What a profound year. Life has deepened through this journey of A Year to Live. The connections made are meaningful, safe, and enriching. The guidance, teachings, and community are infinitely valuable. I am so grateful to have taken this leap!
A Year to Live
January – December 2027
assisted by
How to live this year as if it were your last.
This yearlong journey, inspired by Stephen Levine’s A Year to Live, is an exploration of forgiveness, gratitude, and letting go. The Buddha encouraged us to reflect on death not out of fear, but as a way to awaken to the fleeting beauty of our lives. By embracing this practice, we come to appreciate the fragility and impermanence of our existence. Through meditation, inquiry, and group discussion, together we’ll discover what death has to teach us about life and vice versa.
What Our Past Participants Are Saying
What Makes This Program Special?
- A Transformative Yearlong Journey – Guided by the wisdom of Stephen Levine’s A Year to Live, this program offers a powerful framework for exploring impermanence, forgiveness, and gratitude through lived practice.
- Depth and Community – Participants move together through 12 months of shared inquiry, meditation, and intimate small groups ("Home Groups")—creating a supportive space for honest reflection and connection.
- Teachers – Vinny Ferraro and Frank Ostaseski will be assisted by Monika Son and Christian Howard. This team brings decades of experience in mindfulness, compassion, and end-of-life care, offering a grounded, heart-centered approach to this profound work.
- Accessible, Flexible Format – Entirely online with live sessions and recordings, participants can join from anywhere and engage deeply while maintaining their regular rhythms of life.
Program Components:
- Live Immersive Sessions: Twelve live (online!), three-hour Zoom gatherings with Vinny, Frank, Monika, and Christian exploring death, impermanence, forgiveness, and what it means to truly live.
- Orientation and Community Essentials: Required pre-program, introductory sessions to build shared understanding and community agreements before the journey begins.
- Q&A Sessions: Optional live (online!), one-hour monthly sessions (recorded) for additional reflection and connection with teachers.
- Community Connection: Monthly (12), 1-hour, self-facilitated, self-hosted small groups ("Home Groups") offering intimate community, reflection, and mutual support between large group sessions. Home Groups are required!
- Practice Between Sessions: Guided meditations, readings, and reflections (about 5–7 hours per month) to deepen insight and integrate teachings into everyday life.
- Lifetime Program Access: Revisit the teachings, recordings, and practices at any time at your own pace via our Online Learning Platform.
Is A Year to Live Right for You?
This program is both tender and transformative. It invites honest self-reflection, consistent practice, and community engagement. Before joining, please read these participation commitments and prerequisites carefully.
- Prerequisites: A minimum of three days of either - silent meditation retreat, or mindfulness daylongs/workshop(s), or a combination of both. A consistent meditation practice is highly encouraged.
- Orientation & Community Essentials: Attend one required Orientation session and the required Community Essentials session to establish shared agreements and practice foundations.
- Attendance: Commit to attending at least 10 of the 12 live large group sessions, including the first session which is required.
- Home Groups: Meet monthly, online, with your assigned "Home Group" for about one hour between large group sessions. These peer circles are a foundational part of the program and are required.
- Home Practice: Engage with monthly readings, reflections, and guided meditations (approximately 5–7 hours/month) to integrate insights into everyday life.
- Daily Practice: Maintain a regular meditation, self-regulation, or centering practice throughout the year to support depth and stability.
- Emotional Readiness: This journey can bring up deep emotions related to death and letting go. Participants should feel grounded enough to engage these themes with care and self-compassion.
- Community Agreements: Show up with honesty, kindness, and respect—for yourself, your teachers, and your peers—as we explore these profound teachings together.
In Community, We Awaken: Walking This Path Together
At the heart of A Year to Live is the shared journey. This program unfolds within a community of practice: people who listen deeply, speak honestly, and hold one another with compassion. As we contemplate impermanence together, the Sangha becomes both mirror and refuge, reminding us that we don’t walk this path alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the prerequisites for joining A Year to Live?
- Minimum of three days of either - silent meditation residential retreat, or mindfulness daylongs/workshop(s), or a combination of both.
- Consistent meditation practice highly encouraged.
What is the format of the program?
Location - Online via Zoom (must know basic Zoom skills and how to join a specific breakout room manually)
Live Immersive Sessions: Monthly (12), Large-group sessions (attendance at 10 of 12 live sessions required; this must include the first session).
Q&As: Monthly, 1-hour, recorded (optional)
Community Connection: Monthly (12), 1-hour, self-facilitated, self-hosted "Home Groups" that meet in between large group sessions. These are a foundational aspect of this program and will be assigned by Spirit Rock staff. Each group will determine a time/day and location (online or in-person) that works for everyone during the January large group session. Home Groups are required!
Practice Between Sessions: Guided meditations, readings, reflections (estimated 5–7 hours/month + monthly Home Groups + daily meditation)
Lifetime Program Access: Revisit the teachings, recordings, and practices at any time at your own pace via our Online Learning Platform.
What are the program dates, times, topics for 2027?
All Large Group Meetings: 10:00am-1:00pm US Pacific Time
IMPORTANT EXCEPTION - the first session is 45 minutes longer! (10:00am-1:45pm PT)
Orientation Sessions: (required, attend ONE)
- Thursday, January 14, 2027; 5:30-6:30pm US Pacific Time
- Friday, January 15, 2027; 11:00am-12:00pm US Pacific Time
Community Essentials Session: (required)
- Saturday, January 23, 2027; 12:00-1:15pm US Pacific Time
Program Schedule:
Session 1: The Prognosis - January 30 (required)
Session 2: Fear of Death and Dying - February 20
Session 3: Softening to Fear - March 20
Session 4: Practicing Dying - April 24
Session 5: Life Review—Making Peace - May 22
Session 6: Building an Altar—Service - June 12
Session 7: Who or What Dies? - July 10
Session 8: What Comes Next? - August 7
Session 9: What to Do With This Body? - September 11
Session 10: A Will, a Memorial, and an Epitaph - October 16
Session 11: We are Not Alone - November 13
Session 12: Saying Good-bye - December 11
Graduation: January 8, 2028 (10:00-11:00am PT)
What is the Participation Commitment?
Engaging in the content of this course may be uncomfortable, challenging, and/or difficult at times (it can also be profoundly liberating!). To get the most out of this program, we ask that you read thoroughly and commit to the following agreements:
- Meet the prerequisites.
- Attend ONE of the required pre-program Orientation sessions.
- Attend the required Community Essentials session.
- Attend a minimum of 10 of the 12 large group sessions live, including the required first session in January.
- Meet with your Home Group each month for ~1 hour in between large group sessions. (required)
- Commit to a consistent meditation or stress management / self-regulation / centering type of practice (preferably daily) for the duration of the program.
- Skillfully engage in all sessions (home groups, large groups, breakout groups).
What is the cancellation policy?
$25 Admin fee: anytime prior to December 15, 2026
25% cancel fee: December 16, 2026 – February 5, 2027
50% cancel fee: February 6 – 28, 2027
No refund: March 1, 2027 and beyond.
Applies to all participants. Cancel fee is based on the amount you agreed to pay.
If you need to withdraw from the program, the above fee structure will apply. Cancellation fees support future scholarships at Spirit Rock. Late cancellations do not allow us time to fill a vacated spot in the program. If you have an unexpected financial situation, please reach out to us at: [email protected].
Can I pay in installments?
ALL participants have the option of paying in full, or a 30% deposit, at the time of registration. Payment plans are available to all and the earlier you register the more months you have to spread out the cost. The remainder of any unpaid balance may be divided into equal monthly installments** that will start the month following your deposit payment up through May 15, 2027 (if needed). All fees should be paid in full by this date. Installments can only be set up on credit cards; and will be automatically set up using the same card you used to pay your deposit. **Exceptions to payment schedule can be made on a case-by-case basis for those with extreme financial hardship.