What we’re about
Karmê Chöling is a residential meditation retreat center situated on 500 acres of beautiful countryside in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. With the Green Mountains as the backdrop, the land is enriched by rolling meadows, woodland walking trails, and a one-acre organic garden.
Originally home to the Abenaki people, the land was turned into a dairy farm before it became our retreat center. We have six meditation halls, bright and open common spaces, a range of living quarters for full-time residential staff and program participants, along with seven rustic cabins in the woods for solitary retreats.
We are a global community of meditators, spiritual practitioners, and people who believe that human beings are basically good. This nature can be brought into daily life so that it radiates out to family, friends, community, and society. We are committed to creating communities where we support one another on our spiritual paths and celebrate life’s journey together, and to creating a society that brings out the best in each of us.
Our Center brings together people from all walks of life to learn, through the practice of meditation, to be kind to ourselves and others. The center continues to offer programs for both new and experienced practitioners, with a community life rooted in meditation practice as a foundation for fostering enlightened society.
The first land center established by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Karmê Chöling has served the international Shambhala community for 50 years. Upon his passing, leadership passed to his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, and recently to the Shambhala Board.
The Karmê Chöling community values respect for all individuals; regardless of meditation experience, age, race, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation or identity, capabilities, politics, religion or occupation.
In this time of great difficulty for ourselves, society, and the planet, our Center promotes teachings across many faiths and traditions, that can help us show up with fearlessness and gentleness and to meet the challenges brought on by the chaos of our world.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Meditation in NatureKarme Choling, Barnet, VT$1.00
A Reprieve
From Mental Stress & Overload
Too often, we find ourselves trapped in cycles of worry and repetitive thought. Take a break from your usual habits and immerse yourself in a weekend of Meditation in Nature. With activities designed to help you reconnect with openness and spontaneity, we will explore alternatives to the endless mental looping. Through guided awareness meditation we will discover practices that are wholesome and fulfilling. We will also learn the "sit-spot practice," a mindful outdoor experience where we become present to the voice of the wind and birdsong. These disciplines allow us to embrace the freshness of our experience in the moment.Rewilding Our Spirit
By Reconnecting to Nature
Through sensory exercises we will rewild our spirits, deepening our connection with the living land. In the forests and gardens of Karmê Chöling—and even along the waters of the Stevens River—we will explore all five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Qigong work will help us connect with gravity and the center of our planet . As our bodies open to these exercises, we will find delight in being a living creature in the wild.Awakening the Mind
In the Living Forest
These nature meditations transcend any particular locale, offering contemplative techniques applicable to any natural setting, urban or rural.
Join us at Karmê Chöling for a transformative journey with contemplative ecologist Donna Williams. Learn to cultivate mindfulness in nature through these outdoor meditations that we will explore in this program:- Guided Meditations: Deepen your connection with the present moment.
- Nature Walks: Explore the forest with heightened awareness.
- Finding Your "Sit Spot": Establish a personal connection with nature.
- Qigong: Working with our internal energy systems through ancient movements and exercises.
- Sensory Exercises: To awaken and attune our awareness to the subtleties of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
- Reconnect with Earth's energy
Plus there will be tasty meals, foraging, pleasant conversation and the comaraderie of each other.
Leave the weekend with a sense of restoration and invigoration.Registration: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/meditating-in-naturehttps://www.karmecholing.org/program/meditating-in-nature
- Mindful KayakingKarme Choling, Barnet, VT$1.00
Humans share a cellular kinship with water. The sound of water is particularly soothing, perhaps calling forth unconscious memories of aqueous beginnings. Listening to it — whether a waterfall or gentle waves on a pebbled shore — arouses an intangible intimacy with nature. Such sounds can be a beautiful portal into a more awakened state.
Water is Both Our Origin
And Our Mirror
I view lakes as living shrines, and kayaking as a form of meditation. In essence, a kayak is a floating cushion for the mind—both grounding and expansive. A calm lake magnifies the fragility and sacredness of life, bringing us into the present moment. Each reflection reminds us of the interplay between appearance and emptiness.
I invite you to join me for a weekend journey into the depths of mind and water, surrounded by the beauty of the natural world. Let’s explore this sacred space together, embracing the stillness, the movement, and the silent wisdom of the water.We have a limited number of kayaks for rent. If you are able, we recommend that you bring your kayak with you although this is not a requirement.
Information and Registration:
https://www.karmecholing.org/program/mindful-kayaking - Seasons of Energy - Tai Chi Chuan Summer: The Crane Spreads Its WingsKarme Choling, Barnet, VT$1.00
Chi is the energy that animates all living things. In Summer our Tai Chi practice can help us cultivate the water element. You see this mirrored in nature. Storms disperse the stagnant heat of summer. Water nourishes plants, cools the earth, and sustains life. Our bodies flow with water chi too—circulating oxygen, flushing waste, and regulating temperature. We can tune into to these inner and outer energies through the practice of Tai Chi Chuan.
Often described as a ‘moving meditation,’ Tai Chi offers a profound sense of well-being, inner balance, and resilience against life’s stresses. But we’ll do more than just build health and vitality—we’ll dive deep into Tai Chi as a path that reconnects us to the energies that shape both our bodies and the world.
Information and Registration: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/seasons-of-energy-summer-tai-chi-chuan
- Half-Day Meditation Retreat July 2025Karme Choling, Barnet, VT$1.00
MINDFULNESS PRACTICE
All levels of meditators welcomed!
This half-day meditation retreat is an opportunity to "just sit" and steep in mindfulness practice. The main practice will be sitting meditation known as shamatha or peaceful abiding. We will alternate periods of sitting with walking meditation and brief Dharma readings. This is an opportunity to deepen your meditation and be able to practice with a community of meditators. Deepening in mindfulness meditation is appropriate for beginners to experienced meditators.Beginning meditation instruction available
If you are new to meditation or have questions you would like to ask a meditation instructor, we will provide meditation instruction apart from the main group. With meditation instruction we give detailed directions on both basic sitting meditation and a "zen-style" walking meditation technique. We will talk a little about the view and understanding of meditation as well as go over some "best practices". This will provide you a good foundation on which to base an ongoing, consistent meditation practice at home. You'll have the opportunity to ask any meditation questions you might have in this instruction period.
You are welcomed and encouraged to join the main group in the shrine room afterwards.Information and Registration: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/half-day-meditation-retreat-july-2025
