In this retreat, Ken McLeod explores guru, deity, and protector as three powerful expressions of the Vajrayana path—relationship with what is true, awakening through presence, and the raw energy that cuts through resistance. Students explore devotion without dependency, step into awakened qualities as lived experience, and engage fierce inner forces—like Mahakala—that dismantle deeply rooted patterns. “He’s not really particularly interested in your welfare,” Ken says. “He’s only interested in you being awake.” (October 2004)

Ken McLeod turns the Heart Sutra into a lived experience, guiding participants through meditations and inquiries that dissolve the usual boundaries of self and knowing. He emphasizes two modes of practice—resting and looking—teaching how to stay in experience and look within it, rather than stepping back to observe. As students learn to rest in the messiness of their own lives, they discover that “things start to take care of themselves.” (September 2008)

Ken McLeod examines the subtle ways ideology creeps into spiritual practice and obscures direct experience. Through stories, meditations, and lively exchanges with students, he explores how wisdom arises—not from fixed views—but from resting in experience and responding with awareness and compassion. The result is a penetrating look at what it means to live and practice with integrity in a complex world. (May 2009)

In this retreat, Ken McLeod explores how reactive patterns—rigid, repetitive, mechanical processes—distort perception and reinforce the illusion of a separate self. “Once a pattern starts to run, you have no awareness,” he says. Beliefs, he adds, keep these patterns in place: “One of the effects of beliefs is they prevent you from seeing what actually is.” (June 2005)

In this series, Ken McLeod explores the stories of three great teachers—Sukhasiddhi, Niguma, and Khyungpo Naljor—drawing out the deeper lessons hidden within their biographies. These accounts are not just historical records but metaphors for the challenges and transformations we face in spiritual practice. Rather than presenting fixed models to follow, these stories point to the moments when something shifts—when the structures we rely on fall apart, when we see through the illusions we take as real, and when we stop looking outside ourselves for answers. (December 2004)

Ken McLeod presents a comprehensive and experiential journey into the heart of mahamudra, one of the most direct and profound approaches to meditation in the Tibetan tradition. Ken draws from texts such as Clarifying the Natural State and Lamp of Mahamudra,  reframing this classic material in plain, contemporary language, free of jargon and cultural overlay. Each session builds on the last, exploring themes such as the nature of mind, the dynamics of attention, the role of boredom and resistance, and the unfolding stages of practice—from stability and simplicity to one taste and non-meditation. With humor, clarity, and deep personal insight, Ken guides listeners toward an embodied, moment-to-moment experience of what we are and how life actually unfolds. (November 2006)

Making Things Happen is about transforming intentions into reality with clarity and presence. In these four sessions, Ken introduces frameworks and practical tools for effective action, explores the inner blocks that hinder progress, and emphasizes mindful engagement with each step of the process. Through insights, exercises, and group discussions, students learn to align action with authentic purpose and navigate life’s complexities with greater awareness and skill. (February 2008)

In Money and Value, Ken McLeod explores how deeply our relationship with money influences our perceptions, decisions, and sense of self. Across these four sessions, Ken invites practitioners to question societal and personal assumptions about wealth, security, and well-being. Through guided reflections and group exercises, he offers insights into creating a life that balances financial needs with inner clarity and purpose. (December 2007)

In Surviving Stressful Times, Ken McLeod offers a practical and insightful approach to navigating life’s challenges with clarity and composure. Through engaging discussions, guided meditations, and actionable principles, he explores how to face uncertainty, transform adversity, and cultivate a sense of peace amidst chaos. These sessions provide tools to help you work with your stories, connect with others, and respond to life with purpose and intention. (January 2009)

In “Who Am I?” Ken guides participants through a deep exploration of identity, challenging the assumptions that shape how we see ourselves. Through reflection, meditation, and practical tools, these sessions uncover the layers of self—conventional, functional, and ultimate. With humor and clarity, Ken helps participants navigate the question “Who am I?” to discover a more fluid and liberating way of being. (April 2008)

This Mahayana Mind Training retreat invites you to explore practices that cut through reactive patterns and transform how you relate to life. In each session, Ken McLeod uncovers ways to cultivate presence, transform energy, and approach challenges with compassion. Rooted in centuries-old wisdom, this series offers fresh relevance for modern life and are suitable whether you’re new to mind training or have been practicing for years. (May 2007)

Ken McLeod presents a practical and experiential approach to the four immeasurables—equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion, and joy—drawing from multiple Buddhist traditions. Through guided meditations, deep inquiry, and lively exchanges with students, each session explores how these qualities emerge when we turn toward experience instead of away from it. These teachings invite a shift in how we meet ourselves and others, revealing the transformative power of an open and present heart.

This is an excerpted version of the series, Four Immeasurables.  It focuses on the core contemplative practices—equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion, and joy—offering a direct, practice-centred entry into the teachings. The opening class provides broader context about the role of the four immeasurables in Buddhist practice, while the concluding class offers a wide-ranging synthesis on emotional transformation and integration. (February 2007)

In this retreat, Ken McLeod brings the mind training teachings of The Great Path of Awakening to life, using each line as a doorway into direct experience and personal transformation. The central practice is taking and sending, which students use to dismantle reactive patterns, meet emotional difficulty directly, and rest in unconditioned presence. “You’re holding on to nothing at all. The amazing thing is it works.” (July 2003)

Monsters under the bed—reactive patterns—are always with us, shaping our reactions to the situations life throws at us. In this six-part retreat series, Ken McLeod, Claudia Hansen, and George Draffan explore how these patterns keep us stuck, and reveal ways to see them clearly and let them go. With humor, candor, and practical wisdom, they delve into the power of the breath, the six realms, and practices for moving beyond habitual struggles. The retreat is focused on ways to navigate reactivity, deepen presence, and live with greater freedom. (October 2007)

In this retreat, Ken McLeod presents pointing-out instructions as direct invitations to rest in the clarity of experience and see whatever arises as it is. He challenges the usual emphasis on attainment or understanding, encouraging students instead to look, rest, and trust what they know. “You can’t make a thought or an emotion empty because it is empty,” Ken says. “You can’t make something into what it is already.” (July 2008)