Thanksgiving Meditation
A Week-long Retreat
Enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday with a meditation retreat in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont
- Slow down and relax during the holidays
- Savor a mindfulness-awareness meditation retreat
- Engage in gentle, all-abilities Tai Chi
- Transform how you relate to everyday life and yourself
- New meditators - receive meditation instruction from seasoned teachers in a supportive environment
- Experienced meditators - deepen your practice in a rich and gentle space
Learn to trust who you are
This retreat will explore the principle of basic goodness -- that we are all at our core, worthy and complete just as we are. By experiencing this through meditation, we make friends with ourselves, drawing out our inherent gentleness and 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 connect 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.
We will also have Tai Chi interspersed into our days. The form we will use is Golden Ball Tai Chi as developed by Master Lam Kam Chuen. Golden Ball Tai Chi strengthens the body, relaxes the mind and lifts the spirits.
Meditation Instructors for the retreat
- Ella Reznikova
- Greg McNally
- Tune Faulkner
- JT Buck
- Vegan Aharonian
Retreat activities & practices
- Meditation instructions
- Dharma talks and discussions
- Contemplative one-bowl meals
- Periods of silent sitting meditation
- Walking meditation
- Tai Chi sessions
- Contemplative work periods
Program overview
This week-long program will begin Saturday evening, November 18th, at 7:30pm.
On Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 23rd) we will enjoy a special Thanksgiving Dinner together.
The retreat will conclude on Sunday, November 26th.
Sample Schedule for a full day
- 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 Meditation
- 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
Arrival & Departure
Please plan to arrive between 3 and 6 p.m. EDT, on your arrival day of Saturday, November 18, 2023, 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 26th, at 12:30pm with a celebratory lunch afterwards.
If you would like to extend your stay at KCL in order to arrive earlier or depart later, contact KCL Guest Services at info@karmecholing.org
Weekend-Only Option
You may opt for the "Weekend-only Retreat" which begins Wednesday evening November 22nd and concludes on Sunday, November 26th.
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.
Generosity Price: $1,050.00
You're able to help us with this commitment by choosing the "Generosity Price". The money above the basic tuition cost goes into a scholarship fund for those who might not be able to attend a program otherwise.
Tuition: $880.00
This is the price of the program, it does not include housing options or material fees.
Please Note:
Price does not include accommodations, which will be added during the registration process.
Policies
Payment Policies:
Please read the payment policy 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.
Instructors
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.
Caroline DeMaio has lived in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont since 1971. She started practicing meditation at Karmê Chöling, (then called Tail of the Tiger) in 1976, becoming a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and subsequently of his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. She also studied Kado, the art of Japanese flower arrangement with Master Teacher Marcia Wang Shibata. Caroline is a devoted member of the Karmê Chöling community where she has served as a board member, Shambhala Training teacher, and continues to volunteer whenever she can.
Caroline is a long-time practitioner of Golden Ball Tai Chi, a unique Tai Chi system developed by Master Lam Kam Chuen. She has studied Golden Ball Tai Chi with her mentor, Richard Reoch for over 15 years and has been a senior leader of the practice for 8 years. She leads a session in Danville, VT every Wednesday
In her work life Caroline has been an elementary school teacher, a bookstore owner, and a school library media specialist. Now retired, she lives in Barnet with her husband, Sal, their dog, Pepper and cat, Max.
Caroline is an avid reader, and enjoys riding her ebike, gardening, Japanese flower arranging, and cross country skiing.
Instructors:
Bill Brauer
Caroline Demaio
Date & Time Details:
Location:
On-Land
Program Fee:
Generosity Price - $1050
Tuition - $880
Room/Meals Fee:
This will be added in during the registration process.
View accommodations
Heart Gift:
Donation gift to the teacher.
Make a heart gift
Wellness Update:
Read our Wellness Policy
Getting to Karmê Chöling:
Contact Us:
Karmê Chöling
(802) 633-2384
info@karmecholing.org
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