8 days in silence, for a profound experience of meditation
Dates :from 28 February to 8 March
Awakening our mind: a transformative meditation retreat
Step away from everyday life for eight days and experience something rare—a deep immersion into meditation in a place steeped in beauty and wisdom.
The meditation taught by the Buddha is far more than a tool to calm the mind. It is a path of awakening, a way to open your heart and rediscover the natural clarity of your spirit.
You will learn to settle into stillness: to meditate sitting on a cushion or chair, or while walking, to connect with your breath, your body, your presence.
Led by experienced teachers, this silent retreat alternates approximately 7 hours of sitting and walking meditation, mindful movement, personal time, and individual interviews. All of this allows you to immerse yourself in continuous awareness from morning to evening, helping you to recenter, replenish, and reveal yourself.
The retreat is facilitated simultaneously in French and English by bilingual teachers.
🌞 Breathe the fresh air. Listen to the silence. Let nature be your teacher.
Please note: Although the proposed practices are intended for everyone, they are contraindicated in certain cases, particularly for people suffering from mental health problems. In case of doubt, a discussion with your doctor or therapist or an exchange with one of the retreat instructors will be needed to validate your participation in this retreat. Please send an email to Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser..
Come and treat yourself to this time. Breathe. Find yourself again.
Alain Beauregard is a physicist by training and a high-tech entrepreneur. He has been studying and practising Buddhism since 1995. Alain has been an instructor in Montreal since 2002 and has been teaching healing internationally since 2011, based on his own healing story. He is a Rigpa senior teacher and teaches primarily on healing and meditation, with a particular interest in applying the millennia-old teachings of Buddhism to modern life.
Gwen Berrou encountered Buddhism in 2011, and has been involved in various Rigpa activities ever since. She has been teaching meditation in Belgium since 2018. She is an actress and trainer and is passionate about sharing the spacious and liberating qualities that the practices offer us.
Frédéric Chastelas has been studying and practising Buddhism since 1997. Since 2009 Frédéric has been teaching meditation as part of events organised by Rigpa and helped to develop a programme of personal retreat in Lerab Ling – offering the opportunity to discover or deepen the practice of meditation to anyone who is interested. He is part of a team of instructors who hold regular courses and weekend events on meditation, compassion and other practices of Tibetan Buddhism.
Javier Torales started practising meditation in 2001 and in 2003 he moved to Barcelona to pursue postgraduate studies in Mathematics. It is there where he started to engage more deeply in the study and practice of Buddhism. In 2006 he joined a Three-Year Retreat program in Lerab Ling, the main retreat centre of Rigpa, where he currently resides. During the last 18 years, he has served as an interpreter and instructor in events and practice retreats in France, Spain and Mexico, and in 2022 he was entrusted as a teacher within Rigpa by Mindroling Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche and Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche
Astrid Hubert began her Buddhist journey in 2005 in Australia, where she encountered Rigpa and Sogyal Rinpoche. This transformative experience brought her back to France, where she has played a key role in supporting and organizing events at Lerab Ling. Today, she is part of the team responsible for designing Lerab Ling’s programmes, with a particular focus on the public events. Astrid is passionate about connecting people with the wisdom of the Buddhist teachings and in particular meditation, which have helped her so much in her own life.
In a constantly changing world, where landmarks are crumbling and uncertainty is becoming the norm, how can we cultivate a stable, open and lucid inner peace while remaining kind to ourselves and others?
This retreat is open to everyone: beginners or experienced practitioners who wish to nurture the connection with the heart of their being, joy, simplicity and authenticity,open to an inner journey, eager to cultivate a courageous, compassionate and free spirit.
To all our cycling friends: feel free to comeand visit the temple or its esplanade. You can also simply come and have a coffee or a cool drink on our shady terrace, with a view of the valley in which the temple is located. We are located on the beautiful N.13 loop, on the edge of the Regional Natural Park of the Haut Languedoc.
As the temple is a lively place with many activities, please check our opening days and times on this page before coming.
We have been awarded the "Accueil Vélo" label and offer a personalised welcome to people on two wheels. We have a level parking area for bikes.
OUR EQUIPMENT
parking for bicycles
possibility to recharge your battery
repair kit and pump
BICYCLE LOOP N°13: COL DU PERTHUS AND CIRQUE DE LABEIL FROM LODÈVE
Meditate, practice and recharge your batteries in the middle of nature
If you feel the need to take a break from your daily life and stresses, it may be time to reconnect with nature and recharge your batteries in a peaceful atmosphere.
In the unique spiritual environment of Lerab Ling, we offer you the opportunity to experience:
You can join us for:
a meditation break (open to all) to learn to meditate or deepen your practice.
a sangha practice retreat (for Rigpa students only) to advance your practice and personal study.
In both cases, you will have the support of experienced instructors to guide you, and have access to a library and video teachings to further your study.
You can learn more about each of these options by clicking on one of the pictures below.
Taking time out to recharge your batteries at your own pace
Meditation breaks are moments for yourself, to take a break and find your inner peace.
Meditation is at the heart of meditation breaks. Open to all, they give you the chance to learn or deepen your understanding of this practice in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. We offer two group sessions a day, guided by experienced instructors, and have a temple room, including a library and media centre, at your disposal.
On a 140-hectare site in the heart of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park, Lerab Ling’s environment offers us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in unspoilt nature and to enjoy a spiritual place of calm and serenity.
The site inspires rest, discovery and renewal, and is conducive to outdoor meditation and nature walks, with many hiking trails.
Faced with uncertainty, we seek permanence as a source of security. But what we are trying to secure is by nature elusive. ‘It's like building a palace on a frozen lake,’ said Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
What is the connection between meditation and contemplating impermanence? The most fleeting things we experience are our thoughts and emotions, even if at first glance they sometimes seem to last... But have we really examined their true nature?
Contemplating impermanence reconciles us with the changing nature of existence and prompts us to ask ourselves the essential questions: if everything changes and dies, what is real? What is certain in this life? What is the meaning of existence?
Led by experienced instructors, a variety of courses are given at Lerab Ling throughout the year. Whether you're looking to learn meditation for the first time, deepen your meditation practice, learn more about compassion and Buddhism, or better support a loved one going through difficult times, you will find what you need.
Dates: the dates for spring 2026 will soon be announced.
The serenity getaway weekend at Lerab Ling is a rejuvenating break, with no constraints, in a unique spiritual environment. You'll be immersed in unspoilt nature, surrounded by forests, meadows and hills. Naomi, your hostess, will tell you the amazing story of Lerab Ling, show you around the temple - one of the most beautiful in Europe, an authentic masterpiece of Tibetan sacred art - guide you in meditation and take you for walks in the surrounding area.
THE PLACE
Lerab Ling is one of Europe's leading centres for the study and practice of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Under the patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lerab Ling is a living monastery, home to a community of monastic and lay members. The temple is also home to unique Tibetan art, including a 7-metre-high statue of the Buddha.
Lerab Ling is ideally situated in the heart of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park, close to the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park. Since its creation in 1991, the Lerab Ling community has been taking care of the flora and fauna, making Lerab Ling a unique place where nature is preserved over 140 hectares.
MEALS AND ACCOMMODATION
On the evening of your arrival, you will share a meal with Naomi. Other meals are taken in the dining room, which is shared with the community. The cuisine is simple, mainly vegetarian, with a vegan and gluten-free option. Whenever possible, produce is sourced from Lerab Ling's own vegetable garden or from local producers. Most are organic and in season.
As far as accommodation is concerned, we offer two types of accommodation close to the temple. The choice is yours. Bed linen and towels are provided.
The studios, with their spacious rooms and views of the temple, lake and valley, include a private bathroom, and a kitchenette.
The forest roomsare located in three small 3-storey wooden towers. The rooms are comfortable, and a bathroom may be shared with another room.
NAOMI, YOUR HOSTESS
Naomi will be your hostess throughout the weekend and will be happy to make your stay at Lerab Ling as enjoyable as possible. She will adapt to your needs and answer any questions you may have.
Naomi is a writer, long-time meditator and Rigpa teacher. She trained extensively with Sogyal Rinpoche, author of the spiritual classic 'The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying'. Naomi grew up in Innsbruck, Austria. She studied physics and mathematics and obtained her doctorate from Northeastern University in Boston, USA. In 1997, she moved to Lerab Ling and has been working ever since, translating and relaying ancient Buddhist wisdom to the Western world. She is passionate about transmitting the teachings on incorporating the activities of daily life onto one's own spiritual path, called 'Practical Wisdom’.
PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
Friday
14:00 - 19:00 - Arrival, pick-up of keys, settling into your accommodation
20:00 - Dinner with your hostess, in a small group
Saturday
07:30 - 09:00 Breakfast
10:00 - 11:30 Visiting the temple and learning about meditation
11:30 - 13:00 Lunch
Afternoon at leisure
From 17:30 - Dinner
Sunday
07:30 - 09:00 Breakfast
10:00 - 11:30 Walk in the forest, accompanied by your hostess
11:30 - 13:00 - Lunch
Afternoon at leisure
Departure at your convenience
4 GOOD REASONS TO SPEND A SERENE GETAWAY AT LERAB LING
Tenez-vous au courant du programmes d'évènements, de cours et activités de Lérab Ling en vous abonnant à notre Newsletter mensuelle. Vous pouvez vous désabonner à tout moment...
Lérab Ling, placé sous le gracieux parrainage de Sa Sainteté le Dalaï-Lama, est l’un des principaux centres perpétuant la tradition d’étude et de pratique du bouddhisme tibétain en Europe. Fondé en 1991...
Naomi will be your hostess throughout the weekend and will be happy to make your stay at Lerab Ling as enjoyable as possible. She will adapt to your needs and answer any questions you may have.
