Winter Refuge

Winter Refuge is a five-day silent meditation retreat in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, held in noble silence at Namchak Retreat Ranch in Hot Springs, Montana. It is a self-guided practice retreat for students in the Namchak lineage, founded by Lama Tsomo and her teacher Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, who want to use the winter months to turn inward and deepen the practice they already have.

The retreat suits students currently in Namchak programs such as Walking the Path and Ancient Wisdom Engaged (AWE), as well as experienced practitioners who are ready for an extended stretch of practice without a teaching schedule.

What to Expect

The structure is gentle and the days are largely your own. On the first day you check in, settle into your lodging, share a welcome meal, and receive an introduction to the retreat structure and the shrine room schedule. The middle days are given to practice. Practitioners of shamata, vipassana, and the Four Immeasurables, and those working with ngöndro and other tantric practices, each have dedicated times in the Shrine Room, with a secondary space so each group has a fitting environment. Between those periods you can practice alone in your room or out on the property.

Noble silence holds throughout. Three meals are served each day, and an optional yoga or mindful movement class is offered in the afternoon. Everyone also has the chance to take part in karma yoga, caring for the space together, so that each person can attend fully to their own practice. On the final day there is one more practice period, a closing meal, and the shuttle back.

This is a retreat without personal meditation instruction, individual meetings with teachers, or spiritual direction beyond the self-guided structure.

About Lama Tsomo

Lama Tsomo is an American lama, author, and teacher in the Namchak lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, guiding both beginner and experienced students. Born into a Midwestern Jewish household, she followed a path of spiritual inquiry and study that led to her ordination as one of the few American lamas in Tibetan Buddhism. She is fluent in Tibetan and teaches in the U.S. and abroad, with a particular passion for reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change.

With her teacher, Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, she searched for a place where people could study Dharma, from foundational teachings through a full three-year retreat. Their search led them to land a few miles outside Hot Springs, Montana, and they knew at once, "This is it–this is the place."

The Setting

Namchak Retreat Ranch sits on 10,000 acres, with forest, open land, and room for solitude. Participants stay in the Bodhi House, in peaceful lodging with access to the natural surroundings and several practice spaces. Meals are forest-to-table and prepared on site. Shuttle transportation to and from the ranch is part of the retreat.

Before You Go

This is an advanced-level retreat taught in English. A sustained daily practice of at least one hour is expected. You are eligible if you:

- have attended the Four Immeasurables Retreat with Lama Tsomo or the Green Tara Retreat with Jetsunma and have kept a daily practice of at least one hour
- are enrolled in or have graduated from Walking the Path
- are enrolled in or have graduated from Ancient Wisdom Engaged (AWE)
- have an established, dedicated meditation practice outside these programs and feel prepared for an extended, self-guided retreat

Tuition covers five days and four nights at the Bodhi House, three meals daily, shuttle transport, access to the shrine rooms and secondary practice spaces, the optional afternoon movement class, karma yoga shifts, and facilitated community care. Tuition is tiered as supported, suggested, or sponsored, and no one is turned away for lack of funds. Grants are available for those who need them.