Shambhala Teachings - Weekend Four

Prerequisites: Need to have attended at least 2 out of 3 of Shambhala Training Weekends 1-3 (If you have not been able to participate in Weekend 3 we can provide recordings of the talks)

Shambhala Teachings Weekend 4 is about inquisitiveness and opening, allowing ourselves to be touched by our experience.    

When we meditate, we learn how to gently let go of self-involved agitation and develop trust in our capacity to experience the sharp edges of reality.  We find that we can open up to our world with kindness and curiosity.

This programme will take place in-person in Clapham as well as online on Zoom.

About the Shambhala Teachings Series

The founding principles of all Buddhist teaching are compassion and wisdom. The Buddha shared his teachings with the intention that his students and future generations could engage with them, and realise what it means to be human.

In the same way the founder of Shambhala, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, presented the Shambhala teachings as a way for his students and future generations to connect with the essence of the Buddhist teachings whilst engaging in societal activities such as family life and work.

The Shambhala approach emphasises the innate dignity and sanity we possess and explores how the beauty and magic of the world can awaken those qualities within us, rather than provoking attachment, aggression and ignorance.

The Shambhala teachings and practices provide us with a structured path to follow, where we can learn to connect with our gentleness and strength. By bringing a compassionate touch to the messiness of being alive, we can move toward feeling good enough just as we are. 

Here is a video on the Shambhala Teachings and their relation to Buddhism.

A key aspect to the Shambhala teachings is the way the meditation technique changes through the different weekends. The meditative experience is in tune with the experiences highlighted in the teachings. The weekends will include substantial time to practise these techniques. 

We aim to provide a space which allows you to explore the meditation technique and teachings in a positive environment, with a welcoming and inclusive community, and opportunities for both group and one-on-one discussion spaces to reflect and ask questions. 

About the Teachers

Tessa Watt has been practising meditation with the London Shambhala Centre for 30 years, and was appointed as a senior teacher in 2017. Tessa has had a varied career: she was a Research Fellow in History at Cambridge University, and then for 16 years she was a Producer with BBC Radio, making documentary features. Since 2009 she’s been a full-time mindfulness teacher, offering courses for the general public and in workplaces, including many leading global companies around the UK. She teaches MPs and staff in the Houses of Parliament, and led an inquiry into ‘Mindfulness in the Workplace’ for the All-party Parliamentary Group for Mindfulness. Tessa is an Associate of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and has taught at SOAS, University of London on their MA in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation. She is the author of  A Practical Guide to Mindfulness and Mindful London. She lives in Balham and has two daughters.

Vinita Joseph has been involved with Shambhala for over thirty years. She has enjoyed careers both as a family lawyer and as an academic in creative writing and brings this experience to her teaching within Shambhala. She has run meditation groups and courses for many years and currently works as a coach helping professionals lead more balanced lives. She lives with her wife in Whitstable.

Payment Terms and Conditions
Please register and pay in full on registration, ensuring you click on the relevant price option to go through to PayPal where you can also pay by credit/debit card. Cancellation up to 1 week before the programme will receive a full refund, after that there will be a £20 fee charged for cancellation up until two days before, after which no refund is granted.

The early bird registration fee of £90 is available until two weeks prior, after which time the fee will be £110. A concession fee of £60 is available for those earning below £25,000 per annum and a concession fee of £50 is available for those earning below £20,000.  Please contact [email protected] to arrange a concession.