Gesar Guru Yoga Retreat
Led by Chris Jay
Time: September 7–13, 2025
Location: Sea to Sky Retreat Centre (SSRC), Whistler, BC, Canada
This retreat is for all those who have received the Gesar Empowerment and wish to deepen their practice.
During the 2017 Gesar teachings in Auckland, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche encouraged students to undertake a seven-day Gesar Guru Yoga retreat, sharing that doing so would bring them under the care and protection of Gesar Norbu Dradul. Rinpoche provided specific instructions for this practice.
Following this guidance, and inspired by the retreats led by Ross Smith in New Zealand, Chris Jay will lead a seven-day in-person retreat at SSRC.
🔸 Prerequisite — participants must have received the Gesar Empowerment from a qualified master
🔸 Limited to 25 participants (first come, first served)
🔸 In-person only — no online participation
Sang Offering
A small-scale Sang (smoke) offering will be held on the morning of Saturday, September 13, likely in the SSRC pavilion due to fire risk at that time of year.
Arrival & Departure
Arrival: Sunday, September 7 — Please plan to arrive between 2PM and 5PM. The retreat will start at 5pm, with a short overview of the practice by Chris Jay. Dinner will be served in the evening.
Departure: Saturday, September 13 at 4:00 PM — Retreat concludes
Optional Extended Stay: Retreatants may choose to stay one additional night and depart the next morning (Sunday, September 14) after breakfast. An additional fee of CA$90 will apply. Please indicate this preference in your registration form so it can be included in your total retreat fee.
Registration:
Please read the important information about the retreat program before filling out the registration form:
Retreat Fee:
The retreat fee covers 6 nights of accommodation, daily breakfast/lunch/dinner, fruit and tea available throughout the day.
Depending on the accommodation choice, the total retreat cost ranges from CA$ 610 (Tent), CA$640 -$700 (shared room) to CA$850- $970 (private room). Private room availability is very limited and will not be guaranteed.
Optional Extended Stay:
Retreatants may choose to stay one additional night and depart the next morning (Sunday, September 14) after breakfast. An additional fee of CA$90 will apply. Please indicate this preference in your registration form so it can be included in your total retreat fee.
Practice Subsidy by KYS:
KYS, an organization independent of SSRC, is accepting applications for financial assistance to support program participants with demonstrated financial need. For more information about the KYS practice subsidy application process, please send an inquiry to [email protected]
SSRC Refund and Cancellation Policy:
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Up to 60 days prior to retreat arrival day, full refund offered
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Between 60 to 30 days prior to retreat arrival day, 50% refund offered.
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On and after 30 days prior to retreat arrival day, no refund guaranteed
Health Issues:
For the health of all participants, volunteers, and staff, we kindly ask for your cooperation. If you feel unwell, show symptoms of illness, or have recently been exposed to infectious pathogens, please do not attend the retreat. Notify us as early as possible for a full refund.
Room Assignments:
Please note most rooms on site are double-occupancy rooms. Private room and cabin occupancy are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. In shared rooms, people will be housed with others with similar gender requests for housing. There will be an opportunity to indicate a preference for sharing a room with another participant should you be attending with a friend or partner. Rooms will be assigned in advance based on needs, and at discretion of the organizers.
Accommodation:
The Sea to Sky Retreat Centre has buildings for dining, meeting, and sleeping. Given the complexity of creating a safe and welcoming space for people’s diverse needs, we ask for your understanding and flexibility on room allocation. View pictures of SSRC’s accommodation:
Facilities – Siddhartha’s Intent
SSRC Tents – Siddhartha’s Intent
On-Site Accessibility:
Please note, there are limits to the Retreat Centre’s infrastructure: there are no fully accessible washrooms, and the terrain includes uneven rock and dirt pathways, hills, and stairs. The location is unsuited to a standard wheelchair. Please let us know if you think these limits to accessibility will impact you, or if you have accessibility needs related to standing, walking or climbing stairs so that we can work together to assess and strategize.
Special Dietary Needs:
There will be an opportunity to specify any special needs including medically acute food allergies. We may not be able to meet everyone’s preferences. We encourage you to please reflect on the difference between needs and preferences for your stay as you make your request, as this allows us to more easily accommodate all retreatants.
About the Retreat Centre:
The Sea to Sky Retreat Centre is on a secluded site of extraordinary natural beauty in BC’s coastal mountain range. It is located off the Sea to Sky Highway near Whistler, on acres of rocky mountain terrain. For more information, you are invited to explore the Sea to Sky Retreat Centre’s Website.
Registration is now open.
👉 Click here to register: https://forms.gle/gY8GRMHHoroZRBAt5
For additional information, contact:
