Stepping Into Clarity – New Year’s Retreat & Refuge Ceremony 2027
December 31, 2026 - January 1, 2027
Time: 9:00 AM—3:00 PM
Location: KCC Urban Center and Zoom
Leaders: Lama Eric, Lama Kathleen, Tim Campbell, Erik Fromme, Cynthia Irvine, David Thornburgh, and Peter Wood.
Daily schedule
Thursday, December 31:
9:00–12:00 Meditation with breaks
12:00–1:30 Bring-your-own lunch
1:30–3:00 Discussion, meditation, and aspiration prayers
Friday, January 1:
9:00–11:00 Meditation with breaks
11:00–12:00 Refuge ceremony
12:00–1:30 Potluck lunch
1:30–3:00 Discussion, meditation, and aspiration prayers
KCC will continue its long-standing tradition of hosting two days of retreat to purposefully conclude 2026 and intentionally step into 2027. It is an annual ritual for our greater sangha to gather as a community to support each other in keeping dharma in the forefront of our beings for the welfare of ourselves and others.
For this retreat, a sampling of the Sunday teachers—Lama Kathleen, Tim Campbell, Erik Fromme, Cynthia Irvine, David Thornburgh, and Peter Wood—will join Lama Eric to lead us in a variety of contemplations, meditations, and aspirations over these two days. We will rejoice in our efforts of the past twelve months, use the occasion to turn away from unhelpful patterns, and manifest meaningful direction for the year to come.
On the morning of January 1 at 11:00 a.m., there will be a refuge ceremony. Formally going for refuge is a declaration of beginning the journey along the Buddhist path. In this brief ceremony, one goes for refuge—or turns to the inspiration of the Buddha, the teachings of the Dharma, and the support of the Sangha—to aid us in our process of turning away from confusion and suffering and toward greater clarity and well-being. When taking the refuge vow, a token amount of hair is cut and a Buddhist name is given. You can hear more about taking refuge in this short video. If you would like to take refuge, please contact Lama Eric.
Come join us for this annual community ritual to move into the new year with dharma friends!
You can join this event in person at KCC or via Zoom. To join via Zoom, details will be included in the confirmation email when you register. On New Year’s Eve, everyone is responsible for their own lunch; on New Year’s Day, we will share a vegetarian potluck with vegan options.
