What We Offer

The Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles offers classes and weekend retreats in the Shambhala teachings. These courses and weekend retreats are open to people from any religious background or no religious background. They are grounded in basic human wisdom and are relevant to anyone interested in living a more sane, genuine, fearless, and joyous life.   The path begins and continues with meditation.  At SMCLA, we offer weekly public sitting sessions, dharma talks, and community support.

The Path of Practice and Study

The path begins and continues with meditation. Students are introduced to Buddhist and Shambhala teachings in the context of an ongoing meditation practice. Shambhala Meditation centres around the world offer a broad and carefully thought-out range of classes, meditation programs and community activities. At our residential practice and retreat centres, students can deepen their meditation through longer programs, and engage in periods of intensive study.

The path consists of a series of programs designed to stabilize and strengthen a student’s meditation practice, and to clarify their understanding of the teachings. Our courses offer entry into the classical teachings of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the Shambhala wisdom presented by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. The new Way of Shambhala curriculum serves as a graduated path of instruction in the profound vision of the lineage.

The Way of Shambhala program offers a contemporary, effective spiritual path, particularly oriented toward discovering the inherent strengths and goodness that are the foundations of a healthy, sane and decent society. Following it, we can reclaim our natural birthright of wisdom and compassion, and work with others to bring about the best in human society.

For a full description of the Shambhala Buddhist path, click here to visit shambhala.org.

Contemplative Arts

Along with sitting meditation practice, SMCLA offers workshops in contemplative arts including Shambhala Art, Ikebana (the art of flowers), Kyudo (Zen archery), Miksang (contemplative photography), and Contemplative Writing.  Click here for more information.

Warriorship is a path of bravery, gentleness, and genuineness. At the heart of the Shambhala warrior tradition is the view that a brilliant life is accessible to everyone. Contemplative practices bring a natural sense of goodness, fearlessness, and humor into our ordinary lives.
-Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Founder of Shambhala

Learn more about Shambhala and who we are

Shambhala Offers an extensive, structured path of training in authentic meditation practices and teachings. View all of the Shambhala Core Path Programs

Introductory

Sadhana of Mahamudra practice

February 25th—December 17th

The Sadhana of Mahamudra presents a vajrayana view, bringing together the devotion mahamudra of the Kagyu lineage and the crazy wisdom of the Nyingma lineage. As such, it provides a powerful touchstone for understanding our vajrayana heritage. Continue »

Kitchen Sink Dharma: The Essence of the Problem (Westside)

with Bill Bothwell

May 22nd

Sometimes, wherever we look something is not quite right: it’s a political mess, or there’s selfishness, or we are private and sad about ourselves or others. Can we really solve these problems? Continue »

ALL-DAY MEDITATION RETREAT (Westside)

May 26th

Deepen your practice with a full-day meditation retreat, or nyinthun, focusing on mindfulness/awareness as taught in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. Continue »