On January 13, 2025, join us online for a 10 a.m. meditation guided by Alejandro Chaoul, followed by a 24-hour session of silent contemplation alternating with periods of guided meditation. Our online gathering offers a sacred space in which we acknowledge personal pain and societal challenges while abiding within the open, clear, warmth of presence — who we truly are. Discovering this space of inner refuge is the ultimate sense of protection and supports genuine compassion to emerge to meet the challenges we face individually and collectively.
Each month the 24-hour session begins with a guided meditation at 10 a.m. New York time on the day of the full moon and continues unbroken until 10 a.m. the following day. We are supported by Ligmincha International’s global community of practitioners. Unlike Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s CyberSangha® Facebook Live broadcasts, the 24-hour full moon practice takes place via Zoom. Its simple group meditation is open to anyone regardless of one’s religious or spiritual background. There is no cost to participate, but registration is required.
REGISTER NOW FOR JANUARY 13–14
NEW: Free Interactive Online Course, “Resting in Inner Refuge.” Four Tuesdays with Aleezé Sattar Moss beginning January 14, 2025. Class size is limited. Learn more & register now.
To stay informed of future 24-hour full moon practice sessions, subscribe to the CyberSangha Announcements email list.
Scheduled Full Moon Dates
In the Tibetan tradition, many sacred rituals and practices, including the celebration of the Tibetan New Year, coincide with the phases of the moon. It is said that the beneficial effects of one’s meditation practice multiply exponentially at the time of the full moon. Thirteen 24-hour practice sessions have been scheduled for the 2024-5 lunar year, each coinciding with the full moon. The dates are listed below. Each session starts at 10 a.m. New York time and concludes at 10 a.m. the following day. If you are in a different time zone, to confirm the correct time conversion visit World Time Buddy—or, go to www.google.com and search for “time New York” to see what time it is now in New York (Eastern time U.S.).
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- Friday, February 23, 2024
- Sunday, March 24, 2024
- Tuesday, April 23, 2024
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024
- Friday, June 21, 2024
- Saturday, July 20, 2024
- Monday, August 19, 2024
- Tuesday, September 17, 2024
- Wednesday, October 16, 2024
- Friday, November 15, 2024*
- Saturday, December 14, 2024
- Monday, January 13, 2025
- Tuesday, February 11, 2025
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*In the United States, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 10, 2024, and ends on Sunday, November 3, 2024, so be sure to take this one-hour difference into account when determining the time conversion for scheduled events.
January 13–14 Host Countries
From January 13–14, 2025, 16 teams of practice leaders from Ligmincha International communities will each host a 90-minute shift during the full moon Zoom session to ensure that the practice continues uninterrupted throughout the 24-hours. Each shift will begin with a 15- to 30-minute session of meditation introduced in English by a practice leader and then guided in his or her native language — see “The Practice Text in Multiple Languages” for translated text of the guided meditation. Listed according to the start time of each shift (New York time), these teams may include:
- 10:00 USA
- 11:30 Finland
- 13:00 Germany
- 14:30 Hungary, Italy
- 16:00 Poland
- 17:30 Brazil, Portugal
- 19:00 South Korea
- 20:30 Costa Rica
- 22:00 Mexico
- 23:30 USA (West)
- 01:00 The Netherlands
- 02:30 Switzerland
- 04:00 Austria
- 05:30 France
- 07:00 Argentina, Colombia, Peru
- 08:30 Spain
About the Inner Refuge Practice
The start of the Tibetan New Year in February 2024 (Year of the Dragon) marked the beginning of a yearlong cycle of 24-Hour Full Moon Practices. This is the fifth consecutive year we have continued this tradition. Each month as the moon becomes full, we open our virtual meditation space to anyone around the world who feels moved to connect with others in meditation. In each of sixteen 90-minute shifts, one of Ligmincha International’s practice leaders welcomes us in English and then guides a meditation in the language of his or her country, culminating in a period of contemplative silence. The practice leader periodically offers brief guidance for refreshing our practice, along with brief offerings of supportive mantra music, until the next shift begins. This cycle of guided meditation, contemplative silence, and mantra continues uninterrupted throughout the 24 hours. The cycle ends as we dedicate the merit of our practice for the benefit of all beings.
Participants are welcome to enter the session at any time during the 24 hours, for at least half an hour’s practice at a time. Some shifts may have many participants and others just a few, but all share a similar energy and sense of connection. Your quiet presence is very welcome at any time throughout!
We also invite you to light a candle during the practice, if you wish, as a visual reminder of the sacredness of inner refuge.
The full text of the guided meditation is available below in English and multiple other languages.
More about Ligmincha International
The meditation guided during the 24-Hour Full Moon Practice should not be considered a substitute for professional medical care. If you have any physical, emotional or psychological needs or concerns, be sure to consult your physician.
Guidelines for Participants
Advance registration is required for each 24-hour full moon session. We ask you to review the following guidelines before registering to make this gathering a supportive experience for everyone:
- To create and sustain sacred space, enter the session with respect and awareness. We encourage turning on your camera if it doesn’t turn on automatically upon entering the room. By seeing one another we can better feel each other’s presence and support. Please be mindful of what appears on your screen to avoid creating distractions. All microphones will be muted by default except those of designated practice leaders.
- You are welcome to enter the Zoom session beginning at any time during the 24-hour period and as often as you like. But please join for at least 30 minutes at a time. If you enter after the initial guided meditation is over, we suggest that you begin your personal practice by engaging in the meditation on your own before participating (see “The Practice Text in Multiple Languages,” below).
- When you register for a given 24-hour Zoom session, you will be sent a unique link enabling you to enter that session. You must register to participate. If you know others who might like to participate, refer them to cybersangha.net so they can learn more and register.
REGISTER NOW FOR JANUARY 13–14
The Practice Text in Multiple Languages
Text of the guided meditation has been translated into multiple languages and is accessible via links below. Note that any page of this website can be automatically translated into the language of your choice by clicking the “Translate” link (globe icon) in the top menu. The Google Translate tool isn’t perfect, but it can help you to navigate the site.
English
Deutsch
Español
Français
Korean 한국어
Magyar
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Suomi
About the Practice Leaders
During each 24-Hour Full Moon Practice, experienced practice leaders from Ligmincha centers around the world will be guiding us in meditation. In particular, the opening (10 a.m.) session of each 24-hour practice will be guided by either Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Marcy Vaughn, Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, Aleezé Sattar Moss, Lourdes Hinojosa, or Mai-Linh Leminhbach.
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is a teacher, acclaimed author, and meditation master in the Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition. As the founder and spiritual director of Ligmincha International, he has established numerous centers and institutes of learning in the United States, Mexico, South America, Europe and India. Fluent in English, Rinpoche regularly offers online teachings in the form of live CyberSangha broadcasts, online workshops and YouTube videos. He is renowned for his warmth and depth of wisdom; his clear, engaging teaching style; and his dedication to making the ancient Tibetan teachings highly accessible and relevant to the lives of Westerners. Learn more
Marcy Vaughn has been a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for more than 45 years and graduated in the first class of the master’s program in contemplative psychotherapy at Naropa University. Currently a therapist in private practice in Pennsylvania, USA, Marcy teaches meditation classes and leads retreats that explore imagery and voice in the healing process. Marcy edited the books Tibetan Sound Healing, Awakening the Sacred Body, Awakening the Luminous Mind, and Spontaneous Creativity, all by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. She helped design and teaches in The 3 Doors Academy, a three-year training program bringing contemplative practices to a secular world.
Alejandro Chaoul-Reich has studied in the Tibetan traditions since 1989, and for nearly 30 years in the Bön Tradition with Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. He holds a Ph.D. in Tibetan religions from Rice University and is the director of the Mind Body Spirit Institute at the Jung Center of Houston. For the last 20 years he has been teaching and researching the benefits of Tibetan mind-body practices for people touched by cancer. Alejandro is a Contemplative Fellow at the Mind & Life Institute, and is the author of Chöd Practice in the Bön Tradition (Snow Lion, 2009), Tibetan Yoga for Health & Well-Being (Hay House, 2018), and Tibetan Yoga: Magical Movements of Body, Breath, and Mind (Wisdom Publications, 2021).
Aleezé Sattar Moss is the associate director of the Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. She is a certified mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) teacher and teaches mindfulness to the public, patients, health care professionals, medical students, and employees in corporate settings. In addition to receiving extensive training in teaching mindfulness, Aleeze completed the 9 month-long Three Doors Compassion Project in 2016. She continues to deepen her own practice and teaching through ongoing trainings and retreats. She has a doctorate in anthropology and conducts qualitative research on the effects of MBSR on physical and psychological health and has published in peer-reviewed journals. She is deeply passionate about sharing the benefits of mindfulness and meditation.
Lourdes Hinojosa has practiced Bōn Buddhism since 1999, when she met her root lama, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, at Chamma Ling Valle de Bravo, Mexico. She graduated as a teacher of English as a second language from ITESM University, 1981. Since 1997 she has served as a reiki master — teacher and psychic astrologer — in private practice in Monterrey, Mexico. Lourdes graduated from The 3 Doors Academy and is a 3 Doors Authorized Presenter, as well as a practice guide (umdze), instructor, and board member for Ligmincha Mexico. She has joyfully translated Rinpoche’s teachings into Spanish since 2002; and as a member of the core CyberSangha team, coordinates volunteer translators for CyberSangha and Ligmincha International.
Mai-Linh Leminhbach began her journey with Buddhist teachings and meditation at an early age thanks to her Buddhist family, and as an adult has continued learning from Tibetan Buddhist teachers of different lineages. She became a student of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche in 2010 and has been practicing under his guidance since then. Mai-Linh serves as a practice guide and instructor, and as vice-president of the board of Ligmincha France/Switzerland. She also translates for Rinpoche’s teachings to the French-speaking communities. She facilitates meditation retreats in India and the United States.
Having trouble connecting to the Zoom session? Visit these links for guidance. Note: Only designated practice leaders will have their microphones enabled.
Video/camera not working | Can’t hear the practice leaders/speaker issues
If you lose your unique link for entering the Zoom session after registering for a given 24-hour practice, simply register again using the “Register Now” button on this page, and you’ll be re-sent the link.
Questions about the Full Moon series?
Contact us
Not able to get into the LIVE. I’m in a loop—it tells me to log into FB but I’m already in. And it when I click join it sends me back to the first page to register ( which I did multiple times?)
Hi Jeanie, if you click on the REGISTER NOW button above, it should take you to Zoom, not to Facebook. The Full Moon session takes place only on Zoom. If you’re caught in a loop, you might try clear your cookies and cache and try again. Or, try entering the session using a different browser, such as Chrome or Firefox. I hope this helps!
Tried everything. Wasted an hour. Never got in to the Live Zoom.
Yvette, sorry you’re having trouble connecting. Not sure what the issue might be! I don’t know if you’ve tried everything shown above under “Having trouble connecting to the Zoom session?,” and if you’ve rebooted your computer and cleared your cookies and cache. If you can’t make it to the current session, I hope you’re able to connect smoothly in the future! — Polly
Thanks Polly, sorry I missed it too. I’ve never had trouble before.