Cultivating Compassion: Second Module

Cultivating Compassion: Second Module is a five-day residential meditation retreat at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Pomaia, Tuscany, Italy. It is rooted in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and led by Constance Miller, a Buddhist educator who brings Eastern and Western approaches together. It is meant for people who already have a meditation practice and want to work with compassion in a structured way.

This is the second part of a three-module sequential program, and the group is capped at 25 participants.

What to Expect

The retreat begins on Wednesday at 16:30 with orientation and a community gathering. Thursday through Saturday are the core teaching days, with morning and afternoon sessions, group discussions, collaborative workshops and daily periods of contemplative practice. Sunday brings culminating teachings and integration practices, and the program ends at 12:30.

The curriculum covers self-compassion, equanimity, empathy and compassionate action. Across the days the group works with specific themes: self-awareness, emotional management, equanimity, gratitude, empathy and interconnection. Teaching blends lecture with discussion and group activities, and experiential workshops explore compassion and other prosocial qualities. The small group keeps the setting intimate.

About Constance Miller

Constance Miller is a Buddhist educator who integrates Eastern and Western approaches to compassion. Her teaching here draws on both Buddhist and psychological frameworks, and combines theory, group work and daily meditation.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, a Buddhist institute in Pomaia, in the Tuscan countryside. Participants can stay at the institute itself or in partner facilities managed by the institute, with full vegetarian board included in both cases. Those who prefer not to stay on site can attend by day, arranging their own meals or choosing à la carte meals at the institute.

Meals are vegetarian: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Before You Go

This is an intermediate-level module. It assumes prior meditation experience and completion of the foundational training, so participants should have an active personal practice and be familiar with contemplative techniques before enrolling. The teaching is in Italian.

Included are all teaching sessions, the daily contemplative and meditative practices, the experiential workshops, and written materials on the Buddhist and psychological frameworks. Vegetarian meals are included when full board is selected.

Accommodation is an optional add-on, and alcoholic beverages and personal transportation to the venue are not included.