The Flow of Being: A Joy of Being
A Kum Nye Retreat at Karuna, Dartmoor, with Abbe Blum and Maura Sills, assisted by James Scurry
Being is nourished through the flow of the senses. Through movement, contemplation and immersive practice, held in the outstanding natural beauty of Dartmoor, you are invited into an experience of full participation in the truth of our embodiment.
The retreat draws on The Joy of Being, the seminal work of Tarthang Tulku, founder of the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley. Recognized at an early age as a reincarnate lama, he received an unparalleled education in Tibet before leaving for India in 1958. He received transmission of important Tibetan Buddhist lineages from nearly 40 masters. Earlier Kum Nye teachings use posture, breath and massage to relax and energise the body and calm the mind. The Joy of Being turns towards the inner massage of feeling: it uses the senses to revitalise our capacities for seeing, tasting,hearing, smelling, touching and understanding the sensing aspect of mind. Balancing body and mind, these practices open what Tarthang Tulku calls "the rich nectar of energy flowing unobstructed through a completely relaxed and balanced body."
In this spirit, we will use the senses to relax and open up into the body and the inner flows of feeling. Alongside the practices, there will be periods of silent sitting and walking meditation in Karuna Dartmoor's beautiful surrounding areas, one of England's last truly wild landscapes, allowing the land itself to become part of the practice. Together we will explore the nature of awakened awareness—not as an idea to grasp, but by directly tasting and discovering a richness as close to us as our own bodies, breath and senses.
Kum Nye develops relaxation through which the heart opens; we find ourselves touching into the felt sense of our experience directly, beyond labels and concepts. We come home to our embodiment, discovering, simply, what it means to be.
About Kum Nye
Kum Nye, a traditional Tibetan yoga introduced to the West by Tarthang Tulku, integrates physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation to promote holistic well-being. By exploring inner sensations and embracing the flow of feeling, practitioners can access a healing vehicle amidst the stresses of modern life. Kum Nye helps to integrate body and mind, fostering a sense of wholeness and inner peace.
About Abbe Blum
Abbe Blum is a long time student of Tarthang Tulku, beginning her study at Nyingma Institute in 1987 and completing the six month Human Development retreat in 1994. Teaching in the Nyingma Mandala since 1998, she currently presents Kum Nye, Joy of Being, Lotus Trilogy, Caring, and Nyingma Psychology courses at Nyingma Institute and Dharma College. She worked as one of the editors on several of Rinpoche’s latest books and together with Caroline van Tuyll designed the hands-on Joy of Being Workbook. She holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley, an M.A. from Cambridge University, England, where she was a Marshall scholar, and a Ph.D. in English literature from Yale University. As an Associate Professor at Swarthmore College, she taught Shakespeare and intensive writing seminars. has done the six month Human Development program. She also currently teaches in the School of Psychology and Interdisciplinary Inquiry at Saybook University and is doing an online course, Body Consciousness, Body Wisdom at JFK University.
About James Scurry
James is an accredited Core Process Psychotherapist and a Kum Nye instructor authorised by the Nyingma Institute. He specialises in supporting those who have experienced trauma to reconnect with their bodies and restore a felt sense of safety and belonging through the healing practices of Kum Nye.
Alongside his psychotherapy practice, James has run workshops with journalists, police officers, and members of the military, though his Kum Nye classes are open to anyone with an interest in embodied healing.
He has a deep interest in Tibetan Buddhism and co-facilitates workshops on Tibetan lucid dreaming practices for trauma alongside lucid dreaming teacher and author Charlie Morley.
James holds a Master’s Degree in Mindfulness-based Core Process Psychotherapy from the Karuna Institute in Devon, England.
www.jamesscurry.com
About Karuna Dartmoor
Situated in the heart of Devon’s moorland, Karuna Dartmoor (formerly The Karuna Institute) is renowned for integrating Western psychotherapeutic models with Buddhist psychology and mindfulness practices. With over 30 years of experience, it offers unique contemporary trainings and provides opportunities for deepening embodied awareness and cultivating presence and open-heartedness in relationships.
Guidelines for Dana
Dana means “generosity” and “giving” in Pali, the language in which the Buddha’s teachings were originally recorded. The Buddha regularly emphasised in his teaching the value of generosity and sharing what we have with others, as an essential practice of cultivating happiness and wellbeing.
Dana is a foundation principle underlying the running of Retreats, and also at other Insight Meditation centres and Buddhist monasteries, around the world. This follows a two and a half thousand year-old tradition in the transmission of the dharma.
In order to make this opportunity to practice as accessible as possible, Karuna Dartmoor seeks to keep costs to a minimum. The charge you paid to attend this retreat covers only the ongoing costs of running the course. The teachers serve and support your retreat out of kindness and generosity: they are not paid for the work they do.
As your time on the retreat comes to an end, you have the opportunity to support the teachers who have supported your retreat.
The Buddha encouraged dana and generosity, in recognition of our interdependence, and as a wholesome practice which helps release the heart and mind from greed and negativity. In receiving with gratitude, and giving with generosity, we become more fully conscious participants in the interconnected web of life that supports us all.
Take it as a practice: there is no expected “right amount”, so please listen to your heart and give what you are moved to offer, while also respecting your practical circumstances. Your dana ensures the continued transmission of the dharma teachings, and their accessibility to all who wish to receive them.
The Directors and Teachers at Karuna Dartmoor deeply appreciate and thank you for your kindness and generosity.
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The Flow of Being: A Joy of Being
DATES: Sunday 25 July 2027 (5pm arrival) to Friday 30 July 2027 (after lunch)
VENUE: Karuna Dartmoor, TQ13 7TR
TUTOR: Abbe Blum, Maura Sills and James Scurry
COSTS -
WAGED:
UNWAGED:
Deposit is payable within 7 days of acceptance onto the course.
The charge you pay to attend only covers administration fees and accomodation and food. The teachers serve and support your retreat and training out of kindness and generosity. They are not paid for the work they do. Therefore, Dana to the teachers is welcomed.We may be able to offer payment plans to spread the cost of the course over a longer time, as long as the final payment of any payment plan is 8 weeks before the start date of the course. If this is something you would be interested in discussing, please let us know once you’re accepted onto the course.
All residential retreats and training will include shared bedroom accommodation. They also include lunch and dinner, prepared by a local chef. There will be a self-serve breakfast. This is all included in the cost.
Karuna offers vegetarian meals. We can provide wheat-free and dairy-free or vegan options, but please inform us as soon as possible before your stay. If you have very specific dietary needs, consider bringing any items you might need to supplement the provided meals.
Please note that Karuna Dartmoor is alcohol-free and does not allow non-prescribed drugs.