There are many different reasons we come into this practice. But for most of us, suffering is one of the key components that brings us here. Physical pain, mental suffering, pain in the body, difficult emotions. For me, hearing the first Noble Truth for the first time resonated deep inside—that there is suffering, that this is a universal condition, that I wasn’t alone in my suffering. That there is a cause—that this can be understood. That there is the potential to open to peace, to realize an end of suffering. And that the Buddha offered this path of practice that leads to the very end. Something deep inside of me resonated with that. I couldn’t explain it. But it was a calling to a deeper happiness, a deeper peace.
John Martin
Residential Retreat Teacher
John Martin has been devoted to dharma practice since 2001, and has been teaching since 2014. He serves as the Co-Chair of the Spirit Rock Guiding Teachers Council. John teaches Vipassana, Metta and LGBTQI-themed meditation retreats. He is on the teaching team leading the four year Spirit Rock/Insight Meditation Society teacher training program. John’s spiritual path has included volunteer service work, including over 12 years as a hospice volunteer.
John Martin's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land | Hybrid
October 26 - October 31, 2026 | Monday - Saturday | 5 nights
Befriending Mortality: Mindfulness of Death (Maraṇasati) Practices to Cultivate Insight, Presence, Compassion, and Meaning
15 CE Credits. Spaces Still Available! We all “know” we will die, yet we tend to ignore this fact and put our collective head in the sand. Rather than running away from our mortality, we can harness its power to stay aligned with our deepest values and to live and love more fully. Fully embracing life’s impermanence can engender a deep freedom and letting go. Through mindfulness of death maraṇasati practice, we become more present for this miraculous, passing show called life with gladness and gratitude.
Retreat | Online | Hybrid
October 26 - October 31, 2026 | Monday - Saturday
Befriending Mortality: Living an Awakened Life through Mindfulness of Death (Maraṇasati)
Spaces Still Available! We all “know” we will die, yet we tend to ignore this fact and put our collective head in the sand. Rather than running away from our mortality, we can harness its power to stay aligned with our deepest values and to live and love more fully. Fully embracing life’s impermanence can engender a deep freedom and letting go. Through mindfulness of death maraṇasati practice, we become more present for this miraculous, passing show called life with gladness and gratitude.
Retreat | On-Land
November 1 - November 6, 2026 | Sunday - Friday | 5 nights
Finding True Refuge: A Retreat for the LGBTQIA+ and GNC Community
For those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Spaces Still Available! Explore Buddhist practices and teachings of liberation in our LGBTQIA+ and GNC (Gender Non-Conforming) community. Together, we will practice mindfulness and heart-fulness, embracing all of our experience with loving awareness and deep acceptance. There will be an emphasis on cultivating a continuity of awareness in all activities (sitting, stillness, standing, walking, movement, eating) with a relaxed and gentle presence. Through these practices, we will explore what true refuge means for us individually and for our community.
Retreat | On-Land
July 7 - July 25, 2027 | Wednesday - Sunday | 18 nights
18-night Retreat: Summer LovingKindness & Insight Retreats
Registration Open. For those seeking an extended retreat experience this summer, we encourage you to consider attending both the Summer Lovingkindness Retreat (July 8–17) and the Summer Insight Retreat (July 17–26) as one continuous 18-night retreat. These two retreats are intentionally designed to complement one another, offering a rare opportunity to deepen in both heart and wisdom practices.
This combined retreat supports a natural progression in the meditative path: cultivating lovingkindness (mettā), the brahmavihāras, and samādhi as a foundation, followed by insight practices (vipassanā) grounded in that settled, compassionate presence. Teachers see this integration as essential. Uniting these practices brings enhanced clarity and depth to both. While each retreat may be attended on its own, we strongly recommend that practitioners who are ready for a longer commitment join both as one cohesive training. BOTH retreats are silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups meetings, or other practice meetings.
Tempel Smith
Anushka Fernandopulle
John Martin
Bonnie Duran
bruni dávila
Pawan Bareja
Marcy Reynolds (Movement Teacher)
Retreat | On-Land
July 7 - July 16, 2027 | Wednesday - Friday | 9 nights
Summer LovingKindness Retreat
Registration Open. The Buddha’s liberating teachings on the four divine sanctuaries (brahmavihāras) include meditations on universal friendliness (mettā), compassion (karuā), altruistic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā). Aimed at purifying our hearts and developing concentration (samādhi), these divine sanctuaries aid our ability to both find inner peace and powerfully engage with the world. This silent retreat will deepen our understanding of selfless love and its role in ending suffering. This retreat is silent except for small groups meetings and other practice meetings with teachers.
Tempel Smith
Anushka Fernandopulle
John Martin
bruni dávila
Pawan Bareja
Marcy Reynolds (Movement Teacher)
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with John Martin through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.