Upcoming Retreats

 


In-Depth Meditation Training

Venerable Losang Gendun

February 7 - April 18, 2026
Year 3, Term 2 The Radiant Ground: Emptiness and Buddha Nature   This four year course is designed so that students can join at any time and immediately benefit. Each class includes 60 minutes of guided meditation followed by 90 minutes of lecture, including Q&A. Over 100 students from around the globe come together each week for this transformative program!   Year 3, Term 2: 11 Saturdays February 7 – April 18, 2026 6:30am – 9:00am Pacific Time NOTE: On March 21st and 28th we will have class from 7:30am to 10:00am   Online Only    In-Depth Meditation Training (IDMT)…

Sweeping Away Fears and Obstacles: A Green Tara Meditation Retreat

Venerable Angie Muir

February 19 - 22, 2026
A merit-multiplying retreat during the auspicious Fifteen Days of Miracles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGUokiulpWg Who is Green Tara Green Tara is a beloved female Buddha who embodies swift, fearless compassion and the enlightened activity of all the Buddhas in feminine form. Known as the Mother of All the Buddhas, she responds quickly to those who call upon her, offering protection from fears, obstacles, and difficulties—both inner and outer. Meditating on Green Tara is a powerful way to connect with our own innate potential for wisdom and compassion, cultivating confidence, clarity, and success in our spiritual aspirations. Her vibrant green color symbolizes active compassion,…

The Buddha’s Path to Bliss: A Kopan West Into to Buddhism Retreat

Don Handrick

March 14 - 21, 2026
This is a Pay It Forward Retreat! This retreat is offered on a donation basis, continuing a tradition that began with Kopan West’s Lam Rim retreat in 2012, inspired by the wish to make the Buddha’s teachings widely accessible. Your participation is supported by the generosity of past Kopan West students who chose to “pay it forward,” helping others experience the same transformative teachings. The retreat is modeled after the renowned 10-day Introduction to Buddhism course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal.   About this Retreat "Happiness and suffering are dependent upon your mind, upon your interpretation. They do not come…

Understanding Karma and Compassion in Daily Life

Geshe Tenzin Zopa

April 3 - 5, 2026
Through reflection, discussion, and guided practice, this retreat invites you to experience how small shifts in intention and perspective can lead to lasting inner change—supporting a more open heart, a calmer mind, and a life guided by compassion. Warm, approachable, and deeply rooted in tradition, Geshe Tenzin Zopa brings Buddhist teachings to life in a way that feels clear, relevant, and accessible. This is a precious opportunity to spend meaningful time with a truly special teacher. Geshe Zopa will be touring North America from January 24 to April 5. For more information, please visit: Geshe Tenzin Zopa FPMT North America Tour.…

Experiential Vajrayogini Retreat

Elaine Jackson

May 21 - 25, 2026
Experience the Living Path of Vajrayogini Vajrayogini practice reaches its full power when embraced as a living, integrated path—rooted in ethical principles, meditation, and heartfelt engagement. Join Elaine Jackson on a profound journey, where she will share her personal approach and invite a vibrant exchange of insights and experiences. This retreat transcends ritual, offering an opportunity to bring the practice fully into daily life, allowing its subtle yet profound transformative power to awaken clarity, compassion, and insight within.   Elaine has said, “How wonderful that we will meet again to explore our relationship with Vajrayogini. I will share my approach…

Essence of Nectar: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Hearts

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

June 13 - 20, 2026
Embarking on the path to enlightenment is a journey both profound and transformative, yet it unfolds most clearly with a reliable guide. This one-week retreat, Essence of Nectar, offers a rare opportunity to encounter the full scope of the Tibetan Buddhist path, presented with clarity, depth, and practicality.   Led by Geshe Legtsok, we will explore The Essence of Nectar, a Lamrim text by the revered Tibetan master Yeshe Tsöndru. This text presents the stages of the path to awakening in a complete, step-by-step manner—illuminating the path from the very first contemplations to the realization of full enlightenment.   Through teachings,…

Family Camp 2026

July 23 - 26, 2026
!Registration opens Monday, January 19th 2026!   A weekend family retreat where participants are given the opportunity to better understand their mind and emotions through a Tibetan Buddhist lens using meditation, discussion, art, nature and play. Set in the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains, families with children ages 5-12 are encouraged to unplug and reconnect, supported by a community of like-minded families, staff, and volunteers.   First Time at Family Camp? Read all about what to expect at Family Camp at our Family Camp details page                

How to Train a Happy Mind

Scott Snibbe

August 13 - 16, 2026
Based on his acclaimed book How to Train a Happy Mind, this three-day retreat with Scott Snibbe re-introduces ancient Buddhist wisdom in a way that speaks directly to the modern mind and the challenges of contemporary life. Through eight carefully crafted meditations, participants learn practical ways to cultivate their best qualities, strengthen relationships, and respond to today’s world with clarity, compassion, and resilience.   Drawing from the Tibetan Buddhist lamrim—the “stages of the path”—these centuries-old contemplative practices are refreshed for our time. Rather than asking us to step away from modern life, they use reflection, emotion, and critical thinking to help meet…

Buddhist Mind Science

Hans Burghardt and Marina Brucet

August 29 - September 6, 2026
A doorway to 21st-century Dharma What if Buddhism were approached not as a belief system, but as a living, practical science of the mind—one designed for the realities of modern life?   Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential is an introductory FPMT course that re-presents ancient Buddhist wisdom through a contemporary lens. Often described as a “science of the mind,” Buddhism offers a precise and experiential understanding of how the mind works—how suffering arises, how happiness is cultivated, and how our deepest human potential can be awakened.   At its heart, this course is guided by a simple yet powerful aim: to…

A Week of Deep Meditation

Venerable Losang Gendun

October 23 - 31, 2026
Topic to be announced soon Step away from daily life and enter a week of deep, transformative meditation. Within a supportive container of silence, guided practice, and shared retreat life, you’ll calm and focus the mind, open the heart, and reconnect with what truly matters. The retreat is led by Venerable Losang Gendun, a master with nearly four decades of Buddhist practice and over fifteen years of international teaching. Trained in both Tibetan and Theravada traditions under masters including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and the Ganden Tripa, Ven. Gendun brings clear, grounded, and compassionate guidance to…

The Path of Meditation: Foundations and Practice

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

November 12 - 20, 2026
Ready to hit pause on the chaos of daily life and actually train your mind? This retreat offers a clear, practical, and experiential introduction to meditation—no fluff, just real tools you can use. Whether you’re flying solo or continuing your journey through the Exploring Buddhism program, you’ll find a supportive environment to deepen your practice and understanding. Over the course of the retreat, you’ll explore the why and how of meditation in a way that’s structured, grounded, and—most importantly—accessible. You’ll dive into the two main types of meditation: placement (concentration) and analytical meditation, with a focus on developing calm abiding. Step by step, you’ll learn…