Ani Lodro's Treasure Teachings New Year's Retreat Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2027

Ani Lodro Palmo warmly invites you to a silent New Year retreat devoted to meditation, gentle yoga, restoration, and the profound treasure teachings of Padmasambhava found in Treasures from Juniper Ridge.

This 6 day 5 night retreat begins with dinner at 5pm on Wednesday, December 30, 2026, and completes with lunch on January 4, 2027.  Our four full days together will follow the schedule below, except for January 3, which will be a hot springs outing to Hooper Hot Springs. Each day includes a daily Gentle Yoga session and morning meditation session lead by Linda Stuart.

As one year comes to a close and another begins, we are offered a natural moment to pause, reflect, and return to what is essential. Rather than approaching the New Year simply through resolutions or outward change, this retreat invites us to begin from within— to recognize the nature of mind, release habitual patterns, and renew our connection to wisdom, compassion, and awakened awareness.

At the heart of the retreat will be teachings drawn from Treasures from Juniper Ridge, a collection of profound terma teachings attributed to Padmasambhava. Preserved within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and revealed for future generations, these teachings offer remarkably direct and practical guidance on meditation, awareness, devotion, obstacles on the path, and how to integrate spiritual practice into everyday life.

Padmasambhava’s instructions continually point us beyond the complicated stories we carry about ourselves and toward the awareness that is already present beneath them. They remind us that awakening is not something distant that must be created, but something to be recognized, cultivated, and embodied within the circumstances of our lives.

Entering a new year with these teachings offers an opportunity to see more clearly what can be released, what deserves to be nurtured, and what remains when our habitual grasping begins to soften. This retreat includes guided meditation, silent sitting, gentle yoga, healthy vegetarian meals, practical teachings, and contemplations designed to support a meaningful transition into the New Year.

The Text: Juniper Ridge’s secret teachings become a profound spiritual antidote to modern times: it widens our horizons, softens rigid identity, and opens our hearts and minds to a reality that is luminous, interconnected, and what we have been searching for on the path. Through these wisdom teachings, we learn how freedom, liberation, and happiness are possible, even amid incredible hardship and cultural challenges, speaking to our modern circumstances and minds that can feel tangled in confusion, discouragement, distraction, and self-doubt.

Although there are no specific requirements for this retreat, a beginner’s knowledge of Buddhism is recommended, such as having some understanding of the Four Noble Truths, some experience in meditation, and any practice including mindfulness.