Comings, Goings and New Transitions

Kathryn O’Connor (above right) from NYC will be attending the Tsegaylgar East retreat before flying out to Nepal once again to return this summer to The Tsoknyi Gechak School where she volunteers -- It's part of the Tsoknyi Gechak Ling Nunnery in Chobar.

Here are a few links:

https://www.facebook.com/TsoknyiGechakSchool?fref=ts

About Tsoknyi Gechak Ling Nunnery

Kathryn teaches the girls art as well as participating in a number of collaborative artist ventures with local partners. She will be collecting funds for a number of reliable organizations she works with.

[Goma and Ati up on Khandroling lending a hand]

Joey Mella and Adishakti Laila Reiss, members of the community and graduates of the four-year program in Tibetan Medicine recently announced they will be moving to Hawaii with their three children Goma, Ati, and Veda. We will miss their gracious presence.

Barbara and Woody Paparazzo are back in Conway after a couple of years in San Miguel Allende, Mexico!!!!

Jacqueline Gens is now living in Shelburne Falls, MA after a couple of years on the move in search of affordable senior housing. Her writing group Meditation and Poetry meets first Saturday of the month in Brattleboro, VT with a second group starting up in Shelburne Falls beginning in late August (third Saturday of the month). If sufficient interest, there will also be a memoir writing group. Visit Poetrymind blog for further details. 

Long time Dzogchen Community members Constance Wilkinson and Greg Moscatt celebrated the wedding 

of their daughter Sophia to Ethan Pilling on June 13, 2015.

[Participants in Bodhi’s recent Deepening Course of the Vajra Dance on Khandroling]

[Jim Valby’s beginning dharma course for Shang Shung Institute USA, June 19, 20 and 21, 2015 at Tsegyalgar East]

Among the karma yoga activities in preparation for the upcoming retreats, Geko Jeremy with volunteers Jess, Tom Clark, Sean Quinn, Martin Kourim, Jana Hanakova, John Foster, Naomi, Caroline, Andrea Lawrence, Harold, among others, repainted the scuffed up old mandala in the yellow schoolhouse. 

Kitty Fox died on May 28, 2015 in Boulder, CO. To read more please visit her Mirror Obit here written by Diane Campbell.

For more features about Tsegyalgar East and West, be sure to visit the online Mirror Tsegyalgar page.

Let’s Help Send Uma Shannon to San Francisco

Uma, the daughter of John and Miranda Shannon and grand-daughter of Nancy Simmons and the late Barrie Simmons, among the earliest students of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu, was recently accepted to the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program in San Francisco, CA starting fall 2015 . This two year world class program accepts only 36 students annually, and it's Uma's dream come true!

In Uma's own words:

"I am attending the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program next year, because it has everything I am looking for as a dancer. Alonzo King LINES can provide the rigorous multifaceted program I need to prepare myself physically and mentally for my dance career. I began dancing at 14, five years ago, dance has changed me and continues to change me. My desire and drive to excel at dance has taken me far. I have studied various forms of dance including: ballet, contemporary, modern, flamenco and most recently the movement language called Gaga. I have danced continually, adding as many hours to my training as possible.”

The Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program has awarded Uma a partial merit scholarship, but there is still a significant amount of tuition to pay. She can't take out educational loans because it is a professional training program and not a school. She is asking for your support so that she can continue to train and become a professional dancer. Uma's current goal is to raise enough funds to cover the cost of the first year of this two year long training program, its associated costs and living expenses.

Please visit and share Uma’s Indiegogo site Help Uma Go To Alonzo King LINES Training Program to find out all the details of her new fundraising goals as well as her most recent campaign updates.

If you are on Facebook please visit and like Uma's Dance Project , where you can watch her latest dance videos, see her latest pictures and get status updates. Uma loves to choreograph new dances and looks forward to sharing them with you on Facebook and Instagram.

Thank you all so much for all your support

PS: As the Alonzo King LINES program does not provide room and board, one of Uma's greatest challenges is affordable safe housing in the Bay area, within a reasonable distance from her program in San Francisco. Any leads, advice and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche to teach the 25 Spaces of Samantabhadra

   Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche

July 1- 5, 2015 Tsegyalgar East Retreat 

The 25 Spaces of Samantabhadra according to the series of Longsal Teaching Open webcast

Visit www.tsegyalgar.org for all retreat information

News from Shang Shung Institute USA & International

Shang Shung Institute Presents  Beginning Dharma with Dr. James Valby Date: June 19th-21st, 2015. Category: Shang Shung Institute Location: Tsegyalgar East, 18 Schoolhouse Rd., Conway, MA Website: http://www.shangshung.org/home/dharma-with-dr-james-valby/ Friday Evening, June 19th through Sunday Afternoon, June 21st Introductory Public Talk: Friday Talk: 7:00 – 8:30 PM ET Course: Saturday, June 20th and Sunday, June 21st 9:30 AM Registration/ Arrival 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Beginning Dharma with Dr. James Valby Jim Valby will tailor the course to the attendees. Please come prepared for sitting meditation with loose clothes for sitting and light stretching. For more information and to register please visit the Shang Shung Website (link above)

Shang Shung Tibetan Medicine School Alumni Participate in the Integrative Tibetan Medical Conference in Barcelona, Spain March 2015

The Integrative Medicine Meeting organised by the Cultural Association of the Dzogchen Community in Spain [Asociación Cultural de la Comunidad Dzogchen de España] and the School of Tibetan Medicine of the Shang Shung Institute is aimed at raising awareness and sharing the results of work undertaken by numerous integrated health professionals – both in Spain and overseas. This field of medicine adopts a holistic approach to the treatment of patients and combines techniques from traditional medicine with allopathic and complementary techniques.

In the first Edition, the conference was focused on the contributions made to the treatment of mental disorders and dementia by allopathic, Chinese, homoeopathic and Tibetan approaches to medicine. Professionals from all areas of medicine – psychiatry, homoeopathy, neurology, Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine, etc. – took part in the event.
More information: http://www.medicinaintegrativabarcelona.es/

The upcoming Edition, which will be happening in March 2015, during the days 20, 21 and 22 March, will be aimed at the general audience. It will gather the different medical systems and professionals specialized in the treatment of cancer so that they can dialogue and share their experience on how to deal with it from their different medical visions.

Shang Shung Institute School of Tibetan Medicine Curriculum
Three-Year Advanced Tibetan Medicine Program
ཤེས་རམ་ཞིབ་འཇུག་སློབ་མ། shes ram zhib 'jug slob ma

[Graduates of the four-year Tibetan Medicine Program, 2012]

The SSI School of Tibetan Medicine, Three-Year Advanced Tibetan Medicine Program (ATMP) follows the curriculum of the shes ram pamaster’s level programs offered in traditional schools in Tibet. The goal of ATMP is to deepen the understanding and knowledge of those graduates of traditional Tibetan medicine programs like the Shang Shung Institute’s Four-Year Tibetan Medicine Programs, and in so doing, provide greater opportunities for professional development and increased understanding of cross-cultural and cross-national medicine modalities.  This continued course of study builds upon the foundation of the Four-Year Tibetan Medicine Programs with its in-depth study of their commentaries and a body of theories and practices found within them.

The ATMP’s curriculum is intended for those who are determined to dedicate their life’s work to Tibetan medicine. It provides them with a rich understanding of Tibetan medicine’s integrative relationship to modern medicine and public health. Participants of the ATMP will extensively research and develop their knowledge in the theory and practice of Tibetan medicine as is relevant to contemporary society.

Candidates who wish to enter the ATMP must take the program’s entrance exam.  Successful completion of either of the SSI’s four-year Tibetan medicine programs, or equivalent, or three years professional experience post-certification from a licensed professional or occupational school, is prerequisite to taking the entrance exam.  Entrance exam dates are typically scheduled between mid July and mid August.

The ATMP is a three-year program consisting of two semesters per year, sixteen weeks per semester.  The first two years (semesters 1-4) are comprised of a hybrid of on-site and on-line learning.  On-site, resident classes assemble five days per week during weeks one through four of each of the first four semesters. During weeks five through sixteen, students engage on the weekend in on-line, distance learning.  The third year consist of on-line classes only.  These classes convene on weekends during weeks one through sixteen of the the final two semesters.

Years one and two of ATMP focus on advanced theory of Tibetan medicine, core-curriculum, comparative studies and the integration of complementary body, energy and mind disciplines which are integral to the advanced TM practitioner’s development.  The third year of classes focus on preparing a dissertation and guiding student’s in research and development.

The ATMP has been recognized by Qinghai University Tibetan Medical College (QUTMC) as being equivalent to its own shes ram pagraduate program. Third-year students of ATMP are permitted to enroll at the most advanced level of the QUTMC graduate program and to receive master degrees from QUTMC upon successful completion of his or her thesis presentation.