The Four Immeasurables Retreat: Cultivating Vast and Profound Connection
Join teacher Lama Chönyi for a weekend of cultivating love and compassion.
Our next Four Immeasurables retreat will be Friday, February 21, through Sunday, February 23. The retreat will be held online and in person at the Namchak Retreat Ranch in Western Montana.
February 21, 2025 – February 23, 2025
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About this Retreat
Love and compassion are not fleeting sentiments; they are inherent capacities within us that can be cultivated and expanded. However, the very tide of modern life often diverts our attention. How can we reconnect with these qualities and foster a genuine sense of love and true connection?
The Four Immeasurables, also known as Boundless Qualities in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, offer a path to cultivate an expansive heart. By engaging in these practices, we can elevate our awareness, dissolve feelings of isolation, and rediscover our innate connection to others and the world.
Rooted in the ancient wisdom of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the meditation techniques associated with The Four Immeasurables provide pathways to break free from isolation and experience genuine connection with all beings.
In this weekend retreat led by beloved meditation teacher Lama Chönyi, participants will be introduced to these ancient teachings in a contemporary context. The retreat will focus on meditation practices centered around each of the four qualities mentioned in the Metta Sutta.
What You’ll Learn
Foundational Practices for Compassion and Connection
Cultivating Inner Peace and Releasing Attachment
Practices for Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Understanding the Root of Suffering and Interconnectedness
Practical Methods for Integrating the Four Immeasurables into Everyday Life
Who is this Retreat For?
Anyone looking to expand their capacity for connection and compassion.
No meditation or previous experience is required.
Retreat Details + Location
Friday, February 21, 2025 – Sunday, February 23, 2025
Lama Chönyi will be joining us in person at the Namchak Retreat Ranch in Western Montana.
Sign up today, as in-person space is limited to 50 people. Or join us online via Zoom. Address and Zoom link sent upon registration.
In person at the beautiful Bodhi House at the Namchak Retreat Ranch in Western Montana.
Retreat Schedule
The weekend will follow a flow of teaching, guided meditation practice, discussion, and personal and group reflection.
Please note the times listed are Mountain Standard Time (MST)
Friday, February 21, 5-8 pm MST (click HERE to view in your time zone)
Introduction to The Four Boundless Qualities
Compassion practice (Tonglen)
Saturday, February 22, 10 am-5 pm MST (click HERE to view in your time zone)
Shamata practice
Introduction to Sympathetic Joy and Loving Kindness
A Contemplation of Forgiveness
Science of Meditation
Sunday, February 23, 10am-5pm MST(click HERE to view in your time zone)
Introduction to Equanimity
Incorporating these practices into everyday life
Group reflection
Methods for integrating and stepping out of retreat
Our Community Commitments
To co-create a brave, inclusive, caring, and learning-centered space in our community, we each agree to the following:
- Be inclusive of diverse opinions and backgrounds by treating each other with respect and appreciation.
- Commit to words and actions of non-harm within our group interactions.
- Learn by immersing in and committing to the practices at hand.
- Hold personal sharing in confidence.
- Be present, practice mindful listening, and not offer unsolicited advice.
- Allow and invite for equal sharing of voices as well as the right to pass.
- Take care not to speak for others in the group.
- Assume good intent and come from a place of curiosity and care.
- Come as we are with permission to be “raggedy.
- Be mindful of and take personal and collective responsibility for our biases, including language that may “other,” “cancel,” or dehumanize any person, groups of people, and/or their experiences.
- When possible, participants will leave their cameras on during class.
- Use the “Ouch/Oops tool to address hurtful comments and language in the moment and to allow space for repair.*
We aspire for this sangha to be a place of refuge.
*Ouch/Oops . This is a tool for addressing hurtful comments/language in the moment. If someone says something hurtful, anyone can bring attention to it in the moment by saying “Ouch” and then explaining what was hurtful. If it is a word choice issue, be sure to give the first speaker the chance to rephrase and try again (remember, it’s okay to be raggedy, and we are all assuming good intent!) When someone says something that comes out wrong or hurts someone else, they should start with “Oops” – first, acknowledge the impact of their words, and then try again. This can also be done outside of the event if someone feels an “Ouch,” but does not feel comfortable sharing it with the group at that time. We aspire for this sangha to be a place of refuge.
Tuition
Our intention is to make this workshop financially accessible to all, so we offer a tiered fee structure. Please choose whichever level works best for you. If program costs present a financial barrier or you are interested in work-study, please contact eballentine@namchak.org.
Register for this Once-In-A-Year Retreat!
Learn how to cultivate the qualities of Loving Kindness, Sympathetic Joy, Compassion, and Equanimity in this timely teaching!
What People Are Saying
What are the Four Immeasurables?
Compassion (Karuna)
Loving Kindness (Metta)
Sympathetic Joy (Mudita)
Equanimity (Upekkha)
About Lama Chönyi:
Lama Kunzang Chönyi Zangmo (Lihi Eliaz) began her Buddhist practice as a young child under the guidance of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. In her early teens, she began spending her summers in retreat and entered a one-year retreat at the age of 14. Upon completing high school, she returned to retreat for another three years, emphasizing all the stages of Dzogchen practice. Lama Chönyi then went to India and Nepal to study Tibetan language in order to be able to communicate directly with Tulku Sang-ngak Rinpoche. Upon returning to the United States, she received a number of Dzogchen cycles from Tulku Sang-ngak Rinpoche, including the Yangti Nagpo cycle that she had yearned to receive since she was a child. In 2018, Tulku Sang-ngak Rinpoche bestowed the title Lama on her and requested that she continue to hold the lineage and teach students. She works with students both one-on-one and in the context of group retreats and enjoys supporting people from different walks of life, wherever they may be on the path.
About Namchak
We offer a variety of learning programs, including in-person teachings, small group learning, online courses, and residential retreats at the Namchak Retreat Ranch in western Montana.
