What is Awakening? 4 Practices Rooted in Tradition and Confirmed by Neuroscience, 5-day silent meditation retreat
April 9–13, 2026
Buddhist Path, On Land Retreats
Program Start Date & Time: April 9th | 5:30 pm
Program End Date & Time: April 13th | 1:30 pm
What is Awakening?–4 Practices Rooted in Tradition and Confirmed by Neuroscience (5-day In-Person and Online Retreat)
In this retreat, Tina presents the four categories of meditation rooted in Buddhist tradition and now confirmed by neuroscience. One day is spent on each practice. This allows you to experience the meditation’s purpose, what it does to your consciousness, and how it supports awakening in unique and important ways. This helps you to make wise use of precious time spent in daily practice and retreat, and to better understand the overall trajectory of your spiritual unfoldment, which can be used over a lifetime of practice.
Tina also explores the question: “What is awakening?” Awakening is the inspiration for many on the spiritual journey, but we may be unclear about what it is, how it happens, and what we can commonly encounter. She provides an overview of how awakening is understood across wisdom traditions, clarifies misconceptions (as well as why scandals happen), and shares more about how to integrate spiritual experiences into everyday life. Participants are also guided in tuning in to their own “flame for awakening.” For a 7-minute video of Tina describing the retreat, click here. The retreat has many periods of sitting meditation, daily dharma talks with Q&A, one guided meditation period daily, and a group or individual interview with the teacher. This retreat is held in silence.
Testimonials
“I’ve deepened my practice more than ever, due to the clarity of the teaching.”
“My faith in Buddhism has been deepened to a degree previously unimaginable, but is tempered by a profound sobriety of mind and wisdom. Every word of the dharma talks penetrated the core of my being and accelerated my practice.”
Program Schedule
Thursday
2:00-5:00pm Registration
5:30-6:00pm Orientation
6:00-7:00pm Dinner
7:00- 8:3pm Opening Dharma Talk in Meditation Hall
Friday-Sunday
6:30-7:00am Sitting Meditation
7:00-8:45am Breakfast
8:45-9:30am Sitting Meditation with Instructions
9:30-10:00 Walking Meditation, Interviews
10:00-10:45am Sitting Meditation
10:45-11:15am Walking Meditation, Interviews
11:15-12:00pm Sitting Meditation
12:00-1:45pm Lunch
1:45-2:30pm Sitting Meditation
2:30-3:00pm Walking Meditation, Interviews
3:00-3:45 Sitting Meditation
3:45-4:15 Walking Meditation, Interviews
4:15-5:00pm Sitting Meditation
5:00-6:30pm Light Dinner
6:30-7:00pm Sitting Meditation
7:00-7:15pm Break, Qi Gong
7:15-8:30pm Dharma talk, Q&A
8:30-open Optional Sitting Meditation
Monday
6:30-7:00am Sitting Meditation
7:00-8:45am Breakfast
8:45-9:30am Sitting Meditation with Instructions
9:30-10:00 Walking Meditation
10:00-10:45am Sitting Meditation
10:45-12:00pm Dharma Talk, Q&A, Retreat Closing
12:00-1:30pm Lunch and Departure
Retreat Faculty
Tina Rasmussen
Tina Rasmussen, Ph.D., began meditating at age 13, and has practiced in the Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist traditions for 30+ years. In 2003, after many years of Buddhist practice, she was drawn to undertake an intensive year-long solo retreat in which profound experiences occurred. In 2004, Tina took refuge with Tibetan Buddhist teacher Tsoknyi Rinpoche, […]
