July 18–19th
Shravasti Meditation Retreat
with Ven. Khenmo Sonam Choenzin
In the midst of busy lives filled with noise, distraction, and relentless activity, we rarely give the mind the space it needs to truly settle. The Shravasti Meditation Retreat offers just that, a supported, gentle container in which to turn inward, reconnect with the breath, and touch the natural stillness that is always already present.
The word Shravasti refers to the ancient grove where the Buddha taught some of his most celebrated discourses on mind and awareness. It was also the place where the Buddha and his followers returned every year to spend the traditional rains retreat, a season set apart from other activities, devoted entirely to practicing mindfulness and meditation. In that same spirit, this weekend retreat invites practitioners of all backgrounds to step out of the stream of ordinary activity and spend two days cultivating genuine stillness.
Guided by Venerable Khenmo Sonam Choenzin, the retreat draws on the Anapanasati Sutra, the Buddha's foundational teaching on mindfulness of breathing, presented through the lens of the Drikung Kagyu Vajrayana tradition.
In- Person and Online
Schedule
What We Will Practice
The retreat introduces a sequential exploration of the four foundations of mindfulness:- Mindfulness of body
- Mindfulness of feelings
- Mindfulness of mind
- Mindfulness of phenomena
These are not simply topics to learn about, they are doorways into direct experience. Working through them in order allows the practice to deepen organically across the two days, with each session building on the one before.
Tsa Lung
Each morning opens with Tsa Lung — Tibetan yogic breathwork — to loosen the body, settle the nervous system, and prepare the mind for sustained sitting practice.
Noble Silence
We will be practicing Noble Silence throughout the retreat. Teachings will be given and we will recite prayers together, but otherwise we invite all participants to refrain from speaking. Not speaking gives the mind the opportunity to turn within and settle more deeply into the practice.
By setting aside speech for these two days, we grant ourselves the tremendously virtuous opportunity to avoid creating negative karma through the door of speech. So much of what we say arises from the afflicted mind states of attachment, aversion, and ignorance. When we refrain from speaking altogether, our conduct of speech becomes purely virtuous for the whole of our maintained silence. This also lends great support to the container of sacred space and collective practice, for the benefit of everyone present.
Meals
All meals will be provided by DNJ for all participants for the duration of the retreat. Please let us know whether you will be receiving meals and for which days upon registering.
Who Is This Retreat For?
Anyone who wants to meditate more deeply, or who has wanted to begin and hasn't quite found the right entry point. Whether you have been practicing for years or are coming to retreat for the first time, Venerable Khenmo Sonam Choenzin's approach makes the teachings genuinely accessible without sacrificing their depth.
Day 1 - Saturday, July 18
7:00-8:00 am: Morning Practice: Tibetan Yogic Exercises (Tsa Lung)
8:15am: Breakfast
8:30am-11:30am: Session 1, Teachings & Meditation
12:00pm: Lunch
1:30-3:30pm: Session 2, Teaching & Meditation
3:30pm-4:00pm: Tea Break
4:00pm-6:00pm: Session 3, Teaching & Meditation
6:15pm: Dinner
7:30pm-8:30pm: Session 4, Teaching & Walking Meditation
Day 2 - Sunday, July 19
7:00 – 8:00am: Morning Practice: Tibetan Yogic Exercises (Tsa Lung)
8:15am: Breakfast
8:30am-11:30am: Session 1, Teachings & Meditation
12:00pm: Lunch
1:30-3:30pm: Session 2, Teaching & Meditation
3:30pm-4:00pm: Tea Break
4:00pm-6:00pm: Session 3, Teaching & Meditation
6:15pm: Dinner
7:30pm-8:30pm: Session 4, Walking Meditation & Closing with final prayers and dedication
About Khenmo Sonam
Khenmo Sonam Choenzin is a remarkable practitioner, scholar, and teacher in the Drikung Kagyu tradition. She has been a practicing nun since 1995 and is currently one of only six women in the monastic lineage of the Drikung Kagyu to have received the degree and title of Khenmo; an honorific title reserved for accomplished scholars of Tibetan Buddhist Studies, bestowed upon her in 2023.Khenmo Sonam's training has been both deep and extensive. She completed her primary monastic studies and foundational studies in Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan literature, and grammar at Samtenling Nunnery in Dehradun, India. She went on to earn her undergraduate (Shastri) degree in Buddhist Studies at Kagyu College, followed what would equate to roughly two PhDs in Higher Buddhist Studies. Throughout her academic career, she also served in administrative roles, leadership positions, and as a teacher of foundational Buddhist philosophy and scripture at Samtenling Nunnery.
In 2020, Khenmo Sonam entered strict solitary meditation retreat, completing the traditional Three Year Meditation Retreat in the Fivefold Path of Mahamudra under the guidance of His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche. Prior to her retreat, she also served as sacred objects curator and manager for the Private Office of His Holiness.
Khenmo Sonam brings with her a rare combination of rigorous scholarly training, deep meditative experience, and a lifelong commitment to the monastic path. We are truly grateful and fortunate to welcome a teacher of her caliber and dedication to DNJ.