This retreat is set in the larger context of awakening. The first few days include the overall “view” of enlightenment, and the basis of Bodhicitta (a wish for awakening for oneself and all beings) in the heart for a full practice and larger intention for practice.

The next week of the retreat will focus on the Samatha practice, developing laser-like awareness that has the potential to lead to the meditative absorptions known as jhanas.

For the last five days of the retreat, participants will have the option to continue to deepen on the Samatha track, or move to the Dzogchen track. (Talks for both tracks will be available to all participants.) The Dzogchen track provides the possibility of non-dual awareness without the level of concentration required for jhana. In the Dzogchen track, we will build upon the foundation of Samatha with its powerful and stabilizing concentration, to include the open awareness of Vipassana, and then explore the non-dual practice of Rigpa, which enables the possibility for one to be present with a deeper reality with eyes open, awake to the world. Participants will have the option to either go deeper with the Samatha practice, or to branch into the Tibetan Dzogchen practice and the possibility of realizing Rigpa. Both paths provide the possibility of cutting through conventional reality to realize the deeper truth of non-duality.

To hear more about Luminous Mind retreats, you may follow this link to a 9-minute YouTube video by Tina.

Attendance is currently capped at 24 participants. (Depending on covid-19 conditions, we may cap attendance at fewer than 24.) Each participant will have a single room, and personal “safety bubbles” will be created in accordance with the current covid-19 conditions at the time to maximize individual and group health. Please follow this link to better understand the practical details of our covid-19 health and safety protocols.

Experience Prerequisites:   One needs to have successfully completed at least one 5-day residential retreat. Please be sure to note details of your experience on your registration form so we can verify that you fulfill this prerequisite.

The following attendance prerequisites are currently in place as of this writing (January 29, 2021) in order to provide the safest possible retreat environment under covid-19 conditions. In order for your registration to be accepted, we require that you:

1. Currently follow all covid-19 health and safety protocols recommended by the CDC, including mask-wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene.
2. Agree to abide by all covid-19 health and safety protocols in place at Cloud Mountain.

We reserve the right to amend these prerequisites and policies according to changing covid-19 conditions.

Scholarship assistance is available on this retreat. For those with financial challenges, although we are requesting payment of the full retreat fee at the time of registration, we are happy to arrange a 2-part payment plan for those needing additional financial support.  Please contact or office directly prior to registering for more details.