identifying areas of our lives where we need to change and grow in order to become more compassionate citizens of the world and more effective agents of positive change.

For more details and the application form, see the Dharmalaya Institute’s website.

Punyesi Vipassana Meditation Retreats (2-10 & 14-23 Sep 2015)

Posted on by

What: Vipassana Meditation Retreats
When: 2 September- 23 September 2015 (2 retreats from 2-10 & 14-23)
Where: Deer Park Institute, Bir
Who: Ajarn Kanchana Punyesi & Ajarn Kanya Dhammapalee

Upcoming Program of Punyesi Vipassana Retreat on September 2015          

Arjan Kanchana Punyesi (Yoobamrung) is a vipassana-insight meditation teacher at Punyesi Vipassana Retreat, Loei, Thailand. Arjan Kanchana was born on August 6, 1970. She is 44 years old and has experience to study Dharma with Sayadaw Pattantavirojana, NguTao U Temple in Chan State, Myanmar.

For information and registration, see www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/boddhichitta-retreat-2/

Bodhicitta Retreat (24 Jul – 2 Aug @ Deer Park)

Posted on by

What: Bodhicitta Retreat
When: 24 July – 2 August 2015
Where: Deer Park Institute, Bir
Who: Geshe Dorji Damdul

This retreat will focus on practise of “Boddhicitta,” the “awakened/altruitic mind,” which is ever-present as a seed in us, all sentient beings. The path to nurture and awaken this, will be based from the Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings, specifically the Four Seals.

About Geshe Dorji Damdul

Since 2005, Geshe Dorji Damdul has served as the official translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama. Geshela, has completed his studies from Institute of Buddhist Dialectics (IBD) in Dharamsala, Drepung Monastic University and Gyumed Tantric College. Serving as a fellow in Cambridge University, England in 2003,  he was appointed as a visiting fellow at Delhi University to give lectures in three of the University’s departments – Philosophy, Psychology, and Buddhist Studies. Presently, he is serving as the Director of Tibet House, Cultural Center of H.H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi. He gives lectures and leads philosophy classes and meditation retreats in Tibet House, Delhi University and other venues. He also travels widely in India and abroad, to teach Buddhist philosophy and practice.

For information and registration, see www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/boddhichitta-retreat

Sustainable Living in the Himalayas — A Service-Learning Retreat (1-8 May @ Dharmalaya Institute)

Posted on by

What: Sustainable Living in the Himalayas — A Service-Learning Retreat
When: 1-8 May 2015
Where: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir (Ghornala Village)
Who: Mark Moore, Sourabh Phadke, et al.

Raising the roofA week-long mindful adventure in sustainable and compassionate living, providing opportunities for exploration of both inner and outer sustainability. We will practice meditation not only sitting on the cushion but also in action, performing mindful service work doing organic gardening, eco-friendly earthen construction, and natural landscaping around the beautiful Dharmalaya campus.

Groups sessions may include the following:

  • Sitting meditation (instruction and practice)
  • Explorations of various aspects of sustainable and compassionate living
  • Conscious movement: Hatha yoga and/or chi kung (morning/evening sessions)
  • Hands-on workshops in traditional earthen building, organic gardening, and natural landscaping

Space is limited, so advance registration is required. For information and registration, use this form.