Rigpé Yeshé

Cultivating Inner Confidence, Compassion and Connection

Rigpé Yeshé is Rigpa’s Children and Teenagers Programme, established in 2005 it has grown into a vibrant community supporting young people as they grow into confident, kind and responsible human beings.

On this page

About our Programmes

Inspired by the universal values of the Buddhist tradition, the programme offers children and teens a meaningful space to explore who they are, connect with others, and discover simple tools to develop their own inner goodness and qualities.

Our approach rests on three core elements:

connecting to yourself: knowing and understanding yourself
connecting to others: cultivating empathy, friendship and compassion
connecting to the world: acting with altruism and exploring interdependence

Through age-appropriate activities, meditation, mindfulness exercises, and playful exploration, young people can flourish—physically, emotionally, intellectually, creatively, ethically and spiritually.

A distinctive element of Rigpé Yeshé’s summer programme at Lerab Ling in France is the diversity of the children who attend. Children and young people from many nationalities join activities with others their own age, giving them the chance to appreciate cultural, language and other differences, while recognising their common ground as young people.

Inspired by the universal values of the Buddhist tradition, the programme offers children and teens a meaningful space to discover simple tools to develop their own inner goodness and qualities.

What the kids and parents enjoy

The children and young people joining the summer programme enjoy the structured yet flexible programme and the chance to connect with friends each year, sharing a mix of activities and informal moments.

Parents appreciate that the programme allows them to relax in retreat, knowing their children are well supported and following a programme that benefits them in many ways.

As a long-time practitioner, I am very grateful to have been able to bring my children with me on retreat from the very beginning. Our children are not only taken care of, but also benefited from their own Dharma [meditation] program combined with wonderful leisure activities.
In this way, we formed close bonds and friendships with other families, some of which still last today. Rigpa enables children and young people to discover the Dharma in an authentic way, without pressure and with a great sense of freedom.

I love Rigpe Yeshe because these are times when we share so many things together with the other children despite our different languages. We play games and do lots of different activities: drawing, water fights, activities linked to meditation, etc.

I chose to become a team member because I wanted the children and teenagers to experience the same unforgettable things that I had. Seeing them laughing together is enough to bring tears to my eyes. It’s not about making them into little Buddhists, it’s about showing them their inner goodness, and if we’re accomplishing that then that’s the main thing.

As the mother of a 13-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl who have taken part in the RY program since they were old enough to join, I especially appreciate the team that organises and looks after the children. The team is always attentive to the children’s needs, giving them both a social experience of living together and a spiritual experience with varied activities and concrete tools that are useful in their daily lives.

Again and again I can see that during our programmes restlessness of the children settles and there is an incredible quality of stillness in them.

Since I was four years old, I’ve taken part every summer in Rigpe Yeshe activities. I think Rigpe Yeshe is great because we make friends and meet up with them again every year. The Dharma teachings help us refocus on ourselves.

Perhaps the main accomplishment of Rigpé Yeshé is that everyone gets a chance to make friends with themselves, to really explore and experiment with sitting meditation. And of course there's the deep friendships that everyone comes back to year after year.

Rigpé Yeshé around the world

Rigpé Yeshé has been holding programmes for kids and families in various countries in Europe, USA and Australia for over 20 years.

Currently there are programmes and activities happening in France, Germany, the Netherlands, London and Dzogchen Beara in Ireland.

Rigpé Yeshé Annual Programmes

Lerab Ling Summer retreats July / August

Each year, a programme for children and teens is offered during the main summer retreats at Lerab Ling in France.

Ngöndro Retreat
Meditation Retreat
Dzogchen Retreat

Buddhist Teachings for Kids

This collection of short video teachings from Sogyal Rinpoche, Thich Nhat Hanh, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and other masters were often inspired by questions asked by children themselves. It’s perfect for families to watch together, or for older children to watch on their own.

Buddhist Parenting Course Online

This course brings together the best of the inspiring, clear and practical advice given to parents and children by masters visiting Rigpa over the years. This online course is held by a team experienced in teaching children, teenagers and parents.

This course offered so much valuable material, both during the sessions and after the sessions. Lessons and insights from many different teachers were shared and many ideas for practicing with children were provided. I am very impressed with all the material and the generosity to share it all! Everything was super well organised, just as I experience in general at Rigpa, and the bond between the organisers was warm and constructive.

This has been an invaluable course, and I really appreciate the variety of topics. I definitely feel kinder to myself as a parent and am more aware of when I can let go of things with my child and when I should draw boundaries. I also particularly love all the inspiration on how to start a family meditation and this course is rich with inspiration and resources. Thank you so much.”