Household guest days

Guest Days allow a member of the KCL Household to invite friends and relatives (up to three people at once) to visit Karmê Chöling for up to one week at a time, for a maximum of three (3) weeks per year, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Director of Guest Services.

“KCL Household” refers to Residential Staff, Full-Time Staff, Residents, and Residential Volunteers staying for a minimum of 3 months.

The KCL staff member is their host and is responsible for communicating with their guests and with KCL Guest Services, as well as greeting their guests upon arrival and showing them to their room(s). All requests to host a guest must be made to Guest Services (guestservices@karmecholing.org) via email in a timely manner, preferably at least 2 weeks in advance. There are some times when guests are not allowed on the land, such as during some restricted programs.

There is no charge for hosting a guest, however hosts are asked to encourage their guests to make the standard $15/meal or $30/day donation for meals.

If Guest Services determines that housing is available, the host may request a private room or dorm bed for their guest. If additional rooms are needed, guests are welcome to rent additional housing at the current participant rate. Otherwise, your guest may stay with you in your room or, if available, on the Shrine Room Floor.

During times that overlap with a program, Guest Services will know approximately two weeks ahead of time whether housing is likely to be available and will give a final answer 2-3 days before program arrival. Paying participants take precedence over free guests.

All guests must complete and sign the standard KCL Welcome Packet, which includes the Code of Conduct and a general Liability Waiver. Hosts are responsible for the behavior of their guests. In incidents of guests violating the KCL Code & Conduct, repercussions may also be applied to their host as though the host themselves committed the violation.

KCL Staff members are able to offer, free of charge, two introductory weekend programs per calendar year to their guests. The Guest Days policy applies, and housing is free of charge only if it is available. Guests are welcome to pay the standard rate for housing if they wish to guarantee their space. The guest is required to follow usual procedures for registering for a program, but only needs to pay the deposit if they are paying for housing. Any materials fees are the responsibility of the guest.

“KCL Staff” refers to Residential Staff, Full-Time Staff, and Residential Volunteers staying for a minimum of 3 months.

Introductory programs include Shambhala Training Level 1 (aka “The Art of Being Human”), a weekend Silent Simplicity Retreat, and other meditation programs without prerequisites. Other programs will be decided on a program-by-program basis. This policy cannot be applied to or against the cost of a longer program.

Last updated October 27, 2026.