Thanksgiving Retreat

with Ella Reznikova and Bill Brauer

November 23 - 27, 2022

Join us for Thanksgiving in the beautiful green mountains of Vermont.

This is a precious opportunity to slow down during the holidays and experience this in-depth retreat focused on the practice of mindfulness-awareness meditation. This technique of watching and being with the mind and body transforms how we relate to everyday life and ourselves.

This retreat will also explore the Shambhala principle of basic goodness -- that we are all, at the core, worthy and complete. Learning this principle is a journey where by we make friends with who we are and draw out our inherent fearlessness.

From this point of view, meditation is not a tool to fix ourselves or improve our abilities. Rather, it is a direct path to connecting with our fundamental wisdom.

As the retreat unfolds, we will discover an atmosphere in which we can trust in the experience of truly feeling ourselves, the natural world, and human society.

The program will begin Wednesday evening, November 23rd, at 7:30pm. On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, we will practice from about 9am until lunchtime, the rest of the day will be spent preparing and enjoying our Thanksgiving Dinner together. Friday and and Saturday will be full days of practice. We will conclude on Sunday, November 27th at lunch.

You may register, below, for the full retreat. You may also register for just Friday - Sunday. at this link: https://www.karmecholing.org/program?id=6862. 

Sample Schedule for Friday and Saturday. Sunday will end at 12:30pm for lunch.

• 7:00am Early Morning Practice Session
• 8:00am Contemplative One-Bowl Breakfast
• 9:00am Morning Practice Session
• 12:30pm Contemplative One-Bowl Lunch
• 1:30pm Work Period
• 3:00pm Afternoon Practice Session
• 4:00pm Tea Break
• 4:30pm Late Afternoon Practice Session
• 6:00pm Contemplative One-Bowl Dinner
• 7:00pm Evening Practice Session
• 9:00pm End of Day

COVID Protocols

Karme Choling's COVID protocols will evolve throughout 2022, based on CDC recommendation and local COVID activity. You may need to have a negative COVID test prior to, or on arrival. Masks may be required for certain indoor events. You will receive specific guidelines in the welcome letter for this retreat. You may check our current COVID protocols regarding on-land participation, at this link: https://www.karmecholing.org/visiting-us/covid-policy

Arrival & Departure

Please plan to arrive between 3 and 6 p.m. EDT, on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, in order to register and settle in for the program. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. The opening session will be at 7:30pm. The program ends on Sunday, November 27th, at 12:30pm. If you would like to extend your stay at KCL in order to depart Monday morning or later, contact KCL Guest Services at info@karmecholing.org.

Pricing

Karmê Chöling values its commitment to making programs affordable and available to all who wish to study with us. To support this commitment we provide two program price options.

TUITION: $320
This is the actual price of the program.

GENEROSITY PRICE: $430
We offer this generosity price to those who can afford to pay a little more. Your generosity makes it possible for Karmê Chöling to offer it's programs at a reasonable price.

Payment Policies:
Karmê Chöling has updated its payment policies. The new policies apply to all programs that start after January 1, 2019. Please read the payment policies before proceeding with registration.

Financial Aid:
Karmê Chöling offers full-time student discounts, scholarships and other financial aid.

Program Credit:
If using existing program credit to pay for a program, you must pre-register for this program at least two weeks prior to the program start date by calling the front desk (802-633-2384 x3000). Program credit may not be used to pay for housing or practice materials and may not be used on or after arrival day.

Online registration is not currently open.

Teachers

About Ella Reznikova

Ella Reznikova, originally from Ukraine, is a  teacher in the Shambaha Tradition, a conflict mediator,  a translator, and the Scholarship Manager at Karmê Chöling Shambhala Meditation Center. 

About Bill Brauer

Bill Brauer has been a member of the Shambhala community for 50 years and was once the Executive Director of Karmê Chöling. He has taught extensively on Shambhala Buddhism throughout North America and Eastern Europe and continues to offer classes, seminars, and retreats at Karmê Chöling.