Retreats

Since ancient times, all wise cultures have understood the value of retreat. Time in retreat allows us to step out of the complexity of our life and to listen deeply to our body, heart, and mind.

For 2,600 years, meditation retreats have been a central part of the Buddhist path of awakening. Retreats offer practical instruction and group support for discovering inner peace, deep understanding, and liberation.

Spirit Rock retreats combine the fertile atmosphere of silence with extensive time for meditation and walks in nature, supported by Buddhist teachings on meditation, well-being, and the path to liberation. Careful guidance and training is also offered in meditation and mindfulness. Most of our retreats are suitable for both new and more experienced meditation practitioners.

Spirit Rock offers retreats of one day to two months on our campus of over 400 acres in picturesque Marin County, California, and conveniently online, supporting practitioners around the world to deepen their practice in connection with saṅgha (spiritual community) and teachers. We are grateful to be open and practicing together again, with protective Covid-19 Safety Protocols in place.

On-Land Retreats

A retreat provides an opportunity and a caring container for undertaking deep meditation and spiritual exploration. The central practice is mindfulness, which enables us to discover a freedom of heart in the midst of all the difficulties of life. Mindfulness practice on retreat is often accompanied and complemented by training in lovingkindness (mettā) meditation.

Spirit Rock on-land retreats involve a gathering of around 30 to 100 or more participants. Most of the retreat is held in silence, and retreat participants do not speak to one another. Writing and reading are also discouraged, so that retreatants can better stay with their own present experience as it unfolds moment to moment. In this silent and mindful environment, awareness sharpens, the body quiets, the mind clears, and space opens for insight and understanding to unfold.

Learn More About The Experience Of Retreat

Retreat On-Land

November 9 - November 14, 2024 Saturday - Thursday | 5 nights

Finding Your Ground: Mindful Yoga and Embodied Dharma

Short Wait List. How do we stay grounded, centered, and rooted in compassion and wisdom—especially through personal and global challenges? In this silent retreat, we’ll offer teachings and tools from the Dharma and Yoga traditions for settling your nervous system, grounding your energy, and connecting in an embodied way with what matters most. Each day includes gentle guided Yoga; seated, walking, standing, and lying down meditation instruction and practice; and Dharma reflections and discussion.

Anne Cushman

Anne Cushman

Kate Johnson

Kate Johnson

Rolf Gates

Rolf Gates

Djuna Devereaux

Djuna Devereaux

Retreat On-Land

November 15 - November 22, 2024 Friday - Friday | 7 nights

Natural Radiance: Exploring the Freedom of Awareness

Spaces Available. Awareness is a beautiful, hidden jewel that is innate in everyone. In this meditation retreat, we will explore this quality of awareness—what it is, and how to cultivate and abide in awakened presence. We will investigate how mindfulness supports a depth of awareness through various meditation practices, and we will consider what obscures the clarity of awareness both in meditation and in everyday life. As our mindfulness grows, we discover how this capacity for awareness is available in every moment.

Mark Coleman

Mark Coleman

devon hase

devon hase

Yong Oh

Yong Oh

Retreat On-Land

Saturday, November 16 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Deep Rest: Spiritual, Emotional, and Cellular Rejuvenation

2 CE Credits. Deep rest states are powerful for healing and resetting our nervous systems from chronic stress, helping to direct us towards ease and equanimity. Deepen your expertise in the science, art, and practice of deep rest and resilience from stress. During our time together, we’ll explore the science behind the restorative effects of meditation and mind/body practices. We will also experience deep rest states using breathing practices, sensory immersion, and restorative yoga, accompanied by live contemplative music.

Elissa Epel

Elissa Epel

Nichol Joy Chase

Nichol Joy Chase

Retreat On-Land

Saturday, November 16 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Mindfulness of Death: The Profound and Liberating Practice of Maranasati 

3 CE Credits. We all die. Death is as natural as birth. Ignoring the power of this supreme contemplation is like discarding a precious jewel. Recognizing our finite time enriches our life, helping us to live more fully, lovingly, and mindfully. These teachings also bring peace—a gift to ourselves and our loved ones. Join us in exploring the profound, liberating teachings of mindfulness of death, and unlock the potential to embrace the fleeting miracle that is life.

Nikki Mirghafori

Nikki Mirghafori

Retreat On-Land

Sunday, November 17 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Healing Racial Harm with Compassionate Connection 

3 CE Credits. What does it mean to attend to our suffering in body, heart, and mind when racism has caused such pain both individually and collectively? Join us on the path of restoration from the impacts of racism. We’ll engage in practices from Rev. Liên’s book Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path to learn new skills and build confidence in the knowledge that we can heal from the harms of racism as we practice co-creating liberation for

Rev. Liên Shutt

Rev. Liên Shutt

Online Retreats

Online retreat is a powerful new experience of mindfulness practice, bringing together the immersive approach of our traditional meditation retreats with the daily life integration of practicing at home. In our online retreats, you join with the teachers and community on Zoom each day for meditation, instruction, discussion, movement, and small group support. You’ll follow a gentle self-guided schedule between sessions in a way that is flexible and integrated into your day.

Online retreats offer accessibility to practitioners worldwide, those who are unable to attend a retreat on the land, and dedicated practitioners between longer retreats or trainings. They are a beautiful, personal way to explore bringing focused mindfulness and meditation practice into everyday life, and to enjoy the deep rest and restoration of retreat without leaving your home.

Retreat Online

Saturday, November 9 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Recognizing the Gift of Dhamma in Anger

Anger often gets a bad rap in Dhamma communities, but anger is a normal and natural part of being human. In difficult situations, we often blame anger rather than investigating the challenging nature of the moment. At the same time, anger can mask deeper avoidance of greed, hatred, and delusion. During this daylong retreat, we will explore these two distinctions of anger and we will practice cultivating the wisdom of healthy anger while working to abandon unhealthy anger.

Tuere Sala

Tuere Sala

Retreat Online

Sunday, November 10 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Peter Levine’s Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey

6 CE Credits. Peter Levine says: “Trauma is hell on earth. Trauma resolved is a gift from the gods.” Sometimes, resolving trauma and reclaiming our lost innocence may feel beyond our grasp. In an intimate conversation with Peter Levine, renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing and bestselling author of Waking the Tiger, we will explore ways to resolve trauma and release it from our heart. As we claim our “gift of the gods,” we may return to hope, dignity, and wholeness.

Pawan Bareja

Pawan Bareja

Peter Levine

Peter Levine

Retreat Online

Saturday, November 16 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Deep Rest: Spiritual, Emotional, and Cellular Rejuvenation

2 CE Credits. Deep rest states are powerful for healing and resetting our nervous systems from chronic stress, helping to direct us towards ease and equanimity. Deepen your expertise in the science, art, and practice of deep rest and resilience from stress. During our time together, we’ll explore the science behind the restorative effects of meditation and mind/body practices. We will also experience deep rest states using breathing practices, sensory immersion, and restorative yoga, accompanied by live contemplative music.

Elissa Epel

Elissa Epel

Nichol Joy Chase

Nichol Joy Chase

Retreat Online

Saturday, November 16 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Mindfulness of Death: The Profound and Liberating Practice of Maranasati

3 CE Credits. We all die. Death is as natural as birth. Ignoring the power of this supreme contemplation is like discarding a precious jewel. Recognizing our finite time enriches our life, helping us to live more fully, lovingly, and mindfully. These teachings also bring peace—a gift to ourselves and our loved ones. Join us in exploring the profound, liberating teachings of mindfulness of death, and unlock the potential to embrace the fleeting miracle that is life.

Nikki Mirghafori

Nikki Mirghafori

Retreat Online

Sunday, November 17 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Healing Racial Harm with Compassionate Connection 

3 CE Credits. What does it mean to attend to our suffering in body, heart, and mind when racism has caused such pain both individually and collectively? Join us on the path of restoration from the impacts of racism. We’ll engage in practices from Rev. Liên’s book Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path to learn new skills and build confidence in the knowledge that we can heal from the harms of racism as we practice co-creating liberation for

Rev. Liên Shutt

Rev. Liên Shutt

Testimonial

I now view my home, my meditation/yoga room, and my home practice completely differently now! It's astonishing how easy this format makes incorporating being on retreat with being a householder.

 
Online Retreat Participant