Yuthok Nyingthig Ngöndro
Seven dAy group retreat guided by Christiana Polites aND PURE LAND FARMS SANGHA
MARCH 28 - April 5
March 28: Check in 3 - 6pm
March 29 - April 4: Seven full days of practice
April 5: Additional optional one day teaching on Healing Chöd Teaching with Lama Machig Rinpoche on Medicine Buddha Day (details coming soon)
In-PERSON RETREAT PRICE:
Commuter $900: Includes seven day retreat tuition + three meals a day (offsite accommodation)
Residential $1,250 - $2,000: Includes retreat tuition + three meals a day + onsite accommodation for eight nights
(Does not include teaching dana/ gift to Machig Rinpoche for April optional Chöd Program)
Application form for in person participation below
Limited to 12 residential guests
Ngöndro, meaning ‘foundational' or 'preliminary' practices is the root of the tree out of which all other Vajrayana Buddhist practices grow. Yuthok’s ngöndro, traditionally done in the context of a seven day retreat is incredibly transformative to one's mind, health, and life, and is the gateway into the profound path of the Yuthok Nyingthig. This seven day intensive retreat combines sessions of silent meditation, group mantra recitation, prostrations, visualization and contemplation, as well as instruction in the practice while immersed within the healing natural environment of Pure Land Farms Tuscany, our Yuthok Ling temple, and gardens.
Daily practice Schedule:
8am: Breakfast
9am - 1pm: Practice Session One
1 - 3pm: Lunch and Break
3 - 7pm: Practice Session Two
7pm Dinner
8pm Shanglon Protector Practice
IN PERSON REGISTRATION
Please note that this is an intensive retreat with approximately eight hours of practice a day.
In order to assess if it is a good fit for you, kindly fill out this brief form.
After reviewing your form, you will be sent a link to register for the retreat.
New students may be requested to have a short Zoom call with facilitator prior to registering.
Yuthok Nyingthig
Yuthok Nyingthig, the ‘Heart Essence of Yuthok.' This unique and comprehensive set of Tibetan Buddhist practices was transmitted by Yuthok Yönten Gönpo the Younger, the great 12th century Tibetan physician and meditation adept who is considered to be an emanation of Medicine Buddha. It is a complete system of practice from the Anuttarayogatantra (Highest Yoga Tantra) class of teachings, beginning with Ngöndro (the preliminaries) and progressing through Kyerim and Dzogrim (Creation and Completion Stage practices) to the highest practices of Mahamudra and Dzogchen.
The tradition includes concise and essential methods perfectly suited for busy contemporary practitioners that offer both worldly benefits including improved health and longevity for oneself and others, as well as the ultimate benefit of complete spiritual liberation. The Yuthok Nyingthig is the main spiritual tradition connected with Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine), and it contains many unique methods to heighten the intuitive, diagnostic, and healing capacities of doctors. It is the only complete cycle of Vajrayana teachings in which Medicine Buddha as a yidam (personal meditative deity).
Yuthok Nyingthig meditation practices are traditionally done in the context of a seven day retreat, making them practical and accessible in these modern busy times.
CHRISTIANA POLITES
Christiana Polites received her Bachelor of Arts in the Comparative Study of Religion at Harvard University and has been immersed in Eastern spiritual traditions for over twenty years. She has studied both Tibetan and Chinese Daoist healing arts and received a Masters in Acupuncture from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She has traveled extensively around the world, seeking out authentic living lineages in both the healing and spiritual sciences. Christiana is the Director of Pure Land Farms and the Sowa Rigpa Institute. She is also the co-founder of Yangchenma Arts & Music, a community organization celebrating the richness and diversity of human cultures through their artistic and musical wisdom traditions.
Location and International Travel
The closest airport to Pure Land Farms is Florence Airport, Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci Airport FLR). Alternatively, arriving by train into Florence center (Santa Maria Novella Station) is a good option for those who prefer to arrive in another larger Italian city (Rome, Milano, Bologna, etc). If you are traveling internationally, we recommend arriving in Italy a few days before our program starts to adjust to the time change and have an opportunity to do personal sightseeing in Rome, Florence, or nearby villages.
Pure Land Farms Tuscany was born on what once was “Il Mulino di Ferraia” (still known to locals by this name): an old 16th Century stone water mill, newly renovated with loving care to combine a preservation of its original appearance and fascinating mystique with all modern amenities. This magical place, situated next to a river in a sheltered position is immersed in the most diverse vegetation and neighboring to vineyards which used to attract many poets, writers and artists since the 1700s when the English Romantic poet William Wordsworth became internationally famous with his verses for the nearby Vallombrosa Abbey and its fantastic forest. The natural gardens along the riverside offers many tranquil spaces and nooks in which you can meditate and contemplate. This serene environment provides the perfect healing space for intimate group retreats.
