I love that I can come to Spirit Rock and get CE Credits as an extra benefit!
Dive deeper into your practice with our new Dharma Institute
We are excited to introduce a major new initiative for our community and practitioners worldwide: the Spirit Rock Dharma Institute. Responding to the growing demand for our Dharma Training Programs, and the greater accessibility of our online programming, we are creating the Dharma Institute to provide clear, long-term paths of practice and study for present and future generations of practitioners, leaders, and Dharma teachers.
The Dharma Institute offers in-depth study of the teachings and practices of the Buddha and the Insight Meditation lineage, along with professional trainings and continuing education. These study opportunities take place both online and on-land at the Spirit Rock campus. It brings together existing class series, multi-day intensives, training programs, and our new library of on-demand online courses as well as an evolving curriculum of new study and practice programs. At the heart of the Dharma Institute is a core sequence of Buddhist Study and Practice programs, built around three multi-month trainings: the Living Dharma Program (LDP), the Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP), and Liberation, Emptiness, and Awareness Practices (LEAP).
All Dharma Institute programs are designed with a fluency in psychology and socially-engaged values, with a foundation in our Early Buddhist lineage. The depth of these programs, and the connections you’ll make in them, will sustain you over a lifetime of practice.
Finding Your Path
“The Dharma is beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle, beautiful in the end.” (DN 2)
One of the most common questions we hear at the close of a transformative retreat or a class series that has opened new doors for someone, is “What do I do next?” Though spiritual practice is not linear, and we return to the same themes again and again as we grow in the Dharma, there is a path we follow, along which we deepen in wisdom and experience the results of a life of dedicated practice.
The heart of the Dharma Institute is our Buddhist Study & Practice sequence, which brings you from the basics of meditation and mindfulness all the way to explorations of liberation and life-transforming insight. Progressing along this path, you will weave together practice in daily life, study of the Early Buddhist tradition, and silent retreat, developing confidence in yourself and deepening in spiritual community. With the support of the Dharma, and in spiritual friendship (kalyāṇa mitta), we find our way through a complex and challenging world, growing in wisdom and service for the benefit of all beings.
Alongside the core sequence, we have brought together specialized programs in two broad areas: Leadership & Professional Development, and Practice in the World. These programs bring mindfulness and lovingkindness to every part of your life and path, with Continuing Education classes for many professions, courses for activists, and explorations of how Dharma practice can help resolve trauma and support sustainable well-being.
For help finding which training or course is right for you, reach out to us anytime at [email protected].
Buddhist Study & Practice
Immerse yourself in Dharma practice & insight
Our cornerstone Buddhist Study and Practice courses support passionate beginners and lifelong practitioners to bring the power of the Buddha’s teachings into daily life and retreat practice. Rooted in the Early Buddhist tradition and our Insight Meditation lineage, these trainings and study classes will transform your practice and understanding of the Dharma.
For Beginners
For those new to practice or wanting to refresh the basics, these courses will give you a solid foundation in the teachings of the Buddha and the core practices of Insight Meditation.
On-Demand Courses
Mark Coleman | 20 hour on-demand course
Dawn Mauricio | 5 hour on-demand course
Class Series
The Four Brahmavihāras
James Baraz | 4 week online class (coming fall 2024)
For Advancing Practitioners
These programs assume familiarity with foundational Buddhist concepts and meditation practice. If you have attended a few retreats or been practicing for 1-2 years, these programs will deepen your practice and study.
On-Demand Courses
Nikki Mirghafori | 5 hour on-demand course
Sean Oakes | 10 hour on-demand course (coming fall 2024)
Training
Living Dharma Program: Exploring & Integrating the Eightfold path in Daily Life
Dawn Mauricio & Mark Coleman | 9 month online training (registration closed until 2025)
For Experienced Practitioners
These programs explore the full depth and breadth of the Dharma, weaving together advanced meditation practices, study of Buddhist texts, and trainings that bring together teachings from across the Buddhist world.
On-Demand Courses
Dancing with Life
Phillip Moffitt & Dana DePalma | 20 hour on-demand course (coming November 2024)
Training
Dedicated Practitioners Program
2 year training in Buddhist teachings & practices (coming May 2026)
Liberation, Emptiness, and Awareness Practices
1 year training in meditation & insight practices (next round TBD)
Deep Dive Dharma
9 months of practice integrating Theravāda and Mahāyāna approaches to the Dharma
Leadership & Professional Development
Integrate the Dharma into Your Professional Life
Mindfulness and lovingkindness support well-being in every aspect of our lives, including work, relationships, community, and the broader culture. These courses build on a foundation of self-care and meditation to bring the skills and wisdom of the Dharma to our lives at work. Programs also offer Continuing Education Credits for care professionals, Yoga teachers, and others.
For Beginners
Earn Continuing Education Credits (CECs) while you deepen your practice in classes and on-demand courses. These programs offer approved CECs for healthcare professionals, as well as supporting meditation teachers, Yoga teachers, lawyers, first responders, and others to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness into the workplace.
On-Demand Courses
White & Awakening: Mindfulness Practices for Exploring & Disrupting the Impact of White Conditioning
Crystal Johnson | 10 hour on-demand course, co-produced with East Bay Meditation Center
Training
Mindful Leadership Training
Nikki Mirghafori & Marc Lesser | 3 month online training (Feb-Apr 2025)
For Advancing Practitioners
These programs assume familiarity with foundational Buddhist concepts and meditation practice.
On-Demand Courses
Nikki Mirghafori | 5 hour on-demand course
Training
Buddhist Psychology Training
Matthew Brensilver | 4-month online training (Registration is open now!
Dharma Yoga Mindfulness Training
Anne Cushman, Leslie Booker, Rolf Gates, Djuna Devereaux | 1 year on-land training (May 2024 - Jun 2025)
For Experienced Practitioners
These trainings are oriented toward those with the experience and calling to teach in the Insight Meditation tradition. Prospective students must be nominated by mentors who are approved teachers in the Insight Meditation tradition.
Training
Community Dharma Leaders
2 year on-land training (2024 applications closed)
Retreat Teacher Training
4-6 year on-land training (by nomination only)
Practice in the World
Engage with every part of your life and our world
Cultivating a balanced and grounded heart and mind is supportive of insight, a healthy life, and engagement with community and culture. In these programs, we cultivate emotional regulation and deepen in embodiment and joy throughout our lives, building the resilience needed to meet our challenging times.
The flagship program in this area is A Year to Live (YTL), focused on mindful, heart-based contemplation of death. Courses in development include intensives and trainings that address the climate crisis, and classes in resilience, social action, and Buddhist psychology. All of these programs understand that when we weave together individual and collective approaches to healing and liberation, our practice truly becomes “for the benefit of all beings.”
Combining selected programs with courses from the Buddhist Study & Practice sequence gives a robust curriculum in Engaged Buddhism as well as support for healing and well-being throughout our lives.
For Beginners
For those new to practice or wanting to refresh the basics.
On-Demand Courses
White & Awakening: Mindfulness Practices for Exploring & Disrupting the Impact of White Conditioning
Crystal Johnson | 10 hour on-demand course co-produced with East Bay Meditation Center
Joanna Macy | 5 hour on-demand course
Class Series
Everyday Life as Mindfulness Practice
Sylvia Boorstein & Heidi Bourne | 6 week online class (coming August 2024)
The Somatics of Thought and Emotion
Jill Satterfield (guest) | 4 week online class
Christiane Wolf (guest) | 4 week online class (coming fall 2024)
The Big Three: Greed, Hatred, and Delusion
Rhonda Varette Magee | 3 week online class (coming fall 2024)
For Advancing Practitioners
These programs assume familiarity with foundational Buddhist concepts and meditation practice.
Training
Awake in the Wild
Mark Coleman | 4-month on-land training (coming spring 2025)
A Year to Live
Vinny Ferraro, with Frank Ostaseski (guest), & Pam Dunn (guest) | 1 year training (Open for registration now!)
Upcoming Dharma Institute Programs
Find Dharma Institute programs on our calendar by clicking here.
Dharma Institute Faculty
The Dharma Institute faculty includes some of the most beloved teachers in Insight Meditation, including a diverse group of Spirit Rock retreat and training teachers, plus guest teachers who are recognized experts in their fields. All core faculty have received teaching authorization in the Insight Meditation lineage, and are respected guides, mentors, and writers bringing lovingkindness and wisdom to the world.
Faculty are drawn from Spirit Rock's core teaching community, including those who lead Dharma Training Programs, long retreats, and study courses. Exceptional guest teachers bring their specific expertise to the Institute community as well.
Dharma Library
Supporting students in Institute programs as well as practitioners worldwide, our new online Dharma Library offers audio, video, articles, and courses from our 30-year archive of teachings, as well as newly-recorded courses designed specifically for home study and practice. Our library features a wide range of Spirit Rock teachers, including Jack Kornfield, Nikki Mirghafori, Kaira Jewel Lingo, and many others. From archival audio to the latest Monday Night Meditation & Dharma Talk, the Dharma Library brings a wide range of Insight teachings to practitioners of all levels anywhere in the world.
On-demand Courses
Aligned with the new Dharma Institute, self-paced courses prepare you for deeper study programs, sustain your practice between retreats or trainings, and preserve the wisdom of these beloved teachers for you and generations of practitioners.
Self-paced online courses, available on demand, are an integral part of Dharma Institute programming, making foundational teachings accessible worldwide, 24/7. Our courses feature a diverse range of Spirit Rock teachers, including Mark Coleman, Nikki Mirghafori, Dawn Mauricio, Oren Jay Sofer, James Baraz, Joanna Macy, and Sean Oakes.
You’ll find courses for all stages of practice, from introductions to mindfulness and meditation to profound explorations of the Buddha’s teachings. Some of these courses began as in-person or online classes, while others were filmed specifically for the on-demand format. Wherever you are in your practice, these courses support you to deepen in practice and understanding of the Dharma to benefit your life and the lives of all beings.
Practice in Community
The curriculum of the Institute is built around Spirit Rock’s beloved Dharma Training Programs. From well-established trainings like the Dedicated Practitioner’s Program to professional development programs like Mindful Leadership, these deep dive courses build community and immerse you in life-changing applications of the Dharma.
All of our trainings, whether online or in-person, immerse you in Dharma community, or Saṅgha. The Buddha famously taught that good friendship (kalyāṇa mitta) is "the whole of the holy life" (SN 45.2). Practicing, discussing the teachings, and deepening in community is the heart of spiritual practice at Spirit Rock, and the connections you will make in these trainings can nourish you for years to come.
