Shambhala Sangha Retreat with Acharya Pema Chödrön, Acharya Gaylon Ferguson & Kalapa Acharya Adam Lobel

Come practice and study with three of the great teachers in the Shambhala lineage.

Wait List for Upgrade Accommodations

At this time only shared tent accommodations are available for this retreat. If you wish to sign up on the wait list for upgraded accommodations click here. Note if you wish to assure yourself a place in the retreat you need to register for shared tent accommodations. Signing up on the upgrade wait list does not constitute registration.

If you signed up on the wait list for upgrade accommodations prior to the retreat being limited to first year participants your place on the wait list will be honored. We will contact you as upgrades become available.

This retreat provides a precious opportunity for the Shambhala community to gather, practice, and connect with Acharya Pema Chödrön, Acharya Gaylon Ferguson and Kalapa Acharya Adam Lobel. Focusing on the sitting practice of meditation, it will also include talks, guided meditation, contemplation practice, and Shamatha yoga. Open to members of Shambhala as well as those who have practiced in the Shambhala community for a minimum of six months, this week counts as a week of dathün.

Pema Chödrön is a leading exponent of teachings on meditation and how they apply to everyday life. Widely known for her charming and down-to-earth interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism for Western audiences, Pema studied under the meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and currently studies with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. Pema is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery for Westerners. She is author of The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are, When Things Fall Apart, The Places that Scare You, No Time to Lose, and Practicing Peace in Times of War.

Acharya Gaylon Ferguson has taught at several Vajrayana Seminary programs with both the current Sakyong and the Druk Sakyong, and has led Sutrayana Seminaries and numerous dathuns. Gaylon served in many capacities while living at Karme Choling including Executive Co-director. In 1994, he was a Fulbright Fellow to Nigeria and completed a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology at Stanford University two years later. After several years teaching at the University of Washington, Gaylon returned to Karme Choling as teacher-in-residence. Currently he is a member of the core faculty in Interdisciplinary Studies at Naropa University. His article, "Making Friends with Ourselves" (from the collection Dharma, Color, and Culture) was selected for inclusion in The Best Buddhist writing: 2005. In 2009 Gaylon's first book was published, Natural Wakefulness: Discovering the Wisdom We Were Born With.

Kalapa Acharya Adam Lobel leads meditation workshops, courses on Buddhist philosophy and the social vision of Shambhala. Adam is also the Acharya for the Mipham Academy, an advanced, annual intensive for Buddhist philosophical and contemplative studies at Karme Choling in Vermont. He teaches meditation to youths within the prison system and a mental health institution. Adam holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School, where he is helping to establish a track for Buddhist ministers and chaplains. His research focuses on philosophy, phenomenology, meditation, and the Great Perfection tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

The cancellation policy for this retreat differs from our standard policy. If you cancel at least 30 days prior to the arrival date your deposit will be refunded in full less a $50 processing fee. If you cancel 15 to 29 days prior to arrival (July 27 to August 10th) you will be refunded 50% of the total cost of the retreat. If you cancel less than 15 days prior to arrival (after August 10th) you will forfeit all amounts paid.