Nyingma Institute in Berkeley California

Nyingma Institute in Berkeley California Founded by Tibetan Lama Tarthang Tulku in 1972, we offer a wide range of classes, retreats, and weekend workshops in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

https://linktr.ee/nyingmainstitute With an emphasis on joyful engagement in life, the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, California has been bringing the riches of the Tibetan tradition to the Western world since 1972. We offer training in meditation, Buddhist studies, and Tibetan language in ways that blend cognitive and experiential learning. Tibetan Yoga, Nyingma Psychology, and the Time, Space, an

d Knowledge vision were all developed here by our founder Tarthang Tulku. These unique fields of study provide effective ways to counteract tension, clear the mind, and open body and mind to new dimensions of feeling. Instruction is offered in three formats: weekly 90-minute classes, weekend workshops, and longer retreats. In addition to scheduled programs, private retreats are offered year-round, allowing you to go on retreat on your own schedule. In the Bay Area for over forty years, the Nyingma Institute offers a gentle path of self-knowledge and altruistic service based upon the Buddha’s teachings. We continue to deepen this tradition by offering events for a range of interests an ages. Our meditation garden is open 9 AM to 6 PM daily.

New classes are coming soon! Our summer term begins June 15th, and with it comes classes in meditation, K*m Nye, Tibetan...
06/08/2026

New classes are coming soon! Our summer term begins June 15th, and with it comes classes in meditation, K*m Nye, Tibetan, and analyses of ancient Buddhist texts! Join either online or in person at the peaceful Nyingma Institute located near UC Berkeley and allow yourself a summer of mindfulness, compassion, and community. 🧘‍♀️🪷✨

To learn more about these classes and register for a spot, visit our website via the link in our bio!

Join us this Sunday for a free, online-only Dharma talk with Erika Lessey, a graduate from our K*m Nye teacher training ...
06/04/2026

Join us this Sunday for a free, online-only Dharma talk with Erika Lessey, a graduate from our K*m Nye teacher training program. To receive the zoom link, register on eventbrite at the link in our bio ✨

Join us this Sunday, May 31st, for our free Women’s Meditation gathering, online or in-person! We will also be hosting o...
05/28/2026

Join us this Sunday, May 31st, for our free Women’s Meditation gathering, online or in-person!

We will also be hosting our final Community Garden Meditation, which is open to all, from 4:30-5:30pm. Check out the link in our bio to register for both events on eventbrite, and to browse our other drop-in offerings.

05/26/2026

Last Sunday we hosted our second Community Garden Meditation, facilitated by Olivia Hurd. Olivia’s session focused on sound, and included practices with the singing bowl, ambient sounds from our beautiful garden, and listening to the rhythms of our body.

We will have one more session this Sunday, May 31st, where we will be closing with a prayer for world peace. We hope you can join us for this beautiful community practice ✨

🌟 Introducing Kindness Superheroes, a mindfulness program for kids ages 6–9, coming this summer to the Nyingma Institute...
05/19/2026

🌟 Introducing Kindness Superheroes, a mindfulness program for kids ages 6–9, coming this summer to the Nyingma Institute!

Each Sunday from June 7 to July 12 (2:30–4pm), kids will explore mindfulness, movement, storytelling, and art in a playful, supportive environment.

📍 Berkeley, CA | Snack provided | Sliding scale available

Know a family who might be interested? We’d love it if you passed this along! Registration link in bio.

As Tarthang Tulku, Nyingma Institute founder, explains in his book K*m Nye Tibetan Yoga, “Exercises that are genuine and...
05/14/2026

As Tarthang Tulku, Nyingma Institute founder, explains in his book K*m Nye Tibetan Yoga, “Exercises that are genuine and pure, uniting body and mind, truly revitalize our energies and sustain us in our daily lives.” To experience the power of K*m Nye practice yourself, please join us this Sunday for a free Dharma talk led by Abbe Blum.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sunday-dharma-talks-tickets-357778423897?aff=oddtdtcreator

05/12/2026

More clips from our beautiful Padmakara garden in anticipation of our upcoming Community Garden Meditation series, which begins this Sunday. We hope to see you there 🌟

05/10/2026

Next Sunday, May 17th, we will be hosting the first of three free community meditations here in our beautiful Padmakara Garden. The theme for this series is “From Inner Peace to World Peace,” and the first week will begin with a Four Immeasurables Practice to help cultivate love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. To see more information and register, check out the link in our bio.

“Life is meaningful and beautiful because things are impermanent, because suffering helps us grow, and because all thing...
05/08/2026

“Life is meaningful and beautiful because things are impermanent, because suffering helps us grow, and because all things are empty and selfless,” writes Khenpo Kalsang, monastic resident at the Nyingma Institute and speaker at this Sunday’s free Dharma talk.

To learn more about this integral part of Buddhist teaching, register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sunday-dharma-talks-tickets-357778423897?aff=oddtdtcreator

Yesterday we hosted our Community Open House, complete with several guided practices led by Nyingma faculty members and ...
05/04/2026

Yesterday we hosted our Community Open House, complete with several guided practices led by Nyingma faculty members and delicious snacks & tea!

Thank you to everyone who came ✨ if you missed it, you can join us for more free community events later this month. More information coming soon…

04/29/2026

This Sunday, May 3rd, we will be hosting a free community open house at the Nyingma Institute from 4-5:30pm PT. Whether you’re here for the meditation and yoga, the tour, or honestly just the snacks, all are welcome 🌟

Join us this Saturday for a workshop on Emptiness, or Śūnyatā, led by Nyingma Institute deans Lama Palzang and Pema Gell...
04/27/2026

Join us this Saturday for a workshop on Emptiness, or Śūnyatā, led by Nyingma Institute deans Lama Palzang and Pema Gellek, for a chance to explore this profound teaching in an experiential way.

Link in our bio to register ✨

04/20/2026

Join us Sunday, May 3rd for free meditation & K*m Nye Tibetan Yoga sessions, faculty meet & greet and a historic tour! Snacks provided.

Come check out the Nyingma Institute, one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist centers in the West. We are welcoming Berkeley and the surrounding Bay Area for a tour of the property, free meditation and K*m Nye Yoga sessions, and a faculty meet-and-greet to learn more about our courses and programs. Join us for this free public event and connect with others who are curious about what we have to offer. Snacks and tea will be provided at the end.

A home, a practice, a purpose. All in one place.Our full-time work-study program lets you live and work at a Tibetan Bud...
04/14/2026

A home, a practice, a purpose. All in one place.

Our full-time work-study program lets you live and work at a Tibetan Buddhist center in the Berkeley hills, while actually having time to study, practice, and slow down.

Swipe to hear from people who’ve done it.

Want to learn more? Join us this weekend—online or in person—for a free Dharma talk and Q&A with one of our current staff members. It’s a great chance to ask questions and get a feel for the community ✨

04/10/2026

Medicine Buddha practice is one of the most powerful healing methods in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, invoked for physical, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing for centuries.

In this video, Nyingma Institute staff member Pauline explains a bit about the practice and shares the mantra. Watch until the end to hear it. 🙏💙

If this resonates with you, we have an upcoming Medicine Buddha workshop coming soon. Stay tuned!

04/06/2026

More simple wisdom from our founder, Tarthang Tulku. In times of great uncertainty and upheaval, it can be easy to sink into despair. The Buddhist tradition reminds us that change is not just possible, it’s inevitable.

Hope is always available to us 🌟

03/25/2026

Spring has arrived in Padmakara Garden! Our meditation garden in Berkeley is coming alive, complete with spring flowers, bees, butterflies, and even some turkeys 🦃

03/17/2026

Simple, but not easy. What would it actually look like to live this way: to treat being alive as something precious, every day?

03/15/2026

K*m Nye is a Tibetan energy practice for deep relaxation and healing, working with the body’s own energy to release old patterns and return to yourself 🌟

If you’d like to try this powerful practice, Emily will be leading a K*m Nye workshop called “Healing the Heart with Tibetan Yoga” on April 11th, from 10am-1pm. Link to register in our bio under “Workshops and Retreats.”

03/14/2026

Here’s a glimpse into my day as a full-time volunteer at a meditation center in Berkeley, CA ✨ living and working here has changed the way I relate to my time, work, and self.

If living in supportive spiritual community interests you, feel free to DM me or check out the work-study program at the link in our bio :)

Our emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant, can offer a window into our internal experience. This Sunday we will be join...
03/12/2026

Our emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant, can offer a window into our internal experience. This Sunday we will be joined by Erika Rosenberg, Ph.D. and Nyingma faculty member, for a free Dharma talk in which we will discuss how tools such as mindfulness can help us to learn from our emotional responses in order to experience more inner peace.

Drop-ins welcome! To RSVP or join online, register here and you will receive a zoom link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sunday-dharma-talks-tickets-357778423897?aff=oddtdtcreator

Happy International Women’s Day! Today we’re highlighting Yeshe Tsogyal, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Bu...
03/08/2026

Happy International Women’s Day! Today we’re highlighting Yeshe Tsogyal, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism, and a powerful symbol of female enlightenment in a tradition where feminine wisdom is often underrepresented.

If you’re interested in learning more, this month we’ll be offering a workshop on Yeshe Tsogyal’s practice and journey to enlightenment. Register here for our workshop: https://nyingmainstitute.com/courses-new/npr-es26-essence-of-the-lotus-trilogy-exploring-mind-retreat-2/

Address

1815 Highland Place
Berkeley, CA
94709

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nyingma Institute in Berkeley California posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share