John Muir, the great American naturalist, observed the power of the mountains during his explorations that stretched from coast to coast: “The clearest way into the universe,” he wrote, “is through a forest wilderness.” Visitors to the nonprofit Shambhala Mountain Center are likely to come to that realization for themselves as they traverse the trails that cut through the center’s 600-acre piece of the Colorado Rockies. The forests and meadows take on a hushed stillness at an elevation of 8,000 feet. Up here the air is crisp, the sunshine more vivid; each step echoes an intention to walk mindfully, breathe deeply, and exist in the world in a way that cherishes the self and benefits the whole.

The retreat center was founded in 1971 by Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the modern-day holder of a lineage of teachers who preserved the wisdom of the ancient kingdom of Shambhala. According to legend, the Buddha personally bestowed these teachings on enlightened society, and Trungpa Rinpoche, moved by the world’s increasing turmoil, began to broadly share them in an effort to encourage personal transformation. Today Shambhala Mountain Center is a place for transformation in all forms. It offers training in the specific Shambhala meditation discipline—a practice that develops fearlessness, confidence, openness, and gentleness—through weekend workshops and weeklong retreats for both beginner and experienced meditators. In addition to Shambhala meditation, there are more than 100 programs throughout the year on subjects ranging from indigenous wisdom to creative arts. Retreatants can create their own experience—combine a poetry workshop, say, with daily yoga classes and a therapeutic massage, or simply schedule a week with nothing planned beyond contemplative walks on eight miles of wooded trails. Rev. angel Kyodo williams leads several advocacy-based Radical Dharma programs this year; there are empowerment retreats for women, weekends that delve into relationship issues, and offerings in other meditation traditions, including vipassana.   

The center is currently closed but online classes are available. Check the link below for the current schedule.

Shambhala Mountain Center
Red Feather Lakes, CO
1-888-788-7221
frontdesk@shambhalamountain.org
shambhalamountain.org