The Fives Retreat
Entering the Mandala of Wisdom Buddhas
Five wisdoms, five activities, five families - investigating awakened nature while learning and unlearning what obstructs liberation in predominantly silent retreat at Wangapeka.
The Guru Principle with Bonni Ross
Join Bonni Ross for a silent retreat exploring the Guru Principle through Guru Rinpoche's Seven Line Prayer and Namgyal Sadhana at Wangapeka, where sincere practitioners enhance their Path requirements.
The Human Imperative
longing to be free from suffering, and established in happiness
A silent Samatha/Vipassana retreat at Wangapeka offering traditional Buddhist instruction and practice, moving from purification through calm to insight wisdom, with collective then optional solitary retreat time, supported by natural environment and clear guidance for both beginners and experienced meditators.
Celebration of Wangapeka’s 50th Anniversary
Fifty years since the Sphere Group planted their potent possibility on a barren patch of the Wangapeka, we gather to walk backwards into the future—to harvest what has ripened, plant seeds for those yet to come, and celebrate this ground of learning, refuge and transformation that has pulled us into its magnetic orbit. Come share stories of this whakapapa, explore the whenua, and shape the Centre's next half-century with open hearts and clear minds.
Stardust, Starlight
A love song to the Star One—a silent meditation retreat journeying from cosmic singularity to 2025 through mind expansion, exploring human consciousness' unique capacity for enlightenment amidst Wangapeka's wild terrain.
Body of Creativity
Growth begins in the body as the basis of life. Through somatic movement, creative practices and meditation in wilderness, explore creativity as a spiritual way of being using mind treasures from The Namgyal Treasury.
Exploring Tiwaiwaka and the Whenua o Wangapeka
2024
Gather as community to deepen our place within the web of life. This weekend at Wangapeka weaves dharma practice with Tiwaiwaka principles, guided by Bonni Ross, so whenua and tangata may truly be well. Ka ora te whenua. Ka ora te tangata.
Space
Bonni Ross's final retreat explores traditional methods for accessing space/consciousness/emptiness, followed by formation of group consciousness as platform for infinite potential. Part 1: experienced meditators master subtle perception. Part 2: community develops group mind through Star Group Meditation. (Part 2 requires Part 1 completion)
Service as the Path
2024
Service as the Path offers dharma practitioners a living opportunity to open into the stream of generosity through service at Wangapeka - offering energy to support others' awakening while deepening one's own practice within a small community.
Breath is Energy Healing, Breath is Life
A predominantly silent retreat reviewing classical anapanasati and Holistic Clearing practice, exploring spontaneous states, bliss and conscious healing in the natural sanctuary of Wangapeka.
Peaceful Human Body
Explore the inseparable body-mind connection through relaxing movement, sense healing and the Meditation on Peace in Wangapeka's pristine nature, establishing do-able daily habits to prevent retreat gains from slipping away.
Teacher, Mentor, Spiritual Friend, Guru – The Big Picture
For a few days we'll explore teacher, mentor, spiritual friend, guru - examining how these relationships fit into healing and transformation. We'll question, discuss, expand our views and learn to listen to inner wisdom, each other and the natural world while meditating, moving and dreaming together in supportive circumstances.
Integrating Physical Body, Subtle Energy and Consciousness
Seven-month continuum (Oct 2023–May 2024) integrating body, subtle energy and consciousness through liberation teachings drawn from Buddhadharma, Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche’s unique practices and western esoteric streams, designed for householders who must embody clarity in daily life between retreats.
One Breath – A Weekend of Renewal and Connection
One Breath: a silent weekend awakening through breath, meditation and dana (freely given teachings, generously supported). Guided practice at Wangapeka's nourishing sanctuary—where breath becomes life's interdependent emergence into what is real.
LIVING THE VOW … Bodhisattva Activity in this World
Living the Vow: a seven-day immersion for seasoned practitioners whose life-motive is the Bodhisattva Vow. Together we study, practice and pause—entering darkness and silence alone-together—so that our actions, rooted in the Six Perfections, transform this broken world into awakening.
I VOW … Harnessing the Power of Intention
Explore Aspiration Bodhicitta through deep contemplation of Taking Refuge and the Bodhisattva Vow—subtle commitments to heal trauma and cultivate love, supported by breath-focused meditation and opportunity to request or renew vows. A journey of internal transformation powered by skilful cultivation of compassion.
Stardust, Starlight
Stardust, Starlight: A predominantly silent retreat exploring Brahma Viharas and the Four Limitless Meditations through loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and peace. Slightly unconventional invitation for babies and families to enfold into our circle before we evolve traditional practice through movement, colour and community sharing.
The Namgyal Meditations
Teaching and guided practice in commemoration and celebration of Namgyal Rinpoche
Join us in celebrating Namgyal Rinpoche's enduring legacy as "one who preserves precious things" - exploring his personally crafted universalist practices that translate traditional Buddhadharma's purification paths into language familiar to western minds, honoring the moment his vast understanding met our conditioning on the morning of his passing in 2003.
Satipatthana, the Direct Path to Realisation
the Direct Path to Realisation
Two-week immersion in the Satipatthana, Buddha’s direct path to liberation: Week 1, Bonni unpacks the 14 subjects through guided practice; Week 2, sustained sitting within dharmasphere. Anapanasati retreat experience required, single huts or camping, dana beyond.
Time Out for Peace
A Meditation for Humans who want to Change the World
Pacifying ourselves first, we explore harmony in nature, ourselves and thoughts through Ven Namgyal Rinpoche's Meditation on Peace. Join this summer retreat of creative activities, compassionate listening and wisdom to vision wholesome living in our stressful world.
Labour Weekend Working Bee and Remembering Namgyal Rinpoche
Join us beneath blossoming rhododendrons to offer loving service in community, cleansing our precious centre with many hands and open hearts, then gather on Labour Day as elders share reflections on Namgyal Rinpoche's legacy and his shaping influence on Wangapeka's Buddhadharma.
Life Before Birth – How Womb Experience Shapes Us
A Virtual Exploration of How Womb Experience Shapes Us
Explore how the matrix of womb experience—those hidden pre-ego patterns from conception to birth—creates the foundational conditioning that shapes everything from sexuality to spirituality. Through the Sutra App, join this free exploration of liberation where giving and receiving become one practice of awakening.
Holistic Clearing Meditation
An Anti-Paralytic Practice for Human Liberation
A profound anti-paralytic meditation to face and transform the causes of paralysis—blocks, lacks and 'do your own thing' strengths—drawing from mahamudra's advanced 'dredging' practice for human liberation and awakening.
Inner Wisdom and Penetrative Insight
the Practice of White Manjusri
For those determined to awaken for all beings, this White Manjusri sadhana retreat at Wangapeka connects us to Rinpoche's blessing energy through traditional practice and specific energy-body exercises. Requires maturity in Dharma practice and stable health; applications close March 9th.
A Glimpse Through The Keyhole
An Introduction to the Preliminary Practices of the Diamond Vehicle of Transformation
A glimpse through the keyhole for seasoned practitioners or daring souls willing to outrun their opinions and awaken quickly for all beings. Diamond Vehicle preliminaries for those called by Earth's dire straits; sturdy health required for Wangapeka's challenges, full attendance essential.
A Ritual Fasting 1,000 Armed Chenreizig Retreat
A Taste of Nyungne
A traditional Chenreizig Nyungne adapted practice beginning Friday evening and ending Sunday morning — complete fasting from food, drink and speech alongside the Eight Precepts, four daily sessions of prostrations, visualization and mantra. Through deliberate physical deprivation we meet the suffering of billions and encounter a more profound experience of compassion.
Energy Rides the Winds
a self isolation retreat
Energy Rides the Winds offers a rare chance to transform our enforced solitude into an at-home retreat, crafting awakening in the midst of uncertainty from April 10-24 under Bonni Ross's guidance. Through disciplined silence and daily Zoom classes, we cultivate a virus of spaciousness, peace, kindness and wisdom while supporting the Wangapeka through dana.
Boundless Embrace
Loving Kindness for All Beings
Beginning with the Buddha's first Immeasurable—metta—the Boundless Embrace retreat cultivates loving kindness through personal healing meditation, gentle movement and shared daily life at Wangapeka.
Black and White
a Retreat in Western Mysteries Form
Conditioned by opposites, we suspend expectation and explore black and white's sacred duality through gentle movement, creative expression, meditation and sacred dialogue. Enter the mystery we're already living at Wangapeka.
Courage! Tara for Today Retreat
Twenty years since that 1999 Tara caravan, we gather at Wangapeka to move beyond fear with Green Tara's protection, practicing transformative meditation, deep community work and laughing wisdom as we face today's planetary and personal chaos together, becoming better helpers in this time.
Heart Treasures of the Victorious One
Beyond space and time, we gather to nurture the Namgyal vibration that seeds each new dispensation of Buddhadharma. Through revealed practice texts and the Teaching Dharma Treasury, we embrace universal love and clear-seeing from our root teacher's vast mind.
Introductory Meditation Retreat with Bonni Ross
A retreat about how to do a retreat—for beginners building confidence and those seeking wiser tools. Start your practical path to heal world and self through meditation, no matter if you're new or experienced.
Clear View, Kind Heart
The Practice of Transcendent Compassion
When kind hearts lack clear, unclouded minds, compassion goes awry. Two weeks of silent Vajrayana retreat with Chenreizig practice clarifies body/mind, turning healing insight into skillful interaction.
The Mystery of Sound and Silence
Month-long Retreat
Month-long immersion for seasoned practitioners: delve into sound-shapings through Red Manjusri and Saraswati, awakening the ever-present wisdom of discriminative intelligence via deep listening, playful vibration experiments, and the humming music of spheres.
Meditation on Breathing Retreat
Developing Tranquility and Insight
Anapanasati is a complete path - cultivating one-pointedness as the foundation for Sakyamuni Buddha's practices, developing tranquility that naturally leads to vipassana insight into mind's nature and the Path of Awakening. This accessible meditation is open to all in reasonably good health.