Building Blocks
Seeker’s Path:
Retreats
A Supportive Entry Point into Tibetan Buddhist Practice
Rooted in authentic lineage teachings, these retreats provide the space to learn core meditation techniques, establish steady habits, and connect with community. Whether new to practice or seeking to strengthen your foundation, they help create the ground for a lifelong path of study, reflection, and transformation.
These foundational retreats are designed for those just beginning their meditation journey. No prior experience is needed—just an open mind and heart.
Cultivate Connection
The Four Immeasurables
Cultivate Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity in this Immersive Weekend Retreat
Love and compassion are not fleeting sentiments; they are inherent capacities within us that can be cultivated and expanded. However, the very tide of modern life often diverts our attention. How can we reconnect with these qualities and foster a genuine sense of love and true connection.
The Four Immeasurables, also known as Boundless Qualities in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, offer a path to cultivating an expansive heart. Engaging in these practices can elevate awareness, dissolve feelings of isolation, and help rediscover one’s innate connection to others and the world.
Learn in Community
Reset & Renew
Cultivate Mindfulness, Compassion, and Resilience in Your Daily Life
Over this in-person weekend retreat, participants learn foundational Buddhist meditation practices while enjoying the support and warmth of a like-minded community.
Throughout the weekend, participants will explore foundational Buddhist meditation practices, including:
- Shamata (Calm Abiding), to quiet the mind and cultivate focus.
- Loving Kindness (Metta), to nurture goodwill for oneself and others.
- Tonglen (Compassion practice), to expand our capacity to extend compassion even in challenging situations.
- This retreat is offered in-person only to provide an immersive and focused environment, free from distractions.
These practices will be paired with “Sangha Skills”—relational exercises developed by Aaron Stern and the Academy for the Love of Learning®
Experience the Three Jewels
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
Hands-On Learning in Community at the Namchak Retreat Ranch
During this five-day retreat, participants can immerse themselves in the Three Jewels at the Namchak Retreat Ranch in Hot Springs, Montana. Namchak teachers, facilitators, and community partners will guide them to explore Buddhist dharma, meditation, Sangha Skills, permaculture, indigenous education, and tools for nervous system regulation. We will also experience the gift of being held by the beauty and solitude of the Namchak Retreat Ranch land, which will support all of our activities and exploration.
This immersion is intended to provide a holistic experience for all levels of practitioners, from those who are curious about meditation to those who are already on a Buddhist path. Participants will be given opportunities to relate to the retreat teachings through the lens of our personal practice, the work we do in relationships and community, and our engagement with the world at large. Anchored in a routine of daily meditation, participants will also be supported in cultivating the habit of daily practice and given tools to carry the insights (and friendships!) from this immersion forward into their lives post-retreat.