This residential retreat is a unique opportunity for anyone wishing to practice in accordance with the teachings of Mingyur Rinpoche and under the guidance of experienced Tergar instructors Edwin Kelley and Myoshin Kelley, to come together and meditate, regardless of where you might be on the path.

The residential retreat will unfold at Maitripa Centre in Healesville. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of State and National forest, Maitripa Centre’s 53 acres of forest and well established gardens are an ideal retreat venue. Founded by Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche IX, this is a very special centre with a number of inspirational spaces to gather and practice in.

If you have never meditated before, or just a beginner, you will be supported to engage in how to meditate, and to establish a regular daily practice.

If you are already a student of Mingyur Rinpoche, regardless of whether you are practicing the Joy of Living, or the Path of Liberation, you will receive skilled instruction and guidance on how to progress along the path. You will also be able to use the retreat time towards practice requirements for both Joy of Living and Path of Liberation.

This program will include video teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche as well as instruction and guided meditations from our mentors Edwin Kelley and Myoshin Kelley who are founding members of Tergar International.

You will also have the opportunity for small group discussions and one-on-one guidance with Edwin and Myoshin.

This program is open to everyone, however if you are new to the Tergar community, a brief introduction and/or hello will be arranged before confirming your position. Similarly, for those who have never attended a residential retreat, we will also arrange a short call to help you prepare for the retreat experience.

Details and Cost

Name: 2026 Residential Retreat
Start: 2026-03-25T12:00:00+1100
End: 2026-03-29T14:00:00+1100
Location: Maitripa Centre

When : Check-In Wednesday 25 March from 11am, Check-out Sunday 29 May, 25 at 2:30pm.

Where: Maitripa Centre, 528 Myers Creek Rd, Healesville VIC 3777

Cost, in AUD - inclusive of all meals:

Standard rate: 1200.00 AUD
Sponsor rate: 1500.00 AUD

(Concession rate: 900.00 AUD)

Please note - We are only offering a base and sponsor rate for this retreat. Sponsor rates will directly go towards a pot which will enable us to offer discounts for those requiring a concession. This will be on a first come first serve basis. If you require a concession rate, you can note it below, but we cannot guarantee a place until we begin to receive income from sponsor registrations.

Understanding Our Retreat Pricing:
A Commitment to Transparency

We deeply value the feedback from our community members who have expressed concerns about retreat costs. We understand that Tergar retreats may appear more expensive than other meditation retreats, and we want to be completely transparent about where your investment goes and what makes our retreats distinctive. To read more about the cost structure for this retreat, please visit this page here.

Learn more about our retreat costs

Notes on rates and accomodation

Our venue provides 26 single rooms with single beds, 2 twin single rooms with 2 single beds, and six dorm rooms with 3 single beds.

Single rooms will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Camping options are also available.

All fees include on-site accommodation, linen, and three vegetarian meals per day, plus coffee, tea and drinks throughout the day.

Accomodation is limited. In order to register you will need to pay a $200 deposit which will be deducted from your final fees.

Provisional Schedule

Will be posted here soon.

About our Instructors

Edwin Kelley

Edwin attended his first meditation retreat near Perth, Australia in 1975, then in 1992 went to Burma to undertake a six-month period of intensive meditation practice with meditation master Chanmyay Sayadaw. While practicing in Burma he ordained temporarily as a Buddhist monk.

In 1994 he was hired as Director of Operations by one of America’s best known meditation retreat centers, the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), in Barre, Massachusetts. Eighteen months later he was appointed Executive Director of IMS and served in that capacity until 2003 when he resigned to pursue further long-term intensive meditation practice.

Edwin first encountered Tibetan Buddhism in Dharamsala, India in 1993. Since 1997 he has received instruction in the practice of Dzogchen from Tsoknyi Rinpoche and further instruction in Dzogchen and Mahamudra from Mingyur Rinpoche.

In 2009, when Mingyur Rinpoche asked him to help establish Tergar International, a non-profit organization that oversees Rinpoche’s activities in the western hemisphere, Edwin moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since the inception of Tergar he has served as a Meditation Instructor, for a period as Executive Director, and more recently as Chief Financial Officer. He plans to relocate to Australia with his wife, Myoshin, in 2023.

He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia and a postgraduate diploma in Buddhist Studies from the University of Sunderland in the UK.

Myoshin Kelley

At a young age, Myoshin decided that school could not teach her what she wanted to know and decided that life would be her teacher. This led her to a lifelong journey of living in spiritual communities while exploring the inner terrain of being human.

Myoshin received dharma instruction from renowned Buddhist teachers Chanmyay Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Pandita, Sayadaw U Tejaniya, and Hogen Yamahata. She also developed a great love of retreats and at one point temporarily ordained as a nun in Myanmar.

Myoshin’s training as a meditation teacher began with Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in 1994. She was appointed the teacher in residence at the Forest Refuge, the long-term practice center at IMS, in 2003.

In 1998, Myoshin was introduced to Mingyur Rinpoche. Twelve years later she moved to Minneapolis to help Rinpoche and others with the formation of Tergar Meditation Community. For a decade she led the team to oversee the formation of Tergar meditation groups and the training of Tergar community leaders. As a Tergar instructor, Myoshin leads programs that experientially explore how the practice of meditation and the wisdom of an open heart support the path of awakening.

Nature has been a strong teacher and support for Myoshin throughout her life. She loves to do solitary retreats in nature as well as hike, bike, cross-country ski, and now swim in the ocean on the beautiful Sapphire Coast in Australia, where she lives with her husband Edwin.

About the Venue

Maitripa Centre hosts courses and conferences on interfaith, meditation, yoga, martial arts, philosophy, the arts and the helping professions. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of State and National forest, Maitripa Centre’s 53 acres of forest and well established gardens are an ideal place to visit for retreats, workshops and conferences.

Founded by Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche IX the centre is rooted in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, yet welcomes anyone interested in cultivating awareness and compassion.

The property is about 70 minutes from Melbourne and Melbourne airport by car.

Accommodation

The accommodation is a mix of single rooms, twin share and triple share, all bathroom facilities are shared. Single rooms will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sharing will be on a same gender basis. If you have someone specific you wish to share with, please check in with them and advise at the time of booking.

All linen is provided.

Shuttle service

A shuttle service may be available from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to and from the centre. Transport may also be available from the town of Healesville as well.

Meals

All meals will be provided by the centre and are included in the registration fee. Three wholesome vegetarian meals, together with healthy snacks. There is a refrigerator for those who need it.

About Tergar Australia

The Tergar Meditation Community supports individuals, practice groups, and meditation communities around the world in learning to live with awareness, compassion, and wisdom. Grounded in the Tibetan Buddhist lineage of our guiding teacher, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, our online and in-person programs are accessible to people of all cultures and faiths, and support a lifelong path toward the application of these principles in everyday life.

Tergar Australia was established in 2020 and meets regularly both online and in-person across Australia.

Other Information

Noble Silence:

Noble silence will begin after dinner on Wednesday 3rd and continue until Sunday.

Meditation Cushions and Chairs

These are available. If you have something particular you wish to use, please feel free to bring it.

Experience Level & Pre-requisites.

Suitable for both beginning and experienced practitioners. There are no prerequisites, however If you are new to Tergar, you must have at least taken Tergar’s Intro to Meditation online course which can be found here and be available for an interview before the retreat.

Cancellation Terms:

Full refunds will be available up to 60 days before the start of the event. 50% refunds up to 30 days. No refunds are available if cancelled within 30 days. If the event is cancelled for Covid or other aspects out of our control, full refunds will be available at any time.

Questions? Email: info@tergar.org.au