Judgments—often reactive and automatic—are deeply embedded in both our personal lives and the dominant culture. They can distort our perceptions, make relationships with others difficult, and undermine our work in the world. In this retreat, we will explore the nature of such judgments (and their difference from non-reactive discernment) and how to transform them. Together, we will cultivate mindfulness, inquiry, and heart practices such as lovingkindness, forgiveness, and compassion. We will also explore the somatic and social dimensions of judgments. These tools help preserve the intelligence and energy often embedded in judgments, channeling them toward discernment and compassionate action, while transforming their destructive, compulsive aspects—often rooted in unconscious or unexamined limiting beliefs.
This retreat will include sitting and walking meditation, guided practices, talks, discussion, and basic movement practices, all in the context of a small, supportive community. This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
*This retreat will be held concurrently with another, with all sessions located in the beautiful Community Meditation Center on the lower campus. It offers a unique opportunity to practice in a smaller, more intimate retreat environment.
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.
Attend without lodging
The Stay Off-Site (Commuter) option lets you participate in this retreat, including all sessions and meals, while arranging your own local accommodations. It’s the same retreat experience, just without on-campus lodging.
You must have attended at least one weeklong silent residential retreat (5–7 nights) in Insight (vipassanā) meditation prior to this retreat. If a retreat has stricter prerequisites, those will apply. Our Registration team will review eligibility and follow up with next steps.
Full retreat experience without overnight lodging.
A subsidized rate for attending the full retreat experience without overnight lodging.
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 8.75 Continuing Education (CE) credits/contact hours for $87.50. 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.
Teachings are appropriate for health care professionals as well as the general public. This program is directly applicable to healthcare professionals by providing empirically supported mindfulness- and compassion-based interventions that transform being judgmental of both self and others, and work with interpersonal reactivity. The practices taught, including mindfulness, lovingkindness, compassion, forgiveness, inquiry, and wise speech, can enhance clinicians' well-being, reduce burnout, and strengthen therapeutic empathy and presence. Indirectly, they equip clinicians with evidence-based tools (e.g., mindfulness of thoughts, loving-kindness meditation, compassion-focused interventions) to help clients manage distress, foster resilience, improve emotional regulation, and develop skills in working with interpersonal differences and conflicts. The content aligns with established mindfulness-based and compassion-focused approaches recognized in psychological science and clinical guidelines.
To be eligible for Continuing Education (CE), you must:
(Full attendance is required. Times are listed in Pacific time.)
December 1
December 2 – 4
December 5: No CEs
Attendance policy for CE participants:
Donald Rothberg, PhD, has practiced Insight Meditation since 1976 and trained in Dzogchen, Mahāmudrā, and Hakomi psychotherapy. A former professor, he now teaches meditation, psychology, and socially engaged Buddhism. He’s led long-term training programs through the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Saybrook, and Spirit Rock. Donald served on BPF’s board and is author of The Engaged Spiritual Life and co-editor of Ken Wilber in Dialogue.
Eve Decker has practiced vipassanā since 1991 and is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Path of Engagement and Community Dharma Leader programs. A longtime musician, she’s released eight albums, including original Dharma music. Eve integrates music into her teachings and leads “Sit and Sing Sanghas” and classes on lovingkindness, the brahmavihāras, and forgiveness. She teaches adults and children at Spirit Rock, EBMC, and beyond.
*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.
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.