UUpc Summer - Fall Workshops at the Nyingma Institute
Weekend workshops introduce new ideas in a gentle, meditative atmosphere.

Unless otherwise noted, Saturday workshops begin at 10 AM and conclude at 4:45 PM, and include a vegetarian buffet lunch.
Workshop participants may arrange to stay overnight at the Institute for $40 per night.

Programs are based on books by Tarthang Tulku.
These books are available at the Nyingma Institute Bookstore,
or may be purchased online through Dharma Publishing.

For Continuing Education Credit Workshops see
Continuing Legal Education Program- MCLEP certified workshops for lawyers
and MFT &LCSW Workshops -CEU credits for health care workers

For Retreats lasting longer than three days, see the Retreats Page or Human Development Retreat Page

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Weekend workshops introduce new ideas in a gentle, meditative atmosphere.
Unless otherwise noted, Saturday workshops begin at 10 AM, conclude at 4:45 PM and include a vegetarian buffet lunch.
Workshop participants may arrange to stay overnight at the Institute for $40 per night.

Summer Workshops

Jump to September Workshops

Jump to Fall Workshops

	KNR411 Revitalizing Inner Energy* June 13 10 AM-4:45 PM Increase your energy level and zest for life through Kum Nye practice. Gentle movement exercises restore vitality as they release physical and mental tension. Cost: $80. Instructor: Donna Morton. Based on Tibetan Relaxation.
MED401 How to Meditate June 13 10 AM-1 PM Learn how to begin and sustain a daily meditation practice. This half-day workshop introduces sitting and walking meditation and Tibetan chanting. Cost: $45. Instructor: Olivia Hurd. 10 AM—1 PM, followed by lunch. KNR413 Embodiment of Beauty* June 20 10 AM-4:45 PM The human heart thrives on wonder and the light of beauty. Tarthang Tulku, Mandala Gardens. Our physical senses are capable of receiving great beauty, bringing us moments of exquisite feeling and deep satisfaction. To activate this capacity for beauty, we must clear confusion and repressed anger out of the pathways of the senses. The Tibetan Yoga (Kum Nye) practices in this workshop initiate a stream of inner feeling that cleanses each sense. Cost: $80. Instructor: Jack van der Meulen. Based on Joy of Being and Mandala Gardens.
DHS413 The Perfections of Patience and Strength June 26-27 Friday, 7-9 PM; Saturday, 10 AM-4:45 PM Based on the Bodhicaryavatara and its Tibetan commentaries, students will study the perfections of patience (ksanti) and strength (virya).   Cost: $95. Friday, 7-9 PM; Saturday, 10 AM-4:45 PM. Instructors: Sylvia Gretchen and Barr Rosenberg. Prerequisite: background in Buddhist Studies and consent of instructors. TSK406 Waking to Space; Opening to Freedom July 11 10 AM-4:45 PM We live our lives within narrow limits. Accepting these limits as “the way things are,” we never notice how they channel us into pathways of frustration and disappointment. The Time, Space, and Knowledge vision offers practices and insights that help us break through our limits. When we focus on space instead of structure, we taste freedom in each moment. When we break down the old patterns that claim authority over us, we gain the power to reshape our lives. Cost: $80. Instructor: Jack Petranker. For all levels of students.
MED416 Transforming Adversity July 18 10 AM-4:45 PM Difficult circumstances can suddenly arise in our lives. In this workshop, we learn mind training (Lo Jong) techniques that we can apply in times of distress to catalyze our efforts to purify and transform mind. Cost: $80. Instructor: Sylvia Gretchen. Based on Path of Heroes. Prerequisite: Three years of meditation experience.
	DHS414 The Perfections of Meditation and Wisdom July 25 10 AM-4:45 PM Through study of chapters eight and nine of the Bodhicaryavatara and its Tibetan commentaries, students will learn the types of meditation and appropriate topics of meditation. Selected verses from the chapter on wisdom will help illuminate the depth and complexity of its study. Cost: $80. Instructor: Barr Rosenberg. Prerequisite: background in Buddhist Studies.

MED407 Foundations for Mindfulness August 1 10 AM-4:45 PM Mindfulness wakes us up to the true nature of existence. In this workshop, we learn to engage the body, feelings, mind, and the structures of experience, establishing a firm basis for mindfulness. An introduction to the path that has reliably grounded realization and awakening for over two millennia. Cost: $80. Instructor: Jack Petranker.
	DHS404 Training for Freedom August 7-8 Friday, 7—9 PM; Saturday, 10 AM—5 PM. Classic Buddhist education uses three trainings—ethical action (shila), meditation (samadhi), and wisdom (prajna)—to develop wholesome knowledge and power. This workshop introduces these traditional tools for clearing away the network of confusion and karmic patterns. Cost: $95. Instructors: Sylvia Gretchen and Jack Petranker. Prerequisite: background in Buddhist studies.
	NPS410 Clear Mind, Open Heart August 15 10 AM-4:45 PM There is a dynamic interplay between mind and heart. Practices and discussion in this workshop will help integrate head and heart knowledge, unlocking creativity and opening the heart. Cost: $80. Instructor: Robin Caton. Based on Knowledge of Freedom.
KNR415 Stress Reduction through Tibetan Yoga August 22 10 AM-4:45 PM Keys to coping with stressful times come to us from the Tibetan tradition. They include meditation, movement, and awareness exercises that can melt tension in the body and mind. This workshop presents a series of easy exercises to help you relax and be ready to respond vibrantly to life’s challenges. Cost: $80. Instructor: Santosh Philip.
MED412 Sacred Healing Breath August 29 10 AM-4:45 PM The breath can be a powerful ally on the spiritual path, carrying knowledge, awareness, and nourishment throughout our body and mind. We live within the rhythm of breath, and by becoming attuned to its patterns, we find an avenue that leads directly to our inner nature. Tarthang Tulku, Hidden Mind of Freedom. The rhythm of the breath can be harnessed for healing. This workshop teaches breathing techniques with many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure. You will also learn to contact a subtle “inner breath” that circulates through body and mind. Its pervasive whisper communicates with head and heart, guiding you to health and balance.   Cost: $80. Instructor: Santosh Philip.

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September Workshops

 

KNR405 Tasting Relaxation September 5* 10 AM-4:45 PM The relaxation that comes through Kum Nye (Tibetan Yoga) practice is like a rich nectar that flows through the body and feelings. This workshop presents practices that allow us to “taste” this deep relaxation. Cost: $80. Instructor: Jack van der Meulen. For all levels of students.

KNR406 Joy and Spaciousness September 11-13* Gentle Kum Nye movement and breathing practices enhance a sense of spaciousness and develop joyous feelings. Practicing mostly outdoors, we invite the beauty of nature to foster and expand inner joy. Cost: $220 (residential only). Held at Ratna Ling. Begins with dinner on Friday and continues through Sunday lunch. Instructors: Sylvia Gretchen and Jack van der Meulen.

MED401 How to Meditate September 12 10 AM-1 PM Learn how to begin and sustain a daily meditation practice. This workshop provides instruction in sitting and walking meditation and Tibetan chanting. Cost: $45. Instructor: Olivia Hurd. Includes lunch at 1 PM.

MED401 The Art of Sitting Comfortably September 12 2-5 PM This workshop is for those who have trouble sitting cross-legged on the floor. You will be led through a motion assessment of back, hips, knees, and ankles. A variety of sitting strategies will be introduced and a program of Kum Nye exercises will be tailored for you, taking into account your specific motion limitations. Cost: $60. Instructor: Donna Morton, Kum Nye instructor and physiotherapist. All are welcome, but register early, since attendance is limited.

Sylvia Gretchen, co-dean of the Nyingma Institute

MED404 Unlocking Consciousness September 19 10 AM-4:45 PM Concentrating on an ancient Buddhist symbol for awareness, we catalyze meditation practice through visualization and mantra. Levels of consciousness emerge that are beyond words or labels. Cost: $80. Instructor: Sylvia Gretchen. For those with meditation experience.

NPS411 Loving Yourself, Loving Others September 26 10 AM-4:45 PM Love moves beyond self and obligation to manifest more broadly in our actions, and joy stabilizes into equanimity that removes fear and empowers commitment. Tarthang Tulku, Joy of Being. In order to love others fully, we must also learn to love ourselves. Then we find an unending source of unconditioned love that we can freely share. This workshop presents classic Buddhist teachings that expand love and compassion beyond all boundaries. Cost: $80. Instructors: Robin Caton and Sylvia Gretchen.

 

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Fall Workshops

 

NPR408 Joy of Being October 3 10 AM-4:45 PM Joyful in our own being, we take delight in the positive accomplishments of others and spontaneously feel their joy as our own. The suffering of others hits the heart more directly, inspiring compassion and the wish for knowledge that heals and inspires. Tarthang Tulku, Joy of Being. This workshop celebrates our capacity to discover liberating knowledge. It includes instruction from Buddhist Studies, Nyingma Psychology, Tibetan Yoga, and the Time, Space, and Knowledge vision.   FREE. Instructors: Nyingma Institute teaching staff. This special workshop is open to all interested students at no charge as part of the “Joy of Being” week that celebrates the Nyingma Institute’s 38th anniversary.
MED402 Healing Sound October 9-11 If you are very silent and alert, you may hear a beautiful, soft music in your body—a sort of silent music between thoughts. Tarthang Tulku, Openness Mind. There is an art of deep listening that hears all sounds as music and recognizes a vast healing silence at the very heart of all sound. This workshop blends music, mantra, and silence to inspire this realization. Cost: $220 (residential only). Held at Ratna Ling. Instructors: Sylvia Gretchen and Barr Rosenberg. Begins with dinner on Friday and continues through Sunday lunch.
Kum Nye Instructor Donna Morton	KNR412 Inner Alchemy: Transformation through Tibetan Yoga October 10* 10 AM-4:45 PM Remarkable transformation occurs through Kum Nye, mobilizing the body’s natural healing as it literally remakes the physical body. The movement exercises introduced in this workshop stimulate the flow of subtle energy that can lead to amazing changes in body and mind. Cost: $80. Instructors: Jack van der Meulen and Donna Morton. For all levels of students.
NPR401 Dream Lotus Evening October 16* 7—9 PM The images which emerge from dream awareness will intensify our waking experience, allowing us to see more of the nature of existence. Tarthang Tulku, Openness Mind. Instructions for dream yoga practice will be given, along with practices that relax tension in the throat area. This evening workshop opens the doors to vivid transformative experience. Cost: $30. Instructor: Sylvia Gretchen. Based on Openness Mind. For all levels of students.
Kum Nye Instructor Jack van der Meulen	NPS406 Activating Joyous Feeling October 17* 10 AM-4:45 PM By stimulating and directing positive, joyous feelings we can change the essence of our inner patterns and experience. When positive or joyous feelings and attitudes pass through each organ and circulate throughout our whole system, our physical and chemical energies are transformed. In other words, we have the opportunity to recreate our bodies through positive energy. Tarthang Tulku, Gesture of Balance. Meditation, awareness, and movement practices awaken and expand joyous feelings. You will learn exercises that distribute deep feelings of joy through both body and mind.   Cost: $80. Instructors: Sylvia Gretchen and Jack van der Meulen. Based on Gesture of Balance and Kum Nye Relaxation. For all levels of students.

TSK405 Conducting Perfect Knowledge through Time October 23-24 Friday, 7—9 PM; Saturday, 10 AM—4:45 PM Breaking through solid limits, students learn ways to enter a different dimension of time, where freedom opens into the perfection of being. This workshop focuses on experiential exercises and interactive discussion. Cost: $95. Instructor: Jack Petranker.

DHS416 Path of Prayer to the Land of Bliss October 31 10 AM-4:45 PM A "Buddhafield" refers to a realm of being where all that happens is conducive to attaining enlightenment. One such Buddhafield is Sukhavati, "Land of Bliss," presided over by the Buddha Amitabha. This workshop looks at how human consciousness can connect to these realms. Cost: $80. Instructor: Sylvia Gretchen. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in DHS210 or consent of the Instructor.

NPS407 Transforming Personal History November 7* 10 AM-4:45 PM In every time and place throughout history, people have been lifted out of their daily routines by moments of beauty when they sensed the wonder of being alive in this world. Tarthang Tulku, Knowledge of Freedom. Habits and patterns intertwined with painful past memories often prevent us from enjoying the freedom and beauty that the human body and mind offer. It is possible to skillfully touch these memories in a way that cuts through their power to restrict us. Practices from Knowledge of Freedom can help transform personal history from a source of pain into a wellspring of renewal. Cost: $80. Instructor: Sylvia Gretchen. For all levels of students.
	MED401 How to Meditate November 14 10 AM—1 PM Learn how to begin and sustain a daily meditation practice. This workshop provides instruction in sitting and walking meditation and Tibetan chanting. Cost: $45. Instructor: Robin Caton. Includes lunch at 1 PM.
	DHS415 The Power of Buddhist Symbols November 14 10 AM-4:45 PM Buddhist art and architecture stand as guides to enlightenment. This workshop explores sacred forms and their symbolic language from an advanced perspective.   Cost: $80. Instructors: Buddhist Studies Staff.
MED409 Silent Mind, Peaceful Mind November 21 10 AM-4:45 PM Everything is existing perfectly as complete openness. Tarthang Tulku, Hidden Mind of Freedom. By letting go of expectations the mind becomes silent, peaceful, and aware. Meditation practices that transform mental experience can lead to this form of perfect equanimity. Cost: $80. Instructors: Lama Palzang, Pema Gellek, and Barr Rosenberg.  Based on Hidden Mind of Freedom. For intermediate and advanced meditators.
MED410 Ground of Being December 5 10 AM-4:45 PM Advanced meditation contacts states of mind free from desires and conflicting emotions. “Mind” is directly experienced as a process emerging from the ground of being. Workshop includes kunzhi practices and a brief introduction to the Yogachara school of Buddhist thought. Cost: $80. Instructor: Sylvia Gretchen. For advanced meditators.

	MED401 How to Meditate December 12 10 AM—1 PM Learn how to begin and sustain a daily meditation practice. This workshop provides instruction in sitting and walking meditation and Tibetan chanting. Cost: $45. Instructor: Olivia Hurd. Includes lunch at 1 PM.
NPS409 Attaining Inner Confidence December 12 10 AM-4:45 PM Relying on ourselves through more intimate knowledge of our inner nature is a strong foundation, a real source of nourishment and lasting happiness. Tarthang Tulku, Openness Mind. An infinite source of well-being lies within. This workshop teaches students meditations that help develop the confidence to access and follow the knowledge in their hearts. Students learn ways to expand mindfulness and openness in their daily lives. Cost: $80. Instructor: Robin Caton.
KNR401 Renewing and Refreshing the Senses January 2, 2010 10 AM-4:45 PM Relax with a day of restful Tibetan Yoga exercises to refresh the senses. Cost: $80. Instructor: Jack van der Meulen. For all levels of students.

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*These workshops meet the qualifications for hours of continuing education credit for MFTs and LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Provider: Nyingma Institute #2513. A full refund is given if a workshop is cancelled or a student is unable to attend.