Four-Month Human Development Training Retreat
Four-Month Human Development Training Retreat
Description: This retreat provides students with an intense four-month period of study and practice of Nyingma teachings. The retreat curriculum is a program in human development, working both cognitively and experientially with mind, body, and spiritual awareness. Students develop insight into the nature of consciousness, emotion, thought, embodiment, and feeling. Exercises release the hold of negative habitual patterning within body and mind, allowing previously untapped human qualities to emerge. Participants are instructed in how to integrate their new knowledge and way of being within daily life so that what is learned in the retreat continues to unfold and develop.
Objective: Upon completion, students will understand how habitual patterns of thought and emotions arise, how to transform negative energy patterns to allow previously untapped human qualities to emerge, and how to integrate their new knowledge and way of being within daily life so that what is learned in the retreat continues to unfold.
Upcoming Dates:
- August 30-December 15, 2010
- August 29- December 14, 2011
Length: 16 weeks.
Program components:
5.5 hours of daytime instruction, Mondays-Fridays. A typical schedule might be:
- 6:30—7:45 AM
- 10:00—11:30 AM
- 2:15—3:30 PM
- 4:00—5:30 PM
Between 1.5 and 3 hours of evening instruction, Mondays-Fridays.
Program Cost: $5,200 (nonresidential); $7,600 (residential). May be paid in monthly installments ($1300 nonresidential; $1900 residential.)
9 required evening classes:
MED305 Advanced Meditation
August 30-September 20, 2010
August 29-September 19, 2011
Mondays, 6:15-7:45 PM
Concentrated and advanced study of a single advanced meditation topic, such as the four energy centers, experience of time, or healing through meditation.
MED301 Advanced Meditation
October 4-December 6, 2010
October 3-December 5, 2011
Mondays, 6:15-7:45 PM
Advanced meditation teachings are based on traditional Tibetan texts. Students are introduced to new techniques that increase mindfulness and insight as they deepen the meditative experience of bliss and openness. The focus this quarter is on introducing new modes of non-conceptual study.
DHS211 Buddhist Studies Tutorial
October 5-December 7, 2010
October 4-December 6, 2011
Tuesdays, 8-9:30 PM
In this intermediate and advanced tutorial, students closely read primary sources which can include Indian Buddhist works in translation (such as the Bodhicharyavatara) or Tibetan Buddhist works such as the Ngal-gso-skor-gsum. If a text or commentary has not been published in English translation the instructor will provide a translation of the sections of the text relevant to the class.
KNR104 Beginning Kum Nye: Kum Nye to Balance Feelings
September 1-22, 2010
August 31-September 21, 2011
Wednesdays, 6:15-7:45 PM
Gentle movement practices expand and balance feelings, harmonizing body and mind. A sense of deep fulfillment arises as students connect more fully with their senses.
KNR105 Beginning Kum Nye: Expanding Enjoyment and Ease
October 6-December 8, 2010
October 5-December 7, 2011
Wednesdays, 6:15-7:45 PM
A series of Kum Nye practices that help to reduce physical and mental tension are combined with practices that expand the enjoyment of each of the senses.
NPS107 Inner Psychology
August 30-September 20, 2010
August 29-September 19, 2011
Mondays, 8-9:30 PM
Mind rules our lives. But what is mind? Buddhist psychologists have studied this question for thousands of years. Drawing on their insights, this course examines mind, thought, and emotions and shows how impoverishing mental patterns can be transformed into liberating growth. Includes mindfulness and meditation practices.
NPS103 Working With Emotions
October 4-December 6, 2010
October 3-December 5, 2011
Mondays, 8-9:30 PM
Emotions can be binding and painful, but they can also be great teachers. This class teaches meditation exercises for working with emotions in daily life. Learning to use mindfulness to appreciate the transient nature of emotions can free us from the tendency to cling to both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. We discover the key to transforming negative emotional energy.
KNR109 Healing Power of Touch
September 3-24, 2010
September 2-23, 2011
Fridays, 8-9:30 PM
An introduction to Kum Nye self-massage. Students will learn how to sensitize the hands to feeling and how to apply the slow, flowing strokes of Kum Nye massage to face, hands, and feet.
KNR106 Kum Nye Self Massage
November 12-December 10, 2010
November 11-December 9, 2011
Fridays, 8-9:30 PM
A five-week “hands-on” class in Kum Nye self-massage. Students will be led through slow massage routines that promote relaxation and deepen their sense of physical presence.
14 required workshops:
KNR405 Tasting Relaxation
September 4, 2010
September 3, 2011
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 participants to ‘taste’ this deep relaxation.
KNR406 Joy and Spaciousness
September 10-12, 2010
September 9-11, 2011
Gentle Kum Nye movement and breathing practices enhance a sense of spaciousness and develop joyous feelings. Taught mostly outdoors, the beauty of nature will help foster and expand inner joy.
MED404 Unlocking Consciousness
September 18, 2010
September 17, 2011
Concentrating on an ancient Buddhist symbol for awareness, we catalyze meditation practice through visualization and mantra. Levels of consciousness emerge that are beyond words and labels.
NPS411 Loving Yourself, Loving Others
September 25, 2010
September 24, 2011
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.
MED418 Gesture of Balance
October 2, 2010
October 1, 2011
This workshop introduces awareness and meditation practices that can be used in everyday life to balance and heal body, breath and mind. Instruction includes teachings from Buddhist Studies, Nyingma Psychology, Tibetan Yoga, and the Time, Space, and Knowledge vision
NPR410 Dream Yoga and Authentic Communication
October 8-10, 2010
October 7-9, 2011
Meditation and visualization exercises from the Tibetan tradition bring a special awareness into the dream state that helps us to use dreams to cultivate insight. Practices will be introduced that stimulate lucid dreaming, along with exercises that release tension in the head and neck, enhancing our ability to listen well and speak truly.
NPS406 Activating Joyous Feeling
October 16, 2010
October 15, 2011
Meditation, awareness, and movement practices awaken and expand joyous feelings. Students will learn exercises that distribute deep feelings of joy through both body and mind.
DHS412 Dharma Studies Workshop
October 21-24, 2010
October 20-23, 2011
Topics in traditional Buddhist studies are offered with an emphasis on how the teachings are integrated into patterns of behavior.
NPS407 Transforming Personal History
November 6, 2010
November 5, 2011
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.
DHS415 The Power of Buddhist Symbols
November 13, 2010
November 12, 2011
Buddhist art and architecture stand as guides to enlightenment. This workshop explores sacred forms and their symbolic language from an advanced perspective.
MED409 Silent Mind, Peaceful Mind
November 20, 2010
November 19, 2011
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.
NPR402 Cultivating Compassionate Love
November 26-28, 2010
November 25-27, 2011
We can learn to love ourselves and others more deeply through actively cultivating compassionate love. This kind of love heals the painful divisions between living beings, allowing us to forgive others and to cleanse ourselves of ill will. The workshop introduces gentle visualization, mantra and meditation practices given by the Buddha.
MED410 Ground of Being
December 4, 2010
December 3, 2011
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.
NPS409 Attaining Inner Confidence
December 11, 2010
December 10, 2011
An infinite source of well-being lies within. This workshop presents meditations that help develop the confidence to access and follow the knowledge in our hearts. Students learn ways to expand mindfulness and openness in their daily lives.