Medicine Buddha Healing Retreat
Event Details
- Who
- Lama Lobsang Palden & Robert Thurman
- What
- Special Tibetan Retreat
- Where
- Menla Mountain Retreat--Phoenicia, NY (Catskills)
- When
- Wednesday, July 25, 2012 At 01:03 PM
- How
- Please follow the link below to register online. If you cannot attend the entire program or have an unusual registration request, please email menla@menla.org or call 845.688.6897 ext.0
- Details
- Tibet House members receive a 10% discount on program tuition.
About the Event

Lama Lobsang Palden & Robert Thurman
July 25 - 29, 2012
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!
In the spirit of our name, which is Tibetan for Medicine Buddha, Menla is proud to offer this unique Tibetan healing retreat for the first time ever. Lama Lobsang Palden is a true gem who will share his wisdom, traditional rituals, and precious healing abilities in this rare Medicine Buddha retreat. Below are some highlights of the retreat, including three talks on Tibetan Medicine and at least one puja with Robert Thurman:
Tibetan Yantra Yoga
Tibetan Yantra Yoga (trul-khor) is characterized by continuous, flowing movements and an emphasis on the breath. Lama Lobsang first trained in trul-khor 30 years ago in Tibet. Each morning of the retreat we will awaken body, speech and mind with Yantra Yoga and meditation practice. The movements and postures circulate and rejuvenate the energy of the body, chanting and the cleansing breath of tsa lung purify speech, and meditation trains the mind.
Dakini Purification Ceremony
The tantric Dakinis are the female embodiment of enlightened energy. This rare and precious practice is believed to protect against 400 different illnesses and is very effective in purifying one's karma, clearing obstacles, and dispelling negative energies.
Mahakala & Yamantaka Fire Puja
The fire puja is a powerful ceremony for spritual protection, peace, and healing. Mahakala and Yamantaka are Dharmapalas who defend the Dharma and its practitioners. Though Dharmapalas have a terrifying appearance and countenance, they are all Bodhisattvas or Buddhas, meaning that they are embodiments of compassion that act in a wrathful way for the benefit of sentient beings. They purify our defilements, remove negative influences, and clear away obstacles.
Medicine Buddha Empowerment and Tibetan Healing Circle
All of Lama Lobsang’s work is focused on healing, and he maintains a daily Medicine Buddha practice. The Medicine Buddha purifies karma that creates illness and brings healing to all beings. Lama has led Tibetan Healing Circle workshops for 10 years. This beautiful ceremony features Medicine Buddha and other prayers for healing, purification, protection, and long life. Lama Lobsang demonstrates Tibetan healing techniques used in his work, such as sound healing, pranic energy, gemstones, and mantras.
Sound Healing Mandala
The healing sounds of Tibetan instruments—drums, bells, gongs, singing bowls, cymbals, horns, and conch shell—permeate the space with resonant medicine, while tsa lung—breathing exercises—open the channels and awaken the energy. Mantras and prayers expand consciousness, increase awareness, and bring peace. A silent meditation induces deep relaxation at the conclusion of this transcendent ritual. Please bring musical instruments to be blessed in this mandala of healing sound.
Vajrasattva Puja, Tsog Offering, and Dedication of Merit
Meditation on Buddha Vajrasattva is an extremely powerful method for purifying our impure mind and actions. Whenever we have broken a vow, made a mistake in our practices, or created any other kind of negative karma, we can purify that negativity with Vajrasattva practice. All negative actions and obscurations can be transformed to positive energy through sincere confession with Bodhicitta aspiration.
The tsog, or feast, is a meditation on transcendental, blissful wisdom and a profound method for transcending mundane thought. In offering the tsog, one generates the experience of blissful wisdom within oneself and overcomes the ordinary conception and appearance of sensory objects. It is important that from the beginning of this practice one prevents ordinary appearances and conceptions from arising.
When making offerings, doing meditation, or reciting sadhanas, we end with the dedication prayer. In dedicating, we are sharing the merit with every sentient being in existence. We share the merit not only to bring others happiness, but also to lead them to enlightenment. The action of sharing or dedication is vast and profound—vast in the sense that sentient beings are limitless, and profound because we are dedicating the merit for the enlightenment of all sentient beings.
Phone: 773-262-8191 or 773-458-6354.
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Columbia University, President of Tibet House U.S., a popular lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism, the translator of many philosophical treatises and sutras, and author of numerous books including Inner Revolution, Anger, & his most recent book Why the Dalai Lama Matters.
What to Bring
Please bring an incense offering for the fire puja. Incense offerings may include natural Tibetan incense or dried sage, cedar, juniper, pine, lavender, or sweetgrass. Please do not bring anything that is artificially or chemically scented. In addition, please do not wear fragrances of any kind, as a courtesy to scent-sensitive individuals. Please bring musical instruments. Any instruments are fine, especially drums, bells, cymbals, singing bowls, flutes, rattles, or horns. We will use them during the fire puja, Dakini Drum Circle, and Sound Healing Mandala. You may wish to bring earplugs to protect from the decibels of the instruments if they get too loud. Bring your mala if you have one (Menla also has malas for sale in our giftshop).
Tuition
Four Day Tuition (Wed-Sun): $453 (per person), $408 (Tibet House members)
OR
Three Day Tuition (Thu-Sun): $425 (per person), $383 (Tibet House members)
Accommodations
Rates vary depending on which kind of room you would like to book--please refer to options below for pricing. Arrive Thursday or Friday (your choice), depart Sunday after lunch. Accommodations fees include housing and gourmet vegetarian meals and are in addition to the program tuition.
Four Day Accommodations (Wed-Sun):
Room with Queen Bed and Private Bath - $628 single (per person); $810 couple ($405 per person)
Room with Queen Bed and Shared Bath - $545 single (per person); $756 couple ($378 per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Private Bath - $490 (per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Shared Bath - $455 (per person)
Room in Private House with twin beds or twin bunks and shared bath - $432, 400, 378, or 352 (per person), depending on whether you book a single, double, triple, or quad, respectively. Please note that beds in Private Houses are on a first come first serve basis. We cannot assign specific beds on registration.
Cots - Occasionally, cots can be added to shared rooms - $320 (per person)
Campers - Includes facility use and all meals - $304 (per person)
Commuters - Includes facility use and all meals - $270 (per person)
Note: We will assign you a roommate if you do not register with one and book a shared room.
OR
Three Day Accommodations (Thu-Sun):
Room with Queen Bed and Private Bath - $530 single (per person); $684 couple ($342 per person)
Room with Queen Bed and Shared Bath - $460 single (per person); $640 couple ($320 per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Private Bath - $414 (per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Shared Bath - $384 (per person)
Room in Private House with twin beds or twin bunks and shared bath - $365, 338, 320, or 297 (per person), depending on whether you book a single, double, triple, or quad, respectively. Please note that beds in Private Houses are on a first come first serve basis. We cannot assign specific beds on registration.
Cots - Occasionally, cots can be added to shared rooms - $270 (per person)
Campers - Includes facility use and all meals - $257 (per person)
Commuters - Includes facility use and all meals - $203 (per person)
Cancellation Policy
- If you cancel two weeks prior to the program, you will receive a 100% refund, minus a $35 processing fee.
- If you cancel one full day to two weeks prior to the program, you will not receive a refund but instead will receive full course credit, minus a $35 processing fee, which can be applied to any other Tibet House sponsored program at Menla. This credit is valid for one year.
- If you cancel the day of the program or do not show up for any reason, no refund or credit will be given.
Tibet House US/Menla Mountain Retreat reserves the right to cancel any program at any time for low enrollment or circumstances beyond our control. Should this happen, a full refund will be offered.
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. 2-hour Private Tibetan Healing Session 4 - 6 p.m. 2-hour Private Tibetan Healing Session 6 – 7 p.m. Dinner 7 p.m. Opening Dharma Talk with Lama Lobsang and Robert Thurman 8 - 9 a.m. Breakfast 9 - 11 a.m. Workshop: Making Tormas & Fire Puja Offerings 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Break 12 - 1 p.m. Lunch 1 - 4 p.m. Dakini Purification Ceremony & Drum Circle 4 - 5 p.m. Guru Rinpoche Puja 5 - 6 p.m. Break 6 - 7 p.m. Dinner 7 - 9 p.m. Mahakala/Yamantaka Fire Puja 8 - 9 a.m. Breakfast 9 - 11 a.m. Lecture by Robert Thurman 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Break 12 - 1 p.m. Lunch 1 - 3 p.m. Medicine Buddha Empowerment & Puja 3 - 6 p.m. Tibetan Healing Circle 6 - 7 p.m. Dinner 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. 2-hour Private Tibetan Healing Session 8 - 9 a.m. Breakfast 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Sound Healing Mandala 12 - 1 p.m. Lunch 1 - 3 p.m. Vajrasattva Puja 3 - 5 p.m. Tsog Offering & Dedication of Merit 5 - 6 p.m. Break 6 - 7 p.m. Dinner 7:30 p.m. 2-hour Private Tibetan Healing Session 8 - 9 a.m. Breakfast 9 - 11 a.m. Closing Talk with Lama Lobsang & Robert Thurman 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Break 12 - 1 p.m. Lunch and Check-out 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. 2-hour Private Tibetan Healing Session 4 - 6 p.m. 2-hour Private Tibetan Healing Session ** Schedule subject to change at any time See above.Wednesday, July 25
12 - 8 p.m. Check-inThursday, July 26
6 - 7:30 a.m. Tibetan Yantra Yoga Friday, July 27
6 - 7:30 a.m. Tibetan Yantra Yoga Saturday, July 28
6 - 7:30 a.m. Tibetan Yantra Yoga Sunday, July 29
6 - 7:30 a.m. Tibetan Yantra Yoga
About the Presenter
