Online
Meditation Retreat - Joy of Living 1: Calming the Mind Retreat - In person Registration
Apartado 1 8550 Monchique, Portugal / GPS location: 37.301188, -8.520400
Up to 40 in group
19:30 - 12:30
About this Retreat
Fionnuala has studied and practiced Buddhism since meeting her main teachers Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche in Kathmandu in 1999. She has received teachings from many other Nyingma and Kagyu masters and completed a traditional four-year retreat under Pema Wangyal Rinpoche in France.
Fionnuala lived in Nepal for fifteen years. From 2003–2005 she lived at Osel Ling Monastery, continued her studies of Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy, and assisted the Gompa Manager Lama Tashi. She accompanied Tsoknyi Rinpoche on the trip to Nangchen Tibet that resulted in the documentary Blessings. From 2013–2020, at Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s request, she set up and ran a school at Tsoknyi Gechak Ling, Kathmandu. Keeping Buddhist ethics at the core she incorporated learner-centered teaching methods to create a high-quality educational experience for young nuns. In 2016 Fionnuala started a Tergar group in Boudha, Kathmandu, with friends, and she is now starting groups at home in Ireland.
Fionnuala lives in Mountshannon on the banks of Lough Derg and enjoys swimming, kayaking, and growing vegetables in the community garden.
Jess McNally has devoted much of her adult life to practicing and studying Buddhism. After completing both a Bachelor and a Master of Science degree in Earth Systems at Stanford University, she moved to Zen Mountain Monastery near New York, where she lived and trained for over three years. During that time she completed over forty week-long silent retreats (sesshins).
In 2015, she decided to pursue Tibetan Buddhism and was ordained as a monastic by Thrangu Rinpoche. She met Mingyur Rinpoche shortly afterward at Tergar Monastery in Bodhgaya, India. Under his guidance, she completed a series of solitary retreats in Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s cave in the Himalayas, including a 5-month retreat over winter. Since 2016, Jess has also been a student of Tsoknyi Rinpoche. In 2018, Jess chose to return to lay life and her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Jess serves as a Senior Tergar Facilitator and host for online Tergar retreats and workshops. She also runs her own web design business. In her downtime, she loves to go on adventures outside with her dog Pema, sing and cook.
Details of this retreat
Have you ever felt a need to calm the mind and learn how to better deal with everyday stress, anxiety, and emotions?
We all do our best to manage the challenges of modern life. What if these challenges could help us discover inner calm and emotional balance? In the meditation retreat Joy of Living 1, Mingyur Rinpoche's teachings show us how meditation can transform the way we relate to stressful situations and challenging emotions. This allows us to embrace all aspects of life with mindful awareness.
In this six-day retreat, you will explore the landscape of your experience with mindfulness and presence, and learn how to use your body, sensory experiences, thoughts, emotions, and even awareness itself, as supports for meditation.
The retreat will include video teachings by Mingyur Rinpoche, and Q&A and facilitated sessions by Tergar Guides Fionnuala Shenpen Daffy and Jess McNally, group meditation sessions, awareness yoga, and the opportunity for private interviews with the guides.
During the retreat, silence will be held from Tuesday evening (starting at 19:30) until lunchtime on Friday.
This is a rare opportunity to learn and practice the Joy of Living 1 in a retreat environment. For those new to Joy of Living and for experienced practitioners, practicing and learning in retreat is a wonderful way to deepen your experience of these meditation practices.
This retreat is offered in person and online via Zoom.
For online participation please sign up at this link.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this retreat. It is open to everyone, and suitable for people of all backgrounds, including those who are new to meditation and experienced meditators.
Language & Translation
This retreat will be offered in English, with translation into both Portuguese. Translation will be provided by offsite translators using the LiveVoice app (internet based).
For the teaching sessions those needing translation will need to bring a smart phone and headphones.
For private interviews translation will be provided via Zoom.
The meditation sessions will only have minimal simple instructions and be mainly silent so there will be no translation.
A minimum of three participants requiring Portuguese translation will be required to offer translation into that language. If we do not receive enough participants to offer translation in the language you require, you will be offered a full refund.
Arrival and Departure Times
Arrival and registration will be held from 14:00 - 17:00 on Monday, May 6, with dinner at 18:30, and the first session at 19:30. Please plan to arrive by 17:00 if possible so there is time to register and find your room before dinner.
Departure will be after lunch, on Saturday, May 11 from 13:00-15:00.
Retreat Cost
The retreat cost consists of two parts:
1) Room & Board Fee
This fee covers your lodging and food at Karuna Retreat Center. Based on your room selection, the room and board fee ranges from €200 - €400 for the retreat period.
2) Program Fee
The program fee covers all the costs to run the event, in addition to your room and board. This includes operating costs as well as stipends for the guides, translators and retreat managers. There will be no expectation or request for donations at the end of the event.
The program fee is on a sliding scale. Our costs to run this event, in addition to your room and board, are about €425 per person. For some people that’s an easy amount to pay. For others it’s impossible. If you are one of the lucky few who can afford to pay more, please do so. You make it financially possible for us to make these retreats available to everyone regardless of income.
All funds for these retreats are being managed by Tergar Institute, which is a 501c(3) non-profit in the USA. There is no tax charged. Any profits from the retreat, if there are any, will go towards future Tergar Retreats activities and also be partially shared with Tergar International.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your registration, the cancellation policy is as follows: If you cancel more than 30 days prior to the first day of the program start date, you will receive a refund less a €50 cancellation fee. If you cancel between 15 and 29 days prior to the program start date, you will receive a refund less a €100 cancellation fee.
No refunds will be given two weeks before the retreat begins.
Staying Over In Between Retreats
For those who plan to stay on for the Joy of Living Practice Week, there is an option at checkout to add an extra night based on the same room rate of €40 - €80. The overnight stay will include 3 meals at Karuna Retreat Center (dinner, breakfast and lunch).
During the time off between retreats there will be no scheduled activities other than meals (which will be optional), and you are welcome to go into town or do some local sightseeing.
That said, you may enjoy having time to rest and maintain the continuity of practice between retreats.
Retreat Schedule
Please note this schedule is subject to change.
All the hours are in Portuguese time. In case you are doing the retreat online, you can use this link to convert to your timezone.
Monday, May 6
14:00 - 17:00 Arrival and Registration
18:30 - 19:00 Dinner
19:30 - 21:00 Introductions and Orientation
Tuesday to Friday, May 7 - 10
Silence begins Tuesday at 19:30 and ends Friday at 12:30
All meditation practice sessions will include periods of sitting and walking.
7:00 - 7:15 Awareness Yoga
7:15 - 8:00 Meditation Practice
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00 Break
9:00 - 11:00 Teaching Session
11:00 - 13:30 Break
11:30 - 12:30 Meditation Practice
12:30 - 13:00 Lunch
13:00 - 14:00 Break
14:00 - 16:00 Teaching Session
16:00 - 16:30 Break
16:30 - 17:30 Meditation Practice
17:30 - 18:30 Break
18:30 - 19:00 Dinner
19:00- 19:30 Break
19:30 - 20:30 Meditation Practice
Saturday, May 11
7:00 - 7:15 Awareness Yoga
7:15 - 8:00 Meditation Practice
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00 Break
9:00 - 10:00 Meditation Practice
10:00 - 10:30 Break
10:30 - 12:30 Concluding Session
12:30 - 13:00 Lunch
13:00 - 15:00 Departure
About the Karuna Retreat Center/ Centro de Retiros Karuna
Karuna Retreat Center is located in the green mountains of Serra de Monchique in the Algarve. Serra the Monchique is known for its healing thermal water, medicinal plants, pure air and lush green landscapes. The Retreat Center offers a stunning view over Portugal's southern coast and the Atlantic Ocean and is just 20 minutes away from pristine beaches and less than 10 minutes away from the picturesque village of Monchique. Karuna is amongst one of the most secluded and silent places in this area and is home to a variety of local flora and fauna. The Retreat Center’s property is isolated and perfect for those in search of silence, seclusion and peace.
Karuna Retreat Center is beginning a new partnership with Tergar Retreats, with a shared vision that it will become a place for year-round practice managed by Tergar Retreats in the future.
Meals
Karuna Retreat Center prepares 3 vegetarian meals per day. Vegan meals can be provided when requested in advance. They only use local products and whenever possible try to use fresh products from their vegetable garden at Karuna.
Travel to and from Karuna Retreat Center
You can view the location of Karuna Retreat Center on Google Maps here.
The closest airport is the Faro International Airport, which is approximately 1.5 hours away by car. Uber is available from the Faro International Airport to Karuna, and costs about €50. The Lisbon Airport is approximately 3 hours away by car. (Uber is not available directly from Lisbon.)
There are also public transportation options available from either the Faro Airport or Lisbon Airport to the town of Monchique. From Monchique it is a 20 minute drive to Karuna Retreat Center. Uber is available from Monchique to Karuna and costs about €6.
About Tergar Retreats
Tergar Retreats is a non-profit organization specifically focused on supporting in-person meditation retreats in the Tergar lineage as taught by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.
We all do our best to manage the challenges of modern life. What if these challenges could help us discover inner calm and emotional balance? In the meditation retreat Joy of Living 1, Mingyur Rinpoche's teachings show us how meditation can transform the way we relate to stressful situations and challenging emotions. This allows us to embrace all aspects of life with mindful awareness.
In this six-day retreat, you will explore the landscape of your experience with mindfulness and presence, and learn how to use your body, sensory experiences, thoughts, emotions, and even awareness itself, as supports for meditation.
The retreat will include video teachings by Mingyur Rinpoche, and Q&A and facilitated sessions by Tergar Guides Fionnuala Shenpen Daffy and Jess McNally, group meditation sessions, awareness yoga, and the opportunity for private interviews with the guides.
During the retreat, silence will be held from Tuesday evening (starting at 19:30) until lunchtime on Friday.
This is a rare opportunity to learn and practice the Joy of Living 1 in a retreat environment. For those new to Joy of Living and for experienced practitioners, practicing and learning in retreat is a wonderful way to deepen your experience of these meditation practices.
This retreat is offered in person and online via Zoom.
For online participation please sign up at this link.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this retreat. It is open to everyone, and suitable for people of all backgrounds, including those who are new to meditation and experienced meditators.
Language & Translation
This retreat will be offered in English, with translation into both Portuguese. Translation will be provided by offsite translators using the LiveVoice app (internet based).
For the teaching sessions those needing translation will need to bring a smart phone and headphones.
For private interviews translation will be provided via Zoom.
The meditation sessions will only have minimal simple instructions and be mainly silent so there will be no translation.
A minimum of three participants requiring Portuguese translation will be required to offer translation into that language. If we do not receive enough participants to offer translation in the language you require, you will be offered a full refund.
Arrival and Departure Times
Arrival and registration will be held from 14:00 - 17:00 on Monday, May 6, with dinner at 18:30, and the first session at 19:30. Please plan to arrive by 17:00 if possible so there is time to register and find your room before dinner.
Departure will be after lunch, on Saturday, May 11 from 13:00-15:00.
Retreat Cost
The retreat cost consists of two parts:
1) Room & Board Fee
This fee covers your lodging and food at Karuna Retreat Center. Based on your room selection, the room and board fee ranges from €200 - €400 for the retreat period.
2) Program Fee
The program fee covers all the costs to run the event, in addition to your room and board. This includes operating costs as well as stipends for the guides, translators and retreat managers. There will be no expectation or request for donations at the end of the event.
The program fee is on a sliding scale. Our costs to run this event, in addition to your room and board, are about €425 per person. For some people that’s an easy amount to pay. For others it’s impossible. If you are one of the lucky few who can afford to pay more, please do so. You make it financially possible for us to make these retreats available to everyone regardless of income.
All funds for these retreats are being managed by Tergar Institute, which is a 501c(3) non-profit in the USA. There is no tax charged. Any profits from the retreat, if there are any, will go towards future Tergar Retreats activities and also be partially shared with Tergar International.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your registration, the cancellation policy is as follows: If you cancel more than 30 days prior to the first day of the program start date, you will receive a refund less a €50 cancellation fee. If you cancel between 15 and 29 days prior to the program start date, you will receive a refund less a €100 cancellation fee.
No refunds will be given two weeks before the retreat begins.
Staying Over In Between Retreats
For those who plan to stay on for the Joy of Living Practice Week, there is an option at checkout to add an extra night based on the same room rate of €40 - €80. The overnight stay will include 3 meals at Karuna Retreat Center (dinner, breakfast and lunch).
During the time off between retreats there will be no scheduled activities other than meals (which will be optional), and you are welcome to go into town or do some local sightseeing.
That said, you may enjoy having time to rest and maintain the continuity of practice between retreats.
Retreat Schedule
Please note this schedule is subject to change.
All the hours are in Portuguese time. In case you are doing the retreat online, you can use this link to convert to your timezone.
Monday, May 6
14:00 - 17:00 Arrival and Registration
18:30 - 19:00 Dinner
19:30 - 21:00 Introductions and Orientation
Tuesday to Friday, May 7 - 10
Silence begins Tuesday at 19:30 and ends Friday at 12:30
All meditation practice sessions will include periods of sitting and walking.
7:00 - 7:15 Awareness Yoga
7:15 - 8:00 Meditation Practice
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00 Break
9:00 - 11:00 Teaching Session
11:00 - 13:30 Break
11:30 - 12:30 Meditation Practice
12:30 - 13:00 Lunch
13:00 - 14:00 Break
14:00 - 16:00 Teaching Session
16:00 - 16:30 Break
16:30 - 17:30 Meditation Practice
17:30 - 18:30 Break
18:30 - 19:00 Dinner
19:00- 19:30 Break
19:30 - 20:30 Meditation Practice
Saturday, May 11
7:00 - 7:15 Awareness Yoga
7:15 - 8:00 Meditation Practice
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00 Break
9:00 - 10:00 Meditation Practice
10:00 - 10:30 Break
10:30 - 12:30 Concluding Session
12:30 - 13:00 Lunch
13:00 - 15:00 Departure
About the Karuna Retreat Center/ Centro de Retiros Karuna
Karuna Retreat Center is located in the green mountains of Serra de Monchique in the Algarve. Serra the Monchique is known for its healing thermal water, medicinal plants, pure air and lush green landscapes. The Retreat Center offers a stunning view over Portugal's southern coast and the Atlantic Ocean and is just 20 minutes away from pristine beaches and less than 10 minutes away from the picturesque village of Monchique. Karuna is amongst one of the most secluded and silent places in this area and is home to a variety of local flora and fauna. The Retreat Center’s property is isolated and perfect for those in search of silence, seclusion and peace.
Karuna Retreat Center is beginning a new partnership with Tergar Retreats, with a shared vision that it will become a place for year-round practice managed by Tergar Retreats in the future.
Meals
Karuna Retreat Center prepares 3 vegetarian meals per day. Vegan meals can be provided when requested in advance. They only use local products and whenever possible try to use fresh products from their vegetable garden at Karuna.
Travel to and from Karuna Retreat Center
You can view the location of Karuna Retreat Center on Google Maps here.
The closest airport is the Faro International Airport, which is approximately 1.5 hours away by car. Uber is available from the Faro International Airport to Karuna, and costs about €50. The Lisbon Airport is approximately 3 hours away by car. (Uber is not available directly from Lisbon.)
There are also public transportation options available from either the Faro Airport or Lisbon Airport to the town of Monchique. From Monchique it is a 20 minute drive to Karuna Retreat Center. Uber is available from Monchique to Karuna and costs about €6.
About Tergar Retreats
Tergar Retreats is a non-profit organization specifically focused on supporting in-person meditation retreats in the Tergar lineage as taught by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.
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