♫ Oct 2 @ 7:30pm: Māh Ze Tār with Dros Live!

2027 March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat - Application

March 1 - March 28, 2027
Silent meditation retreat On-Land

Awareness, or consciousness, is the very heart of sentient life, the faculty that reveals all the events of our experience. Yet in our Dharma practice we may not have learned how to meditate directly on this fundamental aspect of our minds.

In this retreat we will explore the nature of awareness in three stages. We'll begin by developing greater stability of mind through mindfulness of breathing. Next we'll introduce a regular practice of lovingkindness, allowing the beautiful and responsive qualities of heart to unfold. Then, with these foundations, we'll start to explore the nature of awareness—this mysterious capacity of knowing. These practices open the door to emptiness, profound understanding, and great freedom.

Special Note for March Retreat: This coming year (2027), "awareness" practice will be the focus during the March retreat. All participants of the March retreat (whether the single month or the two-month) are expected to follow the instructions as offered for this month. If this focus doesn’t resonate, the teachers kindly request choosing a different retreat that may be a more supportive fit for your practice.

These extended retreats (as with all retreats at Spirit Rock) are NOT open for self-guided retreats.

Before you apply

You must have already completed at least 14 nights of silent residential retreat time. This retreat time must include a minimum of two (2) silent residential retreats, each of six (6) nights or longer.

Other Important Notes About Prerequisites: These retreats must have been led by Spirit Rock, IMS, or IRC teachers, or other recognized Insight Meditation teachers. Previous retreats must be silent residential retreats and have a similar format to this retreat, with instructions, practices, and talks focused on Insight Meditation. Online retreats do not qualify for these retreat prerequisites. When applying, you will need to provide the teachers’ names, dates, location, length (# of nights), and style of the retreats.

Teacher Dāna

Please note that registration fees do not include teacher dana. At the end of the retreat, there will be an invitation to offer dana to the teachers and to Spirit Rock.

Meet the Teaching Team

Guy Armstrong

Guy Armstrong

Teacher

Guy Armstrong has been practicing Insight Meditation for over 30 years. His training included a year as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, primarily with Ajahn Buddhadasa. He began teaching in 1984 and has led retreats in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Guy is a Stewarding Teacher at Spirit Rock and a Guiding Teacher of Insight Meditation Society.

Susie Harrington

Susie Harrington

Teacher

Susie Harrington is the guiding teacher of Desert Dharma, serving communities in the Southwest near her home in Moab, Utah. Practicing in the Insight tradition since 1989, she trained with Guy Armstrong, Jack Kornfield, and Joseph Goldstein, and completed the SRMC/IMS/IRC Teacher Training in 2016. Susie often teaches outdoors, drawing on nature as a gateway to true nature, and emphasizes mindfulness in speech, daily life, and the body.

Tuere Sala

Tuere Sala

Teacher

Tuere Sala is a Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Retreat Center and has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Tuere has been teaching since 2010, assisting others in establishing and maintaining a daily practice.

Mei Elliott

Mei Elliott

Teacher

Mei Elliott is a Dharma teacher in the Theravāda tradition, currently serving as Co-Director of Insight Retreat Center. She began meditating in 2004 and spent eight years training as a Zen monk at San Francisco Zen Center temples. Mei is a graduate of Insight Meditation Center’s four-year Dharma Teacher Training.

Kodo Conlin

Kodo Conlin

Teacher

Kodo Conlin is an Insight teacher and Zen priest. Currently the co-managing director at Insight Retreat Center, Kodo has lived for many years in temples, monasteries, and Dharma centers, cultivating a heart of practice.

Kirsten Rudestam, PhD

Kirsten Rudestam, PhD

Teacher

A dedicated meditation practitioner since 1997, Kirsten has been authorized and trained to teach in the Theravādan tradition by her mentors, Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella. She has been teaching meditation in the Theravādan tradition since 2002, and co-founded and co-teaches the Sati Center’s Buddhist Eco-Chaplaincy Training Program.

Teresa Todoroff (Movement Teacher), RYT

Teresa Todoroff (Movement Teacher), RYT

Movement

Teresa serves the Dhamma with reverence and joy. She has been shaped by the intimate teachings of caregiving, grief and loss, and living alongside Buddhist monastics. Poetry, somatics, devotional practices, and an ongoing exploration of animist ways of being in the world continue to inspire her spiritual journey.

Mia Monos (Teacher in Training)

Mia Monos (Teacher in Training)

Teacher in Training

Since falling in love with the path Mia has spent more than two years in intensive silent retreat. In 2023 she completed over a year of continuous retreat and was invited into a four-year teacher training by her primary teachers Guy Armstrong and Kamala Masters.

Adam Stonebraker (Teacher in Training)

Adam Stonebraker (Teacher in Training)

Teacher in Training

Adam Stonebraker, Guiding Teacher of Mountain Stream Meditation, has practiced since 1999 and taught since 2010. Rooted in the Thai Forest Tradition and the Bodhisattva path, his teaching emphasizes wisdom, openhearted awareness, and embodiment. He is mentored by Kittisaro and Thanissara and is currently in the 4-year Spirit Rock/IMS teacher training.

Helpful Info & FAQs

Cancellation Policy

Single-Month Retreat Cancellation Fees:*

  • $125: On or before 12 weeks
  • $250: 8-12 weeks before
  • $500: 6-8 weeks before
  • $750: 4-6 weeks before
  • No refunds: less than one month before (applies to ALL participants)

*Fees reduced 50% for scholarship participants, excluding last tier.

Two-Month Retreat Cancellation Fees:*

  • $175: On or before 12 weeks
  • $350: 8-12 weeks before
  • $600: 6-8 weeks before
  • $850: 4-6 weeks before
  • No refunds less than one month prior (applies to ALL participants)

*Fees reduced 50% for scholarship participants, excluding last tier.

Switching Fees - Monthlongs Only:
If you need to cancel and would like to switch to another monthlong, the following fee will apply in lieu of the above cancellation fee. Switching is all dependent upon available space in the retreat you are switching to. It is not guaranteed. If you cancel after switching, the regular cancellation fees will apply.

  • $100 fee = non-scholarship participants
  • $50 fee = scholarship participants

Payment Plan Option

Payment plans are available to everyone! Installments can only be set up on a credit cards, and some debit cards (we only accept VISA, Mastercard, or Discover).

You can either pay in full or pay a 30% deposit when you register. If you choose the deposit option, the remaining balance will be automatically charged monthly in equal installments using the same card you used to pay your deposit. The payment will debit on the 'same date' of the month that you paid your deposit. Full payment is due 1 MONTH prior to the retreat start.

Let us know if you need to adjust a debit date or if you need to update your credit card. Any adjustments need to be done well in advance of a scheduled debit date. We are not able to 'reverse' a charge once it has been processed.

COVID and Other Illnesses

  • While on retreat, participants live closely together and are in shared spaces; so it is very important that everyone takes steps to minimize the transmission of colds, flu, or other infectious diseases. We ask individuals who are sick to please stay home! Notify the registration department as soon as possible; cancellation fees will apply. 
  • Spirit Rock does not require proof of vaccination or compulsory testing for COVID, if you feel uncertain about this policy participants are encouraged to wear a mask for your own personal comfort, but it is not required. In advance of your retreat, please consider wearing a mask while en route to Spirit Rock via public transportation of any kind. Be mindful of attending large public gatherings where the risk of exposure is increased. If you have cold or flu-like symptoms, take a COVID test, and please reconsider coming on retreat.
  • We suggest everyone practice diligent hand hygiene (20 seconds of handwashing as often as practical).
  • If a practitioner (or teacher) becomes sick while on retreat, they will be asked to mask, and if serious, leave the retreat. We will also ask that they take a COVID antigen self-test onsite, and if they test positive for COVID-19, they must exit the retreat. We will not be able to offer a refund for mid-retreat exits.

Room Occupancy

We have double and single occupancy rooms. Many of our rooms are single occupancy (only 16 of 80 rooms are double occupancy). We offer a limited number of "guaranteed single room" rates which guarantees a single room while generously helping to support scholarships and all we do here at Spirit Rock. The remaining single rooms are not exclusive to the top end of the sliding scale; however, they are initially prioritized for those with serious medical needs.

Participation and Attendance Guidelines

Explore the practice of being on retreat - Learn more here.

  • This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings. Explore "How Retreat Works"
  • Preparing for Your Retreat
  • We strongly encourage you to read the sub-section "Retreat Guidelines and Agreements" so you understand what is required of you as a participant on this silent retreat.
  • Review a general outline of a Retreat Schedule.
  • If you have "never meditated" before, we recommend attending two to three daylong programs first! Then "graduate" to longer retreats like a 4- or 5-night retreat.
  • We would be happy to help guide you and set you up for success, please contact the Registration Department so we may have a conversation. We want you to be prepared.

Scholarship Offerings and Types

Spirit Rock Meditation Center offers several categories of scholarship types for residential retreats. Scholarship rates are limited to those with significant financial need. A scholarship application is required to be considered for any scholarship rate below. We have many requests for scholarships and cannot honor all requests. Visit our Scholarship FAQs at the bottom of the Financial Support page.

Muditā/Karuṇa Scholarship Rate: 

  • Muditā: supports any individual who has significant financial need; this includes everyone, especially our low-income folks and elders (65+) on fixed incomes; or young adults who have 'aged out' of the Young Adult rate.
  • Karuṇa: supports individuals who have significant financial need and have a serious medical condition(s), or life-threatening illness.

Dr. Marlene Jones People of Color Scholarship Rate: supports individuals who have significant financial need and who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of color.

Toni Ko Scholarship Rate: supports individuals who have a significant financial need, are 27-55 years old, AND are attending their FIRST silent residential retreat (limited to a 6-night retreat only) at Spirit Rock. This scholarship is a one-time award. This has a $50 reservation fee that is fully refunded upon retreat attendance.

Present Parent Scholarship Rate: supports parents or legal guardians (grandparents, relatives, or foster parents) from low-to-modest income backgrounds wanting to attend a residential retreat who are actively raising children under the age of 18 in their home, with special priority given to single parents. It is available for most standard residential retreats (9 nights or less) and only once per calendar year. It is not available for the following: monastic retreats, family retreats, monthlong retreats, or any training programs with residential retreats. This has a $50 reservation fee that is fully refunded upon retreat attendance.

Young Adult Scholarship Rate: supports individuals who have significant financial need and who are between the age of 18-26 years old. If all the Young Adult rates are sold out, you may select one of the above options that may also apply to you.

Renunciate Monastics: Monastics in the Buddhist traditions are invited to attend Spirit Rock retreats without cost. Monastic discounts can be extended only to one having taken vows and abiding as a renunciate, living exclusively on donations and having no form of income through work or other sources. You will need to provide the name of the monastery you are affiliated and the lead teacher or abbot you practice under. To learn more, contact the Registration Dept at: [email protected].

*Maximum annual scholarship limit is two per calendar year; this limit is not a guarantee.