Solitary Cabin Retreats

 

For 50 years, practitioners of the Shambhala and Buddhist traditions as taught by the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche have come to Karmê Chöling’s beautiful retreat environment to deepen their understanding of mind through solitary meditation retreat. The land and retreat cabins have been blessed by many great teachers — among them, the 16th Karmapa, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and Namkha Drimed Rinpoche — and have been ripened by the practice of generations of retreatants.

Our retreat cabins are primarily available to Shambhala Buddhist practitioners to pursue intensive meditation practice. Students of other Buddhist lineages, or advanced Shambhala practitioners who wish to bring dharmic arts or extensive body disciplines into their solitary practice, are invited to discuss this with our Retreats Master. All cabin retreatants must complete the prerequisites listed below.

Prerequisites for doing a solitary cabin retreat at Karmê Chöling are:

• Completion of at least half a dathün (a two-week long, silent, group meditation retreat) in the Shambhala tradition or two weeks (continuously or separately) of silent, group shamatha-vipashyana meditation.
• Established daily meditation practice of at least one year.
• Letter of recommendation from your meditation instructor.
• Advance meeting with your meditation instructor to discuss retreat plans: view, intention, practice, daily schedule, and study materials.

Solitary Retreat Cabin Application Form

Cabin Amenities

We offer seven secluded cabins for retreats year-round. Each cabin is outfitted with a single bed with bedding, a compact kitchen with dishes and cookware, a shrine, meditation cushions and a puja table. There is no electricity or indoor plumbing, but each cabin has a cooler for food storage, propane cook stove and lights, and a wood-burning stove for heat. Wood is provided. Your retreat helper supplies water and ice pack deliveries as needed. Retreatants provide and prepare their own food.

We do not support wireless communication devices, laptops, or cell phones in solitary retreat, unless they are used strictly for dharma study or medical reasons.

Pricing and Reservations

New Rates effective June 1, 2021

A $150 maintenance fee* will be added to the rates below.
5-6 nights: $55 per night
7-10 nights: $45 per night
11-28 nights: $40 per night
29-56 nights: $35 per night
56 nights and beyond: $30 per night
Scorpion Seal Cabin: $55 per night

* This maintenance fee will help the Retreats Department close its budget gap by partially covering the cost of cabin repairs, tree trimming, upkeep, gasoline, water set-up and deliveries.

If you would like to schedule a retreat, please fill out this online application. For other questions, you may contact the Retreats Master by email or by calling call (802) 633-2384 ext 3122.

Our Cabins

Please click through the images below to see individual cabins.