***UPDATE: As of April 19, 2024, registration for this program is no longer available. Please visit our calendar to view our upcoming offerings.***

Tara Mandala is thrilled to offer our first 2-week long in person practice retreat.  Together we step out of our regular routine and bask in the beauty of turning inward while cultivating our personal practice. 

The Practice Focus for this retreat:

Prajñāpāramitā, the “perfection of wisdom,” is one of the key philosophies and practices of the Mahāyāna teachings of Buddhism. Prajñāpāramitā, is also revered as the female embodiment of wisdom (Skt. prajñā), the Great Mother, or Yum Chenmo in Tibetan. She is luminous clarity ceaselessly radiating as compassion to all beings. Ultimately, she is our own true nature, our source of awakening within ourselves.

It is also a primary “nature of mind” meditation practice, an important part of the Kapala Training program within the Magyü: The Mother Lineage at Tara Mandala. Our retreat center in Colorado, with its vast sky views, offers the perfect environment to accomplish this open awareness meditation!

In this immersive practice retreat, you will:

• Be given the transmission of the Prajñāpāramitā practice by Lopön Polly Ryan.
• Immerse yourself in a progressive path of meditation focusing on Prajñāpāramitā and deepening your connection with this practice and its profound meaning. If you are a member of Magyü: The Mother Lineage Program, this immersion will give you an opportunity to accumulate this practice to support your requirements within the program.
• Receive Dharma talks and teachings on fundamental Mahayana principles.
• Receive individual guidance by qualified teachers.
• Participate in daily group and solo Prajñāpāramitā meditation sessions.
• Integrate your practice and community work with other retreatants. 
• Ground yourself in the sacred land of Tara Mandala through walking and practicing in nature.

Who should attend?

• This program is open to anyone. 
• For students who have completed Feeding Your Demons® Level I – Secular Track (Online Course) and are interested in transitioning to the Feeding Your Demons® Level II – Buddhist Track (Online Course) or are interested in joining the Magyu: The Mother Lineage Program, this program helps with fulfilling the requirement of completing Feeding Your Demons®: Kapala Training Level I.

Daily & Weekly Schedule

• Each week is composed of six days of intensive practice followed by one personal day.
• Saturday will be a Personal Day. A Personal Day is, in contrast to a Practice Day, a day for participants to attend to their own personal matters, whatever those may be, such as resting, reading, drawing, hiking, calling family/friends, hanging out with fellow practitioners, etc. To enable you to step fully into contemplation and retreat while supporting the integrity of the community and cohort as a whole, we encourage you to remain at the retreat center. If needs present, our onsite team can assist in meeting those needs during their regularly scheduled trips to town.   
• Please refer below to the daily schedule of a Practice Day:

Practice Day Schedule:
7:00am – 7:45am: Meditation Session
8:00am – 8:45am: Silent Breakfast
8:45am – 9:30am: Community Work Practice / Personal Time
10:00am – 12:45pm: Morning Session
1:00pm – 1:45pm: Silent Lunch
1:45pm – 2:30pm: Community Work Practice / Personal Time
3:45pm – 5:45pm: Afternoon Session
6:00pm – 6:45pm: Dinner
6:45pm – 7:30pm: Community Work Practice / Personal Time
7:45pm – 8:30pm: Meditation Session

Morning and Afternoon Sessions include: meditation, embodied movement, outdoor practice; dharma talks and teachings, council circle, personal interviews, personal practice time. 

Registration for this retreat closes on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 10:00am (MDT)

To prepare for this retreat, we invite you to read our information on Tara Mandala’s Health & Safety Protocols for In-Person Retreats.

Tara Mandala Pricing Guidelines
As we work to become an equitable, diverse and inclusive community, our pricing guidelines are intended to be a map, inviting each of us to take inventory of resources that contribute to our access to precious dharma teachings. While we do ask you to look inward, please know there is no right or wrong answer. We encourage you to select the range/rate appropriate to your circumstances. To learn more about Tara Mandala’s pricing guidelines for Online Programs, In-Person Retreats, and Special Promotions, please visit this page. 

Installment Payment Plan Option at Registration
During registration, students can either pay the program fee in full or select the Installment Payment option. If choosing the installment payment option, students will pay a 50% deposit upon registering and subsequent equal payments will be processed automatically every two-weeks. The final balance is due 14 days before the start of the program.

Deferred Payment Plans and Financial Assistance
Tara Mandala offers two types of financial assistance: Deferred Payment Plans and Scholarships. You may apply for one or both of these types of assistance. Read the terms carefully as outlined on the financial aid application. Please see this page for further information.

Offering dana to the teacher: The practice of offering dana, which means “generosity,” is the traditional offering the student makes to the teacher as a symbol of appreciation, gratitude, and reciprocity for receiving the precious teachings. Information on offering dana to the teacher will be provided during the program. To learn more about dana and suggested dana ranges, please click here.

Sustaining Sangha:
If you are currently a member of our Sustaining Sangha, you may apply your Online Program discount to this course. To learn more about Sustaining Sangha membership, benefits, and discounts, click here. 

Click Here for Our Onsite Retreat Cancellation and Refund Policy