Tara Rokpa Centre

Courage and Care - Women's Day Retreat
2022-08-06 12:30 - 2022-08-09 14:00 UTC | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
with Lucy Draper-Clarke and Mammatli Thakhuli-Nzuza
At first glance, courage and care may seem like opposites: one tough and strong, the other soft and fluffy. Explore more deeply, though, and they intertwine as the mother archetype, offering us access to feminine wisdom. From the clarity that arises in the face of compassion, the greatest courage emerges.
This Women’s Day long weekend offers you practices to heal and hold, replenish and reconnect with yourself and others. We will explore the healing arts of embodiment, meditation, and creativity, which bring us back into the embrace of community. For centuries, we have gathered in circles, around the fireside, to tell stories and sing, to dance and find the sweetness of silence. In community, we become fully human.
This precious time offers an opportunity to return to the wisdom of the body, which can hold us steady in the present moment. Communities have long known that to come together and move in harmony allows for healing of the individual and the collective. Utilizing breath, rhythmic movement, and a direct sensory experience of the embodied mind, we learn to regulate emotion, and become a safe haven for ourselves, for others and for the earth itself.
By working with somatic meditation practices, including gentle yoga, qi gong, and dance, we will return to this miraculous home of ours. Once the body feels settled, the sitting practices of mindfulness and compassion will allow access to the inner world of the heart-mind.

Your Facilitators:
Dr Lucy Draper-Clarke is a retreat facilitator, mindfulness mentor and researcher-practitioner in the fields of awareness and compassion. After obtaining a doctorate in mindfulness and teacher education, she is now an Associate Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. With a focus on compassionate activism and somatic meditation, she works with those engaged in social transformation and healing, to alleviate stress, increase resilience and cultivate wise, compassionate action. She runs workshops and retreats around Southern Africa. As a practitioner with the Karma Kagyu School of Buddhism, she attends regular meditation retreats to deepen her own practice. Nothing gives her more joy than supporting others to develop their own, life-enhancing, contemplative practices.

Mammatli Thakhuli-Nzuza is a storyteller, reflexive practice facilitator and an applied drama practitioner. She holds a Masters degree in Theatre in Education, Communities and Social Contexts from Drama for Life at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her research area explores the tension between women’s personal well-being, expectations and desires and the expectations imposed by cultural practices, customs, beliefs and norms. She facilitates community change processes that incorporate open dialogue, deep listening and creative embodiment. As an accredited Community Capacity Enhancement (CCE) facilitator and trainer through the Nelson Mandela Foundation, her work advocates for social development processes that are achievable, sustainable and people centred. Her practice is situated at the intersection of theatre, human rights and community building.

Cost:
The costs include a facilitation fee, accommodation, a voluntary R60 environmental levy, and all meals and tea break snacks from lunch on Saturday to lunch on Tuesday. It excludes staff tips.
You are welcome to arrive on Friday afternoon – an extra night’s cost is applicable.

3 Nights
Extra Night

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R4,700
R750

Single-use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R4,550
R700

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R4,400
R650

Shared Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R4,150
R560

Shared Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R3,800
R450

Dormitory
R3,500
R340

Camping (own tent)
R3,200
R240

A 10% discount for Drama for Life and TRC members.
Please do not let tight finances prevent you from coming – email us at tararokpacentre@gmail.com for options.

To Book:
Please click here to fill in the user-friendly online booking form.
A nonrefundable, but transferrable deposit of 50% is required to confirm your space.

Retreat Schedule:

Saturday 6thAugust

11am -1pm
Participants arrive
Dining Hall

1pm
Lunch
Dining Hall

2.30pm
Welcome and Introduction

4pm
Workshop 1 Window of Presence / Healing Arts

6pm
Supper
Dining Hall

7pm
Somatic Yoga and the Body Scan
Octagon

Sunday 7thAugust

7.30am
Moving Meditation
Octagon

8am
Sitting Practice with Lucy
Octagon

8.30am
Breakfast in Silence
Dining Hall

9.30am
Workshop 2
Octagon

11am
Tea
Dining Hall

11.30am
Moving and Sitting Meditation
Octagon

1pm
Lunch
Dining Hall

2.30pm
Trip to the Eye or relaxation

6pm
Supper
Dining Hall

7.30pm
Yin Yoga
Octagon

Monday 8thAugust

7.30am
Moving Meditation
Octagon

8am
Sitting Practice with Lucy
Octagon

8.30am
Breakfast in Silence
Dining Hall

9.30am
Workshop 3
Octagon

11am
Tea
Dining Hall

11.30am
Moving and Sitting Meditation
Octagon

1pm
Lunch
Dining Hall

2.30pm
Local walk or relaxation

6pm
Supper
Dining Hall

7.30pm
Expressive Movement and Fireside Gathering
Octagon

Tuesday 9th August

7am
Hike to the Waterfall
Reflection Practice
Meet in Dining Hall

11am
Brunch
Dining Hall

12 noon
Closing circle
Octagon

12.30pm
Retreat ends
Dining Hall

12.30pm
Shop open
Office

Befriending Your Demons
2022-07-29 18:00 - 2022-07-31 14:00 UTC | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
Working with difficult emotions in order to resolve inner conflicts.

Are you struggling with any of the following:

Fear
Anger
Depression
Anxiety
An eating disorder
Difficult relationships
Self-hatred,
Addiction
And the list goes on…

The problem is that the harder we fight our demons, the stronger they become. If we want to liberate ourselves from that fight once and for all, we must reverse our approach.
In this retreat, we will be learning to work with difficult emotions using a powerful strategy that will enable us to transform our negative emotions, relationships, fears, illnesses, and self-defeating patterns. We will also learn to cope with our inner enemies that undermine our best intentions.
Our toolbox will consist of art materials such as paint, pencils, clay and collages, relaxation, meditation, mindful movement, and gentle yoga.

Your Facilitator:
Vera Hey is a mindfulness practitioner and an experienced mindfulness facilitator. She uses the insight and awareness gained from her mindfulness practice in her personal life and in her career as a psychological counselor. She is a student of Rob Nairn, international Mindfulness and Meditation teacher, and has completed his facilitator training course.

Cost:
These costs cover all meals from Friday supper to lunch on Sunday. They include a facilitator fee and a voluntary R60 environmental fee. It does exclude staff tips and an R50 contribution for art materials.

Camping (own tent)
R1300

Dormitory
R1500

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1800

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R2000

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R2200

Single-use of en suite room (if space available):
R2400

Reserve your place:
To book, please fill in the online booking form.
A 50% deposit confirms your booking. The deposit is not refundable but is transferrable to another retreat or person.

Study, Reflection and Meditation
2022-06-16 18:00 - 2022-06-19 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, South Africa
with Alan Muller
The Buddhist path emphasizes study, reflection, and meditation. But sometimes we neglect the study aspect. The study of Buddhist texts is somewhat different from how we normally approach the study of academic subjects. Study, in the spiritual context, is very necessary as it provides the view, the basis, the perspective needed in order to progress along the path to the ultimate goal.
During this retreat, we will study sections of the famous text by Atisha Dipankara – The Lamp for the Path to Enlightened in order to learn how to approach Buddhist study. This is an ancient text but is still most relevant to our busy modern lives, and gives an overview of the entire Buddhist path, and the steps we need to take to become realised.
Alan will combine the study sessions with reflections and meditations so that we can fully absorb the advice of the ancient master Atisha. Alan leads a study group in Johannesburg on this text, so it is an ideal opportunity to spend dedicated time studying together. This is however a stand-alone retreat and is open for all. It is a three-night retreat, starting on the evening of the public holiday, 16 June.
Atiśa Dīpankara (982–1054) was an Indian professor at Vikramshila University, and one of the greatest Buddhist masters of his time, being well-versed in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. He is also credited with spreading the Dharma from India to Tibet, spending the last years of his life in Tibet on the advice of the Bodhisattva Tara.

Cost
The cost covers accommodation and all meals from Thursday evening until lunch on Sunday. It also includes an R60 voluntary environmental fee but excludes dana and staff tips. Please don’t let a lack of finances prevent you from attending – email us at tararokpacentre@gmail.com.

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R2,800

Single-use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R2,600

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R2,500

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (sharing, per person):
R2,200

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (sharing, per person):
R1,900

Dormitory
R1,500

Camping (own tent)
R1,200

To Book
Click here to access the user-friendly online booking form.
A 50% nonrefundable, but transferrable deposit will confirm your booking and the accommodation of your choice.
Facilitator
The retreat will be led by Alan Muller who took refuge in 1997 with Akong Rinpoche. In 2003, he completed a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period, he took novice monk’s vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson. He has formed Ngondro groups since 2004 around Southern Africa.

Extraordinary Purification Practices of Tibetan Buddhism
2022-04-27 18:00 - 2022-05-02 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, South Africa
with Alan Muller
During this retreat, Alan will give instructions on the foundational practices of Tibetan Buddhism. These practices, although termed “preparation” practices, are complete practices in themselves. They are considered to be the foundations for the higher practices of Mahamudra or Dzogchen. Alan will discuss what is to be purified, and what is accumulated with these practices. He will also offer advice on how to integrate these practices into daily life.
Please bring your Ngöndro texts, malas, and prostration sliders. Participants should preferably have taken refuge in order to attend this retreat. It is open to all Ngöndro practitioners, new and old.
Participants may come for the full 5 day retreat, or for the 3 day long weekend.
“Our mind is often compared to a field, with the potential to bring forth bountiful harvest of wisdom and compassion. For the seeds of listening to teachings to grow easily and quickly, the field needs to be properly prepared: purifying negative karmic imprints is similar to clearing the field of rocks and debris, while enriching our mind with positive potential is similar to irrigating and fertilizing the field. The purpose of preliminary practices is thus to clear and enrich our minds, allowing our practice to progress smoothly and our heart to become the path to enlightenment.” – Thubten Chodron
Facilitator
The retreat will be led by Alan Muller who took refuge in 1997 with Akong Rinpoche. In 2003, he completed a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period, he took novice monk’s vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson. He has formed Ngondro groups since 2004 around Southern Africa.

Cost
The cost of the retreat covers accommodation, meals, and beverages from supper on the day of arrival to lunch on the last day, and a R60 voluntary environmental levy. It excludes dana and staff tips. Please don’t let a lack of finances prevent you from attending – email us for more options.

5 Nights
3 Nights

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R4,600
R2,800

Single-use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R4,300
R2,600

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R4,100
R2,500

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (sharing, per person):
R3,600
R2,200

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (sharing, per person):
R3,100
R1,900

Dormitory
R2,500
R1,500

Camping (own tent)
R2,000
R1,200

To Book
Please fill in our online booking form. A 50% deposit, non-refundable but transferrable will confirm your booking.

Family Easter Camp 2022
2022-04-15 13:00 - 2022-04-18 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
Easter Camp at Tara Rokpa Centre is traditionally is a family affair and a “come as you are” party. We define family in the broader sense, including the traditional nuclear and extended families, but also extending to friends, individuals, urban tribe members, community members, TRC visitors, and anyone wanting to connect with the spirit of the Easter Camp. Children are welcome and there will be a morning programme for them, including the traditional Easter Egg hunt on Easter Sunday.
“To me a family is whoever I can depend upon for support, to laugh with, to play with, and to share the challenges and rewards of life with.” Beth Lake
This will be a relaxed weekend in the beautiful, healthy, wide-open spaces of the bushveld with optional fun activities guided by a team of facilitators. The retreat starts with lunch on Good Friday and ends with lunch on Easter Monday. Activities include:

Playing with Art Materials
Guided Relaxation exercises
Singing and Body Percussion
Dancing
Mindful Movement Qigong
Restorative Yoga
Mindfulness
Walks
Swimming at the Waterfall, the Eye, or the farm-style pool
Roasting marshmallows around the campfire
Sleeping
Easter Egg Hunt

Cost
We aim to keep the costs as low as possible to allow nuclear families to attend. The rooms are allocated according to confirmed bookings.
The costs include all meals from lunch on Friday to lunch on Monday but excludes staff tips. The fees include a contribution to the facilitator’s expenses and an optional R60 environmental fee for adults.

Adults
R2500

Teen 1
R1700

Teen 2+
R1200

Age 3 – 12
R700

Under 3s
Free

You are welcome to stay from Thursday 14 April – additional accommodation fees will apply.
Please don’t let a lack of finance prevent you from attending – please contact us for more options.
Bookings
Click here to book. Please fill in a booking form for each adult and child attending. This is to enable us to allocate suitable accommodation.
A non-refundable but transferrable deposit of 50% to secure the accommodation of your choice.
Facilitators
Pippa Cope was involved in caring professions during her formal working years, and since retirement has been the manager of Tara Rokpa Centre, until her second recent retirement. She now devotes herself to environmental and community work in the area. She is authorized to facilitate aspects of the Tara Rokpa process and is a trained Donna Farhi Yoga facilitator with a growing interest in the benefits of Somatic Movement.

Wendy Newstadt is presently choir teacher at Parkview Senior and has taught music and dance here and in New York. She is also a performing musician who plays regularly mostly in and around Joburg. She is Orff Music certified.

Vera Hey is a mindfulness practitioner and an experienced mindfulness facilitator. She uses the insight and awareness gained from her mindfulness practice in her personal life and in her career as a psychological counselor. She is a student of Rob Nairn, international Mindfulness and Meditation teacher, and has completed his facilitator training course.

A Mindful Break: Relaxing and getting in touch
2022-04-01 18:00 - 2022-04-03 13:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
with Vera Hey
A mindful weekend of taking a break, relaxing, and getting in touch with ourselves and our needs.
In these times of uncertainty, the levels of stress and anxiety are particularly high for all of us. Therefore it is more important than ever to know how to enable ourselves to remain calm and clear and to enhance our ability to cope with challenges that are present.
So this weekend we shall focus on having a break from our busy lives, relaxing and getting in touch with ourselves and our needs through being quiet and mindful, meditating, deep breathing, mindful movement, walking in nature, and other tools from the mindfulness toolbox.
This weekend is suitable for beginners; no previous meditation experience is required.
Cost:
The cost includes accommodation, meals, and facilitation fee. It excludes staff tips.

Camping (own tent)
R1200

Dormitory
R1400

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1700

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R1900

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R2100

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R2300

To Book:
Click here to book. A 50% deposit will confirm your booking.
Your facilitator:

Vera Hey is a mindfulness practitioner and an experienced mindfulness facilitator. She uses the insight and awareness gained from her mindfulness practice in her personal life and in her career as a psychological counselor. She is a student of Rob Nairn, international Mindfulness and Meditation teacher, and has completed his facilitator training course.

Loving Awareness
2022-03-18 18:00 - 2022-03-21 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
with Lucy Draper-Clarke
As you step into this new year, what needs your loving awareness? A relationship, a project,
your work, home, or family? You may be holding sorrow for the past or anxiety about the
future. The best place to start is bringing caring attention to your own body, heart, and mind.
Time away, and time in, can return you to the ease and joy of the present moment.
This 3-night retreat is an invitation to reflect and refocus, as we reimagine a world that is
built on an ethic of care. Lucy will guide you through embodied awareness practices, including yoga, qi gong, and expressive movement, to prepare the heart-mind for meditation.

Then we’ll sit together and cultivate the innate qualities of being human – love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Finally, you can explore how to integrate these experiences into daily life.
Previous retreat participants had this to say about Lucy:
“Lucy brings to mindful movement her special warmth and generosity, together with the
qualities of a very skilled teacher. She creates an environment of complete kindness and
gentleness which in turn enables both the beginner and the more experienced to feel trulywelcome.” Carolyn Pollack
“Lucy is a warm, wise, and wonderful teacher, embodying fully the heart-mind connections she gently encourages in others. What she offers comes directly from her heart, enabling her to provide exactly what is needed spontaneously in the moment.” Joanna Monaghan
Cost
The costs include the facilitation fee, accommodation, a voluntary R60 environmental levy, and all meals and tea break snacks from supper on the day of your arrival, until lunch on the day of departure. It excludes staff tips.

3 Nights
2 Nights

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R4,000
R3,100

Single-use of twin/double room, shared bathroom:
R3,800
R3,000

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R3,700
R2,900

Shared Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R3,400
R2,700

Shared Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R3,000
R2,400

Dormitory
R2,700
R2,200

Camping (own tent)
R2,400
R2,000

Please do not let tight finances prevent you from coming – email us at tararokpacentre@gmail.com.
Bookings
Please click here to fill in the user-friendly online booking form.
A nonrefundable, but transferrable deposit of 50% is required to confirm your space.
Your facilitator
Lucy Draper-Clarke has a doctorate in mindfulness and teacher education and loves to run retreats as well as support yoga teacher training schools. She has practised yoga for 20 years and taught yoga and mindfulness in Southern Africa since 2006, while also offering embodied practices at Wits. While doing so, she has been lucky enough to study with inspiring Buddhist mindfulness, Vinyasa yoga teachers, and Expressive Movement dance therapists. Her light-hearted and compassionate approach to teaching allows participants to explore their inner worlds through a joyful, yet transformative practice.

Compassion and the Foundations of Buddhist Practice
2022-03-03 18:00 - 2022-03-13 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
with Samten Drime
Samten will present the Foundations of Buddhism in the context of Chenrezig, the embodiment of Compassion of all of the Buddhas. There will be practice sessions as well as talks.
Participants are welcome to come for the whole 10-day retreat, or only part thereof.
The 3rd of March is the Tibetan New Year of the Water-Tiger. The first fifteen days of the lunar year are known as the fifteen days of the Buddha’s miracles, when the Buddha, who was usually reluctant to show his miraculous powers, did display miracles in order to pacify challengers from other philosophical schools. Practice during these 15 days is considered most auspicious, with the merit being multiplied millions of times.
Samten Drime
Samten is a Buddhist monk from Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. He was raised in Zimbabwe and has studied and has done long retreats in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Programme

6:00 – 7:00
Green Tara Prayers

7:00
Breakfast

8:30 – 10:00
Session

10:00 – 10:30
Tea

10:30 – 12:00
Session

12:00
Lunch

14:00 – 15:30
Session

15:30 – 16:00
Tea

16:00 – 18:00
Rest/Free time/Walk

18:00
Supper

19:00 – 20:30
Session

The full retreat starts with supper at 18:00 on Thursday 3 March. And ends with lunch on Sunday 13 March. Participants are welcome to join in anytime during the retreat.
Cost
The cost includes all meals from supper on your day of arrival until lunch on your day of departure. It also includes a voluntary environmental levy. There is a 10% discount for participants staying for 10 days. Membership discounts also apply.

10 Nights
2 Nights

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person sharing):
R6,450
R1,480

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person sharing):
R5,450
R1,260

Single room with shared bathroom:
R7,250
R1,660

Single use of ensuite room (if space available):
R8,150
R1,860

Dormitory
R4,450
R1,040

Camping (own tent)
R3,550
R840

We would like this retreat to be accessible by all, but we do need to cover our costs. Please email us at tararokpacentre@gmail.com for concessionary rates.
If you would like to come for a custom amount of days, please also email us for costs at tararokpacentre@gmail.com.
To Book
Please click here to book using our online booking form. Mention which day you would like to arrive, and how long you would like to stay under the “Other Info” tab.

Kagyu Practice Retreat
2022-02-25 18:00 - 2022-02-27 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
with Alan Muller
Please join us this weekend to reconnect with practice, lineage, and old Dharma friends. The benefits and merits of practicing together with fellow travelers on the path are immeasurable. Alan will tell us stories, give us practical advice, and guided meditations. There will be time for walks, chats, and your own practice.
“When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick: every time a stick is thrown, you run after it. Instead, be like a lion who, rather than chasing after the stick, turns to face the thrower. One only throws a stick at a lion once.” – Yogi Milarepa

Lama Yeshe Rinpoche has advised us to practice the first two special foundational practices of Refuge and Bodhicitta, and Dorje Sempa.

“If your mind is engaging either in the mantra or visualization then you will have the fruition. It’s not about numbers, it’s about how you involve body, speech and mind.”
Lama Yeshe Rinpoche.

Your Facilitator

The retreat will be led by Alan Muller who took refuge in 1997 with Akong Rinpoche. In 2003, he completed a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period, he took novice monk’s vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson. He has formed Ngondro groups since 2004 around Southern Africa.

Costs
The cost includes meals and accommodation but excludes dana and staff tips. Please don’t let a lack of finances prevent you from coming – email us at tararokpacentre@gmail.com for options.

Camping (own tent)
R800

Dormitory
R1000

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1300

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R1500

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R1700

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R1900

Bookings
To book, click on this link. A 50% deposit will secure your choice of accommodation. This is not refundable but is transferable to another TRC retreat within a year.

Testimonial

“I have to report on the most awesome dharma talk I attended today. Alan talked on How to practise meditation more effectively. I have always known he is, probably our foremost South African Bodhisattva and have noticed how the advice he gives is increasingly deeply wise and compassionate.

His talk blew me away! I was totally transfixed the entire talk.. He covered pivotal advice of great masters and then drew it all together showing how it all applied in our daily lives. The talk was easy to follow and also very dense. It could have served as the outline for a longer retreat. The content was superb and the structure of the talk equally superb and aimed to get us to really understand what he was teaching us.

I think he is a teacher who can guide us magnificently. We lament that we don’t have teachers. But we have Alan, right here. He is gentle and humorous in his presentation and does not go for big drama. I appreciate this and I’m sure other people will do so.

I am so so excited and serious. I believe Alan is the teacher (or one of them) that we are looking for.

Maxine Fine

The Value of Meditation in Challenging Times
2021-12-26 18:00 - 2022-01-02 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
Theme
Each of us has the potential to be whole and free, but few of us realise this potential. Many of us go through our lives under a spell of imperfection – thinking and feeling that things are not right with us and life never really hits the spot. There is a gnawing feeling of dissatisfaction that the Buddha called dukkha.
This is not surprising because we live in a disjointed society that does not promote wholeness and connection; and many of us struggle with our own psychology and suffer lifelong effects of disconnection, trauma, and addiction in subtle and pervasive ways.
Yet we can work with this situation and gradually come to know and feel that part of us that was always undamaged and free – what is called Buddha Nature in Buddhism. Yet it takes trust and patient work.
Choden will draw on his experience of meditation over many years and will offer insights and methods that cover the full range of experiential mind training: mindfulness, compassion, insight, and wisdom.
He will offer practical skills to help people relate skilfully to difficult issues and blocks within themselves – beginning to break the spell of imperfection – whilst also offering methods for cultivating positive, life-affirming resources that bring us closer to our Buddha Nature within. He will also offer some advice on how to carry our practice into daily life and make challenging life conditions part of our meditation practice.
Structure
This will be a light retreat since it is taking place over the Xmas/New Year period. There will be structured teaching and practice sessions with a long break in the afternoons for people to go on nature walks. We will be including periods of silence in the mornings.
There will be a late-night Chenrezig practice on New Year’s Eve and see in the New Year together. Chenrezig is a Tibetan Buddhist chanting and mantra practice. We will also do this practice together every evening and offer simple instructions on how to do it. This part will be optional.
People may attend the whole retreat or part thereof. The preferred option is for all participants to arrive on Sunday 26 December, and then to leave earlier, if needed. Alternatively, if you want to come for the New Year’s weekend, you are welcome to arrive on Thursday 30 December at 6 pm, and depart on Sunday 2 January. This is to minimise the disruption of arrivals to the retreat atmosphere.
Facilitators:
A monk within the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Choden (aka Sean Mc Govern) completed a three-year, three-month retreat in 1997 and has been a practising Buddhist since 1985. He is originally from South Africa where he trained as a lawyer and learned meditation under the guidance of Rob Nairn, an internationally renowned Buddhist teacher. He is now involved in developing secular mindfulness and compassion programmes drawing upon the wisdom and methods of the Buddhist tradition, as well as contemporary insights from psychology and neuroscience. He is an honorary fellow of the University of Aberdeen and teaches on their Postgraduate Study Programme in Mindfulness (MSc) that is the first of its kind to include compassion in its curriculum. He co-wrote a book with Paul Gilbert in 2013, ‘Mindful Compassion’ that explores the interface between Buddhist and Evolutionary approaches to compassion training. He is also the co-author of two other books: ‘Mindfulness Based Living Course’ (2018), and ‘From Mindfulness to Insight’ (2019). In 2016 he completed a one-year retreat focused on the foundation practices of Tibetan Buddhism
Cost
The costs include accommodation, all meals from supper on the day of arrival, to lunch on the last day, an optional environmental fee of R60, and a surcharge for flight costs.
These costs exclude dana for the facilitators and staff tips. Dana boxes will be put out on the last day of the retreat for your offerings.
Please don’t let a lack of finances prevent you from attending – contact us at tararokpacentre@gmail.com.

Accommodation Type
7 Nights
3 Nights

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R6700
R3100

Single-use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R6500
R2900

Single en suite room (only 1 available)
R6500
R2900

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R6200
R2800

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R5500
R2500

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R4800
R2200

Dormitory
R4000
R1800

Camping (own tent)
R3300
R1500

Bookings
Please fill in the online form to book.
A 50% deposit will confirm your choice of room. The deposit is non-refundable but is transferrable to another retreat.

Living Compassionately in Challenging Times
2021-12-15 18:00 - 2021-12-19 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
If we wish to find lasting happiness, we need to look at how to tame the mind and uncover our compassionate nature. We are so lucky to still be able to access the wisdom of ancient Tibetan masters, whose advice is very relevant in today’s degenerate times. The text The Eight verses for Training the Mind by Langri Tangpa points to how to tame our minds and work compassionately with others.
“Some people recite the Eight Verses only as a prayer or aspiration, but that was not Geshe Langri Thangpa’s intention. He envisioned the text being used as a handbook for the practice of mind training. In these verses, he tells us precisely what we have to do.” Quote from HH 17th Karmapa.
Alan will guide us through this text, and we will look at various commentaries and do guided meditations associated with the text.
During this compassion-based retreat, Pippa will offer daily sessions of voluntary attendance of:

Exercises based on compassion, taken from the Tara Rokpa Therapy Process. This is a healing process steered by the late Akong Rinpoche and a team of western doctors and therapists which amalgamates the ancient wisdom of Tibetan Healing with Western Therapies.
Gentle Movement based on restorative yoga, and gentle somatics. These exercises can be done by anyone, and are adaptable to anyone interested in exploring the inward body/mind connections.

There will also be time to do your own thing, take walks, star-gaze around the campfire, swim, and relax.
Facilitators:
Alan Muller who took refuge in 1997 with Akong Rinpoche. In 2003, he completed a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period, he took novice monk’s vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson. He has formed Ngondro groups since 2004 around Southern Africa.

Pippa Cope has been involved with the Tara Rokpa Therapy process for over 20 years and has offered courses both in SA , Zimbabwe and Canada. She has also been involved with yoga for over 20 years. Pippa is certified by an
internationally acclaimed Yoga teacher -Donna Fahri , and has followed Somatic movement since being introduced to it over 4 years ago.

Costs:
This is a dana-based retreat, and the costs include meals, teas, and accommodation. It excludes a monetary offering for the facilitators and staff tips. Please contact us if you have financial constraints, but would like to attend.

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R2900

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R2500

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R3300

Single use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R3500

Single use of ensuite room (if space available):
R3700

Single en suite room
R3500

Dormitory
R2000

Camping (own tent)
R1600

To Book:
Please fill in the online booking form here.
A 50 % deposit, non-refundable, but transferrable, will secure the accommodation of your choice.

Contemplative Photography
2021-11-19 18:00 - 2021-11-21 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
Join Martin for a weekend exploring photography as part of a contemplative practice. Develop strategies to express yourself with a camera and discover what it is you wish to express. From a cell phone to a large format film camera, any imaging device is welcome.

The retreat will not be focused on the technical aspects of photography but Martin will do his best to help with any technical challenges you may be having.

There will be time for relaxation, reflection, meditation, and exploring the natural surroundings.

Facilitator:

Martin Kristiansen has been involved in photography since 1976 and is still earning a living as a photographer. Buddhism has directed his photography and life since 2001.

Costs:
This retreat is a dana based retreat – the costs are for your choice of accommodation and meals, and includes a (voluntary environmental levy of R60). Dana (an offering to the facilitator) and staff tips are extra.

Camping (own tent)
R800

Dormitory
R1000

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1300

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R1500

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R1700

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R1900

To Book:
Click here to go to our online booking form.
A 50% deposit will confirm the accommodation of your choice.

Close Encounters in the Bushveld guided by Eckhard Druschke
2021-11-05 18:00 - 2021-11-07 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
Join Eckhard (and Jennifer) for a bush getaway, where we will explore the Fauna & Flora of Tara Rokpa Centre and the surrounding environment. We will take the opportunity to stargaze under the pristine Bushveld night skies on this new moon weekend.
Bring your walking shoes and binoculars, field guides and note books, and swimming costumes to enjoy some time in the bush. Suitable for all levels of fitness.
In the evening Eckhard will talk about our amazing Southern African sky, identifying various constellations, planets, and stars, while also providing a little insight into our vast and fascinating universe.

Costs
The costs include accommodation and all meals from Friday evening to Sunday lunch. It includes an R60 optional environmental fee but excludes dana (an offering to the facilitator for his time and expertise).

Camping (own tent)
R 840

Dormitory
R 980

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1260

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R1480

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R1660

To Book
To book please fill in our online booking form – click here.
Your Facilitator
Eckhard Druschke is a passionate nature enthusiast who has laid out all the self-guided hiking trails around TRC. He has hiked and climbed extensively in Africa, Asia, South and North America, including Patagonia, the Hindu Kush, and Mount Kailash, and not forgetting the Magaliesburg, the Lowveld, and the Drakensberg. He is a highly experienced and caring field guide.

Bringing the Mind to Rest - Alan Muller
2021-09-23 18:00 - 2021-09-26 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
“If, when relaxed completely, one observes what happens, this very act in itself produces strength” – Jetsun Milarepa
A long weekend of guided meditations, contemplations, and exploring the above Milarepa quote.
There will be time to relax or go for walks, or to just be.
Milarepa was is Tibet’s most famous yogi. As a youth, he practised black magic and killed many enemies of his family. Later, feeling remorseful, he met his Guru Marpa and underwent great hardships, wearing only a simple cotton cloth and sustaining himself on nettles while meditating in high mountain caves, with such fierce determination that he gained the supreme accomplishment within that very lifetime. He gave secret mantra vehicle instructions to his disciples and composed many songs of realisation.
Facilitator:
The retreat will be led by Alan Muller who took refuge in 1997 with Akong Rinpoche. In 2003, he completed a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period, he took novice monk’s vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson. He has formed Ngondro groups since 2004 around Southern Africa.
Cost:
The cost includes accommodation, meals from Thursday evening to Sunday lunch, and a voluntary enviromental levy. It excludes dana for Alan, and staff tips.

Camping (own tent)
R1200

Dormitory
R1500

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1900

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R2200

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R2500

Single use of ensuite room (if space available):
R2800

Please don’t let a lack of funds prevent you from attending the retreat – please speak to us about a work exchange – tararokpacentre@gmail.com.
Bookings:
Please complete the online booking form.
A 50% deposit will confirm your choice of accommodation.

Tara Rokpa Weekend
2021-09-23 18:00 - 2021-09-26 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
In the last year, meeting in groups for the Tara Rokpa Therapy has been impossible for the worldwide Tara Rokpa Family. Some of us have connected on Zoom, some joined in the virtual Winter Camp, which was great, but not the same as gathering together.
This Weekend at Tara Rokpa Centre in September will be a celebration of Tara Rokpa starting up again. Our first regional get-together is open to all. Those who are interested in the process, those who have already begun Back to Beginnings, those who are Tigers, or those who started and stopped but the interest is still there. Just come along and we’ll reconnect with Akong Rinpoche’s healing through the TRT process.
The weekend will touch on different aspects of the TRT process with lots of relaxation, playing with art materials, and time off to enjoy TRC in the spring. We hope you will join us for a rejuvenating weekend.
Facilitators:
Trish Swift B.Soc.Sc., MSS, M.Sc. Trish is a registered clinical social work therapist and is currently working in private practice in Harare. She has lectured at the University of Zimbabwe and is currently the Senior Tara Rokpa Therapist representing Africa. Traveling extensively throughout Southern Africa and Europe, she is a widely sought after and much-loved facilitator and therapist.

Jayne Pilossof has been involved with Tara Rokpa Therapy for over 20 years and completed her 5 year training to become a Therapist in 2014.

Pippa Cope was involved in caring professions during her formal working years, and since retirement has been the manager of Tara Rokpa Centre, until her second recent retirement. She now devotes herself to environmental and community work in the area. She is authorized to facilitate aspects of the Tara Rokpa process and is a trained Donna Farhi Yoga facilitator with a growing interest in the benefits of Somatic Movement.
Cost:
Includes accommodation, meals from Thursday evening until Sunday lunchtimes, a facilitator’s fee, and a contribution for the airfares of the facilitators. This fee excludes staff tips.

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R3200

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R2900

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R3500

Single use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R3600

Single use of ensuite room (if space available):
R3800

Single en suite room (2 or 3)
R3600

Dormitory
R2500

Camping (own tent)
R2200

Please do not let a lack of finances prevent you from attending – please chat to us about a work exchange – tararokpacentre@gmail.com.
To Book:
Please fill in the online booking form.
A 50% deposit will secure the accommodation of your choice.

Insight Retreat : Working Creatively with Negative Emotions - Choden
2021-04-16 18:00 - 2021-04-18 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
Many people relentlessly battle with their emotions and end up leading conflicted and unhappy lives. But this does not have to be the case. In Buddhism the negative emotions are described as ‘mind poisons’, but the poison contains hidden gold.
This retreat will focus on working creatively with the negative emotions that afflict us. It will be drawn from the Tibetan Buddhist approach of learning to recognise and express the wisdom nature of our emotions. The view here is that our emotions are a source of vitality that can enliven and enrich our lives. The key is how we relate to them: either they can fuel an inner storm of conflict and suffering or they can fuel a path of inner abundance and waking up.
Choden will offer a path to working with the afflictive emotions of fear, anger, desire, jealousy, pride and ignorance. These are like the primary colours of our emotional life which, when combined, result in the rich variety of emotions we feel.
The path of practice will be to recognise when these emotions are triggered and how they feel within us. This is a mindfulness skill. Next, we turn to look at the mind that is afflicted by anger or desire, for example, and see its empty and insubstantial nature. This is a key insight skill. We then apply the antidote of compassion drawn from the 4 Immeasurable Qualities (loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity). Finally we learn to rest ‘in the midst of our experience’ and allow the wisdom energy to integrate within our being.
The retreat will involve teachings and guided practices from Choden, as well as sharing and inquiry and some periods of silent sitting.
Cost:
The cost includes accommodation, meals, a supplement to cover travel costs, and an R60 optional environmental levy. Excluded are dana and staff tips.
Dana is an offering to the facilitator as Dharma teachers aren’t renumerated, but dana would be appreciated.

Camping (own tent)
R900

Dormitory
R1100

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1400

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R1600

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R1800

Single use of ensuite room (if space available):
R2000

To book:
To book, please click here.
A 50% deposit, non-refundable, but transferrable, will secure the accommodation of your choice.
About Choden:
A monk within the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Choden (aka Sean Mc Govern) completed a three-year, three-month retreat in 1997 and has been a practicing Buddhist since 1985. He is originally from South Africa where he trained as a lawyer and learned meditation under the guidance of Rob Nairn, an internationally renowned Buddhist teacher. He is now involved in developing secular mindfulness and compassion programmes drawing upon the wisdom and methods of the Buddhist tradition, as well as contemporary insights from psychology and neuroscience. He is an honorary fellow of the University of Aberdeen and teaches on their Postgraduate Study Programme in Mindfulness (MSc) that is the first of its kind to include compassion in its curriculum. He co-wrote a book with Paul Gilbert in 2013, entitled Mindful Compassion that explores the interface between Buddhist and Evolutionary approaches to compassion training. He is also the co-author of two other books: Mindfulness Based Living Course (2018) and From Mindfulness to Insight (2019). In 2016 he completed a one-year retreat focused on the foundation practices of Tibetan Buddhism.

Bardo Retreat with Dónal Creedon
2021-03-12 19:00 - 2021-03-20 10:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Zoom Room, South Africa
Theme: Bardo ‘we are such stuff’
“We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.”
Shakespeare: The Tempest iv.i.
I haven’t written anything very extensive as theme. I tried a few but felt they were too wordy. Maybe the less said the better. I’ll talk mainly in the context of bardo teachings. I think this will do as a notice – Dónal.
Dónal has kindly offered to run a virtual retreat for the Southern Africa Centres from 12 – 20 March 2021. Participants will need to register to obtain the link.
Participants will join via ZOOM
Bookings open 1 Feb 2021
Although we will all be attending remotely, we will need to keep in mind that we are essentially on a retreat, and should thus conduct ourselves accordingly (even if we are attending from our homes).
Preliminary Schedule
Start:
Friday 12 March 2021
7.00 pm to 8.00 pm – Opening session
Daily Schedule:
Sat 13 March to Fri 19 March
6.30 am to 7.30 am – Meditation
9.00 am to 10.00 am – Teaching
10.30 am to 11.30 am – Meditation
3.45 pm to 4.45 pm – Meditation
5.00 pm to 6.00 pm – Q& A/discussion
7.30 pm to 8.00 pm – Concluding Meditation
8.00 pm to 8.30 pm – Compassion-based meditation
Finish:
Saturday 20 March
6.30 am – 7.30 am Meditation
9.00 am to 10.00 am – Concluding session
Cost
There is a suggested registration fee of R960 for non-members. Members of the Centre are offered a 30% discount on registration, so R670. Please don’t let a lack of finances stop you from joining this retreat – speak to us.
Registration and Info
Email tararokpacentre@gmail.com for more info.
To register click on this link.
Registration opens 1 Feb 2021
Dana:
We are all encouraged to offer Dana to Dónal for this retreat, in response to him giving generously of his time for us. This gesture will offer us an opportunity to practice generosity. (You will be advised as to how the payment may be made).
About Dónal Creedon

Dónal Creedon is a Buddhist meditation teacher with many years’ experience, loved and deeply appreciated for his warmth, openness and sincerity. He studied and practiced with Buddhist masters of the Kagyu practice lineage in Europe as well as in India and Nepal. This involved many years of intense retreat. Dónal also spent a number of years at the Krishnamurti Centre in Varanasi as resident Buddhist scholar. Thus the radical inquiry of Krishnamurti informs his approach.

Marico Mountain and Gravel Biking Weekend
2021-02-19 18:00 - 2021-02-22 13:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | North West Province
Come and enjoy the smorgasbord of riding options available at this wonderful Marico biking destination. Bring your mountain or gravel bike, or both. Tell us what you are looking for and we will design a route for you. Popular options include the Water Wonderland tour (see below), which includes a swim at the Marico Oog, or the Langkloof Loop, for the intrepid MTB community.

Your guide, Mike Draper, has been riding the valley for many years and is keen to share its delights with you.
Accommodation
We will stay at one of TRC’s comfortable farmhouses, with access to a farm dam pool to cool off after your ride.
If you’d like to come with a non-riding partner, they are welcome to relax at the farmhouse or attend the retreat being held at TRC. For more information about available retreats, click here.
Cost and Booking
Cost per person includes your guide, accommodation, and vegetarian meals.

Camping (own tent)
R1200

Dormitory
R1400

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R1700

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R1900

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R2100

Single use of ensuite room (if space available):
R2300

Please use our online booking form, which can be completed easily on a phone or tablet.

Water Wonderland Tour
A ride to the enchanted Marico Eye, pristine source of the Groot Marico river. This ride is all on district gravel roads and is suitable for families and those new to off-road riding. Warm up on a long, steady pull up from the valley, out into big sky country, then either roll down directly to the cooling delight of the crystal-clear Eye, or continue along the ridge, past the old slate quarry, followed by an exhilarating drop. Stop and enjoy the view if the shaking gets too much.
Now you will have some work to do, to return to the Source. Keep in mind the refreshing dip to come, as you start to climb. Finally, back at the Eye, its time for that reward. Put on swimming goggles and paddle amongst the lilies while swallows and dragonflies skim the surface nearby. Dry off in the sun and then flop down under the willows for a sumptuous picnic. Time even for a nap perhaps, before its back on the bike. A small climb sets you up for a wonderful freewheel back to the start.
Langkloof Loop
Various options on this ride all require a reasonable level of skill. A combination of jeep track and cattle paths comprise a grin-inducing ride. Start with a climb out of the valley for a gentle introduction to the rugged terrain. If you top out without walking, hats off to you! A short zoom on the wide protea-studded plateau ends with a sharp down. The loose surface calls for a cautious approach.
Once on the valley floor, it’s time to open up through the acacia forest. A few bumps on this gradual down will disappear with decent attack velocity. After 7km of beautiful flow, it’s time to pay the piper. Pain is its name! This climb is tough but rideable. Steep to start and gradually leveling out, a few last undulations return you to the plateau. The next down is steep and rocky. Full suspension pays dividends here, and on the next section along the valley, criss-crossing the river. A foot-down may have you backing up for another go.
Up on the other valley edge, the foot-down turns into hike-a-bike for 300m. Then it’s back into some flow on cattle paths and across rock slabs, followed by a loose rocky down. The bottom is concreted. Trust me, you’ll be relieved! Time for a well-earned lunch. What’s next? Leg assessment will determine. There are plenty of gems left. Maybe even a hammock?

New Year No Intentions Retreat
2021-02-19 18:00 - 2021-02-21 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
with Lucy Draper-Clarke

“The best laid schemes of mice and men

Often go awry,

And leave us nought but grief and pain,

For promised joy!

Robert Burns

As 2020 showed us, we have entered a time of disruption. How many of us set goals and intentions for the new year, and then had to take a swift left turn?

For 2021, we will explore the idea of “No Intention”. Instead of developing a wish for the future, and imagining specific outcomes, we will learn how to create the conditions for the future to emerge in the present moment. This requires a shift from the head to the body and heart; a shift from the logical mind to the more mysterious, creative and intuitive self. Goals and intentions tend to be made from our conscious mind but, like the hippo, there is far more under the water than we can see. The unconscious mind is constantly gathering information, and our invitation is to explore this vast capacity to bring our dreams into reality.

Find out how to create the conditions for clarity to arise, through developing a daily meditation practice. This might be a moving or sitting meditation, journalling, contemplation or reflection. We will learn how to ensure that our daily practice becomes the one non-negotiable part of our life. Increasing our times of solitude and quiet enhances our ability to receive the guidance that helps us make subtle adjustments to our life, so that we live in greater alignment and joy.

Programme:

After the first evening of introductions and grounding practices, we will wake up to gentle moving and sitting meditation sessions in the Octagon, followed by healthy breakfast in the open dining area. There will then be an extended ‘No Intention’ workshop before tucking into a filling vegetarian lunch. Participants can either rest in the afternoon or visit the nearby waterfall in Tara’s Valley, or die Oog – the Eye. This is the 14m deep source of the Marico river, and popular with swimmers and divers. Our Saturday evening practice will be Expressive Movement, which takes us through a full dance wave; from finding Presence, Expressing what we notice in our embodied mind, Releasing blocks and old patterns, then moving to Dreaming and Integrating, where our future might emerge in the moment. Later, we can sit together at the open fire and watch the magnificent night sky.

Cost:

Includes accommodation, all meals, tea, and snacks, and facilitated moving and sitting meditation sessions. Cost is dependent on your choice of accommodation. The food is ovo-lacto vegetarian, with vegan/gluten-free options available on request.

2-night retreat:

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available): R3200

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person): R3000

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person): R2800

Dormitory (per person): R2550

Camping (own tent & bedding): R2350

Single-use of twin rooms is also available on request, at a supplementary cost.

Bookings:

Click on this link to book.

A 50% deposit secures your place. This is non-refundable but is transferable to another TRC retreat. Do not let your inability to pay prevent you from attending. Contact Tara Rokpa Centre for scholarships, payment options, and volunteer trade opportunities.

For general retreat information about what to bring, please click here.

About the Facilitator:

Lucy Draper-Clarke has a doctorate in mindfulness and teacher education and loves to run retreats as well as support yoga teacher training schools. She has practised yoga for 20 years and taught yoga and mindfulness in Southern Africa since 2006, while also offering embodied practices at Wits. While doing so, she has been lucky enough to study with inspiring Buddhist mindfulness, Vinyasa yoga teachers, and Expressive Movement dance therapists. Her light-hearted and compassionate approach to teaching allows participants to explore their inner worlds through a joyful, yet transformative practice.

Seeking Happiness with Alan Muller and Pippa Cope
2020-12-24 18:00 - 2021-01-03 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
A TRC Xmas/ New Year Retreat
“Every man wants to be happy, but in order to be so he needs first to understand what happiness is.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
“If happiness is indeed a way of being, a state of consciousness and inner freedom, there is essentially nothing to prevent us from achieving it.” Matthieu Ricard.
We will look at what happiness is and how to foster it.
Programme:
Talks, guided meditations, painting mani mantras.
Nurture with Nature: Exploring the Five Tibetan Elements.
Mindful Movement based on restorative yoga and somatics.
Other activities:
Walks, swimming, star gazing, reading, birding, doing nothing.
Various activities in the surrounding area – please consult info@marico.co.za
Cost:
R5000 for 10 nights, including all meals, for a twin room with a shared bathroom. There are a limited number of single rooms, and rooms with en suite bathroom – a supplement will apply for these rooms.
Plus dana for Alan and Pippa.
Bookings:
Please click here to go to our online booking form.
A 50% deposit will secure your booking.
Facilitators:
Alan Muller took refuge in 1997 with Akong Rinpoche. In 2003, he completed a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period, he took novice monks vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson.

Pippa Cope offers mindful movement, including somatics and Donna Farhi-inspired yoga. She has been involved with the Tara Rokpa Therapy process for 20 years as a senior helper in South Africa and Zimbabwe and has offered workshops in Canada. Pippa has been resident at TRC for over 15 years as jack of all trades. She previously spent her professional life working as an Occupational Therapist, Social Worker and Community Development manager.

The Four Immeasurables with Alan Muller and Pippa Cope
2020-12-16 18:00 - 2020-12-20 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
A Self-Compassion Retreat
“If we learn ways to practice love, compassion, joy, and equanimity, we will know how to heal the illnesses of anger, sorrow, insecurity, sadness and loneliness”
Thich Nhat Hanh
We will look at how we can develop the four immeasurables in daily life and through meditation.
There will be guided Healing Relaxation sessions and gentle mindful movement.
The programme will be gentle and will allow for space to do your own thing.
You can extend your retreat to the Xmas Retreat.
Cost:
R2400 for 4 nights, including all meals, for a twin room with shared bathroom. There are a limited number of single rooms, and rooms with en suite bathroom – a supplement will apply for these rooms.
Plus dana for Alan and Pippa.

Bookings:
Please click here to go to our online booking form.
A 50% deposit will secure your booking.
Facilitators:
Alan Muller took refuge in 1997 with Akong Rinpoche. In 2003, he completed a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period, he took novice monks vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson.

Pippa Cope offers mindful movement, including somatics and Donna Farhi-inspired yoga. She has been involved with the Tara Rokpa Therapy process for 20 years as a senior helper in South Africa and Zimbabwe and has offered workshops in Canada. Pippa has been resident at TRC for over 15 years as jack of all trades. She previously spent her professional life working as an Occupational Therapist, Social Worker and Community Development manager.

Fierce Compassion Yoga Retreat
2020-12-04 18:00 - 2020-12-06 14:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
~ GET TO KNOW YOUR SPIRITUAL WARRIOR ~

Are you ready to join Mel and Lucy to explore Fierce Compassion in your yoga and mindfulness practice?
We will take the opportunity to:

Explore our conscious awareness through the body, heart and mind
Stay present with challenges to develop equanimity
Bring curiosity and courage to our shadow aspects
Transform difficulty through resilience
Befriend our experience and extend love to all beings

Programme:
We will wake up to a gentle yoga and mindfulness session in the Octagon meditation hall, followed by healthy breakfast in the open dining area. There will then be an extended yoga workshop before tucking into a filling vegetarian lunch. Participants can either rest in the afternoon or visit the nearby waterfall in Tara’s Valley, or die Oog – the Eye. This is the 14m deep source of the Marico river, and popular with swimmers and divers. There will be a discussion on Green Tara and Kali, the compassionate and fierce warriors. After the evening practice, we can sit around an open fire and watch the magnificent night sky.
The accommodation for this yoga retreat will be in simple farmhouses with twin/double rooms and en suite and shared bathrooms. Three single rooms are also available. There is also a dormitory/family room, and a campsite.
Cost:
Includes accommodation, all meals, tea and snacks and facilitated yoga and mindfulness sessions. It is dependent on your choice of accommodation. The food is ovo-lacto vegetarian, with vegan/gluten free options available on request.
2-night retreat:

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R3200

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R3000

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R2800

Dormitory (per person):
R2550

Camping (own tent & bedding):
R2350

Single use of twin rooms is also available on request, at a supplementary cost.
Bookings via this link.
A 50% deposit secures your place. This is non-refundable, but is transferable to another TRC retreat. Do not let your inability to pay prevent you from attending. Contact the Tara Rokpa Centre for scholarships, payment options and volunteer trade opportunities.
For general retreat information about what to bring, please click here.
About the Facilitators:
Lucy Draper-Clarke

Lucy has a doctorate in mindfulness and teacher education and loves to run retreats as well as support yoga teacher training schools. She has practised yoga for 20 years and taught yoga and mindfulness in Southern Africa since 2006, while also offering embodied practices at Wits. While doing so, she has been lucky enough to study with inspiring Buddhist mindfulness, and Vinyasa yoga teachers, and offers both yin and yang styles of yoga. Her light-hearted and compassionate approach to teaching allows participants to explore their inner worlds through a joyful, yet transformative practice.
Melanie Castleman

Mel is an internationally recognized and esteemed Yoga Teacher, known for her passion, unique approach, and inspirational instructing style. She embodies physical, spiritual, and mental strength, with a touch of ferocity!
​As a Forrest Guardian in training, Mel gravitates towards Forrest Yoga and Forrest inspired vinyasa. However, she has trained in many different styles and adapts her instruction to individual and group needs. Through this process, she has developed her own unique style of teaching and has a dedicated following in South Africa and globally.
​With lots of attention to detail and breath Mel weaves a web of connectedness throughout the room, facilitating a slow but fluid flow. Her classes and retreats are creatively sequenced, light-hearted, with the right amount of intensity for gentle transformation.

​

Speak Your Truth, Listen Deeply: an ONLINE Mindful Communication Retreat with Lucy Draper-Clarke and Felicity Hart
2020-06-06 15:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Helsinki) | Zoom Room, South Africa
When interacting with others, we often find ourselves triggered and then communicate in ways that hurt or harm – ourselves, the other, or the relationship between us. We have not learnt how to use mindful and authentic communication.
“When you are busy judging people, you have no time to love them.” Marshall Rosenberg
We will practice both intra-personal and inter-personal mindfulness in order to cultivate skills of empathy, compassion and a better understanding of self and other. Contemplative dyads are a way to promote social connectedness, something that we are often lacking in daily life where our time is dominated by digital devices. We will practice deep listening in this safe online setting, in order to learn skills that can increase feelings of closeness and strengthen relationships with our friends and partners.
Together, these practices will help us communicate more consciously so that we learn to be aware of our feelings and needs, make requests and stay open to the feelings and needs of others.
Mindful Communication Practices
We will draw on the principles and practices from Non-Violent Communication, and base these within a framework of mindfulness. These practices help us to increase awareness, compassion and ease with ourselves and others.
Although, we want to communicate honestly, but haven’t been taught to do so. Very often, we desire to share our feelings and needs, but fear that they won’t be heard or that our needs will remain unmet.
The retreat will show us a way of being very honest, without any criticism, insults or put-downs. We learn to be aware of our feelings and needs, make requests and stay open and respond to the feelings and needs of others.
The principles and practices you will learn on this retreat, will help you communicate consciously and with compassion. We learn to increase our capacity to communicate in a way that helps us to connect, find what is alive in ourselves and others in order to create relationships built on authenticity and understanding.
This is an online version of the retreat that we usually host at the Tara Rokpa Centre.
Who Can Attend?
If you resonate with any of the sentences below, this afternoon mini-retreat may be especially helpful for you. I…
* was taught to think and communicate in ways that involved judgment
* am not aware of my own feelings and needs and those of others
* am afraid that speaking honestly could be unskillful, leading to harm and hurt within my relationships
* have been afraid to express anger, or other difficult emotions, without causing harm or feeling ashamed of my own feelings
* fear connecting and being curious about what is alive in myself, without judgement.
Facilitators
Lucy Draper-Clarke has a PhD in mindfulness and has practised yoga for 20 years. Her light-hearted approach to teaching allows participants to learn through a joyful, yet transformative practice.
Felicity Hart is a life coach, yoga teacher and mindfulness facilitator. She has a PGC in Mindfulness-Based Interventions from Stellenbosch and offers life coaching that is mindful of you as a whole person, facilitating a deep and integrative process.
Bookings
To book, please email Lucy on this link.
She will send you the pre-retreat pack, and the Zoom link.
Costs
R450 per person.
We will donate R50 to the Tara Rokpa Centre, to support the Centre at this unprecedented time.
If you would like to attend, but cannot afford to do so, please get in touch for our bursary places.

A Weekend in Dewachen
2020-05-15 18:00 - 2020-05-17 13:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
In the sutras the Buddha said that in the beginning compasion is like the seed without which we cannot have any fruit; in the middle compassion is like water to nourish the seed we have planted; in the end compassion is like the warmth of the sun that brings the fruit to ripening. Thus without copassion there is no seed of enlightenment, no path to enlightenment, and no fruition of enlightenment. The genuine heart of loviing-kindness and compassion is crucial in achieving one’s own freedom from suffering, and in achieving freedom for all sentient beings – Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
This weekend, we will focus on the practice of Chenrezik, or Avalokiteshvara, the embodiment of the compassion of all of the Buddhas. This practice is suitable for everyone, even those who do not consider themselves to be Buddhist.
The meditation of Chenrezig is not just a fragment of the Dharma, it encompasses all aspects of the spiritual path. It is complete in itself and allows us to develop all the qualities necessary for the path and the six perfections of the mahayana – Chenrezig Lord of Love, Bokar Rinpoche.
We will look at the various aspects of the puja, including the visualisations. We’ll learn about the benefits o and how to write the famous six-syllable mantra. We’ll dip into the six realms and the mind poisons, and their purified aspects. And we will recite many mantras and dedicate the practice to our friends and families, communities and the entire world.

My body, the bodies of others and all appearences are the perfect form of the Sublime One. All sounds, the melody of the six syllables. All thoughts, the vastness of the great Jnana.
The retreat will be guided by senior practitioners.
Cost: R1000 for the weekend.
To book, click here.
A 50 % deposit will secure the accommodation of your choice. The deposit is non-refundable but transferable.

To the Core: Restoring Gut Health
2020-05-08 18:00 - 2020-05-10 13:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
All disease begins in the gut – Hippocrates
Gut health is the foundation of well being. You are responsible for your gut and your gut is responsible for the critical functioning of your body’s major systems.
It may seem impossible to restore balance for optimal health in this stressful environment of instant and canned lifestyles.
Join Jeanne and Pippa on this holistic journey to restore health to the gut, the ‘second brain’.
Included:
● 3 Workshops: Learn to make staples for gut health from precious traditional recipes:
Workshop 1: Connect with your Ancient Heritage – The 3 K’s – Kombucha, Kimchi and Kefir
Workshop 2: Ditch the Hunter, Be the Gatherer – Vegan Cheese and Aquafaba Meringue
Workshop 3: Greener Home Essential Oil Essentials – All Natural Trio: Room Fragrance,
Tooth Powder and Kitchen Disinfectant
● Restorative postures and awareness breathing for gut health with Pippa
● Joyful cooking together of inspiring, creative and healing meals for gut health – Saturday lunch and supper and Sunday lunch. All meals: the emphasis is on homemade and home-crafted!
● Friday night supper – a selection of artisanal dairy and vegan cheeses made by Jeanne
● Beverages for gut health – including Golden Shake with Turmeric and Real Ginger Beer from your own starter Ginger Bug
● A comprehensive Recipe Folder with notes
● A Gift Bag containing an essential oil treat and your own large Kombucha SCOBY with Kombucha in a 3l glass bottle to enable you to continue making kombucha at home

Key Concepts:
Holistic gut repair
Food as Medicine
Mindful Meals (you are HOW you eat)
Buzzzz words:
Rejuvelac
Lacto-fermentation
Pre and probiotics
Pre-order extras to take home at special prices for this weekend only – email Jeanne at maricorat@webmail.co.za for the stock/price list. Includes: milk kefir culture, extra kombucha scobys, muslin cloths, beautiful hand made and locally made pottery fermenting crocks.
Please email Jeanne if you need any additional information.
Costs:
The costs include accommodation, meals, a voluntary environmental levy of R60, facilitation fee, gifts.

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R2900

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R2700

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R3100

Single-use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R3200

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R3300

Dormitory
R2400

Camping (own tent)
R2200

To book:
Please fill in the mobile-friendly online booking form.
A 50 % deposit will confirm your booking.
Banking details:
Bank: First National Bank
Branch: Bedford Gardens Branch
Branch code: 252155
Account name: Tara Rokpa Centre
Account no.: 6211 1707 157
Reference no.: “retreat name + your name”

Your Facilitators:
Jeanne qualified as a nutritionist, chef and caterer . Over the past 30 years she has undertaken a personal journey to explore gut health and the effect of the gut on immune, brain and hormonal functioning and the healing power of traditional foods and loves to share her experience and insights. She is also an environmental warrior and friend to TRC since its inception. She and Pippa have been close friends for 15 years.
Pippa Cope offers mindful movement, including somatics and Donna Farhi-inspired yoga. She has been involved with the Tara Rokpa Therapy process for 20 years as a senior helper in South Africa and Zimbabwe and has offered workshops in Canada. Pippa was a pioneer and resident at TRC for over 15 years as jack of all trades. She previously spent her professional life working as an Occupational Therapist, Social Worker and Community Development manager.

Still Action ONLINE: Inward Practices for Outward Impact
2020-05-02 15:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Helsinki) | North West Province
Context

All over the world, communities are fractured, people are growing more isolated and we feel internal dis-ease and disconnection. What can we do, in our individual and collective lives, to create a shift – a tipping point – to a more inclusive and cohesive world?
The Wisdom Traditions of Africa and the East give clear practices and guidance. Our teachers and ancestors invite us to see more clearly, to become ‘enlightened’, not simply for our own benefit, but to bring cohesion, unity and joy to the world in which we are embedded. Our happiness is the happiness of others; the joy of others transmits to us.
The impact of our actions is not always as important as our wholehearted intention. Our interconnectedness means that every action carried out with the wish to benefit others can have a far-reaching effect. We might be a parent, wanting to raise children who have the awareness and adaptability to cope with their future world, or the leader of a company or an NPO. The scale at which we work depends on our personality and our skill set. Our impact, though, can be enormous, if we keep focused on moment-by-moment actions guided by intention.
Contemplative Practices
During the Still Action ONLINE Retreat we will explore ways to move within, through a range of contemplative practices, in order to act in the world with greater impact.
Dr Ela Manga will offer Breathwork practices and many insights from her book ‘Breathe’.
Dr Lucy Draper-Clarke will share a range of sitting and movement practices, from her up-coming book ‘Awareness in Action‘. These include yoga, mindfulness and compassion practices, as well as shadow integration work.
Aspiration
Our wish, as your facilitators, is that by the end of the retreat, you will:

Feel confident with one or more inward practices, which you can commit to every day, in order to keep aligned and replenished.
Identify your unique offering and purpose in this world, based on your personality and skill-set.
Find clarity on ways to bring this into the world for the benefit of yourselves and others.
Connect with a like-minded community who will keep you strong when the road seems long.

Venue: ONLINE!

And one day, we’ll be back to use the many ‘classrooms’ at the Tara Rokpa Centre to hold the space for our inner and outer unfolding. The lack of cellphone network gives us the rare opportunity to connect deeply with the people and environment around and within us.

Meditation and movement sessions will take place in the earthy, nurturing space of the Octagon.
Discussions and connections naturally occur in the open-air dining hall, over delicious vegetarian meals.
The natural world, particularly the top of Tara’s Waterfall, will be the space to connect with the wisdom of nature, and give birth to our deepest aspirations for the future.

Facilitators
Dr Ela Manga, author of international best seller ‘Breathe: strategising energy in the age of burnout’ is a medical doctor, author and speaker committed to conscious living and bringing heart back into the art of medicine. Her training as a medical doctor was just the first step towards her true vocation as a co-creator of health and a catalyst for change.
Dr Lucy Draper-Clarke is an educator, writer and researcher-practitioner, with a doctorate in mindfulness and teacher education. She has been teaching yoga and mindfulness for over 15 years. She is lecturing at Wits, with Drama for Life, and conducting research on Contemplative Activism.
Her current focus is on bringing yoga and mindfulness practices to those engaged in social change, such as teachers and activists, giving them the skills to alleviate stress and increase resilience, and enabling them to work with compassion, presence and joy. She runs Heart-Mind Consultancy and leads courses and retreats around Southern Africa, particularly the Tara Rokpa Centre.

A retreat participant once said, “Lucy is a warm, wise and wonderful teacher, embodying fully the heart-mind connections she gently encourages in others. What she offers comes directly from her heart, enabling her to provide exactly what is needed spontaneously in the moment.”
Her light-hearted approach to teaching allows participants to learn through a joyful, yet deeply transformative practice.

Costs
2.5 hour online retreat: R450, with R50 per person being donated to support Tara Rokpa Centre at this time.

Booking
Please click on this link to book with Marj Murray.

Marico Mountain and Gravel Biking Weekend
2020-03-27 18:00 - 2020-03-29 13:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
This event has been postponed until 30th April due to the declared National State of Disaster in response to the Corona virus.

Come and enjoy the smorgasbord of riding options available at this wonderful Marico biking destination. Bring your mountain or gravel bike, or both. Tell us what you are looking for and we will design a route for you. Popular options include the Water Wonderland tour (see below), which includes a swim at the Marico Oog, or the Langkloof Loop, for the intrepid MTB community.

Your guide, Mike Draper, has been riding the valley for many years and is keen to share its delights with you.
Dates
These events happen regularly, so if you can’t make it for one, join us on the following weekends:
30 Apr – 3 May 2020
Accommodation
We will stay at one of TRC’s comfortable farmhouses, with access to a farm dam pool to cool off after your ride.
If you’d like to come with a non-riding partner, they are welcome to relax at the farmhouse or attend the retreat being held at TRC. For more information about available retreats, click here.
Cost and Booking
R2000 per person includes your guide, accommodation in twin rooms (shared bathroom), vegetarian breakfast and lunch, with an evening meat braai. For a double/twin en suite, add R250 (if available).
Please use our online booking form, which can be completed easily on a phone or tablet.

Water Wonderland Tour
A ride to the enchanted Marico Eye, pristine source of the Groot Marico river. This ride is all on district gravel roads and is suitable for families and those new to off-road riding. Warm up on a long, steady pull up from the valley, out into big sky country, then either roll down directly to the cooling delight of the crystal-clear Eye, or continue along the ridge, past the old slate quarry, followed by an exhilarating drop. Stop and enjoy the view if the shaking gets too much.
Now you will have some work to do, to return to the Source. Keep in mind the refreshing dip to come, as you start to climb. Finally, back at the Eye, its time for that reward. Put on swimming goggles and paddle amongst the lilies while swallows and dragonflies skim the surface nearby. Dry off in the sun and then flop down under the willows for a sumptuous picnic. Time even for a nap perhaps, before its back on the bike. A small climb sets you up for a wonderful freewheel back to the start.
Langkloof Loop
Various options on this ride all require a reasonable level of skill. A combination of jeep track and cattle paths comprise a grin-inducing ride. Start with a climb out of the valley for a gentle introduction to the rugged terrain. If you top out without walking, hats off to you! A short zoom on the wide protea-studded plateau ends with a sharp down. The loose surface calls for a cautious approach.
Once on the valley floor, it’s time to open up through the acacia forest. A few bumps on this gradual down will disappear with decent attack velocity. After 7km of beautiful flow, it’s time to pay the piper. Pain is its name! This climb is tough but rideable. Steep to start and gradually leveling out, a few last undulations return you to the plateau. The next down is steep and rocky. Full suspension pays dividends here, and on the next section along the valley, criss-crossing the river. A foot-down may have you backing up for another go.
Up on the other valley edge, the foot-down turns into hike-a-bike for 300m. Then it’s back into some flow on cattle paths and across rock slabs, followed by a loose rocky down. The bottom is concreted. Trust me, you’ll be relieved! Time for a well-earned lunch. What’s next? Leg assessment will determine. There are plenty of gems left. Maybe even a hammock?

TRC Experience Weekend
2020-03-13 18:00 - 2020-03-15 14:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Tara Rokpa Centre, Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico District, North West Province, South Africa
Have you ever wondered what happens at a retreat centre?
This is your chance to find out! We are offering an introductory weekend for those who would like to experience the range of activities that take place at Tara Rokpa Centre (TRC).
TRC is a welcoming, down to earth centre within a UNESCO biosphere reserve where you can connect with yourself, your community and the earth. It is in a hidden valley, free from the disturbance of the digital world: such a rare treat in modern life where we are constantly on call.
During this weekend, you can reconnect with what it means to be human; relaxed, at ease and in touch with the world around you. Bring your family and take part in the experiences on offer. Alternatively, you are welcome to hike, swim, swing in a hammock or read a book.
The resident community at TRC each have their own skills and interests. They are very willing to share these with visitors. After supper on the first evening, Pippa Cope will guide you through a Healing Relaxation practice. This is a chance to slow down and feel grounded once again. She will then lead movement sessions before breakfast, so that guests can bring balance to body and mind. From Saturday morning, the programme is structured so that you can attend all the sessions for a full experience, or take time off to relax and replenish.
The permaculture stewards will give visitors an introduction to Permaculture tour on Saturday, and then a short workshop on Sunday. Brenda Shelley will offer the Poetry of Photography, during walks in the bushveld. She will assist participants to balance both the creative and the technical aspects of photography; linking the heart and the mind. Alan will give guests an introduction to meditation techniques, which can help to train the mind in becoming more aware and at ease.
Pippa offers mindful movement, including somatics and Donna Farhi-inspired yoga. She has been involved with the Tara Rokpa Therapy process for 20 years as a senior helper in South Africa and Zimbabwe and has offered workshops in Canada. Pippa has been resident at TRC for over 15 years as jack of all trades. She previously spent her professional life working as an Occupational Therapist, Social Worker and Community Development manager.

Alan completed a one-year closed retreat at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. He was a monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson. He supports long-term (6 month retreats) in Tara’s Valley Retreat House, and is also very keen to support beginners with a meditation practice.

Brenda would like to share her love for photography so that visitors can touch into the spirit of place. She was a professional photographer and worked as a freelance visual artist in the USA and Cape Town, specialising in travel, fine art and fashion photography.

Come and try a weekend of reconnecting with the people and the environment around you, as well as learning new skills and practices to take care of yourself. This is your chance to remember how it feels to be free from the digital world, and let your mind quieten down to the pace of nature.
The Programme:
Friday
4 – 6 pm: Arrival and settling in
6:00 pm: Supper
7:30 pm: Guided Meditation/Relaxation
Saturday
7 – 8 am: Yoga
8 – 9 am: Breakfast
9:30 – 10:30 am: Intro to Meditation
11 am – 12:30 pm: Tour of the Permaculture site
1 – 2 pm: Lunch
2 – 4 pm: Free Time
4 – 5:30 pm: Guided Walk
6 – 7 pm: Supper
7 – 8 pm: Meditation/Relaxation/Drumming around the Campfire
Sunday
7 – 8 am: Yoga
8 – 9 am: Breakfast
10 am – 12 pm: Permaculture/Healing Relaxation/Meditation Activity
12:30 – 1:30 pm: Lunch
1:30 pm: Departure

Costs:
The costs include full board from supper on Friday to Lunch on Sunday, as well as an optional environmental levy of R60. Dana will be appreciated by the facilitators.

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R1500

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per Rperson):
R1300

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R1700

Single use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R1800

Single use of ensuite room (if space available):
R1900

Single en suite room (if available)
R1800

Dormitory
R1000

Camping (own tent)
R800

Bookings:
Please book here. A 50% deposit will confirm your place.

Yoga Journey Retreat
2020-03-13 18:00 - 2020-03-15 13:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | North West Province
Join me for three days filled with things that nourish our souls, facilitates our inner journey, and nurtures our existence of body and mind, as well as soul, including like-hearted company and great food.

Yoga classes
Mindfulness sessions
A complimentary journal
Working with Intention workshop
One hour Yoga Nidra
Accommodation
Meals

Arrive on Friday afternoon, take time to settle in, and get to know your fellow participants.
After supper each evening there will be a Yin Yang session followed by Yoga Nidra before bedtime.
In the morning we will wake up to a gentle yoga and mindfulness session followed by breakfast, a short workshop playshop, and a yoga flow session.
Participants will have the afternoon free to either explore their environment and the waterfall or to rest.
Costs:
The costs per person include accommodation, meals from Friday evening to lunch on Sunday, a voluntary environmental fee of R60, and a facilitator fee.

Twin/double room with en suite bathroom (per person):
R3080

Twin/double room with shared bathroom (per person):
R2860

Single room with shared bathroom (only 3 available):
R3260

Single-use of twin/double room (if space available), shared bathroom:
R3360

Single-use of ensuite room (if space available):
R3460

Dormitory
R2640

Camping (own tent)
R2440

To book:
Please fill in the mobile friendly booking form.
A 50% deposit will confirm your booking.
Banking details:
Bank: First National Bank
Branch: Bedford Gardens Branch
Branch code: 252155
Account name: Tara Rokpa Centre
Account no.: 6211 1707 157
Reference no.: “Retreat name + your name”
Your Facilitator Nadya Booyse:
I have been teaching since 2011 until 2017 and in that time, I have acquired roughly 1000 hours of teaching, not to mention training, retreats and workshops. I love what I do and it has taking me on the most unplanned route through my life. When I started my Yoga TT, I was desperately searching for answers and purpose in my life. I landed in a space where I did not necessarily find answers, but I did find a way to make peace with the world while I looked for them. I would like to share what I found, the experiences that I had, with others who might be able to benefit from them. Being a teacher doesn’t make me superior or all-knowing though, and so I have never stopped doing workshops and courses since I started my journey. I don’t believe that yoga means anything if it can’t be applied to your life. Whether Patanjali’s Sutras, or simply remembering to breathe when life throws a curve ball, yoga has been instrumental in my life, and since I am not all-knowing yet, it continues to do so. www.journey-keeper.com

The Three Teachings Retreat with Khenpo Lekthong
2020-03-03 18:00 - 2020-03-08 13:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | North West Province
“The Three Trainings” are essential teachings and instructions on ethics (morality), concentration (meditation), and wisdom.
We need to develop our ethics, meditation, and wisdom in order to transform our current afflicted mental states and hence progress on the path. The Three Trainings are important both in Buddhist and worldly contexts; learning to lead a more wholesome life by benefiting others and refraining from harm, making the mind more emotionally balanced, and developing both practical wisdom and rational analysis.
The retreat starts on Tuesday evening 3 March and finishes on Sunday 8 March at lunchtime.
There is also the option of only coming for the weekend from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 March.

Khenpo Lekthong became a monk when he was 15 years old and graduated from Karma Shri Nalanda Institute of Rumtek monastery (monastery of HH Karmapa in Sikkim.) He studied mainly Buddhist philosophy and also some languages, western philosophy and comparative religions. After Khenpo Lekthong graduated, he taught in Rumtek for some years, after which time he focused more on research. Khenpo’s speciality is focussed around Karma Kagyu religion and history. Presently Khenpo Lekthong lives at Ralang monastery, the monastery of Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche, heart son of HH 16 Gyalwa Karmapa, where he works for Rinpoche as a translator. Khenpo is a Buddhist author and speaks fluent English.

Cost:
The cost covers food and accommodation. In order to make these teachings available to all, we are offering a flat rate of R500 pp per night. If you can afford the normal TRC rates and would like to book single or en suite rooms, please contact us for availability.
3 – 8 March: R2500
6 – 8 March: R1000
Dharma teachers are not paid for teachings. Dana (a monetary offering) to the teacher is a way of expressing your appreciation for the teachings.
Booking:
To book click here. A 50% deposit will secure your booking.
For payment options, click here.
