Mirror of Light: Trekchö Retreat 2026
with Lama Justin von Budjoss
October 5-13, 2026
In Person at Pure Land Farms + Online Livestream
(in person check in on the 5th after 3pm, check out on the 13th after 12pm)
This is retreat is open to participants of the Mirror of Light One Year Dharma Immersion from 2022-2026 cohorts
Traditionally, practicing meditation in a retreat setting is an important way to deepen and stabilize our meditation experience. These in-person retreats serve as a way of supporting students in having the ability to delve more deeply into the practice of Ati Yoga at two crucial points - the first being the special Ati Yoga preliminary practice of rushen the other in helping to foster a solid ground in the experience of trekchö.
These retreats are supplements to the 2026 year-long intensive introduction of Dr. Nida Chenagtsang’s book, Mirror of Light: A Commentary on Yuthok’s Ati Yoga. Volume One focused on helping to foster a closer relationship to Ati Yoga practice as well as to aid in holding students so that they can carve away some useful time for retreat.
About Trekchö Practice
This retreat focuses on the practice of trekchö, sometimes known as ‘cutting through the hardness’ of our dualistic grasping so that we have the ability to experience and then repeatedly familiarize ourselves with the experience of our primordially pure nature. This practice is refreshingly, and sometimes deceptively, simple and can lead us to directly experiencing the nature of mind free from the play of afflictive emotions. Through the practice of trekchö meditation we can begin to familiarize ourselves with the view of the Great Perfection, or Ati Yoga, in a way that increases our understanding of mind and appearance while leading to the practical benefits of more embodied, less anxious, being.
REGISTRATION DETAILS
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In the morning of each day there will be an initial daily teaching session accompanied by a brief group practice session. The rest of the day will be divided into two practice sessions in which participants will practice individually, having access to practice in the temple, outside at various locations on the grounds of Pure Land Farms, or in your yurt/room.
There will be time for one 1:1 interview with Lama Justin for each in-person participant if desired.
Saturday, December 5th
Check in 3 - 6pm for residential guests
6:30pm: Welcome dinner and orientation (no teachings on first evening)Sunday - Saturday. December 6th-12th
9:00am to 11:00am
Morning Teaching and Group Practice Session
(Morning practice session will be streamed online for students who
cannot join the retreat at Pure Land Farms)2:00pm to 4:00pm
Mid-day Individual Practice Session4:30pm to 5:30pm
Afternoon Individual Practice Session7:00pm to 7:30pm
Shanglon Mahakala Protector Practice(All times in PST/ Los Angeles Time Zone)
schedule subject to change
Sunday, December 13th
Concluding Teachings (Livestreamed)
12:30 Lunch and check out
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$950 Commuter
Includes: All teachings and guided practices and two meals a day
$1,230 - $2,150 Residential (LIMITED)
Includes: All teachings and guided practices, three meals a day and seven nights accommodations of your choice
Check in:
Saturday, December 5th 3 - 6pmCheck out:
Sunday, December 13th after 12:30pmIn person registration includes access to the online course via the Sowa Rigpa Institute where you can view recordings of the morning session for one calendar year.
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Morning sessions of this program will be livestreamed. Livestream registration includes one year access to all video recordings hosted on the Sowa Rigpa Institute learning platform.
Tuition: $490 Suggested
Sponsorship Rate: $600
This rate enables us to offer a sliding scale and support financial assistance for those who may otherwise not be able to attend
Regular Individual Rate: $490
This tier covers the full cost of offering the program and sustains our ability to offer accessible pricing to others. If you're able, choosing an amount above the suggested contribution directly supports that access.Student/Senior rate: $295
For students, seniors, and those experiencing financial difficulty. Choose the amount that reflects your circumstances.Please write to info@purelandfarms.com if you require further financial assistance for the livestream
Please complete the form below if you participated in the 2022-2025 cohort and would like to attend this retreat online or in person. Current participants in MoL 2026 can register directly via your MoL course. Please visit your course via the course platform on the Sowa Rigpa Institute website and click the “optional in person retreats” tab for direct links.
Lama Justin von Budjoss
Lama Justin von Bujdoss is an American vajrayana Buddhist teacher, writer, and the is Spiritual Director of Yangti Yoga Retreat Center which was founded with Dr. Nida Chenagtsang. He is the author of Modern Tantric Buddhism: Authenticity and Embodiment in Dharma Practice published by North Atlantic Books, and contributor to Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections published by Lexington Books. From 2016 until December 2021 Justin served as the Executive Director of Chaplaincy and Staff Wellness for NYC Department of Correction where he also served as Staff Chaplain supervising over 30 chaplains and guided wellness programming for staff. Justin also has professional experience in home hospice and hospital settings as a pastoral caregiver. Lama Justin is currently the chaplain for the Buckland/Shelburne Falls Fire Department.
Lama Justin was ordained as a repa, a lay tantric yogin in the tradition of Milarepa, by His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche, one of the heart sons of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa and is a ngakpa in the Yuthok Nyingthik tantric Buddhist lineage. Lama Justin has presented on Buddhist practice at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, University of Chicago, Wellesley, Columbia University, has been a visiting instructor at Union Theological Seminary, teaches at Pure Land Farms. Justin is passionate about helping to create the conditions for authentic Ati Yoga and Yangti Yoga practice in the West.