AMDO REGION, TIBETAN PLATEAU
YOGA, MUSIC & HEALING
2018 DATES:
JUNE 1-4
10,500 feet up (3,200 meters) on the grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau...
Nomads, Buddhist monks, and thousands of years of culture...
Empowering our minds, bodies, and the local community...
A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE
Find balance and healing at Norden, surrounded by the breathtaking nature and immersed in the rich spiritual culture of the Tibetan Plateau. Join our Rigpa Revitalize Retreat to revive your mind, body and soul. Join us for a restorative long weekend break from the city grind or combine our retreat with other excursions and adventures on the Tibetan Plateau. Our instructors Bone Lhamo Kyap and Laura Shirreff will guide you through activities such as touring Labrang Monastery and exploring the plateau on horseback, as well as their transformative yoga, music, meditation and healing practices to assist you on your personal journey. In addition, on-site amenities including sauna, hot tub and nightly bonfires will help to restore and revitalize your senses…
An experience of a lifetime awaits you!
NORDEN CAMP
surrendering yourself to nature
Norden Camp offers urbanites from around the world the rare opportunity to experience authentic Tibetan culture in complete comfort. Managed by and for the benefit of grassland nomads, Norden Camp operates sustainably, without compromising the existing Tibetan Buddhist culture or our spectacular natural environment. Located at 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) above sea level, Norden Camp is situated 20 minutes outside of Labrang, the famous Tibetan monastic town in the Tibetan Autonomous Kanlho Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. The 11 hectare (27 acre) site borders a meandering river and is home to gazelles, hares, marmots and foxes, and visited by a vibrant array of migratory birds.
CUISINE
organic, seasonal and from rich Tibetan soil
Norden Cuisine is based on the local pastoral lifestyle and the food derived from it. Ours is an innovative, culturally conscious menu rooted in tradition, based on local seasonal products, and suitable for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. The area is untouched by development and the food that emanates from the pasture is organic by default. The milk from dris (female yaks) grazing in areas teeming with medicinal plants is known for its high nutritional value and reduced lactose content; it is the source of our healthy and delicious butter, yogurt and cream. The pasture in summer abounds in local herbs and mushrooms that can be collected daily and added to the menu. Bread is baked in traditional mud brick ovens and noodles are hand pulled and fresh at every meal.
NORLHA TEXTILES
New York, Beijing, and Zorge Ritoma
On Day 7 we make the scenic 2.5 hour journey to the remote village of Zorge Ritoma and the atelier of Norlha Textiles. Norlha, Norden's sister organization, is a groundbreaking social enterprise and one of the few luxury brands in the world merging cultural and environmental sustainability with a highly enduring and sophisticated style. Norlha is internationally known for its innovation with yak textiles and its inclusion of local nomads in the whole process of transforming the yak. Norlha Textiles supplies Paris fashion houses including Lavin, Balmain and Louis Vuitton as well as having their own brand. Feel and experience first hand the exquisite craftsmanship that utilizes the “khullu” yak fleece to create some of the most luxuriously soft fabrics that are distinctively “Norlha,” the Tibetan phrase meaning “the Wealth of the Gods".
YOUR IMPACT
supporting local communities
Norden Travel and Norlha Textiles' mission is to generate sustainable employment for former nomads while offering exceptional, uniquely Tibetan experiences and products. With nomadism on the decline and in a fragile state, Tibetans are often left with no choice but to move into the large cities to search for work. Norlha and Norden's employment and skills training allows these Tibetans and their families to stay in their home villages, keep their traditions, and give to the world a product and experience they are proud of. Your participation in the retreat directly supports these initiatives. Rooted also in environmental sustainability, Norden chooses eco-friendly practices. During the winter months, when the camp is closed, the yak hair tents are dismantled and the land returns to grazing pasture. In a world where fast fashion dominates, Norlha offers a product that will last a lifetime, to be shared with generations to come.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Bone Lhamo Kyap
Bone grew up in the Gannan highland of Gansu not far from Norden. His music expresses the natural and pure life of this diverse region. It recalls the soul of his ancestors, the Sangemao tribe of his heritage (an ancient tribe of Tibetan nation in the south of Gansu). Bone began his professional music career in Shanghai in 2010. Since then he has performed in many popular live music venues as well as music festivals, the Shanghai Mercedes Benz Arena and the Jumeriah Himalaya hotel. He has also performed abroad in London, Spain as well as Brooklyn, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He has recorded and released 2 singles with Grammy award winning producer Michael Starita at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California. His film and soundtrack “When Mother Earth Cries” is due to be released in 2018.
Laura Shirreff
Laura was born in the US but was raised in the UK. Studying at an international School, her passion for weaving, yoga and Asian studies began at sixteen years of age. Since then, more than sixteen years later, her passions have remained intertwined. Laura continues to deepen her knowledge and expertise through her profession as well as her personal practice.* Laura spent six and a half years as a textile designer in Shanghai, China, where she and Bone met in 2013. Sharing their passion for art, music, spirituality and the vast beauty of Bone’s homeland, they were inspired to found Rigpa Arts. Since then, they have hosted yoga with live music events in Shanghai, New York and California. They are excited to be offering their art, yoga, music and healing retreats here with us at Norden.
*Laura is certified by the Yoga Alliance in yoga instruction (RYT-200), from the Kathmandu Center of Healing in Singing Bowl Therapy
and Sound Healing and from the Institute of Holistic Health Sciences in Siam Reiki Healing, Pendulum Diagnosis and Crystal Therapy.
ACCOMMODATION
Yak Khullu Tent
18 Square Meters, Two Twin Beds
Adjacent Detached Eco-Friendly Toilets
Stove Heating
Log Cabin
24 Square Meters, Two Double Beds or King Bed
Ensuite Eco-Friendly Bathrooms
Stove Heating
ITINERARY
Day 1: Travel, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Staggered airport pickups from Xiahe Airport (XHE), Lanzhou Airport (LHW), and Lanzhou hotels.
Settle in at Camp, relax, and acclimate to the altitude.
Camp tour, orientation, evening yoga flow with live music meditation and welcome dinner.
Day 2: Labrang Monastery Tour
Morning tour of Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery, and guided walking meditation.
Afternoon time to explore the town and shop in the popular markets.
Evening yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 3: Horseback Riding Excursion and Spa
Invigorating morning horseback riding excursion in the vast Tibetan grassland.
Afternoon time to enjoy the hot tub, sauna or Siam Reiki session.
Evening yoga flow with live music meditation.
Day 4: Sunrise Yoga and Departures
Sunrise yoga flow with live music meditation. Parting blessings and transfers to airport.
OUR RIGPA REVITALIZE EXPERIENCE
