Join us for our first Hurley House meditation fundraising retreat of the year!
From April 2-5, we will host a special meditation retreat led by beloved teacher and American Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Lekshe, to support us in raising funds to continue the renovation of the house.
“Working with Lama Lekshe helped me access more compassion and presence within myself. It’s rare to find a teacher or a leader who doesn’t need to make anything happen, but that trusts in my fundamental okay-ness. From there I can relate to myself and others with more freedom. I’m so grateful for this experience.” — Thomas, HH retreat participant
What This Is
Most of us have learned to cope with uncertainty by resisting it — endlessly strategizing, as if we could out-think the chaos and finally land on solid ground. We anesthetize ourselves. We overwork, optimize, and plan and plan and plan. We build sophisticated ways of managing the storm, most of which quietly exhaust us.
Peace is not a condition imposed from the outside. It's an inside job.
This retreat offers access to a different possibility. Rather than trying to control circumstances — or waiting for the world to become a better place — we learn how to discover steadiness within instability itself.
Through Tibetan Buddhist meditation practices rooted in clarity and compassion, we begin to recognize that peace and basic sanity are already present within us — accessible even in the midst of unpredictability. Buddhists sometimes call this the stillpoint: the immovable center that doesn't resist the turning world, but holds it.
Come learn to shift into the stillness and immovable strength of presence. From that ground, a naturally arising ease and joy become possible — and with them, the clarity and courage to do what actually needs to be done.
The Retreat
The retreat will be an opportunity to study and practice somatic and heart-based meditation, and to get some respite from the demands of your busy life. The retreat will include introduction to breath meditation, somatic practices, and 1-on-1 practice support from Lama Lekshe. (See below for details on the daily schedule and Lama Lekshe.)
Participation
All levels of experience are welcome, and no meditation experience necessary. Food and lodging provided. Spots are limited! Participants are asked to attend the whole retreat. (See below for details.)
About Lama Lekshe
Lama Lekshe has 40 years of training in the Tibetan Buddhist lineage of Shangpa Kagyu. She lives in Portland, Oregon where she serves as Resident Teacher for the Dekeling Meditation Community. In 2018, she completed a traditional, fully cloistered retreat of three years, three months and three days and then took up a year of residency and service in a Zen monastery. Cumulatively she has spent over 7 years in solitary retreat. Lekshe is also a mother of two grown adults and is retired from a career in post-secondary education and curriculum development. She aspires to make authentic Tibetan Buddhism accessible for today’s world.
Costs
All Hurley House retreats are donation-based. All proceeds from the retreat will go to continuing the renovation of the Hurley House and the development of our community.
Base donation: $250
Suggested donation: $450
Support donation: $750
Super donation: $1000
A note about the sliding scale
This is a very special opportunity to work with a highly regarded teacher of deep practice in an extra intimate environment. We know it's tough out there financially right now, and we wish to keep events at HH accessible. This is why we have a sliding scale. That said, these events this summer are how we find out if and how HH can be a financially viable thing and continue the renovation. If you wish to see this community space continue and more events like this happen in it, please give as much as you can.
Daily Schedule
This will be a silent meditation retreat, encouraging participants to explore their inner experience. The schedule of daily sits will be encouraged, but not enforced. Meditation instructions will be given. Each participant will have the opportunity to meet individually with Lama Lekshe. Participants are encouraged to disconnect as much as possible with the outside world, including their cell phones.
Thursday
7-9pm — Arrival
Friday
6am – Opening Meditation
7:30am — Breakfast
9am — Lama Lekshe Teaching & Meditation
Noon — Lunch
1:30pm – Collective Work Period (cleaning common spaces, etc.)
2pm — Lama Lekshe Teaching & Meditation (including Q&A)
5pm — Dinner
7pm – Evening Meditation
Night — Meditation (optional)
Saturday
6am – Opening Meditation
7:30am — Breakfast
9am — Lama Lekshe Teaching & Meditation
Noon — Lunch
1:30pm – Collective Work Period (cleaning common spaces, etc.)
2pm — Lama Lekshe Teaching & Meditation (including Q&A)
5pm — Dinner
7pm – Evening Meditation
Night — Meditation (optional)
Sunday
6am – Opening Meditation
7:30am — Breakfast
9am — Lama Lekshe Teaching & Meditation
Noon — Lunch
1:30pm – Collective Work Period (cleaning common spaces, etc.)
2pm — Concluding Lama Lekshe Teaching & Meditation (including Q&A)
4pm — Clean Up
5pm — Depart
Attendance
We ask that attendees arrive on Thursday night and be able to commit to staying through the completion of the retreat on Sunday (with emergency exceptions of course).
Got questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kevin Wall at k.duncan.wall@gmail.com