On-Land Programs & Events
Personal Retreat
Flexible Dates
Dorje Denma Ling
Dorje Denma Ling offers space for individual and small group retreats during the program season, as accommodations allow. Our season typically runs from May to December.
Dropping into the Awareness Zone
with Anam Thubten Rinpoche
August 8 - 13, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
During this residential meditation retreat, Anam Thubten will offer teachings on a doha—a song of realization—by Dudjom Lingpa, along with guided meditation. Together we will explore the possibility of opening and stretching the boundaries of our consciousness, discovering a deeper clarity of mind in this age of confusion.
Mahamudra Retreat: Pointing Out the Dharmakaya
with Andy Karr and Scott Wellenbach
August 27 - September 7, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Vajrayana practitioners are warmly invited to join retreat leaders Andy Karr and Scott Wellenbach for an advanced, 10-day Mahamudra retreat. To guide our practice, we will use the shamatha and vipashyana meditation instructions from the ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje’s Pointing Out the Dharmakaya, translated by the Vajravairochana Translation Committee at the request of the late Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, for use in the three-year retreat at Gampo Abbey.
Limitlessgate Qigong Gathering: Level 1/2 and Level 3 Review and Practice Sessions
with Donna MacKenzie
August 30, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
At this gathering we offer a morning Qigong Level 1/2 followed by an afternoon Qigong Level 3 review and practice session. Join us between sessions for a nourishing DDL lunch. These sessions are only open to those who have successfully completed these Limitlessgate Qigong Levels and are not substitutes for the full programs.
Kyudo: The Way of the Bow
with Max Baltin and Sam West
September 3 - 7, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Book now and get CAD $70.00 off. Offer valid until Aug 3, 2026.
Join us for the 4-day annual Kyudo Intensive taught by Max Baltin (Guest Instructor from Germany) and Sam West. This program is open to both new and experienced Kyudo students. "Through Kyudo one can learn to live beyond hope and fear, how to be" Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
The Oxherding Retreat
with Sarah Bender, Roshi
September 16 - 20, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Register by Aug 16, 2026 and receive CAD $70.00 off the program fee.
The Oxherding series: a 12th-century Zen Buddhist series of drawings and poems which tell an ancient and a modern tale of enlightenment and endarkenment.
For four days we’ll immerse ourselves together in silence and conversation, stillness and motion and emerge with hearts and minds refreshed.
The Shape of Awake®: Weekend Option
with Hope Martin
September 25 - 27, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Book now and get CAD $35.00 off listed prices. Offer valid until Aug 25, 2026.
Learn to be more upright, supported, and relaxed in your meditation sessions and in your life. Throughout the weekend, Hope Martin, a master teacher of the Alexander Technique, will guide you through the foundational principles that will be explored in more depth during the full 5-day Shape of Awake® retreat.
The Shape of Awake®: Meditation and the Alexander technique
with Hope Martin
September 25 - 30, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Book now and get CAD $70.00 off. Offer valid until Aug 25, 2026.
Discover how to be fully present and at ease in your body. This will transform your practice and your life! This experiential retreat offers a safe, supportive and caring environment to learn about and befriend yourself, and to deepen your meditation practice. Learning to be more embodied, to let go of excessive tension and allow your nervous system to settle, provides a powerful foundation for navigating the challenges of this time of uncertainty and change.
Embodied Listening®
with Hope Martin
October 2 - 5, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Book now and get CAD $35.00 off. Offer valid until Sep 1, 2026.
Embodied Listening® offers a way to move through blockages, challenges and uncertainty by tuning into your most reliable source for guidance — the wisdom of your body.
The Three Pillars of Self-Care: Extended Qigong Levels 1 & 2 with Taoist Meditation & Lifestyle Practices
with Donna MacKenzie
October 15 - 20, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Register by Aug 15, 2026 and receive CAD $100.00 off.
From the Taoist view, qigong, meditation, and lifestyle are the Three Pillars of Self-Care. Whether you wish to begin your journey toward better physical health and mental well-being, revisit the teachings of Qigong Levels 1-2, or dive deeper into an enriched environment where qigong, meditation, and lifestyle teachings intertwine, this program is for you.
Peaceful Body, Peaceful Mind: a Limitlessgate Qigong Levels 1 & 2 Two-Day Retreat
with Donna MacKenzie
October 15 - 17, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Register by Aug 15, 2026 and automatically receive CAD $50.00 off.
When body is relaxed and peaceful, energy will flow. When mind is still, it will embrace qi and strengthen the body. In the Chinese arts of health and longevity, qigong simultaneously cultivates a peaceful body and a peaceful mind. Physical health and mental well-being are closely aligned.
The Gourd and the Cauldron: a Limitlessgate Qigong Level 3 Two-Day Retreat
with Donna MacKenzie
October 20 - 22, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Register by Aug 20, 2026 and receive CAD $50.00 off.
Your introduction to the Gourd and the Cauldron begins with Hua Tu Five Animals Qigong, one of the most well-known systems of health practices. In this qigong, the tiger trains tendon strength, the bear trains bone strength, the deer focuses on preserving generative energy, the monkey trains agility, and the bird sends energy from the base of the spine to the head.
[In-Person] Kalapa Conference 2026: Celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Arrival of the Ashe - Oct 23 to 28
Flexible Dates
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Or Online
October 25, 2026, marks the 50-year anniversary of the manifestation of the Ashe in Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s mind stream. To celebrate this occasion, the Kalapa Study Group is hosting a hybrid 5-day intensive practice and study retreat.
The Wisdom Weapon of Compassion: Vajrakilaya - Five-Week Retreat
with Loppon Lodro Dorje and Karen Porterfield
October 29 - December 3, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
The practice of Vajrakilaya is especially timely in today's world of increasing aggression and chaos. This five-week retreat provides the opportunity to complete the Vajrakilaya retreat requirement, which is fulfilled by completing 32 days of practice. Upon completion, you will be qualified to attend Vajrakilaya fire offerings—both Amending and Four Karmas.
The Wisdom Weapon of Compassion: Vajrakilaya - Part 1 (Two-Week Retreat)
with Loppon Lodro Dorje and Karen Porterfield
October 29 - November 15, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
During Part 1 of the Vajrakilaya retreat, participants begin fulfilling the Vajrakilaya retreat requirement by completing the first 14 days of the required 32-day retreat. This program is also open to those who are already qualified for the Vajrakilaya retreat and wish to participate as an intensive practice.
The practice of Vajrakilaya is especially timely. In a world experiencing increasing aggression and chaos, this practice is intended to address precisely these kinds of conditions.
Diamond Sky Dancer -- Vajrayogini Retreat
with Adrienne Chang and Mark Nowakowski
October 29 - November 8, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
Register by Aug 29, 2026 and receive CAD $130.00 off.
You are warmly invited to join us for nine days of meditation. We will be practicing and studying your sadhana in the circle of the sky, surrounded by earth, water, fire, and all the elements.
Adrienne and Mark will lead us in the practice, and point out some things they have learned along the way. There will be one daily teaching on the view and practice with lively and provocative discussions.
We welcome both fresh and seasoned yoginis. The teachings will adjust to whoever is attending.
The Wisdom Weapon of Compassion: Vajrakilaya - Part 2 (Three-Week Retreat)
with Loppon Lodro Dorje and Karen Porterfield
November 13 - December 3, 2026
Dorje Denma Ling
2280 Balmoral Road
The Falls, NS, Canada
During this three-week Vajrakilaya retreat, participants who have completed the first recitation (14 days) may complete the Vajrakilaya retreat requirement by time, which consists of 32 days of practice. Those who have already fulfilled the retreat commitment—whether by time or mantra, in solitude or in a group setting—are warmly welcome to join this retreat as well.
The practice of Vajrakilaya is especially timely. In a world experiencing increasing aggression and chaos, this practice is intended to address precisely these kinds of conditions.