Breath, Body, and Awakening: A Four-Day Meditation and Qigong Retreat

Join us for a special four-day retreat in collaboration with Triple Crane Retreat Center and Master Winnie, bringing together the depth of Buddhist meditation practice with advanced qigong methods for preparing, opening, and energizing the body.

During this retreat, Master Winnie will guide participants in advanced qigong practices connected with Ba Zi Gong, also known as 8-Reverse Kung Fu, along with body preconditioning exercises from the Huayen Chan-Kuan tradition. These practices use natural breathing, relaxed movement, and focused body awareness to help loosen the joints, improve circulation, stimulate the torso and internal organs, and awaken the body’s natural vitality. While Master Winnie teaches qigong regularly, these particular practices are rarely offered in her usual classes and are being shared especially for this retreat.

Alongside the qigong training, Khenpo Tshering Chophel will continue his teachings from the Ānāpānasati Sutta, the Buddha’s discourse on mindfulness of breathing. This retreat will place special emphasis on the sixteen steps of mindfulness of breathing, offering a clear and progressive path for calming the body, settling the mind, cultivating insight, and opening the heart. Through meditation instruction, guided practice, and dharma teachings, participants will learn how the simple act of breathing can become a complete path of mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom.

Together, these two streams of practice support one another beautifully. Qigong helps prepare the body so it can become more relaxed, stable, and receptive. Mindfulness of breathing helps prepare the mind so it can become clear, spacious, and present. This retreat is an opportunity to bring body and mind into harmony through movement, stillness, breath, and awareness.

The retreat will run from August 20–23. Participants are encouraged to attend the full retreat for the greatest benefit. For those who are only able to attend one day, we especially invite you to join us on Sunday, August 23, when the teachers will review and integrate the key teachings and practices from the retreat.

Whether you are deepening an established meditation practice or seeking a more embodied way to support your path, this retreat offers a rare opportunity to receive guidance in practices that cultivate balance, vitality, mindfulness, and inner transformation.