Discover the Power of Retreat
A Month-Long Joy of Living Immersion
What happens when you step away from the noise of everyday life for an entire month? Most of us catch glimpses of peace in our daily practice, but a month-long retreat offers something deeper: the rare gift of time and space to truly meet yourself. Under the guidance of experienced Tergar Guides Myoshin and Edwin Kelley and within the container of a supportive community, you can move beyond the surface of “trying to meditate” and settle into a profound, lived experience of awareness.
A Path to Lasting Transformation
For the third consecutive year, we are honored to offer the Joy of Living Program in its entirety as a residential retreat. Developed at the direct request of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, this immersion allows you to receive the teachings for Levels 1, 2, and 3 while completing the associated practice requirements simultaneously.
By weaving together awareness, loving-kindness, and wisdom, this retreat offers more than just a curriculum; it provides a laboratory for the heart. You will see firsthand how these three pillars integrate to support a stable, compassionate, and resilient mind.
The Retreat Experience
The month is structured as a mix of Teaching Days and Practice Days, designed to help you integrate the teachings into your very bones.
Teaching Days: Learning and Insight
During these days, the focus is on receiving the lineage instructions and clarifying your understanding. These sessions include:
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Expert Instruction: Tergar International Guides Myoshin Kelley and Edwin Kelley share the Joy of Living courses, supported by essential video teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche.
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Interactive Learning: Sessions include Q&A, group discussions, and guided meditation.
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Holistic Practice: Daily schedules feature awareness yoga and multiple meditation sessions
Practice Days: Deepening and Integration
On Practice Days, the focus shifts to formal, sustained meditation. These days provide the “quiet space” needed to truly inhabit the Joy of Living levels.
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Sustained Practice: Extended periods of formal meditation to stabilize your experience.
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Guided Support: One of the guides will offer a specialized talk on these days to support your practice and help you navigate your inner journey.
Personalized Guidance and Silence
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Personal Support: Myoshin and Edwin will offer both private and group interviews to discuss your personal practice and any questions that arise.
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The Power of Silence: To support this inward journey, we will maintain silence from September 22 until October 15. While we will speak during teaching sessions and interviews, the remaining time is dedicated to a “noble silence” that allows the mind to settle.
Is This Retreat for You?
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New Practitioners: This is an accelerated, experiential entry into the Joy of Living path. You will finish the month fully prepared to move on to the Path of Liberation programs.
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Experienced Students: If you have already completed the Joy of Living, this is a powerful opportunity to refresh your “beginner’s mind.” Last year, students reported that this month of deep practice provided a level of clarity and “on-the-cushion” stability they hadn’t reached in years of solo practice.
Preparing for Your Journey
To get the most out of this immersion, we recommend:
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Disconnecting: Please inform family and colleagues that you will be offline. (Emergency contact protocols can be discussed with guides upon arrival).
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Exploring the Teachings: If you are new, you can [learn more about the path here], read The Joy of Living by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, or explore the online Joy of Living introductory courses.
Join us for a month of discovery, community, and the profound joy of simply being.
This retreat is offered in English and in-person only (there is no online/hybrid option).
“While all beings have great wisdom and compassion, this is not always apparent. This is simply because they have not recognized what they already have. Thus, aside from merely recognizing our own true nature, there isn’t the slightest thing to meditate on. Recognizing the importance of this, I have passed my days feeling joyful and content, wandering through the mountains and valleys and staying here and there. From my heart, I sincerely encourage all of you to practice diligently in this manner as well.”
— Mingyur Rinpoche, while on retreat
Testimonials from 2024 Monthlong Retreat Participants
“Receiving Mingyur Rinpoche’s teachings with the support of the amazing guides and surrounded by a safe and welcoming community was life-changing. I am so grateful for the opportunity to practice this way.”
“It was the most wonderful spiritual journey I have undertaken. The teachings and guidance were extraordinary. It is a blessing to be part of the Tergar Community.”
“This retreat was exactly what I was looking for. Mind, body and soul reset. Absolutely brilliant and time flew. Keeping silence was an additional benefit to the overall teachings and meditations.”
“The retreat was a wonderful opportunity to practise meditation within a serene and supportive environment, guided by highly experienced instructors.”
You can also read about last year’s retreat HERE.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites for this retreat. However, a well developed daily meditation practice is strongly recommended.
When you register, you will be asked to complete several questions. Please take the time to respond fully. The guides will review these applications and may reach out if they have any questions or concerns. It is at the guides discretion if they feel that this retreat may not be the right fit for you at this time. If so, you will be offered a full refund.
If you have any questions or concerns about your preparedness or suitability for participating in the monthlong retreat, please reach out by email to Myoshin Kelley at myoshin@tergar.org before registering.
It is not required but highly recommended that participants at least start the Joy of Living 1 program online and start completing the homework before participating in retreat. This will help create a strong foundation for your meditation practice during the retreat.
We also encourage you to complete the Retreat Course offered by Tergar’s Vajrayana Online program, especially if you have not done a long retreat before.
Arrival and Departure Times
Arrival and registration will be held from 14:00 – 17:00 on Saturday, September 20, with dinner at 18:30, and the first session at 19:30. Please plan to arrive by 17:00 if possible so there is time to help you register and find your room before dinner.
It is essential that you aim to arrive on the first day and attend the orientation session on the first evening. This session conveys critical information that sets the foundation for our time together.
Departure will be after lunch on Saturday, October 17, from 13:00-15:00.
For those traveling across many time zones, we highly recommend that you plan to arrive in Portugal at least one or two days in advance to allow yourself time to recover and adjust to the time change. There are many hotels in the area, either in the Algarve coastline, or in and around Monchique (the closest town to Karuna).
Due to other commitments at the retreat centre, it is not possible to arrive a day early or stay beyond the dates of our program.
Retreat Cost
The retreat cost is all-inclusive, including all costs for the program, room and board at Karuna.
The cost of the program (all prices are in Euros):
- Sponsor Rate – €4000: This rate allows us to offer reduced rates to those who need financial assistance. Please consider choosing this option, or making an additional donation to Tergar Retreats if it is within your means.
- Base Rate – €2900: This is the standard rate that covers all costs for your attendance.
Should the base rate still be beyond your financial means, please email retreats@tergar-retreats.org to explore further scholarship options.
Tergar Retreats is a small organization whose capacity to offer scholarship is limited, and therefore please assess your situation when requesting a scholarship. Consider paying the base rate if you own the home you live in, have investments, retirement accounts or inherited wealth, travel recreationally, work part time by choice. Thanks for reflecting, and do apply for a scholarship if this makes the retreat accessible.
All funds for these retreats are being managed by Tergar Retreats, which is a 501c(3) non-profit in the USA. There is no tax charged. Any profits from the retreat, if there are any, will go towards future Tergar Retreats and also be partially shared with Tergar International.
Payment Schedule
For those that would prefer not to pay the full cost up front, we offer the following payment plan.
- Deposit: Minimum of €250 due at registration.
- Payment #1 of 3: 30% of total cost – due by July 18, 2026
- Payment #2 of 3: next 30% of total cost (60% of total paid) – due by August 15, 2026
- Payment #3 of 3: Remaining balance due by September 12, 2026
Payments will be charged to the card on file you used for your deposit unless otherwise requested. We will remind you at least 2 days before each payment is due.
Alternate payment plans are also possible on a case-by-case basis. Please contact retreats@tergar-retreats.org to discuss.
Retreat Program Overview
Please note this schedule is subject to change.
September 20: Arrival Day
September 21–25: Joy of Living 1 Teaching Days (5 days)
September 26–27: Joy of Living 1 Practice Days (2 days)
September 28–Oct 2: Joy of Living 2 Teaching Days (5 days)
October 3–4: Joy of Living 2 Practice Days (2 days)
October 5–October 8: Joy of Living 3 Teaching Days (4 days)
October 9: Joy of Living 3 Practice Day (1 day)
October 10–13: Joy of Living 3 AdditionalTeaching Days (4 days)
October 14–15: Joy of Living 3 Practice Days (2 day)
October 16: Exploration of Practice in Daily Life
October 17: Retreat Conclusion and Departure Day
Daily Schedule, Accommodations, Meals, Travel
For further information about accommodations, meals and travel please see this document: Retreat Information: Monthlong
In case of unforeseen circumstances, we recommend purchasing refundable tickets and/or trip cancellation insurance.
Participant Agreement
Please take a moment to look at the following Participant Agreement for the retreat. You will be required to sign this document when you arrive at the retreat (we will have printed copies on hand): Participant Agreement.
Cancellation Policy
- All deposits are non-refundable.
- Refund of all payments made, minus deposit of €250 before July 15, 2026
- Refund of all payments made, minus €500 between July 16 – August 15, 2026
- Refund of all payments made, minus €1000 between August 16 – September 20, 2026 (start of program)
- No refunds will be issued after the program begins on September 20, 2026
- Note: In some situations, non-refundable payments can be applied to future Tergar Retreats programming
About the Karuna Retreat Center / Centro de Retiros Karuna
Karuna Retreat Center is located in the green mountains of Serra de Monchique in the Algarve. Serra the Monchique is known for its healing thermal water, medicinal plants, pure air and lush green landscapes. The Retreat Center offers a stunning view over Portugal’s southern coast and the Atlantic Ocean and is just 20 minutes away from pristine beaches and less than 10 minutes away from the picturesque village of Monchique. Karuna is amongst one of the most secluded and silent places in this area and is home to a variety of local flora and fauna. The Retreat Center’s property is isolated and perfect for those in search of silence, seclusion and peace.
About Tergar Retreats
Tergar Retreats is a non-profit organization specifically focused on supporting in-person meditation retreats in the Tergar lineage as taught by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. It is financially independent from Tergar International. As part of Mingyur Rinpoche’s larger vision and global projects, Tergar Retreats is a part of the Tergar Mandala that includes Tergar International, Tergar Schools, Tergar Institute, Tergar Asia, Tergar Sangha, Tergar Charity, and more.
