Meditation Retreat on Emptiness in the Swiss Alps

A clear four-day rhythm and an experienced authorised teacher make a subtle Buddhist teaching approachable without flattening its depth.

Explore emptiness, a Buddhist way of looking at how people, situations and thoughts do not exist as fixed, independent things. Guided teachings and meditations make this subtle theme practical, with time to apply it to relationships, work and difficult thoughts. Short prayers frame the sessions, while listening, reading and singing remain optional.

The retreat opens with dinner and an introduction on Thursday. Friday and Saturday each bring four 1-hour teaching and meditation sessions; Sunday closes with a morning session and lunch. Chairs and cushions are available, and an optional English chanted prayer practice follows the retreat on Sunday afternoon.

26–29 November 2026 at Kailash International Retreat Centre in Törbel; the retreat is in German and registration is required. Prices run from CHF 150 for the course alone to CHF 580 for a supporter-rate single room, with meal and accommodation packages in between. Meals are vegetarian or vegan, but individual special diets cannot be accommodated. Wear comfortable clothes if you sit on a cushion; shoes are removed in the meditation room.

• Kadam Hélène Oester

  Facilitator

  Kadam Hélène Oester is an authorised teacher of Kadampa Buddhism at the Dromtönpa Centre in Bern and its Fribourg branch. Her official profile says she has studied with Geshe Kelsang Gyatso since 1978.

  website