Shambhala Mountain Center Blog

At Shambhala Mountain Center, we are pleased to offer a new program with Alberto Villoldo, founder of the Four Winds Society and teacher of shamanic healing practices.

As a young clinical professor at San Francisco State University, Villoldo studied the use of energy healing to increase the production of endorphins, the natural brain chemicals responsible for reducing pain and for creating ecstatic states. At the time, his primary tool for research was the microscope. But it did not take long for Villoldo to realize that there were people around the globe obtaining the same results without of the use of Western science. With this realization, Villoldo hung up his lab coat, put on a pair of hiking boots and bought a ticket to the Amazon to meet the Inca in Peru.

While with the Inca, Villoldo studied shamanism, a five-thousand year-old energy medicine that heals through spirit and light. For more than ten years he traveled the Amazon and trained with jungle medicine people. What he discovered was a set of sacred technologies that transform the body, heal the soul and change the way we live and die. The medicine people explained to Villoldo that we are surrounded by a Luminous Energy Field whose source is located in infinity. The Luminous Energy Field is a matrix that maintains the health and vibrancy of the physical body.

Today, Villoldo teaches us through seminars, retreats and books that the experience of infinity can heal and transform us and that is can free us from feeling trapped by illness, old age and disease. By understanding that you are more than flesh and bone but more spirit and light, Villoldo believes you can change the way you heal and age.

Come experience the wisdom and power of Alberto Villoldo’s teaching at Shambhala Mountain Center’s upcoming course, The Shaman’s Way of Healing: An Introduction to Healing the Luminous Body. Contact us today to learn more.

Richard Reoch, President of Shambhala, expresses the Sakyong’s vision for the development of Shambhala Mountain Center and the role of practice. (May 2008)

Click here - Vision.pdf

2008: First Quarter Update on Shambhala Mountain Center

The first quarter of 2008 has seen a number of major developments taking place at Shambhala Mountain Center.

The Board of Directors has launched a Strategic Planning process to assist in laying out a three year plan which will integrate the vision and mission of SMC with the practicalities of what infrastructure areas need to be addressed and how to create financial stability and capability in the midst of major challenges. The process will re-examine the business model, programming, facility needs, and financial structure. This effort has been inaugarated by a special Stratetic Planning Committee formed by the Board last November consisting of Alan Schwartz, JoAnn Martin-Braun, Michael Mischke-Reeds, Dan Hessey, Jerry Colonna, Connie Brock, Richard Reoch and Karen Wilding. The development of the plan will be led by Jon Barbieri, the new incoming Director of the Center, along with Michael Mischke-Reeds.

On March 11, the leadership of SMC was handed over by Allan Cross to Jon Barbieri. Allan left in early April to start a new job in San Antonio, while Doria will remain as Protectoress until she joins Allan, which is expected to happen at the end of May. Allan and Doria’s strong heart connection to the lineage and SMC has helped to create and stabilize many positive changes at SMC, especially in operations and in strengthening the SMC staff community. In addition to the change in Directors, a number of other management positions are also in transition at this time. There are currently openings for the Director of Development, Director of Programming and head of Practice & Study positions.

The beginning of 2008 has been highlighted by the strategic planning process, changes in staff, the addressing of multiple infrastruture needs, and the renewed focus on the financial challenges which SMC faces.

The expansion of SMC to date, with the additions of both the Shambhala and Rigden Lodges, has greatly increased the capacity for programs and has also stretched the existing infrastructure to the point where new water capacity and distribution systems along with a new waste water treatment plan are necessary in the next few years. In addition, the existing kitchen and dining rooms need to be replaced and expanded during a similar time period.

Financially, 2007 was the best year yet from an operational point of view, with over 90% of operational expenses met by program revenue. Nevertheless, short–term debt increased as shortages in fundraising occurred. Short term debt (which here is defined as less than a year or prior short term debt converted to 3-5 year debt) currently totals $1,370,000. The challenges going forward in meeting operations and infrastructure needs are great, but we are looking forward to bringing the practicalities and vision together. We have already received a pledge for a matching grant of $500,000 towards a goal of raising $3,000,000 this year.

While the specifics of the Strategic Plan are not fully developed, it is clear that starting with this year, SMC needs to take a leap forward by addressing the infrastructure needs, re-exmaining its business model and stabilizing and strengthening its financial condition. The Board is committed to making this year a major step toweards accomplishing these goals.

Finally, and as important, the vision of SMC continues to become more clearly defined in its two aspects:

1.     Providing for the deepening and understanding of the Buddhist and Shambhala teachings for the Shambhala community and the greater Buddhist sangha

2.     Providing the environment and opportunity for others to connect to their inherent goodness and wisdom through a spectrum of programs focused on increasing awareness through mind/body disciplines and traditions.

To address the first aspect, we are looking at ways to enrich programs and make them more accessible. For the second aspect,we are exploring pilot programs which can bring together regional, national and international leaders to examine issues such as; how to train leaders to implement peace in times of conflict, how to develop a more sane approach to economics, and to explore the new emerging philanthropy model which invests in regions to develop sustainable economies. This aspect also includes the aspiration to engage in dialogue with other contemplative traditions of both mind and body

This is a time when the resources, skills and experience of many community members are needed for the exciting journey which SMC has embarked on. Simply put – we need a few good shinjanged men and women to become key members of our core staff and management team. Want to explore taking a leap? Contact Jon Barbieri at 970-881-2184 X211. If you have any additional questions about SMC and its current operations please feel free to contact Jon or the Board Chair Karen Wilding. Karen can be reached at 303-444-3403.

Buddhism has been described as a religion, philosophy, ideology and a way of life. Pema Chödrön, one of the first Western women to become fully ordained as a Buddhist monastic and author of When Things Fall Apart, talks to Oprah about learning from pain and what it means to be a Buddhist.

Oprah: Why do Buddhists always seem so peaceful?

Pema: I don’t know that they’re always so peaceful, you know. It’s so funny, you know, like does it seem to you that Buddhists are always so peaceful?

Oprah: Yes, it does. I’ve never met a Buddhist—well, all of my encounters, you know, I define myself as Christian, and I’ve met a lot of Christians who weren’t so peaceful. But I’ve never met a Buddhist who, you know, introduced themselves to me as a Buddhist or I happened to know is Buddhist and they didn’t, you know, weren’t actively seeking peace.

Pema: Yeah.

Oprah: And I’m sure not all practicing Buddhists are as good as maybe some of the Buddhists that I know. But it seems that there’s something very calming about the practice or—I don’t know, do you call—is it—it’s a religion, it’s a philosophy, it’s a way of life—

Pema: Yeah, you—when you did your introduction, you talked about it as philosophy and way of life. I think that’s, you know, a very helpful way to think of it. And if there is a reason for the calmness, I think it has to do with because you’re keeping your mind open, you’re training and keeping your mind and heart open rather than closed. So it’s like—in my own experience, my 71 years, you know, or I haven’t been practicing for 71 years, but whatever amount of years it is that I’ve been practicing, when you train in actually being curious and open and receptive to whatever is occurring, obviously less and less things throw you for a loop and provoke you. And when they do, then you’re just curious about that. You see what I’m saying?

Oprah: Yes. And what does it mean to be a Buddhist?

Pema: What does it mean to be a Buddhist?

Oprah: Yes.

Pema: Well, a lot of people might say different things about that, but in my opinion, the essence of it is trusting that the nature of your mind and heart is limitless, boundless, openness, free of prejudice, free of bias, and you could stay in that space and open your eyes and your ears and all your sense perceptions to what’s happening without narrowing down into a prejudice or a bias or a view, a kind of solid view that says, no, no, it can’t be like that, it has to be like this. So somehow that seems to lead to seeing the humanity of even the worst people and seeing—

Oprah: That’s why Buddhists are always so calm.

Read the entire interview

For years, we at SMC have struggled to minimize our environmental impact from printing our catalog. Using a large web printer has limited our options until now. This year I’m glad to say that we made a huge leap for the planet. We have switched to using a paper with 20% recycled content (10% post-consumer), which allowed us to save 8,000 pounds of virgin paper. In addition, the new printer we with whom we are working is one of the greenest printers in the industry (recently awarded certification from the Forest Stewardship Council). We are also using soy-based ink with minimal petroleum minerals. Lastly, I think this is our best-looking catalog to date, so going green has had no impact on quality. You don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics to save the environment.
Brian Spielmann