Embodying Tara Through the Seven Initiates: A Weekend of Sound, Practice, and Awakening
Embodying Tara Through the Seven Initiates: A Weekend of Sound, Practice, and Awakening
w/ Chandra Easton, Robert James Ryan III, and music collaborator Cassian Rose
A weekend retreat
Step into a weekend devoted to the felt sense of Tara, the female buddha of compassion. This retreat offers a direct, embodied encounter with the 21 Taras through the initiatory arc of the Seven Initiates. Tara is met not as a distant symbol, but as the warm intelligence already alive within: courage in the heart, clarity in the mind, groundedness in the belly, luminosity in awareness.
Through mantra, visualization, somatic meditation, and breath, you will learn to recognize Tara’s qualities in your own body. Each Initiate arises from BOW (Body of Worship), a living curriculum that restores the body as an instrument of reverence and intelligent participation with life.
Each threshold is paired with specific Tara mantras and embodiment practices that illuminate its essence:
Listening with Taras who attune perception
Intimacy with Taras who open the heart
Balance with Taras who stabilize clarity
Art/Alchemy with Taras who transform obstacles
Embodiment with Taras who anchor wisdom
Worship with Taras who align devotion with purpose
Providence with Taras who activate bodhichitta as a guiding force
As embodied thresholds, the Seven Initiates expand our capacity to receive, regulate, and integrate experience; orient toward meaning; and participate in collective coherence without losing sovereignty. This framework supports the direct exploration of human potential.
Every practice lands in music: chanting, mantra, sound journeys, and collective singing that weave the teachings into the nervous system. Throughout the weekend, we move from receptive listening to embodied wisdom, from personal healing to compassionate service.
A central moment is the Saturday evening Fire Puja. This ritual of release and transformation opens the way for deeper integration on Sunday.
A Unified Field of Lineage and Innovation
This retreat is shaped by the collaboration of Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton and Robert James Ryan III. Chandra brings the depth of Tibetan Buddhist lineage, tantric embodiment, and her long dedication to Tara practice. Robert brings the evolutionary architecture of the Seven Initiates and the somatic intelligence of BOW (Body of Worship). Together, their methods interweave into a powerful field of devotion, embodiment, sound, and ritual.
Who This Retreat Is For
Ideal for anyone who is:
Interested in Buddhist tantra
Seeking a more embodied experience of compassion
Curious about Buddhist wisdom without dogma
Drawn to sound as a gateway to presence and healing
Exploring the connection between spirituality, creativity, and service
Ready to turn insight into aligned action
Inspired by mantra, singing, and devotional practice
Whether you are new to Tara or returning to her, this retreat is for those longing to feel compassion in the body, awaken wisdom through sound, and experience the transformative power of mantra and embodied presence.
Schedule
Saturday
Arrival and tea: 9:30 to 10:00 AM
First session begins at 10:00 AM
Day concludes after the Fire Puja at approximately 11:00 PM
Lunch and dinner included
Sunday
Tea and settling in: 9:00 to 9:30 AM
Program: 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Lunch included
Location
We're honored to be hosting this event at Anza Retreat, North Berkeley Hills, CA. Full address will be shared with retreat participants upon registration.
Residential or Commuter Options
All participants are asked to attend the full weekend program. Participants may stay onsite Saturday night or commute.
To inquire about staying at Anza Retreat, please email Cassian at [email protected].