Six Session Guru Yoga & Shiné – Mahamudra
Venerable René Feusi
September 12 - 21, 2025
We are overjoyed that one of our most precious teachers, Venerable René Fuesi, is returning to Vajrapani in September! Ven. René’s retreats are known to be deeply transformative as he invites us to inquire into the nature of the mind. Join us as Ven Rene creates this rare opportunity to get to know our minds and to learn how to meditate more deeply in this immersive 10-Day Retreat.
Six Session Guru Yoga Weekend
With any Highest Yoga Tantra initiation in our tradition, there is a commitment to do the Six- Session Guru Yoga, but many have never received formal instruction. Venerable René thought it could be nice and useful to explain how to meditate on this practice through a Six- Session Guru Yoga Weekend before starting the Shiné – Mahamudra portion of the retreat.
“Our success on the path of Highest Yoga Tantra depends on keeping our vows and commitments taken at the time of the initiation. Meditating on the 6 Sessions Guru Yoga is a way to keep those. Its practice is so profound that it is said that even if one doesn’t have time to do retreats and gain realizations in this life, one will definitely attain full enlightenment in a matter of a few lifetimes by doing this practice.
It is so important that it is given as a commitment in our tradition when one receives a Highest Yoga Tantra Initiation. During this weekend we will study and meditate on this wonderful practice, thereby gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for it.”
~Venerable René Feusi
Shiné – Mahamudra Week
Venerable René will start the Shiné – Mahamudra portion of the retreat in the evening on Sunday, Sept 14th ending at lunch on Sept 21st.
“Nowadays, we try to take good care of our health, as we understand its importance for our well-being. We also understand that having a peaceful and gentle state of mind contributes greatly to our happiness.
Mahamudra meditation is inquiring into the nature of this mind. Discovering its spacious nature. Realizing the deeper nature of the “me”, the thoughts, the emotions as well as the mind itself. Thereby experiencing life in a more realistic and open way.“
~Venerable René Feusi
For more about Venerable René, including his teaching schedule and recordings of past retreats:
Registration Information
**This retreat is filling up quickly. In addition to the full retreat, there are now separate registrations for those able to participate in the Six Session Guru Yoga Weekend Only or the Shine -Mahamadra Week Only (no initiations required for this).
Who is the full retreat for?
Attending the full retreat and 6-Session Guru Yoga Weekend is restricted to those with the appropriate highest yoga tantra initiation into the following deities: a) Kalachakra b) Yamantaka c) Heruka d) Guhyasamaja e) Hevajra.
Please fill out the Google form to confirm your HYT initiation/s:
Application Form for the Full Retreat: Sept 12-21
Application/Registration for the 6-Session Guru Yoga Weekend: Sept 12-14
There are no requirements for the Shine-Mahamudra Week; you can register here:
Registration for the Shiné-Mahamudra Week: Sept 14-21
Tentative Schedule
Sept 12 Check-in: Intro to Course
Sept 13 Six-Session Guru Yoga
Sept 14 Morning: Six-Session Guru Yoga, Evening: Shine Mahamudra
Sept 14-20 Shine-Mahamudra
Sept 21 Morning Shine Mahamudra, final talks, lunch and check out
Additional Information
- Please plan on arriving between 3:00 and 5:00 PM on the first day of the retreat
- Please plan on departing at approximately 2:00 PM on the last day of the retreat
- Accommodation information is visible during the registration process
About Vajrapani Institute
Vajrapani Institute for Wisdom Culture was one of the first Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centers in America. Vajrapani aims to provide a friendly and conducive environment for people of all nationalities to learn, put into practice the teachings of the Buddha, and connect with other Dharma practitioners. Located on 70 acres of secluded land within the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz mountains, Vajrapani Institute has been an immersive space for people of all backgrounds to find and deepen their spiritual practices, with the main goal of bridging the gap between the head and heart of the practice.
About Retreat Fees (includes accommodation, 3 meals a day, and facility costs)
The collected registration fees include all accommodations, 3 nutritious vegetarian meals a day, and general facility/operating costs. Retreat registrations help support the center to keep everything operating, allowing us to invite so many precious teachers, and to hold this precious space of 70+ acres of secluded redwood forest to allow guests to have the quiet, contemplative space to continue spiritual growth.
Teacher’s Fees
Traditionally, spiritual teachings are considered priceless; the remuneration of our teachers is not included in the fee information detailed on this page. Instead, we invite you to consider bringing a cash donation with you to express your gratitude for the teachings.
The Buddha encouraged the practice of generosity as it develops non-attachment, loving-kindness, and compassion and deepens the awareness of our interconnectedness. Offering Dana to our teachers, a Pali word for “generosity,” is said to benefit both the giver and the receiver, helping the giver to practice generosity and the receiver to practice acceptance. Your offering of Dana can be whatever feels generous to you in your heart and your particular financial situation. If you can’t afford to give a cash offering as Dana, a thank you note is perfectly generous.
Participants will get a chance to present a cash offering to the teachers on the last day of the retreat and this is supplemented by a donation from Vajrapani Institute. Please note that we don’t offer a credit card option for Dana.
Financial Aid/ Scholarships
We want to make retreats available to everyone. With this in mind, we will gladly work out a payment plan with you if needed. If more assistance is necessary, we offer several scholarships. Please note that the scholarship deadline is one month before the retreat begins.
- For detailed information on setting up a payment plan, please see Financial Aid: Payment Plans
- To see if you’re eligible for a scholarship, and how to apply for scholarships, please see Financial Aid: Scholarships
Teacher
Venerable René Feusi has been trained in the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in the experiential lineage of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. He has been sharing this experiential approach for over 25 years. He helps students get an intuition of their own inner potential and inspires them to become mediators themselves. For the past 7 years Ven. René has spent the majority of his time in partial retreat. Venerable René’s fascination for how the mind works and how it can be positively transformed is infectious,”Life is exciting. The spiritual journey is about becoming a better human being and giving…
Learn more about Venerable René Feusi