Karmê Chöling Shambhala Meditation Center

Meditation | Culture | Community

Nestled in the beautiful green mountains of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, Karmê Chöling offers contemplative programs to inspire wisdom and compassion in our everyday lives. As part of the global community of Shambhala we are dedicated to awakening our human hearts with kindness, bravery, and genuine dialogue.

With an array of accommodations, elegant meditation halls, an abundant organic garden, and a warm, inviting residential staff, you will find an ideal setting to explore what it means to be fully human while deepening your connection to the earth, yourself, and society.

About Shambhala

Shambhala is a global community with over 200 meditation and retreat centers around the world. As one of it’s four largest rural retreat centers, Karmê Chöling brings together people of all ages and from all walks of life who are interested in exploring our minds, transforming our experience, and awakening our potential for enlightened society.

We offer a path of meditation practice and contemplative arts oriented towards modern life. Our communities around the world cultivate kindness, bravery, and genuine dialogue. Our vision is to inspire compassionate, sustainable, and just human societies.

We work on ourselves in order to help others, but also we help others to work on ourselves.

~ Pema Chödrön

Dathüns and Weekthuns

Dathüns and weekthüns are in-depth retreats and a powerful introduction to and deepening of mindfulness-awareness meditation. They are offered multiple times throughout the year as one-week, two-week or month-long group retreats.

During these programs, the practice of mindfulness goes beyond sitting on a meditation cushion; every aspect of daily life becomes part of the mindful discipline of rediscovering the present moment and our own hearts and minds.

August 24, 2018

Update from the Executive Director

Karmê Chöling is committed to providing a safe place for people of all backgrounds, genders, race, age and physical ability, free from harassment, mistreatment and discrimination. We do not condone such harmful behaviors by any leader in Shambhala, including the Sakyong. We support and certainly call for the third party investigation report to be made public in its entirety, protecting the names of the victims. Read more…

July 20, 2018

Investigation Into Sexual Misconduct

For some months now, in the context of the Buddhist Project Sunshine, allegations of sexual misconduct have been brought against some individuals in Shambhala including, most recently, our main teacher, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Read more…

December 17 - 23

Karmê Chöling Staff and Resident Retreat

Karmê Chöling will be closed to visitors during this time.

December 26, 2018 - January 1, 2019

Werma Sadhana Winter Retreat *

with Shastri Benoît Côté

Relax into the vast space and profound teaching of the Werma Sadhana through this study and practice retreat. Scorpion Seal Assembly participants or practitioners of the sadhana may attend the whole program or just a day or two.

December 26, 2018 - January 1, 2019

Simplicity Winter Retreat

with Shastri Donna Williams

Open to all and ideal for beginners on the path of meditation, Simplicity retreats are created to give everyone a flexible, simple way to enjoy the benefits of sitting meditation.

December 26, 2018 - January 1, 2019

Aloka Children's Winter Retreat

with Katie Frank

Bring your child to Karmê Chöling while you participate in one of our winter holiday programs. Children learn and grow through play, organized activities, arts, physical activity and interacting with peers. Open to ages 3-9.

December 26, 2018 - January 1, 2019

Tween Winter Retreat

with Ann Taylor

Our Annual winter retreat invites families to come together in the spacious, natural environment of Karme Choling to explore meditation and community. Bring your tween to Karmê Chöling while you participate in one of our winter holiday programs. Age 10-13

Mukpo Institute

Karmê Chöling is host to Mukpo Institute, a three-month path of practice, study, and community. The program focuses on putting your practice and study into action every day as you engage... Continue reading
Meditation

The following will guide you through the basic technique of meditation and how to prepare a place to practice at home. You will also find additional resources and a listing... Continue reading
Samadhi Cushions

Samadhi Cushions and Store was started by students of the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of Shambhala. They have been making and selling quality cushions for practitioners of meditation since 1975. Their cushions... Continue reading