Cultivating Wellness as the Light Returns - A WINTER SOLSTICE VIRTUAL RETREAT

A Tara Mandala Virtual Retreat 

Winter Solstice, known in Tibetan as gun nyi-dog (“the winter return of the sun”), is one of the most important turning points in our yearly cycle – once identified as the true new year in ancient times. Solstice is a powerful time for releasing clinging to the previous year’s baggage and setting fresh intentions for the following journey around the sun. According to the Tibetan Science of Healing (Sowa Rigpa), this is a time of deeply rejuvenating lunar energy – guiding us inwards to foster greater balance in our body, energy, and mind. 

This retreat is a special invitation to pause and connect with the stillness within ourselves. Drawing upon the teachings of Tibetan Medicine and the Buddhist Inner Science, we will explore the intimate connections between the outer world and our inner experience, learn to understand our own unique elemental orientation, and work to empower more authentic and dynamic balance in our own lives. In particular, we will focus on the poignancy of this winter threshold, and receive practical guidance for keeping healthy and happy during this challenging time.  

Tibetan Medicine practitioner and teacher Erik Jampa Andersson will lead participants on a journey through the profound landscape of Sowa Rigpa, exploring how the inner science of Buddhadharma coalesced with myriad ancient healing traditions of the classical world, and how this age-old science can help us achieve a greater sense of wellness in these complicated times. 

During this special retreat we will have the opportunity to:

• Discover our unique elemental typology according to Sowa Rigpa. 
• Learn how to integrate with the elemental and energetic shifts of the seasons in order to achieve more dynamic wellness.
• Explore accessible nutritional and behavioral techniques for bringing the body and mind into a state of balance, including a simple herbal compress therapy for calming the physical and mental winds and supporting deep relaxation. 
• Receive teachings on traditional healing meditation and yoga techniques in the Tibetan Medical tradition. 
• Celebrate the Winter Solstice with a special ritual on the last day of the retreat.

Who Should Attend? 

• This retreat is open to everyone.

• We offer scholarships and deferred payment plans as resources for anyone with financial limitations. For more information and to apply, visit our Scholarships and Financial Assistance Page. 

What is a Virtual Retreat?

Virtual Retreats are Tara Mandala At-Home intensive retreats, teachings and in-depth workshops during which practitioners receive dharma teachings, engage in guided practice, hands-on learning, and connect with other participants through an easy-to-use online platform (Zoom) during consecutive days (with few exceptions) and daylong offerings. This modality of learning is appropriate for practitioners who are able to create a practice container of their own, setting aside a dedicated retreat space, removing from social media, and taking care of necessities with the mind of compassion in action for the specific dates and times that the teachings occur. 

Virtual Retreats are meant to be attended live given that direct transmission (Tib. lung) may be given. However, access to recordings of the sessions are available for up to 7 days after the end of the last session for additional viewing.

Tiered-Prices

We’re asking our community to support Tara Mandala financially by considering our tiered-pricing model for our virtual retreats which we are launching  in 2020 to support those in our community that cannot travel due to the pandemic. These are difficult times for everyone, and Tara Mandala is no exception. We encourage you to pay at the highest level within your capacity to support Tara Mandala, our staff, and our sangha. We thank you in advance for your support and your practice!

$240 – Essential Level
Registration at this level helps Tara Mandala cover basic costs of holding this specific retreat, including compensating our teachers. 

$294 – Luminous Level (includes a 20% discount for self-paced online courses valid for 3 months)
Registration at this level helps support basic costs of this retreat, and additionally supports our onsite staff  at Tara Mandala during this year of uncertainty.

$324 – Mandala Level (includes a 30% discount for self-paced online courses valid for 3 months)
Registration at this level helps Tara Mandala cover basic costs for this retreat, supports staff, facilities maintenance and other critical operational needs onsite this year.

Any additional contribution to our Annual Fund will allow Tara Mandala Retreat Center to continue to be a year-round center, a repository for wisdom literature, a center for translation, a beacon for the feminine in Buddhism, an active dharma center with weekly dharma study and practice that provides refuge for deep practice and transformation. If you are able to provide a generous contribution beyond the prices listed above, you will also have the opportunity to do so in your registration and/or during the retreat.

Similarly, if you would like to offer Dana to the teachers leading this retreat, the information to do so will be provided during the virtual retreat sessions.

VIRTUAL RETREAT SCHEDULE

Listed times are the online portions of the retreat. All times are Mountain Daylight Time.
Please use this link to see how this daily schedule translates into your timezone.

Saturday, December 19:
8:00am – 10:00am: Opening Session/Teachings
11:00am – 1:00pm: Teaching Session
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Practice Session

Sunday, December 20:
8:00am – 10:00am: Teaching Session
11:00am – 1:00pm: Teaching Session
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Practice Session

Monday, December 21:
10:00am – 12:00pm: Winter Solstice Tsog & Celebration