What we’re about
Karmê Chöling is a residential meditation retreat center situated on 500 acres of beautiful countryside in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. With the Green Mountains as the backdrop, the land is enriched by rolling meadows, woodland walking trails, and a one-acre organic garden.
Originally home to the Abenaki people, the land was turned into a dairy farm before it became our retreat center. We have six meditation halls, bright and open common spaces, a range of living quarters for full-time residential staff and program participants, along with seven rustic cabins in the woods for solitary retreats.
We are a global community of meditators, spiritual practitioners, and people who believe that human beings are basically good. This nature can be brought into daily life so that it radiates out to family, friends, community, and society. We are committed to creating communities where we support one another on our spiritual paths and celebrate life’s journey together, and to creating a society that brings out the best in each of us.
Our Center brings together people from all walks of life to learn, through the practice of meditation, to be kind to ourselves and others. The center continues to offer programs for both new and experienced practitioners, with a community life rooted in meditation practice as a foundation for fostering enlightened society.
The first land center established by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Karmê Chöling has served the international Shambhala community for 50 years. Upon his passing, leadership passed to his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, and recently to the Shambhala Board.
The Karmê Chöling community values respect for all individuals; regardless of meditation experience, age, race, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation or identity, capabilities, politics, religion or occupation.
In this time of great difficulty for ourselves, society, and the planet, our Center promotes teachings across many faiths and traditions, that can help us show up with fearlessness and gentleness and to meet the challenges brought on by the chaos of our world.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Mindfulness for Treating Trauma A Retreat for Helping ProfessionalsKarme Choling, Barnet, VT
Mindfulness and Body Based Practices for Helping Clients with Trauma
Join us on a journey to understand how trauma interrupts the well being of those we serve, and how we can help support healing.
Through the exploration of Buddhist principles, meditation practice and therapeutic methods, we will experientially learn how the awareness cultivated through meditation can help us relate to our own experience of discomfort with more acceptance, embodying the way to healing.
With the goal of a clearer understanding of the experiences of those we work with, we will learn basic principles of how trauma is stored in the body, and engage in somatic practices to facilitate trauma release. Our work together will be aimed at both helping clients navigate their own experiences, as well as cultivating compassion within ourselves.
This retreat is open to helping professionals which may include those in the mental health or medical fields, mediators, educators or outreach workers, and is designed to create a deeper understanding of trauma response patterns, as well as to introduce techniques useful in guiding clients toward more self acceptance and healing.
Information and Registration: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/mindfulness-for-treating-trauma
- The Fullness of Being: A Silent Mindfulness Meditation RetreatKarme Choling, Barnet, VT
Note: The Fullness of Being retreat is open to everyone and also fulfills the 5-day retreat prerequisite for aspiring MBSR Teachers or as professional development for experienced mindfulness teachers (if in doubt, please check with your training organization).
“Fullness of being” refers to living life authentically, able and content to be fully who we are. One way to discover and experience such fullness of being is through the path of mindfulness meditation—a path that strengthens our human capacities for openness, deep caring, resilience, insight, and more. The practice of silent meditation has been encouraged throughout time in many contemplative traditions as a way to reconnect us with our unconditional confidence, natural wakefulness, and inherent goodness.
Information and Registration: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/the-fullness-of-being
- Reclaiming the Hidden Wisdom & Grace of AgingKarme Choling, Barnet, VT
Aging is not a problem, But our 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑠 of aging are!
Aging reminds us that we are mortal and that time will run out on us. Paradoxically, awareness of our mortality may heighten our love of life.
With the increase in longevity and the expectation of many healthy years beyond retirement, there is a cultural need to revision aging from decline and uselessness to a time of life that promises many opportunities for inner growth and personal enrichment.
Aging itself may call forth new strengths and capacities that weren't available in previous stages of our life. Yet our culture lacks rites of initiation to honor these stages of human development. Where each stage has its own set of challenges, which may involve new losses and vulnerabilities— there is also the possibility of a renewed sense of meaning and purpose.Information and registration: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/reclaiming-hidden-wisdom-of-aging
- Reclaiming the Power of the Divine Feminine To Ignite, Heal and TransformKarme Choling, Barnet, VT
The Indomitable Devine Feminine
At a time when authoritarian systems and hyper-muscular strongmen wish to rule the world, we take the subversive path and call upon the indomitable Divine Feminine power to ignite the fire of our inner wisdom and illuminate the path ahead. Seeking Her in sacred texts, poetry, music, earth ritual, and guided meditations, we will, above all, sense Her living presence in the direct spiritual experience that Mother Nature and our group crucible provide.The Life-Giving Power of Creation
In our time together, we will explore Her many guises—Sophia, Shakti, Lillith, Tara, Kali, Pacha Mama, Shechinah, and more. We’ll also look for evidence of Her spirit in our family lineages. Tapping Her radical compassion and penetrating wisdom, we will receive Her powerful guidance to release and resolve family trauma legacies and strengthen our positive ancestral gifts. Fierce and radically loving, curative and bent on truth, She will be our sacred oracle to help us realign ourselves to the life-giving power of creation so we can hear more clearly what is needed and wanted of us at this critical time.A Time When the Veil Btw Worlds is Thin
Our retreat coincides with Indigenous People’s Day as well as the Jewish harvest festival, Sukkot—both of which invite us to celebrate the beauty and abundance of the earth. Across many traditions, the fall is the season when the veil between the worlds is thin, and contacting our ancestors is more available, creating a transformative time for our sacred journey together.Open to All
This retreat is open to people of all genders and backgrounds. No specific faith practice experience is necessary.Registration: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/reclaiming-the-power-of-the-divine-feminine
