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The Breath of the Path Retreat

Next session: December 26 to January 6, 2026
This retreat is available ON-SITE or VIA ZOOM. It is guided in English with alternating 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 is a senior Dutch Bhikshu with nearly four decades of dedicated Buddhist practice, including 18 years as a monastic in the Tibetan tradition. He studied Buddhist philosophy for ten years in Nalanda Monastery in France and in India. Also, he spent over four years in retreat, training in Tibetan sutra and tantra, as well as in the Burmese Theravada Forest Tradition. He embraces a profound secret of deep spiritual practice: the deeper you delve, the more traditional language and ancient concepts awaken to new and vibrant meanings. He has a unique approach for connecting the heart and mind while reinterpreting the relevance of ancient Buddhist teachings for the urgent issues of today. In his international courses and lectures, he inspires his audience with his wisdom and humor, finding words and examples that touch the core challenges of what it means to be a human. In 2023, he founded the Buddha Project, a visionary initiative aimed at offering long-term guidance to Buddhist meditators, engaging in scientific research, promoting artistic endeavours, and fostering inter-contemplative social engagement, encouraging a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all life.

Conditions

Retreats impose limits on our bodies, speech, and minds, within which they can flourish within 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:
The retreat is open to beginners as well as more experienced practitioners.

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.

REGISTRATION