Groups: Serenity Ridge

From March 2025 through April 2027, learn the Du Tri Su Drip Jong, the Yungdrung Bön Ritual for escorting the consciousness of the deceased through the Bardo. This ritual is from the text: The Lamp that Dispels Darkness: The Practice Manual of the DU TRI SU that Purifies Defilements and Liberates All Beings from the Depths of Samsara

The Du Tri Su Drip Jong cycle is a powerful and skillful method of guiding the consciousness of the deceased and protecting that individual from the terrors of the bardo (after death state of the consciousness) experiences. This ritual practice and text stir the depths of samsara and can purify obstacles both for ourselves and for others, the living and the dead. With proper care and respect, it can even lead to the attainment of Buddhahood, or total liberation. When done on behalf of the dead, this ritual protects the consciousness from wandering in the the bardo realms of the intermediate state. These ancient practices and rituals were taught directly by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab, and the tradition has been held and practiced continually until the present day.

This teaching and training of the Du Tri Su Drip Jong are important for Bön practitioners who would like more support for their own preparations for dying, as well as for students who want to benefit those who have died.

Overview

This training program will include five 5-day retreats; three retreats will be at Serenity Ridge, and two will be online. There will also be monthly sessions on Zoom where Geshe Denma Gyaltsen and Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar will be available to support students in between retreats. Join us for this special opportunity to learn a powerful ritual from the ancient Yungdrung Bön tradition.

Translation into Spanish: Live simultaneous translation into Spanish will be available for all sessions.

Participants Will Learn

• The meaning and purpose of this powerful ritual
• The preparation for the DU TRI SU ritual making the required tormas (offerings)
• The core prayers and their meaning
• How to play the Tibetan ritual instruments used in this ritual
• How to conduct the ritual and learn the melodies of each ritual section

For detailed information about the training program, click here.

Click here to fill out the application form. 

From March 2025 through April 2027, learn the Du Tri Su Drip Jong, the Yungdrung Bön Ritual for escorting the consciousness of the deceased through the Bardo. This ritual is from the text: The Lamp that Dispels Darkness: The Practice Manual of the DU TRI SU that Purifies Defilements and Liberates All Beings from the Depths of Samsara

The Du Tri Su Drip Jong cycle is a powerful and skillful method of guiding the consciousness of the deceased and protecting that individual from the terrors of the bardo (after death state of the consciousness) experiences. This ritual practice and text stir the depths of samsara and can purify obstacles both for ourselves and for others, the living and the dead. With proper care and respect, it can even lead to the attainment of Buddhahood, or total liberation. When done on behalf of the dead, this ritual protects the consciousness from wandering in the the bardo realms of the intermediate state. These ancient practices and rituals were taught directly by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab, and the tradition has been held and practiced continually until the present day.

This teaching and training of the Du Tri Su Drip Jong are important for Bön practitioners who would like more support for their own preparations for dying, as well as for students who want to benefit those who have died.

Overview

This training program will include five 5-day retreats; three retreats will be at Serenity Ridge, and two will be online. There will also be monthly sessions on Zoom where Geshe Denma Gyaltsen and Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar will be available to support students in between retreats. Join us for this special opportunity to learn a powerful ritual from the ancient Yungdrung Bön tradition.

Translation into Spanish: Live simultaneous translation into Spanish will be available for all sessions.

Participants Will Learn

• The meaning and purpose of this powerful ritual
• The preparation for the DU TRI SU ritual making the required tormas (offerings)
• The core prayers and their meaning
• How to play the Tibetan ritual instruments used in this ritual
• How to conduct the ritual and learn the melodies of each ritual section

For detailed information about the training program, click here.

Click here to fill out the application form. 

In spring the world is born anew. By connecting to the rhythms and patterns of nature, we step into our own well-being. Join us for our Spring Wellness Retreat (April 09-13), “Transforming Life and Health Through Nature, Movement, Breath and Meditation”, an invitation to bring awareness into the patterns of our daily life for reflection, renewal and transformation.

Over these rejuvenating four days, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and special guests Tawni Tidwell, Dr. Danny Lewin and Nick Polizzi will share ancient methods alongside modern research and scientific findings focused on spiritual, mental and physical well-being. This retreat is designed to help you uncover your inner source of well-being and transcend self-imposed limits, empowering you to engage with life in creative, inspired, and joyful ways. We will explore techniques to release stress, decrease anxiety, rebalance energy, deepen inner peace, and reconnect to ourselves and the world. Be empowered to make healthier choices that bolster your wellness on every level!

The retreat, held at Serenity Ridge and online via Zoom, is highly interactive and participatory. With meditative techniques to enhance our wellbeing and self-awareness, restoring, energizing and healing our whole being through nature, and exploring ways to use sleep, food and self-care to enhance our quality of life and our overall health, this event is intended for everyone, whether you have experience in meditation and wellness or are just beginning your journey!

For more information click here

Tibetan Yoga from the Oral Tradition of Zhang Zhung:
The Magical Movements (Trul Khor) of Body, Breath & Mind

with Alejandro Chaoul

Beginners and experienced students alike are invited to this Tibetan Yoga retreat!

The distinctive Tibetan practice of yoga known as Trul Khor or ‘magical movement’ incorporates breath retention, awareness and dynamic physical movements. In this four day retreat we will focus on the Foundational (Ngondro) and Special (Chedrag) magical movements from the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyu (Oral Transmission of Zhang Zhung).

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche calls Trul Khor “a wonderful support for all spiritual practitioners, not just for those with an interest in physical yogas.” By harmonizing the winds (lung, prana, or chi) and guiding their flow through physical and energetic dimensions, Trul khor can clear long-held blocks in the practitioner’s body, energy, and mind, supporting the spontaneous arising of awareness during formal meditation and in everyday life.

Trul khor has different sets of movements composed by different masters. This retreat, will focus on practices from Pongyal Tsenpo and Orgom Kundul, two great yogis who are among the masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyu.

Students that complete this retreat are eligible to participate in Trul Khor 4-part training.

About Dr. Alejandro ‘Ale’ Chaoul

Alejandro has studied in the Tibetan tradition since 1989, and for more than 30 years with Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpa Nyima and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, completing the 7-year training at Ligmincha Institute in 2000. He also received Tibetan Yoga (Tsa Lung & Trul Khor) training in Triten Norbutse monastery in Nepal and Menri monastery in India; and holds a PhD in Tibetan religions from Rice University, with his dissertation on Tibetan Yoga from the Bon tradition and applications in contemporary medical settings.

Since 1995, Ale has been teaching meditation classes and Tibetan Yoga workshops nationally and internationally under the auspices of Ligmincha International. In 1999 he began teaching these techniques at the Integrative Medicine Program of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, where he holds an adjunct faculty position and for the last twenty years has conducted research on the effect of these practices in people with cancer and their caregivers. His research and publications focus on mind-body practices in integrative care, examining how these practices can reduce chronic stress, anxiety and sleep disorders and improve quality of life.  He is the author of Chod Practice in the Bon Tradition (SnowLion, 2009), Tibetan Yoga for Health and Wellbeing (Hay House, 2018), and Tibetan Yoga: Magical Movements of Body, Breath and Mind (Wisdom Publications, 2021), which describes the movements we will be practicing. Ale has also published in the area of religion and medicine, medical anthropology and the interface of spirituality and healing. In 2018 he was recognized as a Fellow at the Mind & Life Institute.

Dr. Chaoul is currently the Scholar and Founding Director of the Mind Body Spirit Institute at the Jung Center of Houston, bringing a new approach for helping healthcare professionals flourish by reducing stress and burnout, and improving health, resilience and nourish the human spirit.

Tentative Schedule (New York Time)

Link to your local time zone

Monday, April 14, 2025
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Onsite registration/Check-in
3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Teachings
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. Dinner

Tuesday–Wednesday April 15–16, 2025
8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Teaching
11:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Break
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Teaching
12:30 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Break
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. Lunch
1:45 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Break
2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Teaching
4:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Break
4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Teaching
5:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Break
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. Dinner

Thursday, April 17, 2025
8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Teaching
11:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Break
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Teaching
12:30 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Break
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. Lunch
1:45 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Break
2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Teaching
4:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Break
4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Teaching
5:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Break
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. Dinner

From March 2025 through April 2027, learn the Du Tri Su Drip Jong, the Yungdrung Bön Ritual for escorting the consciousness of the deceased through the Bardo. This ritual is from the text: The Lamp that Dispels Darkness: The Practice Manual of the DU TRI SU that Purifies Defilements and Liberates All Beings from the Depths of Samsara

The Du Tri Su Drip Jong cycle is a powerful and skillful method of guiding the consciousness of the deceased and protecting that individual from the terrors of the bardo (after death state of the consciousness) experiences. This ritual practice and text stir the depths of samsara and can purify obstacles both for ourselves and for others, the living and the dead. With proper care and respect, it can even lead to the attainment of Buddhahood, or total liberation. When done on behalf of the dead, this ritual protects the consciousness from wandering in the the bardo realms of the intermediate state. These ancient practices and rituals were taught directly by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab, and the tradition has been held and practiced continually until the present day.

This teaching and training of the Du Tri Su Drip Jong are important for Bön practitioners who would like more support for their own preparations for dying, as well as for students who want to benefit those who have died.

Overview

This training program will include five 5-day retreats; three retreats will be at Serenity Ridge, and two will be online. There will also be monthly sessions on Zoom where Geshe Denma Gyaltsen and Khandro Tsering Wangmo Khymsar will be available to support students in between retreats. Join us for this special opportunity to learn a powerful ritual from the ancient Yungdrung Bön tradition.

Translation into Spanish: Live simultaneous translation into Spanish will be available for all sessions.

Participants Will Learn

• The meaning and purpose of this powerful ritual
• The preparation for the DU TRI SU ritual making the required tormas (offerings)
• The core prayers and their meaning
• How to play the Tibetan ritual instruments used in this ritual
• How to conduct the ritual and learn the melodies of each ritual section

For detailed information about the training program, click here.

Click here to fill out the application form. 

Discover the transformative power of Dzogchen meditation in our immersive two-day retreat. Rooted in the ancient Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition, Dzogchen, or the “Great Perfection,” is a profound practice that focuses on recognizing and resting in the natural state of mind, often described as naked awareness or luminous clarity. Dzogchen has the power to transform ordinary perceptions of the world and our self from a fragmented, stress-filled outlook to one of unity and tranquility. Integrating this form of meditation into one’s daily life can reduce stress and anxiety, improve our emotional resilience, and create a greater ability to remain present and centered amidst life’s challenges. Ultimately it is a path to complete realization, or Buddhahood.

Khenpo Nyima Rinpoche, the Abbott of the Dialectic School of Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India will guide us in ancient techniques designed to help transcend ordinary dualistic perception and tap into the inherent wisdom and compassion that is our true nature. Through a combination of guided meditations, teachings, and discussion, we will cultivate a state of non-dual awareness that is both expansive and deeply peaceful.

Serenity Ridge offers a scenic and supportive environment to reconnect to oneself and others. Whether you’re new to meditation or seeking to deepen your practice, this retreat is a special opportunity to unlock the transformative potential of Dzogchen meditation and carry its benefits into your everyday life.

Menri Shedrup Khenpo Geshe Nyima Dhondup Rinpoche is abbot of the Bön Dialectic School at Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India. He was born in 1978 in Delhi, India. His birth name, Tsering Dhondup, was bestowed on him by Tsondue Rinpoche, one of the greatest Bön masters of the 20th century. After completing more than 15 years’ study of Bön sutra, tantra, dzogchen and the five major and minor sciences of the Bön tradition, Nyima Rinpoche received his geshe Degree in the spring of 2006. In 2008 Rinpoche was enthroned as Menri Shedrup Lopon, the principal master of the Bön Dialectic School at Menri Monastery, where he has been teaching for more than 15 years. In February 2012 he was enthroned as the Menri Shedrup Khenpo, the Abbot of the Bön Dialectic School. Rinpoche has served as invited speaker for several major Bön and Buddhist conferences. He is author of three books covering the main philosophical teachings of Bön, and has contributed several articles to Bon-sGo, the journal of Menri Monastery in India; and the Himalayan Bön website in Tibet. He has taken on additional responsibilities as General Secretary of the Governing Council of Menri Monastery, and since 2011, as director of Menri’s official website, www.theyungdrungbon.com. In 2014 he visited Tibet and blessed many Bön followers and practitioners.