Residential Retreats

Kamalashila Institute, Langenfeld, Germany. Lama Tsultrim will teach on Machig Labdrön’s male and female lineages and Machig’s profound “Opening the Gate to Space” practice. Opening the Gate to Space: This Nature of Mind P’howa practice was given by Machig to her oldest son, Gyalwa Dondrub. It is the heart and life force of the mother lineage … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This retreat is for those people who have chosen to do the Kapala Training Level I in two separate parts and it continues the work begun in Part One. Once completed you are qualified for Level 2 of Kapala Training All registration payments made above the lowest fee go directly into … More →

The core of Buddhist practice is to arrive at the realization that our true nature shines as the groundless ground of being that is naturally free and enlightened. During this retreat people are invited to experience this truth for themselves. It will be structured with alternating sessions of silence, teaching, dialogue and the practice of … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This is a core program at Tara Mandala. The month long retreat covers the historical and practice developments of all three vehicles (yanas) of Buddhism. It is required for all students of Lama Tsultrim taking higher levels of teachings. These retreats are held in Noble Silence. An optional oral exam … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This session will offer a foundation for Buddhist practice. It encompasses the life of the Buddha, Shakyamuni, and the meditation practices he taught based on the four foundations of mindfulness.  Both sitting and walking meditation are an integral part of this retreat. All registration payments made above the lowest fee … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This session will focus on the teachings of compassion and emptiness as they developed in the Mahayana tradition. Through dharma talks, discussion and practice, students will explore the Four Immeasurables: Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity as well as the Six Paramitas: Generosity, Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditation and Wisdom. … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Did you ever wonder about what is going on in Tibetan Buddhism with all those colors, deities and mandalas? This session is a good introduction to the historical development of the Vajrayana tradition, the base of Tibetan Buddhism. Students will learn about the mandala principle, deity yoga, the use of … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Inspired by the ancient practice of Chöd, “Feeding Your Demons™” is a five-step process created by Lama Tsultrim Allione that allows one to offer compassion and understanding to our own inner demons rather than engaging in battle and struggle with them. This process is of great benefit when working with … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Chöd is a unique blend of the Tibetan Shamanic traditions and the Buddhist tradition of compassion and emptiness. This centuries-old practice is sung and is accompanied by the use of a traditional Chöd drum and bell. Healing comes when fear, fixation, and self-clinging are cut through, based on nurturing not … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Family Harmony Through Ritual.   Join Charlotte Rotterdam, Debra Quayle Travis, and others for Tara Mandala’s annual Family Retreat when new and returning families join in a joyous, rich, and deeply nurturing week to explore the creative and contemplative wellsprings of our individual and communal journeys. This year we draw … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. During this retreat we will learn and practice the Lion Headed (Simhamukha) Dakini practice and her wrathful mandala, working in depth with the energies of the five Dakinis in the context of this practice. This is a terma of Ayu Khandro (see her biography in Women of Wisdom). All registration … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. “Tara is accessible even to those who have not received the initiation of Tara. She is simply present. The reemergence of Tara’s energy, her feminine wisdom, and her compassion are essential for the earth and all people right now. We are out of balance, and feminine wisdom is lacking. One … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Enjoy a weekend of Prana Flow with Monica Mesa, combined with the teaching of Shamatha, “Calm Abiding,” meditation with Debra Quayle Travis. Prana Flow is an energetic, creative, full-spectrum approach to embodying the flow of yoga cultivated by Shiva Rea. Classes are breath inspired journeys that offer a complete spectrum … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado.   This retreat is for Tara Mandala Authorized Teachers and is by invitation only.   All registration payments made above the lowest fee go directly into our scholarship fund.

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The Dzinpa Rangdröl ngöndro (foundational practices) of the Yangsang Khandro Thug Tig (Exceedingly Secret Heart Essence of the Dakini) cycle is the gateway for entering the profound lineage of the Dzinpa Rangdröl cycle. Since the time of Guru Rinpoche, the practice of ngöndro has been completed by all of the … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The Chöd Fest is an exciting addition to Tara Mandala’s retreat season and is a response to many requests from students who want to deepen their knowledge and practice of Chöd. In-depth teachings on the historical roots of this lineage will be complemented by our practice of the Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche Chöd … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The experience of empty clarity naturally gives birth to compassion.  This retreat will explore the interface between openness of compassion and the depth radiance of awareness, looking at it in a hands-on way through practice.  There will be an emphasis on clearing up the common mistakes that practitioners make in meditation … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I Ching/Yijing or the Classic of Change is the oldest and most sophisticated divinatory system in the world. It has been treasured for thousands of years as a guide to navigating the voyage of life. Philosophically, it embodies primordial change, the mutations or transformations that initiate the process of generation, transformation … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Yantra Yoga is one of the oldest recorded systems of yoga in the world. It has come to us by way of Tibet, a land that holds a vast, rich Buddhist knowledge and heritage. Yantra Yoga’s unique series of positions and movements, combined with conscious breathing, can help coordinate and harmonize … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. In this five day retreat, Joanna will give teachings and practices from her Work That Reconnects. This pioneering group work, used world-wide to sustain activism for global justice, is directly inspired by the Buddha’s central doctrine of dependent co-arising. Drawing on the Buddha Dharma and its corollaries in living systems theory, … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This retreat is a continuation of the Kapala Training program. It consists of a deepening of the Prajña Paramita practice, an introduction to Jamgön Kongtrül’s text Transmitting the Meaning of the Mother, and Machig Labdrön’s method for cutting through discursive thoughts with sound. “Feeding Your Demons” work will continue individually and … More →

Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Zhitro: Lama Tsultrim will teach Zhitro (Peaceful and Wrathful) which is a practice used to help those who have died during the 49 days after death. It is a terma (treasure) from Namkha Mingyur Dorje, the young tertön whose revelations were written down by his teacher Karma Chagme. Most Zhitro practices … More →