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Tantric Meditation Retreat 2026
October 9 - October 25
Tantric Meditation Retreat
With Catherine Pawasarat SenseiOctober 9 – October 25, 2026
This seventeen-day intensive practice retreat invites you into the heart of Vajrayana practice itself. We’ll journey through the complete path of Tantra—from essential foundational practices through the pinnacle of Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra—moving beyond intellectual understanding into direct experience of the incredible mystery of existence.
Perhaps it is a more difficult path since we tend to get caught up in our desires that end up in attachment that is the source of suffering. But it is also a richer and more integrated path as we can use our full human potential and capabilities to rediscover wonderment without the clinging that causes suffering.
A Practice Transmission
Seventeen Days of Tantric Meditation
Drawing on classical texts and lineage wisdom, you’ll journey through the four classes of Tantra, engaging deeply with creation stage (visualization of enlightened form) and completion stage (direct realization of ultimate reality) practices. This is training in how to enter, progress on, and complete the Vajrayana journey through all four classes of tantra, following the classical Kagyu and Gelug presentations.
You’ll establish or deepen the four preliminary practices essential to this path: contemplating impermanence and precious human birth, understanding karma, developing bodhicitta, and cultivating devotion to the lineage and guru. From this stable ground, we progress through systematic training in generation stage yoga—learning to visualize ourselves in enlightened form—and completion stage yoga, where we realize the ultimate nature of reality directly.
Throughout, we return to fundamental questions: What truly brings happiness? What is our actual motivation? How much can our rational minds grasp, and where must we surrender to direct experience?
This is an advanced retreat and is offered upon approved application and requires an established meditation practice and completion of a significant portion of your foundation practices. If foundational practices are not complete, the applicant must be actively progressing in their foundation work.
While we believe any undertaking can be a vehicle for awakening, there’s no substitute for the power of profound direct experience gained through meditation. This is why meditation is one of the four foundational practices of our teaching.
Meet the Teacher
Catherine Pawasarat Sensei
Catherine Pawasarat Sensei is a contemporary Dharma teacher via Planet Dharma and co-founder of Clear Sky Retreat Center. In addition to Buddhist philosophy and its applications to daily life, Catherine also draws on generative living and universal spiritual tools including transpersonal astrology and Japanese arts.
She trained daily with Acariya Doug Duncan as his attendant and consort from 1998 until his passing in 2024, in an intensive spiritual apprenticeship that is rare in the modern West. She received lay ordination from Namgyal Rinpoche in 2003.
What You’ll Practice
Foundation Practices for the Tantric Path
We’ll establish or deepen the four preliminary practices essential to Vajrayana: contemplating impermanence and precious human birth, understanding karma, developing bodhicitta, and cultivating devotion to the lineage and guru.
Creation Stage Yoga
Through guided practice, you’ll learn to visualize yourself in enlightened form—the generation stage practices that transform ordinary perception and establish divine pride.
Completion Stage Yoga
Moving beyond visualization, we’ll engage practices that lead to direct realization of ultimate reality—the perfection stage that dissolves conceptual mind into direct knowing.
The Four Classes of Tantra
Understand how to progress through Kriya, Charya, Yoga, and Highest Yoga Tantra, with particular emphasis on the practices of Highest Yoga Tantra.
Mahamudra View
Experience the Kagyu presentation of Mahamudra as the pinnacle practice—clarifying ground, path, and fruition through direct meditation experience rather than intellectual study alone.
What’s Expected of Me?
- This retreat requires an established meditation practice and completion of a significant portion of your foundation practices. Applications will be reviewed for approval.
- Cultivating motivation, devotion, and genuine inquiry into what will truly make you happy
- An open mind and heart, and a spirit of adventure are excellent things to bring!
- To maximize your retreat experience, we ask that you refrain from reading, using the internet, phone or listening to music during the course.
- Students are expected to be silent during the silent parts of the retreat, and participate in all classes, group meditations, activities, and discussions.
- We ask that you refrain from microdosing or consuming mind-altering substances during this retreat and in the days immediately following it.
The Location – Clear Sky Center
Located in the BC rocky mountains, Clear Sky offers over 300-acres to deepen your practice and reconnect with nature. Founded by Qapel (Achariya Doug Duncan) and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei, the center is home to students from around the globe who are dedicated to co-creating a supportive and innovative space for awakening in our modern world.
How to get there, what to bring and other FAQ about Clear Sky
Our teachings and Clear Sky operate based on the ancient tradition of dāna or generosity. As generosity is the basis upon which all spiritual practice flourishes, we recommend that you learn more about this profound practice before you apply.
Retreatants at Clear Sky
Lodging Fees
Please go to the retreat application page for details of the all inclusive fee for the retreat.
Application Process
This retreat is offered upon approved application:
Registration deadlines and application details will be announced in Spring 2026.
Course Fees & Requirements
Arrivals and Departures
For those traveling short distances, we recommend coming a day early, but at the latest, please arrive by 3pm on Friday. For those coming from international or longer distance travel, please plan to arrive at least 1-2 days early to allow time to rest and acclimatize before the start of retreat. Orientation begins after dinner on October 16. The first class is held on Saturday morning, October 17.
There will be a final morning class and closing circle, as well as cleaning our rooms on the final Sunday before departing. Departures will begin after this, approximately 11am. We also recommend adding an extra night or two to your stay for a more easeful transition from retreat to daily life.
All Retreatants: A Dāna Based Retreat
Dāna is a Sanskrit term meaning “generosity”, and is the traditional way in which Buddhist teachings are offered. With dāna, we give as a mutual exchange of generosity. You may have come across this in the form of “pay from the heart”. It’s our joy to offer this course, and we trust you’ll match our time, energy, and passion by giving an amount of money that feels good and healthy to both you and us.
You will be sent a link to offer “dana” to the teachers after your application is approved.
For more information on dāna click here.
FAQs
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What specific Vajrayana practices will be covered during this retreat?
What are the prerequisites for attending this advanced meditation retreat?
Can you explain the four preliminary practices mentioned in the course?
What is the difference between creation stage and completion stage yoga?
What are the behavioral expectations for retreatants at Clear Sky?
How does the Dāna (generosity) system work for this retreat?
What should I know about the arrival and departure schedule?
Why is there an application process for this specific program?
Where is the retreat located and what is the environment like?
What Did Last Year’s Retreatants Say?
