Shambhala Albany

Shambhala Albany The Shambhala Meditation Center of Albany is located in Albany, NY, and offers public meditation, a c

Established in 1981, the Shambhala Meditation Center of Albany is part of an international community of meditation and rural retreat centers founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Our center, located in Albany, NY, offers public meditation, a core curriculum of Buddhist and Shambhala teachings, as well as training in advanced contemplative practices. We invite you to explore our diverse programs designed to help people of all traditions discover their inherent clarity, gentleness and humor.

Fresh Start: Meditation Beginner's Course (MIEL) on Saturday, January 31 from 9:00am to 1:00 pm.By making a deep connect...
01/11/2026

Fresh Start: Meditation Beginner's Course (MIEL) on Saturday, January 31 from 9:00am to 1:00 pm.

By making a deep connection to the present moment and understanding our mind through the practice of meditation, we can learn to finally make friends with ourselves. Meditation in Everyday Life is a 5-part course that teaches mindfulness meditation and shows us how this practice can improve our daily lives in the most practical sense. We experience what happens when we stop avoiding ourselves and the present moment and practice simply being with whatever is going on in our lives. We learn to cultivate courage and stability in the daily complexities of jobs, responsibilities, relationships, and the everyday desires, concerns and uncertainties we all face.

This is the first class in the Way of Shambhala curriculum. It offers a glimpse of the Shambhala vision of an enlightened society created through mindfulness-awareness meditation. The stability and wisdom cultivated through meditation practice can expand to benefit the world around us.

Note: This course used to be taught over five consecutive weeks. We will be attempting to teach the course over two different Saturdays one month apart. There will be opportunites to meet in-between the two meetings, though it is not required. People are encouraged to attend both Saturdays, but it is not required.

Class Topics

Day One - January 31
Part 1: Intro to Meditation: Peaceful Abiding and Basic Goodness
Part 2: Using Mindfulness and Awareness to Gather the Mind and Work with Emotions

Join us for a community movie night on Friday, February 6th at 6:30.. For our first movie we will be watching the lovel...
01/11/2026

Join us for a community movie night on Friday, February 6th at 6:30.. For our first movie we will be watching the lovely movie Perfect Days by Wim Wenders. We will have some snacks and drinks provided. Feel free to bring a bean bag! This event is free. To Register: https://albany.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=840428

Join us for Kirtan practice with Alex Perry every 1st and 3rd Tuesday night from 7:00-8:30 pm. To Register: https://alba...
01/04/2026

Join us for Kirtan practice with Alex Perry every 1st and 3rd Tuesday night from 7:00-8:30 pm. To Register: https://albany.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=834954

Kirtan is a traditional form of call and response chanting. The leader offers a phrase, often a Sanskrit mantra or sacred sound and the group echoes it. This back and forth creates a shared rhythm of attention, breath, and presence.

Unlike performance or worship, kirtan functions as an awareness practice. The goal is not to reach for something outside ourselves, but to rest more fully in what is already here: the warmth, clarity, and wakefulness of the open heart.

Join us for Learn to Meditate from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on the first Wednesday of each month. Taught by our qualified instruc...
01/03/2026

Join us for Learn to Meditate from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on the first Wednesday of each month. Taught by our qualified instructors, this basic meditation class and introduction to the center is for beginners, as well as anyone who would like to refresh their understanding of the technique. To Register: https://albany.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=785795

Join us for Heart of Recovery every Monday evening from 7:00-8:30 PM. Format includes, initially guided meditation for 1...
01/03/2026

Join us for Heart of Recovery every Monday evening from 7:00-8:30 PM. Format includes, initially guided meditation for 15 minutes, followed by a select reading, Buddhist and/or AA and continued sitting for 10 minutes. We then have an opportunity to share about the reading and or what is on our mind. This is an opportunity to speak from our hearts and listens from our hearts without judgement of criticism. Meetings are anonymous and confidential.

12/02/2025

❄️ No Kirtan tonight! ❄️
(Tuesday 12/2)
Kirtan again 12/16

Join us for open sitting on Monday evenings from 5:30-6:30, Tuesday mornings from 6:30-7:30, and Wednesday evenings from...
10/27/2025

Join us for open sitting on Monday evenings from 5:30-6:30, Tuesday mornings from 6:30-7:30, and Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00. Sitting with a community is highly beneficial!

Join us tonight for Learn to Meditate from 7:00 to 8:30. Taught by our qualified instructors, this basic meditation clas...
10/26/2025

Join us tonight for Learn to Meditate from 7:00 to 8:30. Taught by our qualified instructors, this basic meditation class and introduction to the center is for beginners, as well as anyone who would like to refresh their understanding of the technique.

Join us for open sitting on Monday evenings from 5:30-6:30, Tuesday mornings from 6:30-7:30 and Wednesday evenings from ...
10/20/2025

Join us for open sitting on Monday evenings from 5:30-6:30, Tuesday mornings from 6:30-7:30 and Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00. Sitting with a community is highly beneficial!

Address

747 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY
12208

Opening Hours

Monday 6:45pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 10am
Wednesday 5:30pm - 8:30pm

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Category

Making Enlightened Society Possible

Established in 1981, the Shambhala Meditation Center of Albany is part of an international community of meditation and rural retreat centers founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and led by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Our center, located in Albany, NY, offers daily public meditation, a core curriculum of Buddhist and Shambhala teachings, as well as training in advanced contemplative practices. We invite you to explore our diverse programs designed to help people of all traditions discover their inherent clarity, gentleness and humor.