Emotions don’t need to be something we have to run away from or try to regulate. And they don’t have to be seen as an obstacle to happiness and awakening. They can be used for something positive! We can ask ourselves, “Does my way of relating to this emotion—or does the way that it’s being expressed—lead to more suffering or less suffering?” Because emotions can lead us towards more wisdom and compassion when we move with them skillfully. When we can be curious about them, make space for them, and honor them. This is the art and skill we’re learning to do here.
Cara Lai
Residential Retreat Teacher
Cara Lai spent most of her life trying to figure out how to be happy—or at least avoid total misery—which ultimately led to her spending the majority of her adulthood meditating. She's explored the wild beauty of the human experience through many adventures in consciousness, including long retreats, chronic illness, and the profound experiences of childbirth and motherhood.
Cara once worked as an artist, wilderness guide, social worker and psychotherapist, but traded it in for an all-out mindfulness rampage. She’s a working mom whose teaching is relatable, authentic, funny, sometimes crass, and accessible for many people. She teaches teens and adults at Spirit Rock, Insight Meditation Society, and Ten Percent Happier—ultimately hoping to get woke enough to bend spoons with her mind in front of large audiences. And to help everyone get totally free.
Cara Lai's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land | Hybrid
December 6 - December 11, 2026 | Sunday - Friday | 5 nights
An Undefended Heart: A Big Heart City Retreat
Full - with waitlist. Commuter spaces available! This retreat is rooted in the transformative power of the heart. Drawing on heart wisdom practices, we explore meeting life with courage, tenderness, and an undefended presence. Meditation steadies the mind and softens the heart, supporting a wiser, more responsive way of being. Through lovingkindness, mindfulness, and embodied awareness, we welcome joy and grief, beauty and difficulty as the curriculum. The retreat includes sitting and walking meditation, guided practices, Dharma talks, one small group meeting, and teacher inquiry. All are welcome.
Retreat | Online | Hybrid
December 6 - December 11, 2026 | Sunday to Friday | Self-paced@Home Online Retreat
An Undefended Heart: A Big Heart City Retreat
Spaces Still Available! This online retreat is rooted in the transformative power of the heart. Drawing on heart wisdom practices, we explore meeting life with courage, tenderness, and an undefended presence. Meditation steadies the mind and softens the heart, supporting a wiser, more responsive way of being. Through lovingkindness, mindfulness, and embodied awareness, we welcome joy and grief, beauty and difficulty as the curriculum. The retreat includes sitting and walking meditation, guided practices, and Dharma talks. All are welcome.
Retreat | On-Land
June 14 - June 18, 2027 | Monday - Friday | 4 nights
Young Adult Insight Meditation Retreat
Designed for Young Adults ages 18-32 years. Registration Open. Join us to practice silent mindfulness meditation with a community of kind, sincere peers. Give yourself a break from constant overstimulation and external demands as we create a supportive space for cultivating greater calm, spaciousness, and presence. Together we will explore the ancient practices of guided and silent sitting, walking, and heart meditations, along with movement, teacher meetings, and Dharma talks. Over the course of the week, we will extend these practices until the entire day is one of steady, continuous awareness.
Matthew Brensilver
Cara Lai
Vinny Ferraro
Hakim Tafari (Movement Teacher)
Fernmarie Rodriguez (Teacher in Training)
Family | On-Land
July 28 - August 1, 2027 | Wednesday - Sunday | 4 nights
The Family Retreat - Application 2027
Applications will open on January 20, 2027. Find joy in a retreat for the whole family and take time together to rest, reconnect, play, and enjoy! This four-night residential retreat for adults and children ages 7-15 years old will combine meditation and Dharma teachings, games, arts and crafts, nature time, and more. Kids and teens will have organized time each day to be with peers, fully supervised by our mindful leaders, and adults will also have time to practice, relax, and receive Dharma from the teachers.
Retreat | On-Land
August 27 - September 1, 2027 | Friday - Wednesday | 5 nights
Finding Freedom through Insight Meditation
Registration Open. Insight Meditation is a simple, direct practice of moment-to-moment awareness that steadies the mind and softens the heart. In silence, we’ll cultivate continuous mindfulness through a balanced rhythm of stillness and movement meditation, supported by clear guidance and shared intention. As outer stimulation falls away, we learn to listen closely to body, emotions, and thought. Practicing with kindness and equanimity, insight deepens naturally. The retreat includes instruction, Dharma talks, chanting, and optional teacher meetings.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Cara Lai through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.