The Breath of the Path Retreat
Next session: December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027
This retreat is available ON-SITE or ON ZOOM, and is guided in English with French translation.
Presentation of the retreat
In the restless currents of saṃsāra, the bodhisattva becomes a refuge—not only for herself, but for all who are nourished by her steadiness and care. Across spiritual traditions, the breath has long been experienced as a bridge between body and mind, inner and outer worlds. By attuning to this quiet stream of life, we are invited to ground ourselves and meet the turbulence around us with calm and clarity.
This 10 days retreat offers a still and supportive space to engage deeply with the Buddha’s foundational teaching on breath meditation.
The Ānāpānasati Sutta, preserved in both the Pāli and Tibetan canons, presents a path of sixteen contemplations that begins with simple awareness of the breath and gradually opens into serenity, insight, and inner liberation. This practice gently integrates samatha (calm abiding) and vipassanā (clear seeing), cultivating a mind that is both tranquil and wakeful.
Over the course of the retreat, we will explore the four progressive foundations outlined in the text:
Body – calming the breath, sensing the whole body, and grounding attention in the present
Feeling – recognizing the felt tone of experience and nurturing joy and ease
Mind – becoming intimate with the mind’s movements and cultivating mental stillness
Dhammas – observing impermanence, releasing clinging, and opening to inner freedom
Each day includes guided sitting and walking meditation, silent practice periods, evening teachings on the sixteen steps, and opportunities for one-on-one interviews with the teacher. Noble silence will support the unfolding of a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.
This retreat is open to both new and seasoned practitioners. Whether you are taking your first steps or returning again to the breath, this practice offers a steady and compassionate guide—welcoming each moment with presence, and gradually revealing the natural ease and clarity of the awakened heart.
The teacher
Venerable Losang Gendun has devoted himself to Buddhist practice for nearly forty years and has lived for twenty years as a fully ordained gelong in the Tibetan tradition. His training includes ten years of monastic studies in France, India, Nepal, and Myanmar, as well as more than four years of solitary retreat in the traditions of Tibetan Mahayana and Burmese Theravāda.
For eighteen years, he has taught Buddhist philosophy, psychology, and meditation worldwide within the FPMT, serving the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In 2023, in gratitude to his teachers, he founded The Buddha Project (TBP), offering long-term guidance to meditators wishing to deepen their practice seriously. The TBP web pages constitute the online learning platform for its core programs: the FPMT In-Depth Meditation Training and the FPMT Ngondro Lamrim Training.
Conditions
The retreat begins on December 26, 2026, at 7:30 PM. However, you are asked to arrive by 5:00 PM at the latest to settle in. Dinner, served at 6:30 PM, is included.
The retreat concludes on January 5, 2027, at 2:00 PM, following lunch, which is also included.
Retreats place boundaries upon our body, speech, and mind, within which they may flourish among a community of meditators; it is therefore necessary to:
- ON SITE : participate in the entire retreat while remaining within the confines of the Institute’s premises
- ONLINE: Avoid leaving your place of retreat as much as possible.
- FOR EVERYONE: remain silent, participate in all sessions.
For this ON-SITE retreat, accommodation and meals must be taken at the Institute.
In order to familiarize yourself with the discipline required for this retreat, please be sure to read:
In addition to registering, all retirement applicants must complete a mandatory health questionnaire. Your registration will not be considered if you do not complete it.
The location
The retreat will be hosted by Institut Vajra Yogini, a Buddhist center located in a magnificent 19th century chateau in the French country-side near Toulouse.
