Joyup Mindfulness

Dzogchen Meditation Retreat

Dzogchen Meditation Retreat

We are pleased to announce that a Dzogchen Meditation Retreat will take place in Bad Staffelstein, Germany from August 8 to August 16, 2026.

This retreat will be led by Lakshyong Jyamtso Lama and is intended to provide a focused and immersive practice environment for practitioners with an existing foundation, while also offering beginners an opportunity to become acquainted with the characteristics of this lineage and its methods of practice.

You are warmly invited to review the information below and plan your time accordingly.

please register before 26 April

Dates and Schedule

Seven-Day Retreat 

  • Dates: August 8 – August 16, 2026
  • Arrival: August 8, from 15:00 onward (dinner included, 18:00–19:30)
  • Departure: August 16, before 12:00 (breakfast included, lunch not included)
  • Accommodation: 8 nights

Three-Day Retreat 

  • Dates: August 8 – August 11, 2026
  • Arrival: August 8, from 15:00 onward (dinner included, 18:00–19:30)
  • Departure: August 11, at 18:00 (breakfast and lunch included)
  • Accommodation: 3 nights

Location

Bildungs- & Tagungshäuser Vierzehnheiligen
Vierzehnheiligen 9
96231 Bad Staffelstein
Germany

  • Accommodation: Diözesanhaus
  • Meditation sessions: Haus Frankenthal (approximately 300 meters walking distance)
  • Website: www.14hl.de

Please note that the venue will be shared with other groups during this period; we will not be the only group on site.

Retreat Routines

We will start early in the morning according to the monastic tradition and alternate meditation, teachings and other practices during the day. 

The retreat routines will include:

  • Practice and detailed instructions of the traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices and lineage practices of Guru Yoga sitting meditation, walking meditation, Dharma protectors, Vajrasattva recitation, Phowa practice, taking 8 precepts, practices from the 100 day retreat format provided by Rinpoche and possibly prostrations.
  • Morning and evening Dharma teachings. Teachings will be held in English.
  • Q/A sessions with Lakshyong Jyamtso Lama, both in the group and individually if you wish.
  • Daily individual practice including recitation of the mantra of compassion ’’Om Mani Padme Hum’’.

Teacher and Language

  • Teacher: Lakshyong Jyamtso Lama  (Venerable Pieter Johnston)
  • more about teacher and his

    Lineage: https://ah-lama.com/

  • Teaching language: English
  • On-site translation (depending on participants’ needs):
    • Chinese
    • French

Participation Requirements

This retreat is a practice retreat and is primarily intended for:

  • Practitioners engaging in Dzogchen practice at various stages (Ngöndro, preliminary practices, or pitch instructions)
  • Participants with basic meditation experience who are able to follow retreat discipline

If you have special circumstances, please contact the organizing team in advance.

Retreat Guidelines

These guidelines are not meant as restrictions, but as supportive conditions to reduce external distractions and to allow full attention to the practice and present-moment awareness.

Noble Silence

  • Throughout the retreat, participants are kindly requested to observe silence, except during teachings, question-and-answer sessions, and necessary communication with the teacher or organizing team.
  • Noble silence includes refraining from unnecessary verbal communication as well as minimizing gestures, eye contact, and social interaction.
  • Any Q&A session questions will be posed by writing a note, not verbally asked. The answers will be provided verbally.

Mobile Phones and Electronic Devices

  • No devices such as computers, phones and tablets can be used during the retreat. 
  • All such devices must be deposited with the Retreat Management Team until the retreat ends. 

A telephone number will be provided to you in case of an emergency.

Eight Precepts

  • Observing some or all of the precepts helps participants cultivate clarity, self-discipline and a deeper connection to the practice.
  • No drugs, alcohol, or other intoxicants should be brought to the site. Those taking medicines or drugs on a doctor’s prescription or having any medical conditions should notify us when you register.
  • The eight precepts are: 
  1. Abstinence from taking life; 
  2. Abstinence from stealing; 
  3. Abstinence from sexual activity; 
  4. Abstinence from false speech; 
  5. Abstinence from taking intoxicants; 
  6. Abstinence from singing, dancing, wearing perfume or ornaments; 
  7. Abstinence from sitting on large, high seats or beds. 
  8. Abstinence from taking food after midday

Participants may contact the organizing team at any time in case of physical discomfort, emotional difficulty or urgent matters.

Accommodation and Fees

Fees include

  • Accommodation
  • Breakfast and lunch on practice days (vegetarian)
  • Dinner on the arrival day (vegetarian)
  • Shared meditation space, cost of teacher’s accommodation & meal and necessary materials for retreat

Dinner is not included on regular retreat days. Possible to order in advance with extra fees (ca 20 €/meal) .

Room Types and Prices

Per-night rates (shared bathroom in the hallway):

  • Single room (Pilger standard): €89.1 per person per night
  • Double room (Pilger standard): €79.3 per person per night

Total cost:

  • 8 nights:
    • Single room: €712.5
    • Double room: €634.5
  • 3 nights:
    • Single room: €267.2
    • Double room: €238.0

We will do our best to accommodate individual room preferences.
For special requests such as a private bathroom, an additional cost of approximately €15–20 per person per night applies. Please contact us separately.

Travel Information

  • Nearest airport: Nuremberg Airport 
  • Nearest train station: Bahnhof Lichtenfels
  • Nearest bus stop: Vierzehnheiligen-Diözesanhaus (directly in front of accommodation)

From Nuremberg Airport, purchase a VGN single ticket (Einzelfahrkarte) at price level 10 (ca. €15) for the about 2-hour journey to the accommodation. This ticket covers all public transportation: https://www.vgn.de/en/

Train travel within Germany: https://int.bahn.de/en

From Lichtenfels station: Take bus Linie 1212 Richtung Bad Staffelstein (covered by your VGN ticket). Advance booking required 60+ minutes before departure via phone (+49 9571 18 90 80) or CarlE app (valid in Landkreis LIF). On weekends, the bus stops at the accommodation. Contact us if you need booking assistance.

Registration and Payment

  • Registration deadline: April 26, 2026 ( registration after this date, we will need to check the availability of accommodation individually)
  • After registration is confirmed, a confirmation email including payment details will be sent in early May. 
  • Registration link: https://forms.gle/tEUpGzc3Yd3bmrtr7

Donations/Dana

We will need financial help towards travelling costs for our teacher and help for printing more prayer textbooks. If you would like to contribute to this, you could add a donation besides the retreat cost. All donations are welcome, big or small, and all the money collected will be used to support our teacher. We sincerely appreciate your help. If you have a prayer book from the retreat in France, please bring this to the retreat, since this is the one we will use.

Organising Team

Ah Lama · Asal Meditation · JoyUp Mindfulness

Alex & Ulrika & Qiong

Email: info@joyup-mindfulness.org

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