Vajrayogini Intensive with the Dorje Loppön

This Vajrayogini intensive is a nine-night tantric retreat in the Kagyü and Nyingma traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, led by Dorje Loppön Lodrö Dorje at Drala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado. Practitioners gather to practice the Vajrayogini sadhana in the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, with teaching and instruction from the Dorje Loppön throughout.

It is meant for people who have received the Vajrayogini empowerment and already hold the Vajrayogini Sadhana by Tongwa Tonden, Karmapa VI. Whether Vajrayogini is your main practice or you want to reconnect after time away, the retreat offers an intensive setting in which to deepen your relationship with the essence of the practice.

What to Expect

Lodrö Dorje guides the group through the practice and gives talks and instruction. He places special emphasis on the essential qualities of Vajrayogini, including the five wisdoms, which transmute neurosis into awakening. He also teaches the sampannakrama instructions, which point to direct experience of the mahamudra nature of mind. Participants can ask questions and engage with him directly. Sessions are held in the upper levels of the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya.

Arrival day runs from registration in the afternoon through orientation, dinner and an evening program session. On the full days that follow, breakfast is followed by a morning session, then lunch, then a break for free time and work-study rotation, then an afternoon session and dinner. The schedule in brief:

- Breakfast, 7:30 to 9:00 am
- Morning session, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
- Lunch, 12:30 to 1:30 pm
- Free time and work-study rotation, 1:30 to 3:30 pm
- Afternoon session, 3:30 to 6:00 pm
- Dinner, 6:00 to 7:00 pm

The retreat ends after lunch on the final day. Participants must begin at the beginning and attend the entire retreat, and space is limited.

About Dorje Loppön Lodrö Dorje

Lodrö Dorje headed the Office of Three Yana Studies from 1976 through 1990, which supported the meditation practice and study of the three yanas for Vajradhatu, now Shambhala. He was designated Dorje Loppön in 1985, in reference to his responsibility for working with Vajrayana students. He continues to support practitioners of the Kagyü and Nyingma traditions and presents the Vajrayana and Shambhala practices as mutually enhancing. His community regards him as its preeminent Vajrayogini teacher, and it is a rare occasion for him to lead a Vajrayogini retreat in the Great Stupa.

The Setting

Drala Mountain Center is in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, and the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya is a space rich with blessings and well suited to a retreat of this kind. Several lodging options are available:

- Tents: 12 by 14 foot tents with two twin beds, two bookcases and a hanging clothes rack, with a shared bathhouse at each campground. A tent can be taken as a single or a double.
- Dormitories: Gender-segregated rooms for up to seven or eight people, with a shared bathroom and showers down the hall.
- Monk Rooms: Private indoor rooms with a bed, bedding, closet, large window, desk and chair, and a shared bathroom. A more affordable choice with more privacy than the dorms.
- Single and Double Rooms: Rooms with a dresser, closet and an attached bathroom with toilet, sink and shower.
- Red Feather Single and Double Rooms: Single and double rooms with private bathrooms.

All meals and drinks are included, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Before You Go

This retreat is for intermediate to advanced practitioners. Prior Vajrayogini empowerment is required, along with familiarity with the sadhana and its ritual aspects. Instruction is in English.

Tuition covers all program sessions and instruction, meals and beverages, lodging in your chosen accommodation, and access to the Great Stupa practice space. Travel to and from Drala Mountain Center and personal expenses are not included.