Christie Cashman

Christie first encountered the dharma as a young girl.  During a long stay in Japan she made daily visits to Buddhist temples and shrines and began to feel a deep connection with the penetrating quietude of these environments. It was years later, while studying at the University of California in Berkeley, that Christie learned to meditate, starting a daily practice of zazen with Suzuki Roshi.  Eventually, she picked up Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's  Meditation in Action.  Learning of Rinpoche's "resonant and outrageous" lifestyle, she sold her belongings, packed a little bag and moved to Boulder, Colorado to become his student. That was January 1971.


Christie's life soon began to revolve around month long meditation retreats, intensive study, and teaching a full range of courses-from introductory meditation intensives at Naropa University to Vajrayana sadhana classes and Shambhala Training levels. For many years she taught at the annual three-month Vajradhatu Seminary and worked closely during that time with Rinpoche on course curriculum design and implementation. During the 17 years she resided in Boulder, Christie worked full-time in Trungpa Rinpoche's administration.

In 1987, when Christie moved to Nova Scotia,  she spent a good part of each year in solitary retreat to delve further into the study and practice of the Shambhala terma tradition and vajrayana practice.  During this time, she taught several Warrior Assemblies and worked in the areas of environmental protection and dispute resolution before serving as Shambhala Training International's Executive Director from 1999 to 2003.  Christie is a Governor of the Council of Warriors, and has taught at several Kalapa Assemblies.  She holds the acharya post on the Shambhala Care and Conduct Panel, which works to bring the principles of restorative justice to the Shambhala community. Under the guidance of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, she continues to engage in Shambhala and Buddhist curriculum development and the training of teachers. Christie lives with her husband in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Teaching Schedule

2012
Jan & Feb   Personal Retreat
Mar 2 - 10 Seattle Vajrayana Weekthun
Mar 17 - 18 San Francisco Shambhala Sadhana Retreat
Mar 19 - 25 San Francisco Vajrayana City Retreat
Apr 27 - May 4 Shambhala
Mountain Center 		Acharya Retreat
Apr 20 - 22 Phoenix "Community Weekend and Refuge & Bodhisattva Vows"
May 16 - 22 Halifax New Teacher Training Week
May 28 - Jun 8 Karme Choling Scorpion Seal Assembly 4
Jul 27 - Aug 18 Dechen Choling Sacred World Assembly

 

2011
Mar 26 - Apr 3 San Francisco Ngondro & Werma Retreat
May 6 - 12 Dorje Denma Ling Scorpion Seal Practice Intensive and Werma Retreat
Jun 26 - Jul 18 Karme Choling Vajrayana Seminary w/Acharya Gaylon Ferguson
Jul 21 - Aug 3 Karme Choling Scorpion Seal I
Aug 13 - 29 Dorje Denma Ling Scorpion Seal Retreat III
Sep 9 - 11 Boston Rigden Weekend
Sep 24 - 25 Halifax Shambhala Lineage Festival
Oct 2 - 9 Halifax Governance Meetings & Dignity
Oct 22 Halifax Scorpion Seal 3 Practice Morning
Oct 28 - 30 Washington DC Rigden Weekend
Nov 18 - 24 Shambhala Mountain Center Werma and Scorpion Seal Intensive
Dec 26 - Jan 1 Halifax Scorpion Seal Intensive

 

Past topics
Vajrayogini Practice Intensive and Retreats
Refuge & Bodhisattva Vows
All Shambhala Training programs
Gesar Seminar
Werma Sadhana Intensives
Ngondro Retreats
Director and Teacher Trainings
Rigden Weekends
Urban Scorpion Seal Group Retreats


Books