Dzogchen Teachings with Namkhai Yeshi at Dzamling Gar

By Gisela Martinez (for The Mirror Issue 167)

It all started when our Yellow Gakyil, Titi (Gloriana Brenes), invited Namkhai Yeshi to help improve the acoustics of the Dzamling Gar Gönpa. All of a sudden, Titi informed us that Namkhai Yeshi had offered to give Teachings on February 13th and 14th, Valentine’s Day.

With this great news and only six weeks to go, people from all over the world came together to offer support and advice. Within a week, all the teams began forming with incredible team leaders, collaborators, and a project management team.

Despite being in the peak of the high season in Tenerife, everything unfolded smoothly, like a continuous lhundrub*, from organizing collaborations, painting and arranging Rinpoche’s house and its apartments, creating graphics, finding suppliers, or making agreements between ATIF and the Adeje City Hall for support. All was accomplished at an incredible speed, thanks to the hard work of so many people. Maintenance, Administration, Karma Yoga participants, Work Exchange, Gakyil, Gekö and former Gekö, everyone moved heaven and earth to have everything ready on time.

The Gar filled with smiles, countless hugs, and people overjoyed to return to Dzamling Gar, some after five years, some seven, and even longer for others.

With the Gar full of joy, Namkhai Yeshi and his wife Daria arrived and immediately began working on the acoustics. In collaboration with the Dzamling Gar Webcast Team, they spent hours conducting an acoustic site analysis for a future project and optimizing the stage, speakers, and equipment to ensure the best possible setup for the event.

Many of us at Dzamling Gar were deeply moved, having waited so long to finally receive Teachings in the Gönpa that Chögyal Namkhai Norbu worked so hard to build. It felt as though welcoming Namkhai Yeshi’s Dzogchen Teachings was the true inauguration of the Dzamling Gar Gönpa.

Finally, the 13th arrived, and Namkhai Yeshi offered an incredible two days of Dzogchen Teachings. In particular, on Valentine’s Day, we received the precious gift of singing the Song of the Vajra in one of the most beautiful and powerful ways many of us had ever experienced, guided by Namkhai Yeshi. We also engaged in a magnificent meditation, which he created, after a month of dedicated work.

Whether onsite or online, we could all feel that Namkhai Yeshi was at ease here. We were filled with joy and gratitude for his incredible generosity and kindness.

We offered translation in at least 12 languages, and created a dormitory area in the Inner Gönpa for more than 25 people who applied for it. As a result, we had approximately 3,999 registered participants, with around 380 attending onsite, and the rest online. Among them, 689 people had never attended a retreat with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu or Namkhai Yeshi before, including 84 onsite participants. 

Beyond the extraordinary event, we received fantastic news: next year, on the same dates, and this time for more days, Namkhai Yeshi will give Teachings at Dzamling Gar again, expecting 2,000 attendees. Don’t miss the opportunity to be one of them, come to Dzamling Gar for Valentine’s, and receive a warm welcome to your Global Gar.

*self-perfected state, spontaneously present, infinite qualifications, infinite potentiality of manifestations, primordial potentiality.

The Stupa with Eight Sides is Placed at Dzamling Gar

A Sacred Arrival at Dzamling Gar
We are honored to share that a beautiful Eight-Sided Stupa has been placed at Dzamling Gar, Tenerife — a sacred structure symbolizing peace, harmony, and protection. Installed on Losar, the Tibetan New Year, this blessed stupa is part of the global Changchub Dorje Stupa Project, initiated by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu to help harmonize the world through 108 sacred stupas.

Intricately filled with precious relics, mantras, and symbolic substances, this stupa is designed to eliminate obstacles and unify energies. Its placement west of the Gönpa follows ancient Tibetan geomantic principles.

Pre-Mandarava

For the first time, Dzamling Gar offered four very successful preparatory Mandarava courses with Fabio Andrico, Dr Phuntsog Wangmo, Adriano Clemente and Fabian Sanders. Fabian taught drajyor pronunciation training for the Mandarava practice, and as well gave a lecture on the life of Mandarava and another talk on Indian and Tibetan Doctrine of Sound, Fabio gave a course on kumbhaka with valuable information and guidance, there was a quick and challenging umdze training in the melodies of Mandarava with Adriano, and Dr Phuntsog cheerfully taught us how to make garlic chudlen.

Celebrating Losar & Mandarava Practice at Dzamling Gar

Welcoming the Wood Snake Year with Joy, Practice & Connection

Dzamling Gar came alive with vibrant Losar celebrations and a deeply transformative Mandarava retreat. The festivities began with traditional divination soup the night before Losar, followed by Mandarava practice at dawn, joyful community meals, games, and a special astrological reading by Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo. A highlight was the installation of the sacred eight-sided Changchub Dorje Stupa, symbolizing protection and harmony for all beings.

Amid this festive atmosphere, practitioners gathered for an intensive Mandarava retreat—blending powerful daily practices with yoga, Tsalung, Chöd, and replayed teachings from Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. Surrounded by Dzamling Gar’s blooming gardens, mountain-ocean views, and heartfelt community, participants reconnected to their practice, shared nourishing meals, and experienced moments of joy, clarity, and deep gratitude.

This special time reminded everyone of the unique gift of the Gar: a place of refuge, reconnection, and realization.

Happy Year of the Wood Snake!

Running Workshops at Dzamling Gar Jan Golden, Teacher of Tai Chi 

Tai Chi Retreats at Dzamling Gar with Jan Golden

Jan Golden, a dedicated Tai Chi teacher with over 25 years of experience, brings his deep knowledge and holistic approach to Dzamling Gar. Trained in China, California, and Crete, Jan focuses on posture, breathing, internal power, and true relaxation—key elements for both Tai Chi and meditation.

After attending a retreat in 2022, Jan began hosting immersive workshops at the Gar. With returning students and growing interest, his retreats have become a peaceful oasis for transformation, complemented by the Gar’s tranquil gardens, supportive community, and welcoming environment.

Jan’s unique background—ranging from Traditional Chinese Medicine to Dzogchen practice—makes his programs a powerful complement to other body practices like Yantra Yoga and Vajra Dance.