Online, eight sessionsEvery 3rd Saturday beginning October 17, 202610:00 AM - 1:00 PM MTOverviewThis course explores the role of dying, transitions of all kinds in general, and the emotion of grief in its various manifestations. A personal exploration of impermanence as we know it up to now in our lives will be embarked on, and guideposts for how to live and how to die will be provided by the Tibetan Book of the Dead, as interpreted by Chögyam Trungpa. The bardos outlined in the Tibetan Book of the Dead are a manual on how to live life with the awareness of impermanence and how to move through the multiple transitions life has to offer with grace. Of course, this is a contemplative practice that is deeply tied to the teachings of contemplative psychology. Through our relationship to space, we begin to allow life's flow more readily.DetailsWith Melissa Moore and Miriam HallOnline, eight sessionsEvery 3rd Saturday beginning in October, from 10 AM - 1 PM MTCourse dates:Saturday, October 17, 2026Saturday, November 21, 2026Saturday, December 19, 2026Saturday, January 16, 2027Saturday, February 20, 2027Saturday, March 20, 2027Saturday, April 17, 2027One additional 2-hour meeting for group Grief Ritual (Time TBD) Cost: Choose Your Seat, A Bardo Dana InvitationThe Tibetan Book of the Dead contains teachings on how to move through each daily transition, and how those transitions prepare us for the biggest one of all. This fall, we invite you to practice through attending the class, and even in the simple act of registering. Generosity is its own bardo, a threshold where what we release makes room for more to arrive.Karuna is a small, community-sustained organization, and we keep this teaching alive through the generosity of those who take part. Everyone receives the same class. The three rates simply let each of us give as we are able, so that cost is never the reason someone cannot cross the threshold with us. Please choose the rate that honestly reflects your means. If you find yourself between two, we warmly invite you to choose the higher one.What to expectShort periods of guided meditation and body awareness.Brief informational talks.Experiential exercises that correlate with the curriculum, including some break-out sessions and small group experiencesInvestigation of how the material shows up in one’s daily life.A deep dive into one’s personal relationship to grief and grieving.A deep dive into Buddhist psychology as the work relates to the Tibetan Bardo system.Together we will exploreA thorough understanding of the Tibetan Bardo’s as they relate to our transitions in our everyday life.A chance to look deeper into one’s relationship to death and impermanence.A deeper look into Contemplative psychology and some of the practices.A deeper connection to meditation practice.Understanding of some of the metaphors in the Tibetan Book of the Dead and how they apply to one’s life.A deeper picture of the six realms of existence according to Tibetan Buddhism.A look into one’s personal beliefs on rebirth.FacilitatorsMelissa Moore, Ph.D., is a long-time contemplative practitioner and educator who has spent decades accompanying people through the tender territories of grief, change, and emotional transition. Trained initially as a contemplative psychotherapist at Naropa University, she later completed her doctorate in Psychological Anthropology at CIIS, grounding her work at the intersection of inner life, culture, and human meaning-making.Melissa co-founded Karuna Training in Europe in 1996 and has guided Karuna Training in North America since 2014. A student of Vajrayana Buddhism since 1979, she brings a gentle, embodied understanding of grieving, ritual, impermanence, and what it means to stay open-hearted in the face of loss.She has taught contemplative grief practices internationally and is the author of The Diamonds Within Us: Uncovering Brilliant Sanity through Contemplative Psychology. Her teaching style is warm, steady, and rooted in the belief that grief is not something to “get through,” but something sacred that deserves to be held with care.Miriam Hall (she/her) is the founder of Herspiral Arts, where she has offered a cornucopia of contemplative, creative practices for over 20 years. She has studied deeply with Natalie Goldberg, who says of Miriam: “She has the heart, head, and hands of writing practice. Study with her.” Miriam is also on lead faculty for Karuna Training and an authorized teacher of Maitri Space Awareness.Miriam is the co-author of Looking and Seeing and Heart of Photography, two books on Miksang Contemplative Photography with John McQuade, as well as many published poems and essays. She is also a meditation instructor, a creative coach, a white anti-racism activist, and a lover of cats. Find out more at www.herspiral.com

Dear Karuna Community,At its heart, Karuna Training is a path of uncovering the inherent wisdom in ourselves and each other, and carrying that tenderness and courage into our daily lives. That spirit doesn't live in any one course or retreat; it lives in each of us who walk this path together, kept alive through the care we offer one another. We invite you to contribute to Karuna Training, with no amount too small. We know that together we have the power to sustain these teachings that have touched us all so deeply, and that the world needs now more than ever. Yours in Brilliant Sanity, Melissa Moore, Ph.D.Founding Co-Director, Karuna Training Executive Director, 2014–2026