Ati Yoga
The practice of Ati Yoga, Dzogchen in Tibetan, is one of the most direct meditation paths that lead one ever closer to recognizing the natural, spontaneous complete liberation that is at the core of our being. There are many unique cycles of approach to this meditative path. We focus on three cycles of practice which lay the foundation for the practice of trekchö – a form of non-conceptual mediation sometimes called ‘cutting through hardness’. In more practical terms, we learn how to cut through the impediments to the experience of the non-dual purity of our being.
YUTHOK NYINGTHIG
The first is associated with the Yuthok Nyingthik which originated from the 12th century Tibetan master, Yuthok Yonten Gonpo who was also the revealer of the four medical tantras and as such is regarded as the founder of the Tibetan Medical system known as Sowa Rigpa.
Pure perfect presence is the source of everything. All phenomena are totally perfect, with nothing excluded. Beyond antidotes, presence is not governed by anything else.
VAIROCHANA
The practice of dark retreat, yangti yoga in sanskrit, is a profound form of thögal meditation which engages the experience of darkness to transform our relationship to the way we experience appearance and directly understand our true, awakened nature. The use of darkness within human spirituality extends across many cultures. Our approach to dark retreat is connected to forms of practice that were inspired by the 15th century yangti yoga master, Dungtso Repa, the later who revealed an important cycle of yangti yoga practice.
The practice of dark retreat within this context is a ‘leap -over’ practice in the sense that it affords the practitioner the opportunity for an experience that is rich, clear and dynamically confirms a greater understanding of the nature of our minds.
Dark Retreat
The term bardo, is a Tibetan term that designates an interval of time. The term typically refers to the period leading up to death and the experience afterwards. Over the course of millennia the Indo-Tibetan tantric Buddhist meditative traditions have developed a variety of contemplative practices focused on preparing practitioners for the inevitability of their death as well as meditative practices which focus on transforming the death process into an experience ripe with potential realization and insightful transition.
Lama Justin has over a decade of experience working in hospital, hospice, correctional settings and in cemeteries along with over two decades of training and practice of bardo related practices such as phowa, bardo yoga, clear light yoga, chöd and other related practices. This wealth of practical experience and contemplative practice informs or programming in supporting those who wish to learn how to bring the wisdom of these traditions to one’s own death or that of a loved one.