All the time before you were born plus all the time after you die is almost exactly all the time there is. Yet we find ourselves here, alive, in time, with a question: how should I live? We begin by listening deeply. The Buddha suggested we have underestimated the capacity of our heart. Retreat helps us to remember. Together, we'll sit in the refuge provided by a 2,600-year legacy of wisdom and kindness. In the silence, we come to know the preciousness of life and the poignancy of the human condition. We discover a way of opening to the intensity of the human condition such that our heart is softened rather than hardened. We will offer systematic instructions in mindfulness meditation, as well as in lovingkindness practice.
Throughout the retreat, there will be Dharma talks and meetings with teachers to support you in your practice. All are welcome.
This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
Choose your rate
We offer our retreats on a sliding scale to make the Dharma accessible to all.
By selecting the highest rate you're able to afford, you help support Spirit Rock's ability to offer lower rates and meet the growing number of scholarship requests. Your generosity sustains our nonprofit mission and ensures that these teachings of lovingkindness and wisdom remain available to everyone.
Maximum generosity.
Helps the dharma remain accessible to all.
Generous support.
Helps the community and teachings.
Our standard rate.
The foundation of our community.
Partially subsidized.
Made possible by community generosity.
Needs-based assistance
Scholarships are limited to those with significant financial need.
If you need a scholarship to attend, we encourage you to select the scholarship rate that best aligns with you and your financial circumstances.
For those facing financial hardship, including elders 65+ on fixed incomes, or those with serious or life-threatening illnesses.
For those who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color and need financial assistance to attend a program.
For young adults (ages 18–26) experiencing financial need who wish to attend a program and deepen their practice.
For parents or legal guardians (grandparents, relatives, or foster parents) from low to modest income households who are actively raising children under the age of 18 in their home, with special priority given to those who are single parenting.
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.
This program offers 15 Continuing Education (CE) credits/contact hours for $150. This program is applicable for licensed and license-eligible mental health and health care professionals, including psychologists, social workers (LCSW, LSW), counselors (LPC, LCPC, LMHC), marriage and family therapists, nurses (RN, NP), chiropractors, and other health care professionals. Please review our CE information page for provider details and to determine if your association or board will accept credits offered by Spirit Rock.
Research consistently documents that mindfulness and lovingkindness practice develop the attentional and prosocial capacities that support effective clinical care. This retreat offers systematic instruction in mindfulness meditation and lovingkindness practice, two evidence-supported approaches that research associates with reduced stress, reduced rumination, and improved emotional regulation. Participants will explore the mechanisms by which these practices produce their salutary effects — including their influence on attentional regulation, prosocial emotion, and the autonomic stress response — developing the insight that allows personal practice to translate into professional presence. Deepening one's own contemplative practice develops the attentional and prosocial capacities — therapeutic presence, empathic attunement, and equanimity — that directly support the therapeutic alliance, patient-provider communication, and the prevention of compassion fatigue and burnout.
To be eligible for Continuing Education (CE), you must:
Attendance policy for CE participants:
Matthew Brensilver teaches at the Insight Retreat Center, Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society. Before committing to teach meditation full-time, he spent years doing research on addiction pharmacotherapy at the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine and continues to be interested in the dialogue between Buddhism and science.
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.
Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 and taught since 2000. Ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996, he has studied in Zen, Theravāda, and Tibetan schools. His vipassanā training includes extended retreats in Myanmar, Nepal, and India. Brian teaches nationwide and has a private Somatic Experiencing practice. He completed the SRMC/IMS/IRC teacher training in 2016.
*Fees reduced for serious illness or death in family
**Monthlong retreats and Dharma Training programs have specific and very different cancellation policies. Refer back to your confirmation email for this information.**
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 2 weeks 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.
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.
What is a Retreat Commuter?
A retreat commuter is a practitioner who attends a full residential retreat, including all meals, but they are not provided with overnight accommodations. Instead practitioners stay in their own home, or find local accommodations at their own expense. A shared resting area is provided during the day while on campus for the retreat located below the main hall. The retreat commuter is expected to attend the entire retreat just like residential retreatants. Special reduced rates are available for retreat commuters. An added benefit of a retreat commuter, is that you could be offered a residential spot on opening day due to a very last minute cancellation. Additional fees will be due if this option is accepted.
The retreat commuter option will only become available once the retreat is full with a waitlist. However, if your personal circumstances preclude you from attending a residential retreat (staying overnight), please reach out to us as we may be able to offer you a commuter spot sooner and we would be happy to have a conversation with you. ("Personal circumstances" could be situations like if you are a sole caregiver, or parent w/young children where you need to be home each night, for example.)
Prerequisite for Commuters:
You must have attended at least one weeklong silent residential retreat (5-7 nights) in Insight (vipassanā) meditation PRIOR to attending this retreat. Online retreat experience is not eligible for this prerequisite.
If you have questions about being a retreat commuter, please email [email protected]
Explore the practice of being on retreat - Learn more here.
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:
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.