Maitri Space Awareness Meditation Retreat
May 19–25, 2025
Buddhist Path, Meditation & Mindfulness, On Land Retreats
Program Description:
In 1972, Trungpa Rinpoche introduced a unique way to work with the five buddha family teachings, called “Maitri Space Awareness.” This embodied practice is a powerful way to relate directly with our emotional energies and within the environment around us.
We will look at the emotions in terms of five basic energy patterns, or “buddha families,” and explore how these same elemental energies pervade all experience. Through the practice of Maitri Space Awareness, we discover how the same emotion can arise as either confusion or as wisdom. We will engage these often-challenging emotional/energetic patterns with curiosity, courage, and kindness. The mandala of the Five Buddha Families illustrates how the ordinary world of mind and emotions is infused with wakefulness and clarity.
MSA has been used in the fields of psychology, the arts, and education. The retreat will include sitting meditation, Maitri Space Awareness practice, sensory awareness exercises, talks, and small group discussions. No prior experience is necessary.
Tuition
There are three tuition tiers for this program. You may choose the tier that makes the most sense for you. Supporter tuition helps keep Drala Mountain Center open, while Basic tier helps keep our programming accessible.
You will choose your tuition when you choose what lodging you prefer.
Tuition Cost:
Basic: $450
Sustainer: $500
Supporter: $650
Program Arrival Date & Time: May 19th 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Program Start Date & Time:
Orientation with Program Coordinator at 5:30 pm,
Dinner from 6:00 – 7:00 pm, and opening program session at 7:00 pm.
Program End Date & Time: May 25th at 12:00 pm (noon)
Retreat Faculty
Jane Carpenter Cohn
Jane Carpenter Cohn, MA is an Associate Professor and Director of the Naropa Center for Bhutan Partnerships at Naropa University. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Buddhism, Buddhist Psychology, Contemplative Education and the Arts. She has taught Maitri Space Awareness for over 30 years. Jane works collaboratively with the Royal University of Bhutan in […]
Carla Burns
Carla Burns is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Naropa University and serves as lead faculty in the MA Contemplative Psychotherapy residential retreat programs. She also designs and implements programming for Naropa’s Compassion Initiative. In addition to teaching Maitri Space Awareness courses in the BA Psychology program, her specialties include integrating corporeal, elemental, and spatial […]
