The beautiful practice of meditation in stillness is the heart of silent retreat. In our Buddhist tradition, we emphasize meditation in the sitting posture as conducive for groundedness, alertness, and sustainable mindfulness for most people. For those who have physical limitations and cannot sit, teachers can help with modified positions.

In sitting, silence and stillness develop, concentration deepens, and awareness expands. The training of the heart brings kindness and compassion for all that arises. Beginning meditators are encouraged to use the breath as a focus for mindfulness. After inner calm and steadiness are established through breathing, the meditation is systematically opened to include mindfulness of all experiences, external and internal, of body sensations and emotions, of thoughts and the nature of mind itself.

Walking gracefully and wisely on the earth is also one of the great Buddhist meditative practices. On retreat, periods of walking meditation alternate with periods of sitting meditation. Just as in sitting meditation, where attention is brought to the rhythmic pattern of breathing, in walking meditation, mindfulness is cultivated by resting the attention on sensations of the body as one walks. Sometimes a slow, careful, practice walk is taught. At other times retreatants are encouraged to walk more leisurely or move at whatever speed cultivates mindfulness for them. Throughout the retreat, we learn to cultivate a mindful awareness of all postures prescribed by the Buddha: sitting, walking, standing, and lying down.

Awareness of food, and the mindful understanding of the entire process of nourishment and eating, is integral to retreat practice. Retreatants are encouraged to bring the same calm, focused attention to eating as is brought to sitting and walking. Mindful eating is a wonderful context for the arising of insights. The simple, mindful eating of an apple connects us to the orchard far away from our dining table, to the sun and rain and earth that nurture the tree, to the grower, the picker, the trucker, the grocer, to the truth of the interconnectedness of all existence. On retreat, carefully prepared vegetarian meals are served. The most substantial meal is served midday, with the lightest meal of the day in the early evening.

In the Insight tradition, work meditation is an important part of retreat practice. Through it we learn how to bring the spirit of wakefulness to all the activities of our life. Work meditation also supports the community and assures the smooth running of the retreat. At check-in retreatants are offered a selection of work assignments to choose from for the course of the retreat (such as helping in the kitchen during preparation of meals, cleaning up afterwards, or cleaning common spaces). Because work in community brings our inner practice into external engagement, transformative insight often arises as we engage with work in a mindful way.

Dharma talks are the teaching heart of a retreat. Each day, for about an hour, the teachers present a different set of teachings from the Buddhist tradition, exploring how to apply them to our own experience. Sometimes the talks focus on retreat practice, or explore the formal teachings of the Buddha, and sometimes they offer teachings for wise living in the world. Dharma talks offer principles for students to engage with as part of a well-rounded spiritual life.

One of the most valued parts of intensive retreats is the opportunity to speak intimately with the teachers about one's own inner life. Teachers hold individual and small group meetings with retreatants on a regular basis to answer questions, discuss challenges, give guidance, and explain meditation practices more fully. Students are also welcome to consult with teachers at any time during a retreat as the need arises. Teacher support facilitates a deepening of the student's meditation practice and encourages further development of the student's understanding.

Whatever you think a retreat will be like, it will probably be different. Most participants find it deeply refreshing and healing, often life-transforming. While spiritual truths can be seen every day of our ordinary life, the stillness and simplicity of retreat brings a wonderful and unique possibility for renewal. At the retreat's end, talks and instructions are given for wise ways to leave the retreat and continue the practice at home. Our task is to return to our communities and bring a reawakened spirit of awareness and compassion to all we touch.

As a participant, you agree to stay for the entire retreat and commit to participating as fully as you are capable. This type of retreat is not the kind of experience that you can drop in and out of well. If you are not able to stay for the entire retreat, please contact the Registration Department as soon as possible. Partial attendance is not allowed unless it is approved by the teachers in advance of the retreat start.

The retreat will include sitting and walking meditation periods, Dharma talks, guided meditations, and practice meetings with teachers. We ask that you attend all sessions, as they provide an important foundation for the retreat and will periodically include important announcements.

The teachers will be giving instruction using specific Buddhist meditation practices during the retreat. We ask you to embrace these practices while you are on retreat. This is not a self-retreat facility for you to do any practice or take instructions from other teachers. You do not need to identify as a Buddhist to come to Spirit Rock and benefit from this retreat, but while here, we do ask you to participate and sincerely try the practices offered.

The retreat will be held in “noble silence” apart from practice meetings with the teachers and necessary communications with the retreat staff. Practitioners do not speak, leave notes, touch, or make eye contact with each other. As an attendee of this retreat, you agree to put aside such things as cell phones, computers, email, listening to music, reading, and writing while on retreat.

Please take care of all of your business before you arrive so you can unplug and drop into the silence. Your attendance may be canceled if you cannot commit to this and cancellation fees will apply.

If you are coming as a couple or with a good friend, we ask that you agree to give each other the gift of a fully silent, solitary retreat. This means agreeing not to write notes to one another, not to walk together (even in silence), not to sit near each other in the hall or dining area, and not to speak to each other or even have eye contact with each other. At first this practice may feel unusual or challenging, but it will benefit both of your retreats, and create a non-distracting retreat for others.

You will be asked to engage in some kind of mindful work meditation while here, such as vacuuming residence halls, dusting and sweeping, washing pots, mopping floors, or cleaning bathrooms. This is an important part of our community practice. You will sign up for work meditations at check-in on opening day. Your work meditation supports the entire retreat community.

The two-story residence halls contain simple, comfortable single and double rooms with shared bathrooms. There are dedicated floors for those with environmental sensitivities, and all of the ground floors are wheelchair-accessible. Be prepared to be in a shared accommodation if you have not secured a single room with the supporter rate or have a serious medical necessity. Please understand that we have many more requests for single rooms than we are able to honor. Retreatants are asked to practice “taking what is offered” around rooms and food, part of the ancient Buddhist practice of renunciation of preferences. This kind of renunciation cultivates simplicity for oneself and generosity for others.

Retreats include breakfast, lunch, and a light supper. Spirit Rock serves ovo-lacto (egg and dairy) vegetarian meals during our retreats. We provide wheat-free and vegan alternatives at all meals, and we thank you in advance for gratefully accepting the food that we offer. Spirit Rock cannot accommodate individual dietary preferences. We provide a separate full-sized refrigerator and small microwave oven so that those with medically-necessary dietary restrictions can store and heat a private reserve of food. Coffee and tea are supplied, as well as dairy, soy, and rice milks.

Living in retreat community we collectively shape the retreat environment and support each other's practice. Being mindful of our clothing is one aspect of this care for our community and our practice. The tradition from which our practice emerges did not associate modesty with shame, but with simplicity, sense restraint, and prioritizing inner cultivation. In this spirit, we ask that retreatants of all genders wear modest clothing on retreat as a way of expressing care for the retreat community. We recommend comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Given the complexity and challenges that face our global sangha, please refrain from wearing attire that expresses a particular point of view, slogan, or political message.

Particularly important for monastic retreats, or retreats with monastic teacher(s), please dress modestly, loose fitting clothing is strongly preferred; this applies to all genders (no tank tops, tight leggings, low cut tops, or short skirts/shorts, please). Clothing items should cover the area from knees to shoulders.