The Vajra World: Practice Intensive

July 6th - July 21st, 2026

Register Now

Arrival: July 6th 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Departure: July 21st 10:00 AM

Tuition:
$0 + 16 nights lodging
Combined at checkout

Meals & drinks included
Inc. V, VG, GF

Add extra nights at 50% off

Tuition:
$0 + 16 nights lodging
Combined at checkout

Meals & drinks included
Inc. V, VG, GF

Add extra nights at 50% off

Only those who have been approved to attend by Three Yanas Society should register for this program.

The Vajra World Practice Intensive is a two-week program for returning Three Yana Retreat ngondro students. The intensive includes daily ngondro practice sessions as well as teachings on vajrayana topics.  

This year’s topic is the Mandala of the Five Buddha Families. As we move through our various ngondro practices, what is our relationship with the vajra mandala and the five buddha families? We will explore the mandala together. We will also expand our understanding of how vajrayana transmission weaves through all our practices, bringing more clarity and sanity to our lives and the world. 

A ngondro intensive is a precious opportunity to deepen one’s practice with the support of vajra sangha and senior instructors.

Suggested Readings :

“The Collected Vajra Assemblies v. 1 & 2” by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

“Journey Without Goal” by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Shuttle Information

Shuttle transfers to and from DIA will be provided for this program. The shuttle from DIA to DMC on 07/06/26 will pick up at 2:00pm. The shuttle from DMC to DIA on 07/21/26 will depart at 10:00am. Please select the shuttle transportation option when you register and more details will be provided closer to the program start date.

This is a one time charge of $175.00 for round-trip shuttle service.
(Partial charges cannot be accommodated, if you choose to only use one-way service.)

For travel questions, please email travelservices@dralamountain.org.

Laundry

For participant personal clothing items, laundry services will be offered one time during this program. This will be a one time charge of $40.00 with laundry bags provided.

Please select the laundry option when you register.

Respiratory Illness Policy

Please review and understand Drala Mountain’s Respiratory Illness Policy, unique to this program, before visiting.

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 thirty years. Jane works collaboratively with the Royal University of Bhutan in the design and implementation of mindfulness based Contemplative Psychology programs. As a contemplative artist, she specializes in Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Jane is a Riji in the Sogetsu School of Ikebana.

Rhea Colmar

Rhea Colmar considers herself a student in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as well as other contemporary Buddhist teachers.  As a public health nurse, Rhea is interested in the intersection of meditation, health, and well-being, on both the individual and societal levels. She has a background in dance and massage & bodywork.

Recently, she has been teaching on topics such as Meditation, Buddhism, and Qigong for the Shambhala Mandala, as well as other organizations and meditation communities. Professionally she has certifications for her therapeutic work, Qigong and Mindfulness meditation.

Guest Teacher

Larry Mermelstein

Beginning in 1971, Larry Mermelstein became a close student of the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist meditation master and scholar. He has served as a senior teacher in the Vajradhatu/Shambhala community for decades. He is a founding member and the executive director of the Nalanda Translation Committee for over forty years and is a long-time consulting editor to Shambhala Publications.

Foundations of MeditationMindfulness Insight Meditation Retreat: Cultivating Wisdom and Compassion