Compassionate World Children's Festival

WELCOME

The Compassionate World Children's Festival (the first of its kind!) is a donation-based family retreat created to inspire wholesome peace and presence via nature immersion, sacred play, and heart-led community! The vibe is a park/picnic play date meets sacred yet fluid opportunities for land appreciation and loving ceremony.

So, pack up your families along with all your favorite picnicking supplies (e.g. blankets, water, any food you would like, and fruit to share and offer) and come along to anchor in this beautiful earth-loving frequency of play & devotion.

Families of all ages are welcome.

ABOUT THE VENUE

The Surrender Retreat House is a privately owned 7 bedroom, 4,200 sq ft retreat home located near the base of Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. . The home is often used for retreats and hosting special events. It is the residence of Reverend Jakob Merchant and his family. There are private walking paths to Oak Creek and ample outdoor space for children and their families. We welcome you to make full use of the outdoor grounds. There is a newly built schoolhouse dome, an outdoor bathroom and a new Buddhist Enlightenment Stupa being built on the premises. We encourage you to visit the site with reverence.

OUR COLLECTIVE OFFERING

All proceeds from the CW Children's Festival will be donated to the mission of Lama Tashi Norbu and his charity. 

The suggested donation per day is $36/per family.

Guests are welcome to attend the festival a la carte and we are encouraging you to settle in, sink in, and nurture this incredible opportunity to nourish heart-led relationships and presence for your entire family.

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dr. Nia Jarrett, DMSc, PA-C | Wholeness Expert, Sacred Strategist

Dr. Nia Jarrett is a licensed psychiatric physician associate with a Doctor of Medical Science degree, grounded in both clinical expertise and a deep commitment to human connection. As a Wholeness Expert, she is guided by a mission of conscious collaboration to help create a more compassionate world - one rooted in social and emotional wholeness for all. A leader with insight, empathy, and an unshakable belief in our collective capacity to heal, evolve, and thrive.

Lama Tashi Norbu | Tibetan Buddhist Monk & Artist

Lama Tashi Norbu is a Tibetan-born contemporary artist and cultural ambassador whose work bridges ancient spiritual traditions with modern artistic expression. Trained at the Namgyai Monastery under the guidance of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Lama Tashi brings forward a lineage of sacred knowledge through innovative sculptures, paintings, tattoos, and performances. As the founder of the Museum of Contemporary Tibetan Art in the Netherlands, his mission is to cultivate peace, environmental awareness, and spiritual presence through art that speaks across cultures.

Geshe Jampa Dhundup

Geshe Jampa Dhundup was born in Nepal in 1976 and moved to India in 1979. In 1983, he joined Sera May University in South India, and studied at Sermey School. In 1990, he began studying Buddhist philosophy and completed his studies in 2002, earning the title of Geshe, equivalent to a Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhism. In 2011, he moved to the United States and joined the Rashi Gempil Ling Buddhist Temple in New Jersey offering prayers and blessings for others.

Jakob and Fabiola Merchant of the Sedona Surrender Retreat House

Jakob and Fabiola Merchant joyfully welcome you into their little slice of heaven, the Sedona Surrender Retreat House. Jakob and Fabiola have 5 children ages 24, 21, 19, 5 and 5 months : ) They moved to Sedona 18 years ago to follow a calling to be with their spiritual teacher Dr. David Hawkins. Jakob Merchant is an ordained Interfaith Minister, Spiritual Counselor, Body Talk Practitioner, Healer, and certified Yoga Instructor. Jakob has a master’s degree in counseling. Fabiola Merchant has a masters degree in nursing and is a Nurse Practitioner specialized in Women's Health and Midwifery. She is the owner of Sedona Birth and Women’s Health located in West Sedona. They run a 501C3 non profit organization and Interfaith Ministry, Communion With Love. Their ministry is dedicated to the deepening of love in everyday life. The emphasis is on the time-honored pathways and teachings that lead to a direct experience of God or Enlightenment. 

This is an inclusive event. Our highest intention is to cultivate loving and wholesome relationship that is rooted in all prayers of peace and love. Kids come in many shapes and sizes. And so, prayer does too.

We hope you join us and thank you for your interest in the Compassionate World Children's Festival.