Details:
Date: Saturday 14th – Saturday 28th November
Retreat Leader: Linda Noble and Andy Wistreich
Requirements: See Below
Cost: Generosity Model – Donation only (by clicking the ‘Donate Here’ button below)
Format: Onsite only.
Retreat begins: 4pm on the 14th November (preparations & opening rituals)
Retreat ends: 28th November (after self-initiation)
Recommended arrival: 13th or 14th November (to settle in)
Recommended departure: 28th or 29th November
Accommodation: Land of Joy wishes for everyone who visits the centre to feel welcome, accepted, safe and secure. Our accommodation options are very limited, with mostly single-sex shared accommodation and a very limited number of single rooms. Single accommodation can therefore only be offered on a priority basis. Please read the relevant sections of the booking form carefully.
About the Retreat
Land of Joy warmly welcomes practitioners to a Kalachakra Six-Session Guru Yoga Nearing Retreat, offering a valuable opportunity to strengthen and stabilise one’s Kalachakra commitments within the supportive conditions of retreat. Centred on the daily recitation and contemplation of the Six-Session Guru Yoga, the retreat creates space to renew samaya, deepen devotion to the guru and lineage, and reconnect with the profound vision of the Kalachakra mandala.
Held in the traditional format of a nearing retreat, the emphasis is on maintaining continuity of practice through the six daily sessions of guru yoga. Practising together in retreat allows the meaning of the prayers, visualisations, and commitments to become clearer and more integrated, while the collective environment supports steadiness and inspiration in the practice.
This will be an intensive retreat, with a mantra count to aim for over the course of the retreat and concluding with a burnt offering ritual (fire puja). Each day will include a period of instruction and another time for discussion, alongside several hours of practice. Apart from recitation during the sessions and the discussion periods, the retreat will be conducted largely in silence, creating the conditions for deeper concentration and experience to emerge.
Participants will follow a consistent daily rhythm of sessions, allowing the retreat to become a period of quiet focus and spiritual renewal. Guidance and practical support will be available throughout to help practitioners maintain confidence and continuity in the practice.
Requirements to Attended
Essential:
- To have taken Refuge, Bodhisattva and Tantric vows
- To have received a Kalachakra initiation from a fully qualified teacher.
- To be familiar with a Six-Session Guru Yoga practice.
- To be familiar with the nature and expectations of nearing retreats, including the discipline and continuity of practice they involve.
- To have a stable foundation in renunciation, bodhicitta, and right view, supporting the motivation for tantric practice.
Recommended:
- It is highly recommended to read How to Practise Kālacakra in the 21st Century Volume One: The Kālacakra Six Session Guruyoga By Andy Wistreich. You can find an electronic version here and the hard back version here
Retreat Boundaries
To help create the best possible conditions for retreat, the group will be observing the traditional boundaries associated with Highest Yoga Tantra retreats.
These include:
- Staying within a physical retreat boundary – once the retreat begins, participants remain within the retreat boundaries until the conclusion of the retreat. This is usually the centre’s grounds (which includes 43 acres of forest).
- Maintaining silence at times – periods of silence allow the mind to settle and deepen practice.
- Keeping continuity of practice – following the daily schedule of sessions helps sustain focus and momentum.
- Respecting ethical conduct – refraining from distractions such as phones, non-Dharma activities & following the five precepts..
- Treating the dharma with respect – treating the sadhana, mantras, visualisations, and rituals with care and respect.
What will be offered:
- Four two hour sessions of guru yoga practice, including meditations.
- Instruction and discussion periods to support understanding and continuity of practice.
- The support of a small retreat group, practising together in a focused and harmonious environment.
- Guidance and encouragement to help maintain confidence and stability in the practice.
- A retreat setting designed to support genuine practice, with quiet accommodation and nourishing vegetarian meals.
- The spacious surroundings of Land of Joy, including forest and open skies that encourage clarity, calm, and connection with the path.
About the Retreat Leaders
Linda Noble
Linda first met the Dharma in 1995 and within the year moved to Dharamsala, India to study at the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives. There she was fortunate to receive teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Lamas of the various sects, as well as have time for retreat. In 2007 she gained a BA in religious study focused on Buddhism from the University of Virginia and her MA in Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution, from American University, Washington DC.
Kalachakra has always intrigued her but it was not until 2012 that she was able to join the first six-session retreat offered by Andy Weistrich at Tushita in Dharamsala. Since then Linda has continued to do retreats, study and practice Kalachakra, receiving instructions from Andy and Kyabje Jadho Rinpoche. Since 2020 she has been part of the weekly Kalachakra online practice group through Jamyang Leeds. Linda now lives in NE Scotland where she teaches yoga.
