Dear Friends,

We’re happy to invite you to the 8th Karmapa Meditation Retreat at the Heartland Retreat Center over Labor Day weekend, August 29 – September 1, 2025. This long weekend will include guided and individual meditation sessions, explanations, time for walks, and space for your questions.

Manfred Maier lives at the Diamond Way Buddhist Center in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, and works as a music teacher in the local schools. A student of Lama Ole Nydahl since 1982, Manfred travels with his wife, Beate, giving lectures on Buddhism in centers across Europe and beyond.

Please see the schedule below (subject to small adjustments as needed):

Retreat Schedule

Friday, Aug 29
• Arrivals
• 6:00pm – Dinner
• 8:00pm – Guided 8th Karmapa Meditation

Saturday, Aug 30
• 8:00am – Individual 8th Karmapa Meditation
• 9:00am – Breakfast
• 10:00am – Guided 8th Karmapa Meditation + Q&A
• 1:00pm – Lunch
• 2:00pm – Individual 8th Karmapa Meditation
• 4:00pm – Walk / Free Time
• 6:00pm – Dinner
• 7:00pm – Guided 8th Karmapa Meditation + Q&A

Sunday, Aug 31
• Same schedule as Saturday

Monday, Sept 1
• 8:00am – Individual 8th Karmapa Meditation
• 9:00am – Breakfast
• 10:00am – Guided 8th Karmapa Meditation
• 1:00pm – Lunch
• 2:00pm – Closing 16th Karmapa Meditation
• 3:00pm – Clean-up & Departure

Retreat Contribution
• Full Retreat (Fri–Mon): $115

Cushions: Provided

Food
Light and healthy meals will be prepared. To help us plan, please take a moment to sign up

Accommodation
If you plan to sleep in the cabin, the gompa floor will be available—please bring a sleeping pad and sleeping bag. We do have a limited number of beds and rooms, but based on past experience, we’d like to reserve these for friends with specific health needs. If this applies to you, please connect with us.

There are also plenty of camping spots. If you plan to camp, bring your own tent and gear, or let us know in advance if you'd like to rent a tent.

For those preferring to stay offsite, please refer to our list of nearby hotels and BnBs. We recommend contacting them directly, as policies may have changed.

Transportation
La Crosse is the closest airport to HRC, but Minneapolis, Madison, and Chicago are also good options. Friends will be driving in from those cities so you may be able to coordinate the rides.

We’re looking forward to practicing together.

With love,
Your 8K Heartland Family