Dechen Chöling

What Dechen Chöling does

Dechen Chöling is a French non-profit Buddhist meditation retreat center operating as Association Shambhala Europe, a loi 1901 association founded in 1995 and headquartered on the Mas Marvent estate in Saint-Yrieix-sous-Aixe, near Limoges. It functions as the European land center of the international Shambhala network, with parent Shambhala Europe gGmbH providing brand and organizational infrastructure, and is led by Director Konstanze Brockstedt. The center's purpose is delivering Shambhala Buddhist teachings, meditation practice, and contemplative arts in a residential, nature-based setting.

The center monetizes through a diversified mix of program fees, accommodation and full-board packages across four lodging tiers, mandatory €15/year association memberships, donations and scholarship support, and short-term facility rentals (notably the Ziji house). Flagship programs include the month-long Dathün meditation retreat, progressive Shambhala Training levels, contemplative arts tracks (Kyudo, Kado-Ikebana, Aikido), healing and psychology programs, family and youth camps, the volunteer Meditation in Action (MIA) program, and free monthly Sunday Meditation for All sessions. Online practice via Zoom and multilingual delivery in English, French, and Spanish extend reach beyond the physical estate.

Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: programs are promoted through the center's website (dechencholing.org), email newsletters, Facebook and Instagram, blog content, and cross-promotion via the Shambhala international calendar and network communications. Distribution is direct via website registration integrated with the Shambhala Account database, supported by on-site accommodation, catering, translation, and shuttle services from Limoges. Capacity scales to roughly 150 participants for major residential programs, while free drop-in local programs are capped at 30 to manage demand and serve as new-practitioner entry points.

Name

Dechen Chöling

Legal name

Association Shambhala Europe

Website

https://dechencholing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dechen Chöling is a French non-profit Buddhist meditation retreat center and the European land center of the Shambhala network, offering residential meditation programs, contemplative arts, family and youth camps, and online practice to individual practitioners, families, and the broader Shambhala community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Meditation Retreat Center

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Wellness Retreats & Immersions (Multi-day, Digital Detox, Mind-Body Programs) (THAJAHAB), Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA)

Keywords

• Meditation retreats
• Contemplative arts
• Buddhist meditation center
• Residential mindfulness programs
• Spiritual retreat center

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Yrieix-sous-Aixe

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Fees charged for participation in structured programs including meditation retreats, contemplative arts workshops, family camps, and teacher-led teachings. Pricing varies by program length and includes options for patron rates and reduced rates for those under 30.
2. Accommodation and Board: Full board accommodation including meals and lodging. Multiple accommodation tiers available: dormitory, shared tents, two-person rooms, and single rooms. Room tax of €0.22 per person per night also applied.
3. Membership Fees: Annual association membership fee of €15 required for participation in programs. This is a legal yearly obligation for every participant or visitor.
4. Donations and Scholarships: Voluntary donations and scholarship support for participants with financial need. Patrons can pay above standard rates to support lower-income participants.
5. Facility Rental: Short-term rentals of Ziji house for family holidays, group retreats, and self-organized retreats. Also mentioned as available for personal retreats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dechen Chöling is a Buddhist meditation retreat center that sells residential meditation retreats, contemplative arts workshops, family and youth programs, and ancillary lodging/catering services. Programs are grounded in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition and range from intensive month-long Dathün retreats and progressive Shambhala Training levels (1-5) to family camps, Sun Camp for teens, Kyudo/Kado-Ikebana/Aikido contemplative arts, and Healing & Psychology programs. The center generates revenue from program fees, accommodation and full-board charges, mandatory annual membership, donations, and short-term facility rentals of Ziji House.

Product overview

Dechen Chöling is a Buddhist meditation retreat center offering a diverse portfolio of programs centered on Shambhala Buddhist teachings and contemplative practices. The core offerings include intensive month-long Dathün meditation retreats, weekly Sunday Meditation for All sessions, and progressive Shambhala Training levels. The center provides residential programs including the Meditation in Action (MIA) volunteer program, family-oriented programs (Family Camp, Sun Camp for youth), and contemplative arts training (Kyudo, Kado-Ikebana, Aikido). Supporting services include personal retreat accommodations, Ziji House rental for groups, online practice via Zoom, shuttle transportation, and multilingual translation. The center operates seasonal programs from its property in Saint-Yrieix-sous-Aixe, France, part of the international Shambhala network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dathün Month-Long Meditation Retreat A month-long intensive group meditation retreat based on shamatha-vipashyana (mindfulness-awareness) practice, the foundational sitting meditation from the Buddha's tradition, including contemplative practices for cultivating insight and compassion. Offered to all practitioners, with the next edition running 5 August to 2 September 2026 led by John Rockwell and Barbara Märtens.
• Sunday Meditation for All A free monthly meditation program open to everyone on the first Sunday of each month, consisting of meditation periods, talks, and group discussions suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. Registration is limited to 30 participants and conducted in French by Catherine Eveillard.
• Shambhala Training (Levels 1-5) A series of contemplative workshops teaching mindfulness and awareness meditation techniques, structured in progressive levels from introductory (Level 1: The Art of Being Human) to advanced warrior training, delivered within the Shambhala Buddhist lineage.
• Meditation in Action (MIA) Volunteer Program A volunteer work-stay program offering participants the possibility to experience daily meditation, teachings, and community life, with a minimum two-week commitment for an immersive experience at the centre.
• Shambhala Sun Camp A week-long outdoor sleep-away camp for children and teens aged 10-16, combining mindfulness practice, outdoor activities, and the Shambhala teachings on basic goodness, courage, and connection, including age-appropriate leadership workshops.
• Family Camp and Rites of Passage A program for families and single parents with children aged 3-10, combining family life with meditation practice, mindfulness activities, and age-appropriate programs for children, taught by Achim Schlage and Sylvie Deraime.
• Contemplative Arts Programs (Kyudo, Kado-Ikebana, Aikido) Programs combining contemplative practices with traditional arts including Kyudo (Japanese archery), Kado-Ikebana (flower arranging), and Aikido, taught as living contemplative traditions with teacher support from Oko Kyudojo.
• Healing & Psychology Programs Programs integrating contemplative psychology with healing practices, including Maitri (transforming confusion into wisdom) and other psychological and spiritual development offerings.
• Personal Retreats Individual retreat accommodations available from late September to early June, offering personal meditation instruction and flexible stay options for individual practitioners at the Mas Marvent estate.
• Ziji House Rental A property available for short-term rentals, suitable for family or group holidays and self-organized retreats.
• Online Practice Virtual meditation programs and group practice sessions conducted via Zoom, including Wednesday Lhasangs and Sunday Nynthüns for remote participants.
• Accommodation and Catering Services On-site lodging options including dormitory beds, shared two-person rooms, single rooms, and camping facilities, with full-board meal plans available. Room tax of €0.22 per person per night applies.
• Shuttle Service Transportation service between Limoges train station/airport and Dechen Chöling, operating on official arrival and departure days for program participants at €25 per pickup.
• Translation Services Multilingual interpretation services for programs, with English and French as primary teaching languages and translation available for other languages upon request.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shambhala Europe gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShambhala Europe gGmbH is the parent organization that hosts and operates Dechen Chöling. It owns the Shambhala brand, manages the international network, and provides organizational infrastructure including the Shambhala Database for member management. Dechen Chöling is part of the Shambhala network.
• Ringu Tulku Rinpoche / BodhicharyaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRingu Tulku Rinpoche teaches periodically at Dechen Chöling. He is a Tibetan Buddhist Master of the Kagyu Order and founder of Bodhicharya, an international organization coordinating Buddhist teachings and inter-cultural dialogues.
• Oko KyudojominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOko Kyudojo provides expertise and support for the Kyudo (contemplative archery) program. Zenko and Oko members receive a €100 discount on Kyudo programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plum Village: French Buddhist meditation practice center founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, with monastic practice centers across southern France. Direct peer in same country, similar Buddhist meditation retreat model, comparable program portfolio and multilingual audience.
• Gaia House: UK-based Buddhist meditation retreat center in Devon offering residential silent retreats rooted in the Insight Meditation tradition. Comparable as a small-to-mid-sized European retreat center with residential accommodation, donation-supported model, and teaching faculty.
• Shambhala Mountain Center: North American Shambhala land center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado offering meditation retreats, contemplative arts, and Shambhala Training in the same lineage. Most direct comparable given shared Shambhala tradition, curriculum, and retreat-center business model.
• Insight Meditation Society (IMS): Massachusetts-based Buddhist meditation retreat center offering residential insight meditation retreats, teacher training, and forest refuge. Comparable as a long-established non-profit Buddhist retreat center with multi-stream residential programming and donation-supported access.
• Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health: Massachusetts-based non-profit retreat center offering residential yoga, meditation, and wellness programs with accommodations and meals. Comparable as an asset-backed, multi-stream residential retreat operation with tiered pricing and a broad program portfolio including contemplative arts and family offerings.
• Spirit Rock Meditation Center: California-based Insight Meditation retreat center offering residential silent retreats, daylong programs, and teacher training. Comparable as a non-profit residential meditation retreat center with multi-day programs, sliding-scale pricing, and donation-supported scholarships.

Broad incumbents

• Esalen Institute: Long-established retreat center in Big Sur, California offering residential workshops in mindfulness, somatic practices, and humanistic psychology. Comparable as a historic residential retreat center with multi-stream programming, but operates at much larger scale and with a broader non-Buddhist framing.
• Omega Institute for Holistic Studies: Large US holistic retreat and learning center in Rhinebeck, New York offering workshops, wellness retreats, and residential programs. Comparable as a broader-spectrum retreat incumbent, but more secular and workshop-driven rather than lineage-specific Buddhist meditation.

Regional players

• Findhorn Foundation: Scottish spiritual community and retreat center offering residential programs in personal development, meditation, and ecology. Comparable as a European spiritual retreat community with residential programs and an established reputation, though operating on a different lineage and broader ecumenical frame.

Others

• Bodhicharya: International Buddhist organization founded by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche coordinating dharma teachings, inter-cultural dialogue, and meditation programs across multiple countries. Comparable as a network partner with an existing teaching relationship to Dechen Chöling (Ringu Tulku teaches periodically on site) and as an adjacent ecosystem participant in the Tibetan Buddhist meditation space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dechencholing
• Instagraminstagram.com/dechen_choling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dechen-ch%C3%B6ling

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dechen Chöling