Covers Costs
Sustainer Rate - Self-Paced/Audit
$199
Our standard rate.
The foundation of our community.
- Supports program sustainability
- Not tax-deductible
Silent meditation retreat
Online
Winter Solstice Retreat: Embracing the Dark, Inviting the Light
Throughout this residential retreat, we will focus on centering ourselves at the time of the holidays and the New Year, quieting our minds, grounding in our bodies, opening up our hearts, and using inquiry to help give energy to our practice. Special emphasis will be placed on opening to the darkness, including to our difficulties and challenges, and opening to the coming light—to the beauty, joy, wisdom, and love within and around us. The retreat will include complete meditation instructions, stillness and movement meditation, daily lovingkindness practice, daily Qigong practice, evening talks, practice discussions, and a Winter Solstice ceremony.
Our time together will include silent and guided sitting meditation, walking meditation, Dharma talks, and instructions. This retreat is appropriate for both beginning and more experienced meditators.
Self-Paced/Online Retreat Details: Our Self-Paced Retreat option allows you to participate fully from wherever you are, bringing the stillness directly into your home. Each day includes 2–3 hours of meditation instruction, Dharma teachings, mindful movement, and heart practices, livestreamed from Spirit Rock’s Upper Meditation Hall and recorded for on-demand access.
Practicing from home allows the retreat to unfold gently within the rhythms of your own life. You may join live when you’re able, move at your own pace, and revisit the teachings as often as you wish—whether you follow the full daily schedule or spread the content out over several weeks. All sessions are available within 24 hours and include unlimited replay, offering a flexible and supportive way to turn inward and release what no longer serves you.
While the Self-Paced Retreat format does not include teacher meetings, small groups, Q&A, or affinity groups, it offers the gift of practicing in your own sanctuary. You can create your retreat space, follow your nervous system’s natural pacing, and allow the teachings to weave organically into daily life. With lifetime access to the recordings, the retreat can continue to nourish your practice long after it concludes.
Included:
- Live video broadcast from the meditation hall of all Dharma talks, meditations, and other instructions
- Retreat homepage - includes retreat schedule, access to recordings, other resources
- Recordings of all Dharma talks and meditations, video and audio
For either online format: All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email [email protected] no later than 4:00pm PT on the day prior to the program start.
Sliding Scale Pricing
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.
Financial Aid
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.
Muditā / Karuṇa Scholarship
$99
For those facing financial hardship, including elders 65+ on fixed incomes, or those with serious or life-threatening illnesses.
- Not tax-deductible
BIPOC Scholarship
$99
For those who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color and need financial assistance to attend a program.
- Not tax-deductible
Young Adult Scholarship
$99
For young adults (ages 18–26) experiencing financial need who wish to attend a program and deepen their practice.
- Not tax-deductible
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
Oren Jay Sofer, SEP
Teacher
Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation internationally. He holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and is author of "Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication" and "Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices to Meet a World In Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love."
devon hase, MA
Teacher
devon hase has practiced intensively in the Insight and vajrayana traditions since discovering meditation in 2000. She now teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and the Forest Refuge. She co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess and the forthcoming This Messy, Gorgeous Love.
Yong Oh
Teacher
Yong is a core teacher at the Durango Dharma Center and at Sacred Mountain Saṅgha. Yong has a particular interest in nature Dharma, devotional expression, and supporting caregivers as well as communities of color in the Dharma. For more, visit yongoh.com.
Heather Sundberg
Teacher
Heather Sundberg has taught insight meditation since 1999, and completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training. For the last three decades, Heather has studied with senior teachers in the Insight Meditation and Vajrayana traditions, completing 3.5 accumulated years of retreat. Her teaching emphasizes embodiment, heart practice, and emptiness-awareness practices. www.heathersundberg.com.
Kimi Mojica (Movement Teacher)
Movement
Born on the unceded Ohlone lands of Yelamu (San Francisco, CA), Kimi is currently based in unceded Ohlone Territory in Huchiun (Oakland, CA). They can be found seeking refuge on the water, learning from plant allies medicine, and building ecosystems of community care with their Kajukenbo martial arts community.
Fernmarie Rodriguez (Teacher in Training)
Teacher in Training
Driven by a passion for understanding the universe, Fernmarie earned degrees in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Human-Centered Design. After a 15-year career at Microsoft, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and NASA, she shifted her focus to the "inner universe," embarking on a global pilgrimage where she learned meditation and heart-opening healing practices.