Welcome Celebration in Podentes, Portugal

Building a Place for Practice Together

Please join us Saturday 16 August for a Welcome Celebration (Portuguese: Festa de Boas-vindas) at the future site of the Tergar Retreat Center in Podentes, Portugal. This festa marks our first public event here and a chance to gather, learn about the retreat center project, and imagine the future possibilities of this land.

Attendance is free and open to all; your presence alone is a meaningful contribution to this unfolding vision.

Schedule

Community Meditation & Land Blessing with Mingyur Rinpoche: Gather on the land for a morning of meditation followed by a land blessing with Mingyur Rinpoche.

Portuguese Festa: The afternoon and evening will be full of food and community connection—Portuguese style. The festa is a Portuguese tradition and typically includes food and local wine and beer. We’re working with local food vendors to offer delicious vegan and vegetarian food onsite. While we won’t be serving alcohol on the land, the village salon (just a short walk away) will be open for those that want to partake.

A more detailed schedule is coming soon.

Register

Don’t Miss Mingyur Rinpoche’s Talks in Lisbon & Coimbra

The Welcome Celebration isn’t the only opportunity to connect—Mingyur Rinpoche will in Portugal delivering two talks in Lisbon and Coimbra (just 30 mins from Podentes). Please join Tergar Portugal in welcoming Rinpoche for:

August 14 — Lisbon, Portugal
“Meditation for Daily Life”

15 August — Coimbra, Portgual
“Going Beyond Mindfulness: the Essence of Meditation” 

Learn More

Mingyur Rinpoche

How Your Gift Supports Tergar Retreats

While there’s no cost to attend the Welcome Celebration, if you’re inspired to make a donation you will have the option to do so when you register for the event.

All donations made through the Welcome Celebration directly support the development and daily operations of Tergar Retreats. Your generosity helps us bring this vision to life by funding retreat infrastructure, practitioner accessibility, program development, and the ongoing care and stewardship of the Podentes Retreat Center in Portugal. Gifts are directed to where the need is greatest, allowing us to remain responsive and sustainable as we grow.

If you would like to make a restricted or designated contribution, such as sponsoring a specific retreat space, supporting a particular program, or dedicating your gift in honor of someone—we’d love to explore those possibilities with you.

Please reach out to Christy, our Director of Development (christy@tergar-retreats.org) to start the conversation. We’re happy to work with you to align your generosity with an area that’s most meaningful to you and impactful to the vision of Tergar Retreats.

Donate

FAQs

If I’m unable to make it, how can I cancel my reservation? To cancel your reservation, just send an email to help@tergar-retreats.org and let us know. We’ll take care of the rest!

Can I receive a refund of my donation? Yes, all donations are fully refundable. To request a refund, please send an email to help@tergar-retreats.com. Refunds may take 5–10 business days to appear in your account. You’ll receive an email confirmation and receipt once processed.

Why is there a processing fee on my donation? Can I opt out of covering this fee? All donations made to Tergar Retreats via Givebutter are processed by Stripe, which charges a small transaction fee.

  • If you opt out, we will cover this fee for you—no problem!
  • If you opt in, your donation also helps cover this fee, allowing more of your contribution to go directly to our work.

Yes! You can opt out of paying the transaction fee:

  1. Click “edit” next to the fee message
  2. Uncheck the box that appears

Why is there a tip to Givebutter in my donation? Can I opt out of tipping? Givebutter allows donors to leave an optional tip to support their free platform for nonprofits.

There is no obligation or expectation to leave a tip—it’s completely up to you.

  • If we allow tips, platform fees are waived and tipping is optional
  • If we disable tips, Givebutter charges up to a 5% platform fee

Yes! You can opt out of leaving a tip:

  1. Click the dollar amount in the tip box
  2. Choose “Other”
  3. Enter $0

I would like to donate to Tergar Retreats and the 3-year retreat project. What is the best way to do this? You can donate when you register or anytime via the Donate button on our website.

If you’re considering a larger gift or want to explore giving options, sponsorships, or naming opportunities, please reach out to Christy, our Director of Development, at christy@tergar-retreats.org.

Why does the donation on my bank statement say “GB Yongey Foundation”? Tergar Retreats is supported by our sister organization, the Yongey Foundation (Tax ID: 37-1464193), a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. They serve as our fiscal sponsor and process all donations on our behalf.

What is the address for the Tergar Podentes Retreat Center? Rua da Escola 346, Quinta do Couço, Podentes, Penela 3230-526

If using a map app, enter Campo de Futebol Podentes to find the property entrance—signs will guide you from there.

If I drive, will I be able to park on site? Yes. Onsite parking is available.

Will there be shuttles to the event? Yes. We will organize shuttles and share detailed pick-up/drop-off info and schedules soon.

Can you recommend lodging options in the area? Yes! Please see our list of nearby hotels & campgrounds.

What should I wear to the event? Is there anything I should be prepared for weather-wise?

  • Terrain: The retreat land includes natural terrain and uneven ground—comfortable, outdoor-appropriate shoes are recommended.
  • Weather: Expect variable weather—mornings/evenings may be cool and foggy; afternoons warm and sunny. Rain is also possible.
  • Clothing: Dress in layers. Bring clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. Chairs are provided; feel free to bring a cushion or mat.

Are there ways to volunteer if I want to help? Yes! Here’s how to get involved:

Do you sell or share my data? No. We do not sell your data. If we plan to share it with another Tergar organization in the future, we will ask your permission first.

How do I request access, updates, or deletion of data you have collected? Email us at help@tergar-retreats.com with your request.

Where can I view your Privacy Policy? We use Givebutter to manage events and donations:

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