Finding Calm and Insight Through the Breath: A Guided Meditation Retreat

December 10th - 13th, 2026

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Arrival: Thursday, December 10th 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Departure: Sunday, December 13th, 12:30 PM

Tuition:
$250 + 3 nights lodging
Combined at checkout

Meals & drinks included
Inc. V, VG, GF

Add extra nights at 50% off

Tuition:
$250 + 3 nights lodging
Combined at checkout

Meals & drinks included
Inc. V, VG, GF

Add extra nights at 50% off

About the Retreat

Set in the quiet expanse of the Rocky Mountains, this retreat offers a rare opportunity to slow down and return to something simple and reliable—the breath. As the pace of daily life falls away, you are invited into a steady rhythm of practice, where each inhale and exhale becomes a doorway to calm, clarity, and presence. The atmosphere is intentionally uncluttered: silence, natural surroundings, and a supportive structure that allows attention to settle and deepen with ease.

Through guided meditation and sustained periods of practice, you will gradually refine your awareness of breathing—from establishing steady attention to recognizing increasingly subtle qualities of experience. The training unfolds step by step, showing how attention to the breath naturally expands into awareness of body, feeling, and mind. In this way, the practice becomes not only calming, but gently illuminating.

Over the course of the retreat, calm and insight are cultivated together. What begins as simply following the breath develops into a clear, grounded way of seeing—directly connected to lived experience—and offers a practical foundation you can carry into everyday life.

What to Expect

  • Guided seated meditation following the breath, with step-by-step instruction
  • Quiet mornings in silence, settling into a steady rhythm of practice
  • Periods of walking meditation
  • Structured sessions alternating sitting, walking, and rest
  • Sessions with brief teachings and space for questions
  • A calm, distraction-free environment supporting sustained attention

This retreat is suitable for beginners with some meditation familiarity; full participation recommended.

Why attend?

  • Rediscover a steady sense of calm you can rely on—less reactive, more grounded in daily life.
  • Learn to stay present with your experience, even in moments of stress, uncertainty, or emotional intensity.
  • Develop a clear, embodied awareness that supports wiser choices and more balanced responses.
  • Leave with a simple, sustainable practice you can continue at home without complexity or confusion.
  • Experience how quiet attention to the breath can open into insight—shifting how you relate to thoughts, feelings, and habits.

Participants often find that what begins as a period of rest becomes a subtle but lasting shift: a quieter mind, a steadier presence, and a more direct connection to experience as it unfolds.

FAQs

Do I need prior meditation experience?

Some familiarity with meditation is helpful, but no advanced experience is required. Clear, step-by-step guidance is provided throughout.

Is the retreat held in silence?

Most of the retreat is in silence to support continuity of attention. There are designated times for instruction and questions.

What is the level of intensity?

The schedule is structured, with alternating periods of sitting, walking, and rest. The emphasis is steady, sustainable practice rather than intensity.

What will I actually be practicing?

You will work with mindfulness of breathing as a complete path, progressing from basic attention toward deeper calm and insight. The structure follows a classical framework that integrates body, feeling, mind, and mental processes.

What should I bring?

Comfortable clothing for sitting and walking, and anything that supports ease in a quiet environment. Detailed packing guidance will be provided after registration.

Try it Out

This short introduction presents the practice framework used in this retreat, based on the Ānāpānasati Sutta. It outlines how mindfulness of breathing unfolds through sixteen progressive steps, moving from simple awareness of the breath toward a refined understanding of experience.

As the practice deepens, attention naturally expands to include the body, feeling tone, states of mind, and underlying mental processes—showing how the breath becomes a gateway to the full cultivation of mindfulness. In this way, the training demonstrates how calm and insight develop together, rather than as separate practices. The central point is straightforward: the method is simple in form—the breath—but complete in scope. What begins as steady attention evolves into a comprehensive path integrating calm stability and clear seeing.

Retreat Faculty

Jirka Hladiš

Jirka Hladiš has been studying Buddhist philosophy and meditation under the guidance of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche since 1997. He joined the Nitartha Institute in 2002 and was authorized as a faculty member in 2007. Jirka has served as adjunct faculty at Naropa University’s Religious Studies/Wisdom Traditions department since 2006. Jirka’s interest is in approaching study, [...]

Lodging

We have several accommodations to choose from during checkout.
All options include our healthy meals and drinks. Inc V, VG, GF.

Off Land
Participants who wish to commute from home or arrange their own accommodations off-campus (for example, a bed and breakfast, camping nearby)  pay tuition, plus $54/night for meals (3 meals per day) and use of our facilities.

Car Camping
We have 5 primitive parking spots in the Rigden parking lot, for simply parking and sleeping. This includes food and access our bathhouses in Rigden Lodge
Note: We don’t have any water or electric hook ups for RV’s.

Dormitories
Rooms with beds for up to 7-8 people. Gender-segregated with men in their own dorm and women in another. The dorms use a shared bathroom down the hall, which is also equipped with shower stalls.

Monk Rooms
A cost-effective option for participants looking for indoor, solitary lodging, but who don’t mind using a shared bathroom or are looking for a more affordable retreat solution. These rooms are in the same hall as the Ridgen Dormitories, but offer more privacy than the dorms. In addition to a bed, bedding, a private room and closet, the monk rooms also have a large window and a desk and desk chair for added comfort.

Single and Double Rooms
The perfect choice for a retreat where you want both your own space and your own bathroom. Each room offers a little more space, a dresser and closet, and a 3/4s bathroom (toilet, sink, and shower, no bathtub) attached to each room.

Junior Suite
Our Lodge Junior Suites include a queen-size bed topped by a cozy comforter, a desk, dresser, closet and private bath with bathtub, plus a sitting area.

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