Path to Happiness - summer weekend meditation retreat
with Kadam Birgit Saunders

‘When the turbulence of distracting thoughts subsides and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment naturally arises from within’ – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Join us for this year’s summer weekend retreat.
Start your daily life feeling refreshed after the holidays by learning how to meditate and how to practise these meditations in your daily life. Since 2005 Amitabha Centre’s annual summer retreat has been a restorative and peaceful time.

A time to engage in a guided retreat in a tranquil place: unhurried, relaxed and in a sincere way.
From 22 – 25 January 2026 Kadam Birgit will guide contemplation and meditations on the stages of the path, also called of Lamrim. We’ll be using the New Mirror of Dharma with editions by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.

‘Lamrim’ (stages of the path) is a special presentation of Buddha’s teachings, where all the essential practices are arranged in a progression so that, through daily meditation, we can gradually increase the capacity of our mind. This retreat will help us gain familiarity with all the stages and set us up for a successful meditation practice throughout the year ahead.

WHAT TO EXPECT
This retreat is based on Buddha’s teachings on the mind, but you do not need to be a Buddhist to attend, or to benefit from them. There is no physical exercise involved and you can choose to sit either in a chair or on a cushion. This retreat is suitable for all levels of experience.

WHERE
The retreat will be held at Sixtus Lodge Outdoor Education Centre in Apiti, about a 90 minute drive from Palmerston North. It is well equipped and offers comfortable accommodation. Sixtus Lodge is surrounded by farmland and beautiful bush. There are lots of opportunities to go for walks.

Sixtus Lodge is surrounded by farmland and beautiful bush. There are lots of opportunities to go for walks.

www.meditateinpalmerstonnorth.org