Events at this location

APPLICATIONS DUE AUGUST 15, 2021
Dates: April 2022 – May 2024
Sliding Scale: $13,700 – $3,700. Code: DPPT22

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PROGRAM DATES: April 2022 – May 2024

All retreats held in-person at Spirit Rock Meditation Center:
Retreat 1: April 30, 2022 to May 6, 2022
Retreat 2: November 11, 2022 to November 17, 2022
Retreat 3: April 15, 2023 to April 21, 2023
Retreat 4: November 11, 2023 to November 17, 2023
Retreat 5: April 28, 2024 to May 4, 2024

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

• A minimum total of 50 nights residential retreat practice in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition
• A minimum total of 5 years daily dharma practice
• A letter of recommendation from a sponsoring teacher (someone who currently teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Gaia House or is a recognized vipassana teacher), knows you and your meditation practice, and is supportive of your application to DPP
• For those who identify as white, completion of a White Awake multi-week program, either through Spirit Rock or through other respected organizations
• Personal and interpersonal maturity regardless of age, including:
  • Maturity displaying emotional and relational intelligence, including the capacity to work with personal suffering
  • Interpersonal maturity, to navigate relational difficulties with peers and teachers
  • Interest and capacity to interact with people who will have different histories, stories and views than your own and a willingness to engage and discover with others

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Become a part of a community that will challenge, broaden, and vitalize your understanding and embodiment of the earliest Buddhist teachings. The Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP), designed as an intensive lay practice period, offers a comprehensive curriculum on the Buddha’s early teachings over two years. In addition to attending five 6-night in-person residential retreats, participants commit to maintaining a formal daily meditative practice, monthly coursework, monthly group meetings, a monthly “dharma buddy” meeting and contact with a mentoring teacher over the full period of DPP.

While the retreats are a very powerful part of the program, most of DPP is the personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats. Students who participated in the past six cycles of DPP reported a profound impact on their own meditation practice, providing a focus and inspiration for deepening their understanding of Buddhism, and bringing the dharma alive in new and unexpected ways.

We use the Dharma, our meditation practice, and our Sangha to explore the ways suffering and freedom are created in our own hearts, including an exploration of the gross and subtle manifestations of social suffering, and its impact on personal and collective well-being. Our intention is to create a diverse and vibrant community of dedicated practitioners who support one another in waking up and in bringing more wise compassion into the world. We are committed to having a minimum combined 50% BIPOC and LGBTQI+ participation in DPP.

Please note: DPP is not a teacher training program. Spirit Rock does periodically offer programs such as the Community Dharma Leaders Program, which trains participants in leading community dharma communities, the Dharma & Yoga Training Program for aspiring yoga teachers, and the Mindful Leadership Program geared toward leadership in social and environmental justice.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS and REQUIREMENTS

• Attendance at all five 6-night residential retreats
• Completion of monthly readings, practices and reflections with personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats.
• Attending a monthly teacher-led group meeting. Traditionally DPP groups have formed in San Francisco, Marin County, the SF East Bay, Redwood City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver, BC and have met in person and now groups may be offered by zoom. The groups are asked to support the teachers with dana.
• Monthly meetings with “dharma buddies” in the program
• Maintain regular contact with mentoring teacher focusing on formal practice, DPP homework, and personal dharma development and integration. Mentoring meetings may be offered monthly or every other month, in person or by zoom at the teacher’s discretion, and will be offered held on a dana basis. We encourage you to reach out to teachers (including your sponsoring teacher) to see if they might be willing to mentor you in DPP. If needed we will support you in finding one.
• Interest and commitment to increase individual awareness of structural oppression internalized oppression and privilege (class, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)
• The practice of dana (generosity) to support program teachers, group leaders and mentoring teachers
• Meeting all financial obligations outlined in this application relating to program fees
• Access to email and the internet, either through your own computer, through a DPP buddy, or through a family member or friend who would be willing to pass along all the messages related to DPP.

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APPLICATION TIMELINE and PROCESS

June 1 – August 15, 2021 – Applications accepted between these dates.  Incomplete applications without an attached digital photo cannot be processed.
August 15, 2021 – Deadline to submit application. All applications sent after this date will be put in a waitlist reserve to only be reviewed if space opens up in the program.
October 1, 2021 – Notification of your status will be sent no later than this date via email.
November 1, 2021 – Commitment and payment deadline; 25% deposit required at time of acceptance; $100 non-refundable fee for all applicants, if cancel prior to Jan 1, 2022.

Applications will open June 1, 2021. Close August 15, 2021.

A few things to consider and gather before getting started:

• This is an online-only application. You will receive a copy of your submitted application upon its completion.
• Allow yourself at least 30 minutes or more to complete this entire application.
• Gather details on your previous retreat experience; you will have to list your retreat time; Example format: date (month/year), location of retreat (what center), teacher(s), style of retreat (metta or vipassana, etc.), # of nights.
• Digital photo of yourself (headshot/”selfie”); take or choose a digital photo of yourself to be attached at the end of the application.
• Get prior approval from your sponsoring teacher before listing them on the application. You will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from the sponsoring teacher.
• The form is compatible with mobile, tablet and computer devices.

TUITION

Participation in DPP requires a financial commitment. Payment plans are available for all levels of the sliding scale. Scholarship support is available to help with payment of fees but it will be limited. A 25% deposit will be due upon acceptance.

Sliding Scale:
Supporter – $16,900 (guaranteed single room)
Benefactor – $13,700
Sustainer – $10,700
Base – $7,700

Scholarship Sliding Scale:
Scholarship Rate 1 – $5,700
Scholarship Rate 2 – $3,700

Tuition includes:

• Accommodations and meals at all five residential retreats
• All handouts and program materials
• Access to social media and online community building groups

Tuition does NOT include:

• Teacher support (dana)
• Transportation costs to/from your home to Spirit Rock
• Dana for mentor teacher support and monthly group teacher support

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IMPORTANCE OF SANGHA

With the spread of mindfulness outside of traditional Theravadin countries, often taught by teachers with little direct contact to the Pali teachings, every generation must take time to find the roots of their understanding in the recorded words of the Buddha and his earliest community. If we study alone, we often feel a limited understanding of these ancient texts, yet together they can come more alive. Also, many past students of DPP have forged life-long friendships from within the program.

During free time around non-silent meals on the retreats, and any time in the months between retreats, students are encouraged to organize self-led student groups on topics of shared interests. This is to further extend the Dharma presented formally by the program teachers and to raise topics not covered in the formal DPP curriculum.

All who meet the prerequisites are welcome to apply. Spirit Rock and the organizers of DPP7 are deeply committed to creating a community of practitioners from diverse backgrounds and cultures – a mix of races, genders, ethnicities, classes, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities – to support each other’s Dharma practice.

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Testimonials from Past DPP Participants

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about my practice on silent meditation retreats is the chance to just drop my habitual patterns of relating to people. Upon re-emerging into the world of social contact after a silent retreat, I have usually noticed subtle shifts in how I relate to people: over time, some of my habitual patterns have gotten weaker. With the interactive practices offered in the DPP, the shifts have been dramatic. Mindful interactive practices were for me a radical experience of authenticity in communication. Having experienced that level of authenticity and sharing in a safe environment, I find myself more willing to be authentic in daily life interactions. For me, the DPP has been as much about exploring community as about exploring the Dharma. The experience of trust and intimacy with such a large group of people has been extremely powerful. — Rachel

One of the greatest benefits of the DPP program was the “Dharma Buddy” element.  For years I sat silent retreats with total strangers who now, thanks to DPP, are my closest friends. It doesn’t matter who you choose to be your dharma buddy; each of us is a teacher and a student in our own unique way. I started out buddying up with an acquaintance who was in the program, and then a total stranger asked to be my buddy, so we became three. And then, during the course of the two years, I deeply connected with several other people who I adopted (or perhaps they adopted me) as dharma buddies. I speak on the phone or email those is distant cities, and we visit each other. Those who are local have formed a Kalyana Mitta (Dharma Friends) group that meets monthly. By the end of the program I had more than a half dozen close dharma buddies with whom I will undoubtedly continue sharing the dharma for years to come. — David

As a parent, the DPP gave me the focus and permission to deeply commit to my practice for two years. While I was uncertain initially about the impact on my family, the depth of practice has deeply served us and I have come much closer to the parent I always wanted to be! — Maureen

Participating in DPP has been one of the best experiences of my life. After two years of guided practice and study of the dharma, I feel confident and happy to go on with my life with a sense of meaning and connectedness. This is the greatest gift from life one can get. — Alicia

QUESTIONS? Please email us. 

LOTTERY REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
We had an overwhelming response with over 250 lottery applicants. We will be opening more on-land residential retreats soon for October – December 2021. Please stay connected with us via our calendar!

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Dates: Saturday to Tuesday, August 14-31, 2021 (17 nights). Code 286R21.
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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A Retreat for Experienced Students
Prerequisite: Completion of at least two 7-night silent residential insight meditation retreats (in-person retreat experience; online retreats are not eligible). Retreats do not have to have been taken here at Spirit Rock.

Description:
The first half of this retreat will focus on the development of concentration (samadhi), the collectedness and unification of mind that gives it strength and stability. The development of concentration, which comes from cultivating a relaxed attention and ease of mind, can bring joy to your practice and lead to the skillful use of pleasure in the meditative process. Concentration is also a key ingredient in the deepening of meditative insight.

The second half of the retreat will build on the foundation of concentration to explore the nature of awareness, or consciousness, which is the heart of sentient life. Awareness is always with us, revealing the phenomena of our experience, yet we may not have learned how to use it as a focus in meditation. As we deepen our connection to and understanding of this mysterious capacity for knowing, it becomes a powerful pathway to inner freedom and liberation.

Financial Information:
Sliding Scale: $850 – $5,108; 17 nights including food and lodging.
Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock, staff, and your fellow practitioners. Any amount offered above the Base rate of $2550 is a tax deductible donation to Spirit Rock, and your generosity will enable and support the participation of others. These fees do not include dana for the teachers.

Benefactor – $5,108
Sustainer – $3,825
Base – $2,550
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship (for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $850*
BIPOC Scholarship (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $850*
Young Adult Scholarship (for young adults age 18-26 years) – $850*

*Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Cancellation Policy for Residential Retreats (Aug-Dec 2021) and Online Multi-day Retreats (4+ days):
To offer participants greater flexibility as we make our way out of the pandemic, we’re offering a more generous cancellation policy.

• $100 fee** when you cancel two or more days before the retreat (**fees reduced to half for scholarship participants)
• No refunds when you cancel less than two days prior to the retreat (applies to all participants)

APPLICATIONS DUE AUGUST 15, 2021
Dates: April 2022 – May 2024
Sliding Scale: $13,700 – $3,700. Code: DPPT22

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PROGRAM DATES: April 2022 – May 2024

All retreats held in-person at Spirit Rock Meditation Center:
Retreat 1: April 30, 2022 to May 6, 2022
Retreat 2: November 11, 2022 to November 17, 2022
Retreat 3: April 15, 2023 to April 21, 2023
Retreat 4: November 11, 2023 to November 17, 2023
Retreat 5: April 28, 2024 to May 4, 2024

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

• A minimum total of 50 nights residential retreat practice in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition
• A minimum total of 5 years daily dharma practice
• A letter of recommendation from a sponsoring teacher (someone who currently teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Gaia House or is a recognized vipassana teacher), knows you and your meditation practice, and is supportive of your application to DPP
• For those who identify as white, completion of a White Awake multi-week program, either through Spirit Rock or through other respected organizations
• Personal and interpersonal maturity regardless of age, including:
  • Maturity displaying emotional and relational intelligence, including the capacity to work with personal suffering
  • Interpersonal maturity, to navigate relational difficulties with peers and teachers
  • Interest and capacity to interact with people who will have different histories, stories and views than your own and a willingness to engage and discover with others

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Become a part of a community that will challenge, broaden, and vitalize your understanding and embodiment of the earliest Buddhist teachings. The Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP), designed as an intensive lay practice period, offers a comprehensive curriculum on the Buddha’s early teachings over two years. In addition to attending five 6-night in-person residential retreats, participants commit to maintaining a formal daily meditative practice, monthly coursework, monthly group meetings, a monthly “dharma buddy” meeting and contact with a mentoring teacher over the full period of DPP.

While the retreats are a very powerful part of the program, most of DPP is the personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats. Students who participated in the past six cycles of DPP reported a profound impact on their own meditation practice, providing a focus and inspiration for deepening their understanding of Buddhism, and bringing the dharma alive in new and unexpected ways.

We use the Dharma, our meditation practice, and our Sangha to explore the ways suffering and freedom are created in our own hearts, including an exploration of the gross and subtle manifestations of social suffering, and its impact on personal and collective well-being. Our intention is to create a diverse and vibrant community of dedicated practitioners who support one another in waking up and in bringing more wise compassion into the world. We are committed to having a minimum combined 50% BIPOC and LGBTQI+ participation in DPP.

Please note: DPP is not a teacher training program. Spirit Rock does periodically offer programs such as the Community Dharma Leaders Program, which trains participants in leading community dharma communities, the Dharma & Yoga Training Program for aspiring yoga teachers, and the Mindful Leadership Program geared toward leadership in social and environmental justice.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS and REQUIREMENTS

• Attendance at all five 6-night residential retreats
• Completion of monthly readings, practices and reflections with personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats.
• Attending a monthly teacher-led group meeting. Traditionally DPP groups have formed in San Francisco, Marin County, the SF East Bay, Redwood City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver, BC and have met in person and now groups may be offered by zoom. The groups are asked to support the teachers with dana.
• Monthly meetings with “dharma buddies” in the program
• Maintain regular contact with mentoring teacher focusing on formal practice, DPP homework, and personal dharma development and integration. Mentoring meetings may be offered monthly or every other month, in person or by zoom at the teacher’s discretion, and will be offered held on a dana basis. We encourage you to reach out to teachers (including your sponsoring teacher) to see if they might be willing to mentor you in DPP. If needed we will support you in finding one.
• Interest and commitment to increase individual awareness of structural oppression internalized oppression and privilege (class, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)
• The practice of dana (generosity) to support program teachers, group leaders and mentoring teachers
• Meeting all financial obligations outlined in this application relating to program fees
• Access to email and the internet, either through your own computer, through a DPP buddy, or through a family member or friend who would be willing to pass along all the messages related to DPP.

---

APPLICATION TIMELINE and PROCESS

June 1 – August 15, 2021 – Applications accepted between these dates.  Incomplete applications without an attached digital photo cannot be processed.
August 15, 2021 – Deadline to submit application. All applications sent after this date will be put in a waitlist reserve to only be reviewed if space opens up in the program.
October 1, 2021 – Notification of your status will be sent no later than this date via email.
November 1, 2021 – Commitment and payment deadline; 25% deposit required at time of acceptance; $100 non-refundable fee for all applicants, if cancel prior to Jan 1, 2022.

Applications will open June 1, 2021. Close August 15, 2021.

A few things to consider and gather before getting started:

• This is an online-only application. You will receive a copy of your submitted application upon its completion.
• Allow yourself at least 30 minutes or more to complete this entire application.
• Gather details on your previous retreat experience; you will have to list your retreat time; Example format: date (month/year), location of retreat (what center), teacher(s), style of retreat (metta or vipassana, etc.), # of nights.
• Digital photo of yourself (headshot/”selfie”); take or choose a digital photo of yourself to be attached at the end of the application.
• Get prior approval from your sponsoring teacher before listing them on the application. You will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from the sponsoring teacher.
• The form is compatible with mobile, tablet and computer devices.

TUITION

Participation in DPP requires a financial commitment. Payment plans are available for all levels of the sliding scale. Scholarship support is available to help with payment of fees but it will be limited. A 25% deposit will be due upon acceptance.

Sliding Scale:
Supporter – $16,900 (guaranteed single room)
Benefactor – $13,700
Sustainer – $10,700
Base – $7,700

Scholarship Sliding Scale:
Scholarship Rate 1 – $5,700
Scholarship Rate 2 – $3,700

Tuition includes:

• Accommodations and meals at all five residential retreats
• All handouts and program materials
• Access to social media and online community building groups

Tuition does NOT include:

• Teacher support (dana)
• Transportation costs to/from your home to Spirit Rock
• Dana for mentor teacher support and monthly group teacher support

---

IMPORTANCE OF SANGHA

With the spread of mindfulness outside of traditional Theravadin countries, often taught by teachers with little direct contact to the Pali teachings, every generation must take time to find the roots of their understanding in the recorded words of the Buddha and his earliest community. If we study alone, we often feel a limited understanding of these ancient texts, yet together they can come more alive. Also, many past students of DPP have forged life-long friendships from within the program.

During free time around non-silent meals on the retreats, and any time in the months between retreats, students are encouraged to organize self-led student groups on topics of shared interests. This is to further extend the Dharma presented formally by the program teachers and to raise topics not covered in the formal DPP curriculum.

All who meet the prerequisites are welcome to apply. Spirit Rock and the organizers of DPP7 are deeply committed to creating a community of practitioners from diverse backgrounds and cultures – a mix of races, genders, ethnicities, classes, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities – to support each other’s Dharma practice.

---

Testimonials from Past DPP Participants

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about my practice on silent meditation retreats is the chance to just drop my habitual patterns of relating to people. Upon re-emerging into the world of social contact after a silent retreat, I have usually noticed subtle shifts in how I relate to people: over time, some of my habitual patterns have gotten weaker. With the interactive practices offered in the DPP, the shifts have been dramatic. Mindful interactive practices were for me a radical experience of authenticity in communication. Having experienced that level of authenticity and sharing in a safe environment, I find myself more willing to be authentic in daily life interactions. For me, the DPP has been as much about exploring community as about exploring the Dharma. The experience of trust and intimacy with such a large group of people has been extremely powerful. — Rachel

One of the greatest benefits of the DPP program was the “Dharma Buddy” element.  For years I sat silent retreats with total strangers who now, thanks to DPP, are my closest friends. It doesn’t matter who you choose to be your dharma buddy; each of us is a teacher and a student in our own unique way. I started out buddying up with an acquaintance who was in the program, and then a total stranger asked to be my buddy, so we became three. And then, during the course of the two years, I deeply connected with several other people who I adopted (or perhaps they adopted me) as dharma buddies. I speak on the phone or email those is distant cities, and we visit each other. Those who are local have formed a Kalyana Mitta (Dharma Friends) group that meets monthly. By the end of the program I had more than a half dozen close dharma buddies with whom I will undoubtedly continue sharing the dharma for years to come. — David

As a parent, the DPP gave me the focus and permission to deeply commit to my practice for two years. While I was uncertain initially about the impact on my family, the depth of practice has deeply served us and I have come much closer to the parent I always wanted to be! — Maureen

Participating in DPP has been one of the best experiences of my life. After two years of guided practice and study of the dharma, I feel confident and happy to go on with my life with a sense of meaning and connectedness. This is the greatest gift from life one can get. — Alicia

QUESTIONS? Please email us. 

Dates: Friday to Monday, September 3-6, 2021 (3 nights).
Sliding Scale: $150-$1050, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s). Code 288R21.
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing clarity and depth of practice. Traditional instructions will be combined with a spirit of lovingkindness, silent sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and meetings with the teachers.

This retreat is for experienced as well as new students.

The retreat includes a schedule of silent sitting and walking periods with instructions, and guided yoga/movement sessions, as well as practice meetings with teachers and daily Dharma talks.

Financial Information:
Sliding Scale: $150 – $1,050; 3 nights including meals and lodging.
Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock, staff, and your fellow practitioners. Any amount offered above the Base rate is a tax deductible donation to Spirit Rock, and your generosity will enable and support the participation of others. These fees do not include dana for the teachers.

Benefactor – $1,050
Sustainer – $750
Base – $525
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship (for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $150*
BIPOC Scholarship (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $150*
Young Adult Scholarship (for young adults age 18-26 years) – $150*

*Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Cancellation Policy for Residential Retreats (Aug-Dec 2021) and Online Multi-day Retreats (4+ days):
To offer participants greater flexibility as we make our way out of the pandemic, we’re offering a more generous cancellation policy.

• $100 fee** when you cancel two or more days before the retreat (**fees reduced to half for scholarship participants)
• No refunds when you cancel less than two days prior to the retreat (applies to all participants)

Dates: Thursday to Sunday, September 9-12, 2021 (3 nights). Code 290R21.
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!
OPEN TO ALL: Indigenous people from around the world and allies.

Description:
This residential retreat will provide a conceptual framework and practice guidelines for Mindful “Indigenous Presence” meditation—a way of coming into harmony with the present moment and our world—and provides space for acceptance, and the cultivation of clarity, confidence, resilience and strength. This practice maps the fundamental wellness-optimizing characteristics of Indigenous Ceremony onto the methods and outcomes of another ancient traditional expression of sacred presence, that of mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation.

This retreat will be instructional, experiential, and interactive. Together we will explore the techniques of mindfulness/insight meditation and come to understand the strength-based and resilience optimizing characteristics of retreat as Ceremony.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Cancellation Policy
To offer participants greater flexibility as we make our way out of the pandemic, we’re offering a more generous cancellation policy for Residential Retreats (Aug-Dec 2021) and Online Multi-day Retreats (4+ days):

• $100 fee* when you cancel two or more days before the retreat (*fees reduced to half for scholarship participants)
• No refunds when you cancel less than two days prior to the retreat (applies to all participants)

Dates: Monday to Monday, September 13-20, 2021 (6 nights). Code 292R21.
Sliding Scale: $350-$2450, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
We will celebrate our humanity by learning to stay present and relaxed in each moment. This present centeredness reveals the depth, beauty, and goodness of our innate humanity, which the Buddha discovered is available to all human beings. We’ll practice together for ourselves and the benefit of all.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

REOPENING SOON! Shifting to On-Land registration Friday, May 28, 2021.

Dates: Tuesday to Saturday, September 21-25, 2021 (4 nights).
Sliding Scale: $200-$1200, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s). Code 294R21.
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Open to self-identified LGBT*QI2 and GNC Community

Description:
The beauty of the Buddhist practice comes alive when practicing together as LGBTQI and GNC (gender non-conforming) people. We take refuge together in the diversity of our community and in embracing ourselves fully, no part left out. With our practice we cultivate mindfulness, lovingkindness and compassion to support healing our hearts and the potential to realize a peace that is not dependent on the external conditions of the world. This retreat is open to those with all levels of experience.

Instructions for Insight Meditation practice including guided meditations, Dharma talks, and practice meetings will be offered. Each day will include alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, and will emphasize the continuity of practice in all activities throughout the day.

Financial Information:
Sliding Scale: $200 – $1,200; 4 nights including food and lodging.
Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock, staff, and your fellow practitioners. Any amount offered above the Base rate is a tax deductible donation to Spirit Rock, and your generosity will enable and support the participation of others. These fees do not include dana for the teachers.

Benefactor – $1,200
Sustainer – $900
Base – $600
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship (for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $200*
BIPOC Scholarship (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $200*
Young Adult Scholarship (for young adults age 18-26 years) – $200*

*Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

Cancellation Policy for Residential Retreats (Aug-Dec 2021) and Online Multi-day Retreats (4+ days):
To offer participants greater flexibility as we make our way out of the pandemic, we’re offering a more generous cancellation policy.

• $100 fee** when you cancel two or more days before the retreat (**fees reduced to half for scholarship participants)
• No refunds when you cancel less than two days prior to the retreat (applies to all participants)

LOTTERY REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
We had an overwhelming response with over 850 lottery applicants. We will be opening more on-land residential retreats soon for October – December 2021. Please stay connected with us via our calendar!

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Dates: Sunday to Saturday, September 26-October 2, 2021 (6 nights). Code 295R21.
Sliding Scale: $300-$2100, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
Beneath the fragmentation and pain of this time, something is rumbling deep in our minds. It is as if the tectonic plates are moving inside us, but we don’t know exactly where everything will land. How can we stabilize ourselves and leverage the moment to understand the Dharma more deeply and soften our hearts more fully?

This Insight retreat will explore the power of goodness amidst the intensity of our human condition. The pāramīs serve to guide our hearts: generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, resolution, lovingkindness, and equanimity. These forces of goodness do not erase suffering, but guide us towards wisdom and compassion.

Practicing within our own homes offers an unusual opportunity. Our home can offer a sense of comfort but our habit energies are often strongest there. Home retreat can be transformative in ways we do not experience in residential retreats. It allows us to deeply integrate this spiritual path into our living space, creating the visual and temporal reminders of path and practice in our own home.

Traditional meditation instruction will be combined with a spirit of lovingkindness and silent sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and small group practice meetings with teachers. This retreat is open to new and experienced meditators.

Financial Information:
Sliding Scale: $300 – $2,100; 6 nights including food and lodging.
Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock, staff, and your fellow practitioners. Any amount offered above the Base rate is a tax deductible donation to Spirit Rock, and your generosity will enable and support the participation of others. These fees do not include dana for the teachers.

Benefactor – $2,100
Sustainer – $1,500
Base – $1,050
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship (for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $300*
BIPOC Scholarship (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $300*
Young Adult Scholarship (for young adults age 18-26 years) – $300*

*Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Cancellation Policy for Residential Retreats (Aug-Dec 2021):
To offer participants greater flexibility as we make our way out of the pandemic, we’re offering a more generous cancellation policy.

• $100 fee** when you cancel two or more days before the retreat (**fees reduced to half for scholarship participants)
• No refunds when you cancel less than two days prior to the retreat (applies to all participants)

APPLICATIONS DUE AUGUST 15, 2021
Dates: April 2022 – May 2024
Sliding Scale: $13,700 – $3,700. Code: DPPT22

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PROGRAM DATES: April 2022 – May 2024

All retreats held in-person at Spirit Rock Meditation Center:
Retreat 1: April 30, 2022 to May 6, 2022
Retreat 2: November 11, 2022 to November 17, 2022
Retreat 3: April 15, 2023 to April 21, 2023
Retreat 4: November 11, 2023 to November 17, 2023
Retreat 5: April 28, 2024 to May 4, 2024

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

• A minimum total of 50 nights residential retreat practice in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition
• A minimum total of 5 years daily dharma practice
• A letter of recommendation from a sponsoring teacher (someone who currently teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Gaia House or is a recognized vipassana teacher), knows you and your meditation practice, and is supportive of your application to DPP
• For those who identify as white, completion of a White Awake multi-week program, either through Spirit Rock or through other respected organizations
• Personal and interpersonal maturity regardless of age, including:
  • Maturity displaying emotional and relational intelligence, including the capacity to work with personal suffering
  • Interpersonal maturity, to navigate relational difficulties with peers and teachers
  • Interest and capacity to interact with people who will have different histories, stories and views than your own and a willingness to engage and discover with others

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Become a part of a community that will challenge, broaden, and vitalize your understanding and embodiment of the earliest Buddhist teachings. The Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP), designed as an intensive lay practice period, offers a comprehensive curriculum on the Buddha’s early teachings over two years. In addition to attending five 6-night in-person residential retreats, participants commit to maintaining a formal daily meditative practice, monthly coursework, monthly group meetings, a monthly “dharma buddy” meeting and contact with a mentoring teacher over the full period of DPP.

While the retreats are a very powerful part of the program, most of DPP is the personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats. Students who participated in the past six cycles of DPP reported a profound impact on their own meditation practice, providing a focus and inspiration for deepening their understanding of Buddhism, and bringing the dharma alive in new and unexpected ways.

We use the Dharma, our meditation practice, and our Sangha to explore the ways suffering and freedom are created in our own hearts, including an exploration of the gross and subtle manifestations of social suffering, and its impact on personal and collective well-being. Our intention is to create a diverse and vibrant community of dedicated practitioners who support one another in waking up and in bringing more wise compassion into the world. We are committed to having a minimum combined 50% BIPOC and LGBTQI+ participation in DPP.

Please note: DPP is not a teacher training program. Spirit Rock does periodically offer programs such as the Community Dharma Leaders Program, which trains participants in leading community dharma communities, the Dharma & Yoga Training Program for aspiring yoga teachers, and the Mindful Leadership Program geared toward leadership in social and environmental justice.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS and REQUIREMENTS

• Attendance at all five 6-night residential retreats
• Completion of monthly readings, practices and reflections with personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats.
• Attending a monthly teacher-led group meeting. Traditionally DPP groups have formed in San Francisco, Marin County, the SF East Bay, Redwood City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver, BC and have met in person and now groups may be offered by zoom. The groups are asked to support the teachers with dana.
• Monthly meetings with “dharma buddies” in the program
• Maintain regular contact with mentoring teacher focusing on formal practice, DPP homework, and personal dharma development and integration. Mentoring meetings may be offered monthly or every other month, in person or by zoom at the teacher’s discretion, and will be offered held on a dana basis. We encourage you to reach out to teachers (including your sponsoring teacher) to see if they might be willing to mentor you in DPP. If needed we will support you in finding one.
• Interest and commitment to increase individual awareness of structural oppression internalized oppression and privilege (class, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)
• The practice of dana (generosity) to support program teachers, group leaders and mentoring teachers
• Meeting all financial obligations outlined in this application relating to program fees
• Access to email and the internet, either through your own computer, through a DPP buddy, or through a family member or friend who would be willing to pass along all the messages related to DPP.

---

APPLICATION TIMELINE and PROCESS

June 1 – August 15, 2021 – Applications accepted between these dates.  Incomplete applications without an attached digital photo cannot be processed.
August 15, 2021 – Deadline to submit application. All applications sent after this date will be put in a waitlist reserve to only be reviewed if space opens up in the program.
October 1, 2021 – Notification of your status will be sent no later than this date via email.
November 1, 2021 – Commitment and payment deadline; 25% deposit required at time of acceptance; $100 non-refundable fee for all applicants, if cancel prior to Jan 1, 2022.

Applications will open June 1, 2021. Close August 15, 2021.

A few things to consider and gather before getting started:

• This is an online-only application. You will receive a copy of your submitted application upon its completion.
• Allow yourself at least 30 minutes or more to complete this entire application.
• Gather details on your previous retreat experience; you will have to list your retreat time; Example format: date (month/year), location of retreat (what center), teacher(s), style of retreat (metta or vipassana, etc.), # of nights.
• Digital photo of yourself (headshot/”selfie”); take or choose a digital photo of yourself to be attached at the end of the application.
• Get prior approval from your sponsoring teacher before listing them on the application. You will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from the sponsoring teacher.
• The form is compatible with mobile, tablet and computer devices.

TUITION

Participation in DPP requires a financial commitment. Payment plans are available for all levels of the sliding scale. Scholarship support is available to help with payment of fees but it will be limited. A 25% deposit will be due upon acceptance.

Sliding Scale:
Supporter – $16,900 (guaranteed single room)
Benefactor – $13,700
Sustainer – $10,700
Base – $7,700

Scholarship Sliding Scale:
Scholarship Rate 1 – $5,700
Scholarship Rate 2 – $3,700

Tuition includes:

• Accommodations and meals at all five residential retreats
• All handouts and program materials
• Access to social media and online community building groups

Tuition does NOT include:

• Teacher support (dana)
• Transportation costs to/from your home to Spirit Rock
• Dana for mentor teacher support and monthly group teacher support

---

IMPORTANCE OF SANGHA

With the spread of mindfulness outside of traditional Theravadin countries, often taught by teachers with little direct contact to the Pali teachings, every generation must take time to find the roots of their understanding in the recorded words of the Buddha and his earliest community. If we study alone, we often feel a limited understanding of these ancient texts, yet together they can come more alive. Also, many past students of DPP have forged life-long friendships from within the program.

During free time around non-silent meals on the retreats, and any time in the months between retreats, students are encouraged to organize self-led student groups on topics of shared interests. This is to further extend the Dharma presented formally by the program teachers and to raise topics not covered in the formal DPP curriculum.

All who meet the prerequisites are welcome to apply. Spirit Rock and the organizers of DPP7 are deeply committed to creating a community of practitioners from diverse backgrounds and cultures – a mix of races, genders, ethnicities, classes, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities – to support each other’s Dharma practice.

---

Testimonials from Past DPP Participants

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about my practice on silent meditation retreats is the chance to just drop my habitual patterns of relating to people. Upon re-emerging into the world of social contact after a silent retreat, I have usually noticed subtle shifts in how I relate to people: over time, some of my habitual patterns have gotten weaker. With the interactive practices offered in the DPP, the shifts have been dramatic. Mindful interactive practices were for me a radical experience of authenticity in communication. Having experienced that level of authenticity and sharing in a safe environment, I find myself more willing to be authentic in daily life interactions. For me, the DPP has been as much about exploring community as about exploring the Dharma. The experience of trust and intimacy with such a large group of people has been extremely powerful. — Rachel

One of the greatest benefits of the DPP program was the “Dharma Buddy” element.  For years I sat silent retreats with total strangers who now, thanks to DPP, are my closest friends. It doesn’t matter who you choose to be your dharma buddy; each of us is a teacher and a student in our own unique way. I started out buddying up with an acquaintance who was in the program, and then a total stranger asked to be my buddy, so we became three. And then, during the course of the two years, I deeply connected with several other people who I adopted (or perhaps they adopted me) as dharma buddies. I speak on the phone or email those is distant cities, and we visit each other. Those who are local have formed a Kalyana Mitta (Dharma Friends) group that meets monthly. By the end of the program I had more than a half dozen close dharma buddies with whom I will undoubtedly continue sharing the dharma for years to come. — David

As a parent, the DPP gave me the focus and permission to deeply commit to my practice for two years. While I was uncertain initially about the impact on my family, the depth of practice has deeply served us and I have come much closer to the parent I always wanted to be! — Maureen

Participating in DPP has been one of the best experiences of my life. After two years of guided practice and study of the dharma, I feel confident and happy to go on with my life with a sense of meaning and connectedness. This is the greatest gift from life one can get. — Alicia

QUESTIONS? Please email us. 

LOTTERY REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
We had an overwhelming response with over 850 lottery applicants. We will be opening more on-land residential retreats soon for October – December 2021. Please stay connected with us via our calendar!

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Dates: Sunday to Saturday, September 26-October 2, 2021 (6 nights). Code 295R21.
Sliding Scale: $300-$2100, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
Beneath the fragmentation and pain of this time, something is rumbling deep in our minds. It is as if the tectonic plates are moving inside us, but we don’t know exactly where everything will land. How can we stabilize ourselves and leverage the moment to understand the Dharma more deeply and soften our hearts more fully?

This Insight retreat will explore the power of goodness amidst the intensity of our human condition. The pāramīs serve to guide our hearts: generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, resolution, lovingkindness, and equanimity. These forces of goodness do not erase suffering, but guide us towards wisdom and compassion.

Practicing within our own homes offers an unusual opportunity. Our home can offer a sense of comfort but our habit energies are often strongest there. Home retreat can be transformative in ways we do not experience in residential retreats. It allows us to deeply integrate this spiritual path into our living space, creating the visual and temporal reminders of path and practice in our own home.

Traditional meditation instruction will be combined with a spirit of lovingkindness and silent sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks, and small group practice meetings with teachers. This retreat is open to new and experienced meditators.

Financial Information:
Sliding Scale: $300 – $2,100; 6 nights including food and lodging.
Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock, staff, and your fellow practitioners. Any amount offered above the Base rate is a tax deductible donation to Spirit Rock, and your generosity will enable and support the participation of others. These fees do not include dana for the teachers.

Benefactor – $2,100
Sustainer – $1,500
Base – $1,050
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship (for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $300*
BIPOC Scholarship (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $300*
Young Adult Scholarship (for young adults age 18-26 years) – $300*

*Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Cancellation Policy for Residential Retreats (Aug-Dec 2021):
To offer participants greater flexibility as we make our way out of the pandemic, we’re offering a more generous cancellation policy.

• $100 fee** when you cancel two or more days before the retreat (**fees reduced to half for scholarship participants)
• No refunds when you cancel less than two days prior to the retreat (applies to all participants)

Dates: Friday to Tuesday, October 8 – 12, 2021 (4 nights). Code 300R21.
Sliding Scale: $200-$1400, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
Our body can be a vehicle for liberation in this life, with all that we need to wake up. Yet we may not know how to relate to the body to support this kind of freedom.

We will practice ways of connecting to our body with loving awareness, while recognizing ourselves as part of nature. We will engage in the practices of the Buddhist path in silence – sitting, walking, resting, and eating – supported by nature on the land at Spirit Rock.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Dates: Wednesday to Sunday, October 13 – 17, 2021 (4 nights). Code 302R21.
Sliding Scale: $200-$1400, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
How do we stay both grounded and spacious in these times of great personal and global stress and uncertainty?

We joyfully invite you back to the Spirit Rock land for an integrated body-mind silent retreat. The retreat will help you settle your nervous system, ground your energy, and open up a sense of ease, openness, and well-being in your body, mind, and heart.

The schedule is designed to support mindful presence within the flow of movement and stillness, nourishing your spirit and helping you reconnect with what matters most. You will have time to rest, be in nature, and find the natural rhythms of your own practice. Each day consists of:

• Guided practice sessions that weave together a gentle, mindful yoga session, seated meditation instructions, and dharma reflections
• Periods of silent seated and walking meditation
• Open time for self-guided movement practice
• Daily group Q&A and dharma discussion with a teacher

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Dates: Wednesday to Wednesday, October 20 – 27, 2021 (7 nights). Code 304R21.
Sliding Scale: $350-$2450, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

---

Description:
Do you wish to understand more deeply what mindfulness and awareness are? The Buddha taught mindful awareness as a direct path to liberation.

Mindful awareness allows us to be present with clarity, insight, and equanimity. It is the foundation for wisdom, compassion, and awakening. Though Buddhist teachings offer ways to cultivate mindfulness, we will explore how this quality is naturally available.

In this silent meditation retreat, we will explore this innate quality of awareness – what it is and how to recognize, cultivate, and abide in awareness. We will inquire into what interferes with knowing and stabilizing in mindful awareness both in meditation and in ordinary activity. As mindfulness grows, we will see how this innate wakefulness is available in every moment.

There will be sitting and walking meditation, dharma talks, inquiry, and Q&A. Ideally, participants have attended at least one silent mindfulness retreat.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

APPLICATIONS DUE AUGUST 15, 2021
Dates: April 2022 – May 2024
Sliding Scale: $13,700 – $3,700. Code: DPPT22

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PROGRAM DATES: April 2022 – May 2024

All retreats held in-person at Spirit Rock Meditation Center:
Retreat 1: April 30, 2022 to May 6, 2022
Retreat 2: November 11, 2022 to November 17, 2022
Retreat 3: April 15, 2023 to April 21, 2023
Retreat 4: November 11, 2023 to November 17, 2023
Retreat 5: April 28, 2024 to May 4, 2024

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

• A minimum total of 50 nights residential retreat practice in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition
• A minimum total of 5 years daily dharma practice
• A letter of recommendation from a sponsoring teacher (someone who currently teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Gaia House or is a recognized vipassana teacher), knows you and your meditation practice, and is supportive of your application to DPP
• For those who identify as white, completion of a White Awake multi-week program, either through Spirit Rock or through other respected organizations
• Personal and interpersonal maturity regardless of age, including:
  • Maturity displaying emotional and relational intelligence, including the capacity to work with personal suffering
  • Interpersonal maturity, to navigate relational difficulties with peers and teachers
  • Interest and capacity to interact with people who will have different histories, stories and views than your own and a willingness to engage and discover with others

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Become a part of a community that will challenge, broaden, and vitalize your understanding and embodiment of the earliest Buddhist teachings. The Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP), designed as an intensive lay practice period, offers a comprehensive curriculum on the Buddha’s early teachings over two years. In addition to attending five 6-night in-person residential retreats, participants commit to maintaining a formal daily meditative practice, monthly coursework, monthly group meetings, a monthly “dharma buddy” meeting and contact with a mentoring teacher over the full period of DPP.

While the retreats are a very powerful part of the program, most of DPP is the personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats. Students who participated in the past six cycles of DPP reported a profound impact on their own meditation practice, providing a focus and inspiration for deepening their understanding of Buddhism, and bringing the dharma alive in new and unexpected ways.

We use the Dharma, our meditation practice, and our Sangha to explore the ways suffering and freedom are created in our own hearts, including an exploration of the gross and subtle manifestations of social suffering, and its impact on personal and collective well-being. Our intention is to create a diverse and vibrant community of dedicated practitioners who support one another in waking up and in bringing more wise compassion into the world. We are committed to having a minimum combined 50% BIPOC and LGBTQI+ participation in DPP.

Please note: DPP is not a teacher training program. Spirit Rock does periodically offer programs such as the Community Dharma Leaders Program, which trains participants in leading community dharma communities, the Dharma & Yoga Training Program for aspiring yoga teachers, and the Mindful Leadership Program geared toward leadership in social and environmental justice.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS and REQUIREMENTS

• Attendance at all five 6-night residential retreats
• Completion of monthly readings, practices and reflections with personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats.
• Attending a monthly teacher-led group meeting. Traditionally DPP groups have formed in San Francisco, Marin County, the SF East Bay, Redwood City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver, BC and have met in person and now groups may be offered by zoom. The groups are asked to support the teachers with dana.
• Monthly meetings with “dharma buddies” in the program
• Maintain regular contact with mentoring teacher focusing on formal practice, DPP homework, and personal dharma development and integration. Mentoring meetings may be offered monthly or every other month, in person or by zoom at the teacher’s discretion, and will be offered held on a dana basis. We encourage you to reach out to teachers (including your sponsoring teacher) to see if they might be willing to mentor you in DPP. If needed we will support you in finding one.
• Interest and commitment to increase individual awareness of structural oppression internalized oppression and privilege (class, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)
• The practice of dana (generosity) to support program teachers, group leaders and mentoring teachers
• Meeting all financial obligations outlined in this application relating to program fees
• Access to email and the internet, either through your own computer, through a DPP buddy, or through a family member or friend who would be willing to pass along all the messages related to DPP.

---

APPLICATION TIMELINE and PROCESS

June 1 – August 15, 2021 – Applications accepted between these dates.  Incomplete applications without an attached digital photo cannot be processed.
August 15, 2021 – Deadline to submit application. All applications sent after this date will be put in a waitlist reserve to only be reviewed if space opens up in the program.
October 1, 2021 – Notification of your status will be sent no later than this date via email.
November 1, 2021 – Commitment and payment deadline; 25% deposit required at time of acceptance; $100 non-refundable fee for all applicants, if cancel prior to Jan 1, 2022.

Applications will open June 1, 2021. Close August 15, 2021.

A few things to consider and gather before getting started:

• This is an online-only application. You will receive a copy of your submitted application upon its completion.
• Allow yourself at least 30 minutes or more to complete this entire application.
• Gather details on your previous retreat experience; you will have to list your retreat time; Example format: date (month/year), location of retreat (what center), teacher(s), style of retreat (metta or vipassana, etc.), # of nights.
• Digital photo of yourself (headshot/”selfie”); take or choose a digital photo of yourself to be attached at the end of the application.
• Get prior approval from your sponsoring teacher before listing them on the application. You will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from the sponsoring teacher.
• The form is compatible with mobile, tablet and computer devices.

TUITION

Participation in DPP requires a financial commitment. Payment plans are available for all levels of the sliding scale. Scholarship support is available to help with payment of fees but it will be limited. A 25% deposit will be due upon acceptance.

Sliding Scale:
Supporter – $16,900 (guaranteed single room)
Benefactor – $13,700
Sustainer – $10,700
Base – $7,700

Scholarship Sliding Scale:
Scholarship Rate 1 – $5,700
Scholarship Rate 2 – $3,700

Tuition includes:

• Accommodations and meals at all five residential retreats
• All handouts and program materials
• Access to social media and online community building groups

Tuition does NOT include:

• Teacher support (dana)
• Transportation costs to/from your home to Spirit Rock
• Dana for mentor teacher support and monthly group teacher support

---

IMPORTANCE OF SANGHA

With the spread of mindfulness outside of traditional Theravadin countries, often taught by teachers with little direct contact to the Pali teachings, every generation must take time to find the roots of their understanding in the recorded words of the Buddha and his earliest community. If we study alone, we often feel a limited understanding of these ancient texts, yet together they can come more alive. Also, many past students of DPP have forged life-long friendships from within the program.

During free time around non-silent meals on the retreats, and any time in the months between retreats, students are encouraged to organize self-led student groups on topics of shared interests. This is to further extend the Dharma presented formally by the program teachers and to raise topics not covered in the formal DPP curriculum.

All who meet the prerequisites are welcome to apply. Spirit Rock and the organizers of DPP7 are deeply committed to creating a community of practitioners from diverse backgrounds and cultures – a mix of races, genders, ethnicities, classes, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities – to support each other’s Dharma practice.

---

Testimonials from Past DPP Participants

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about my practice on silent meditation retreats is the chance to just drop my habitual patterns of relating to people. Upon re-emerging into the world of social contact after a silent retreat, I have usually noticed subtle shifts in how I relate to people: over time, some of my habitual patterns have gotten weaker. With the interactive practices offered in the DPP, the shifts have been dramatic. Mindful interactive practices were for me a radical experience of authenticity in communication. Having experienced that level of authenticity and sharing in a safe environment, I find myself more willing to be authentic in daily life interactions. For me, the DPP has been as much about exploring community as about exploring the Dharma. The experience of trust and intimacy with such a large group of people has been extremely powerful. — Rachel

One of the greatest benefits of the DPP program was the “Dharma Buddy” element.  For years I sat silent retreats with total strangers who now, thanks to DPP, are my closest friends. It doesn’t matter who you choose to be your dharma buddy; each of us is a teacher and a student in our own unique way. I started out buddying up with an acquaintance who was in the program, and then a total stranger asked to be my buddy, so we became three. And then, during the course of the two years, I deeply connected with several other people who I adopted (or perhaps they adopted me) as dharma buddies. I speak on the phone or email those is distant cities, and we visit each other. Those who are local have formed a Kalyana Mitta (Dharma Friends) group that meets monthly. By the end of the program I had more than a half dozen close dharma buddies with whom I will undoubtedly continue sharing the dharma for years to come. — David

As a parent, the DPP gave me the focus and permission to deeply commit to my practice for two years. While I was uncertain initially about the impact on my family, the depth of practice has deeply served us and I have come much closer to the parent I always wanted to be! — Maureen

Participating in DPP has been one of the best experiences of my life. After two years of guided practice and study of the dharma, I feel confident and happy to go on with my life with a sense of meaning and connectedness. This is the greatest gift from life one can get. — Alicia

QUESTIONS? Please email us. 

Dates: Wednesday to Wednesday, November 3-10, 2021 (7 nights). Code 306R21.
Sliding Scale: $350-$2450, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

---

Prerequisite: Completion of a mindfulness meditation class or retreat (online or in-person) and a regular mindfulness practice.

Description:
We will train in three interrelated modes of practice. First, we will settle and stabilize our minds and bodies, becoming more concentrated, through sitting and moving forms of meditation, including regular Qigong.

As we settle, we will become better able to closely examine our experience of our bodies, thoughts, and emotions, and the general patterns of experience, on the personal and universal levels. We will see more clearly when we are reactive, when we suffer, and when there is a thick sense of self. Plus, we will learn to be more with the impermanent flow of experience.

We will also tune in more, as we settle and see, to an increasingly unconfined and luminous awareness beyond reactivity, which is a source of freedom, wisdom, and compassion in retreat practice and in daily life.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Dates: Friday to Wednesday, November 12-17, 2021 (5 nights). Code 308R21.
Sliding Scale: $250-$1750, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

---

Description:
Come explore the deep well-being and peace available from learning to live with awareness and understanding the Dharma deeply. Join us to develop a clear, kind presence of mind and heart that can support becoming a more wise, balanced, compassionate human being. This retreat will emphasize a relaxed continuity of attention in sitting, walking, eating and all other daily activities.

We will enter into a contemplative Buddhist retreat period, simplifying our lives by letting go of reading, writing, cellphones, computers, sexual activity and recreational drugs/alcohol to help settle our minds and hearts. The retreat will be supported by guided meditations, Dharma talks, and time for questions in small groups.

Note: Dharma is for everyone but intensive silent retreat is only recommended for those with sufficient psychological stability. This retreat is not appropriate for those with recent trauma, fragile mental health, or who cannot be in silence for 5 nights.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Dates: Monday to Sunday, November 29-December 5, 2021 (6 nights). Code 312R21.
Sliding Scale: $300-$2100, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

---

Description:
The foundational Buddhist meditation practices are the collecting and clarifying of the mind, and cultivating the conditions for Insight. On this retreat we will look carefully and practice creating the conditions that allow the meditation practice to flourish and wisdom to arise. Specific guidance will be given around the different aspects of practice will be offered with an emphasis on the practitioner knowing what and why they are doing the practice they are and what the results that may follow. Open to all interested meditators with a willingness to investigate and experiment with their practice approaches.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

APPLICATIONS DUE AUGUST 15, 2021
Dates: April 2022 – May 2024
Sliding Scale: $13,700 – $3,700. Code: DPPT22

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PROGRAM DATES: April 2022 – May 2024

All retreats held in-person at Spirit Rock Meditation Center:
Retreat 1: April 30, 2022 to May 6, 2022
Retreat 2: November 11, 2022 to November 17, 2022
Retreat 3: April 15, 2023 to April 21, 2023
Retreat 4: November 11, 2023 to November 17, 2023
Retreat 5: April 28, 2024 to May 4, 2024

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

• A minimum total of 50 nights residential retreat practice in the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition
• A minimum total of 5 years daily dharma practice
• A letter of recommendation from a sponsoring teacher (someone who currently teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, Gaia House or is a recognized vipassana teacher), knows you and your meditation practice, and is supportive of your application to DPP
• For those who identify as white, completion of a White Awake multi-week program, either through Spirit Rock or through other respected organizations
• Personal and interpersonal maturity regardless of age, including:
  • Maturity displaying emotional and relational intelligence, including the capacity to work with personal suffering
  • Interpersonal maturity, to navigate relational difficulties with peers and teachers
  • Interest and capacity to interact with people who will have different histories, stories and views than your own and a willingness to engage and discover with others

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Become a part of a community that will challenge, broaden, and vitalize your understanding and embodiment of the earliest Buddhist teachings. The Dedicated Practitioners Program (DPP), designed as an intensive lay practice period, offers a comprehensive curriculum on the Buddha’s early teachings over two years. In addition to attending five 6-night in-person residential retreats, participants commit to maintaining a formal daily meditative practice, monthly coursework, monthly group meetings, a monthly “dharma buddy” meeting and contact with a mentoring teacher over the full period of DPP.

While the retreats are a very powerful part of the program, most of DPP is the personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats. Students who participated in the past six cycles of DPP reported a profound impact on their own meditation practice, providing a focus and inspiration for deepening their understanding of Buddhism, and bringing the dharma alive in new and unexpected ways.

We use the Dharma, our meditation practice, and our Sangha to explore the ways suffering and freedom are created in our own hearts, including an exploration of the gross and subtle manifestations of social suffering, and its impact on personal and collective well-being. Our intention is to create a diverse and vibrant community of dedicated practitioners who support one another in waking up and in bringing more wise compassion into the world. We are committed to having a minimum combined 50% BIPOC and LGBTQI+ participation in DPP.

Please note: DPP is not a teacher training program. Spirit Rock does periodically offer programs such as the Community Dharma Leaders Program, which trains participants in leading community dharma communities, the Dharma & Yoga Training Program for aspiring yoga teachers, and the Mindful Leadership Program geared toward leadership in social and environmental justice.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS and REQUIREMENTS

• Attendance at all five 6-night residential retreats
• Completion of monthly readings, practices and reflections with personal engagement with the eight-fold path in the six months between retreats.
• Attending a monthly teacher-led group meeting. Traditionally DPP groups have formed in San Francisco, Marin County, the SF East Bay, Redwood City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver, BC and have met in person and now groups may be offered by zoom. The groups are asked to support the teachers with dana.
• Monthly meetings with “dharma buddies” in the program
• Maintain regular contact with mentoring teacher focusing on formal practice, DPP homework, and personal dharma development and integration. Mentoring meetings may be offered monthly or every other month, in person or by zoom at the teacher’s discretion, and will be offered held on a dana basis. We encourage you to reach out to teachers (including your sponsoring teacher) to see if they might be willing to mentor you in DPP. If needed we will support you in finding one.
• Interest and commitment to increase individual awareness of structural oppression internalized oppression and privilege (class, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)
• The practice of dana (generosity) to support program teachers, group leaders and mentoring teachers
• Meeting all financial obligations outlined in this application relating to program fees
• Access to email and the internet, either through your own computer, through a DPP buddy, or through a family member or friend who would be willing to pass along all the messages related to DPP.

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APPLICATION TIMELINE and PROCESS

June 1 – August 15, 2021 – Applications accepted between these dates.  Incomplete applications without an attached digital photo cannot be processed.
August 15, 2021 – Deadline to submit application. All applications sent after this date will be put in a waitlist reserve to only be reviewed if space opens up in the program.
October 1, 2021 – Notification of your status will be sent no later than this date via email.
November 1, 2021 – Commitment and payment deadline; 25% deposit required at time of acceptance; $100 non-refundable fee for all applicants, if cancel prior to Jan 1, 2022.

Applications will open June 1, 2021. Close August 15, 2021.

A few things to consider and gather before getting started:

• This is an online-only application. You will receive a copy of your submitted application upon its completion.
• Allow yourself at least 30 minutes or more to complete this entire application.
• Gather details on your previous retreat experience; you will have to list your retreat time; Example format: date (month/year), location of retreat (what center), teacher(s), style of retreat (metta or vipassana, etc.), # of nights.
• Digital photo of yourself (headshot/”selfie”); take or choose a digital photo of yourself to be attached at the end of the application.
• Get prior approval from your sponsoring teacher before listing them on the application. You will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from the sponsoring teacher.
• The form is compatible with mobile, tablet and computer devices.

TUITION

Participation in DPP requires a financial commitment. Payment plans are available for all levels of the sliding scale. Scholarship support is available to help with payment of fees but it will be limited. A 25% deposit will be due upon acceptance.

Sliding Scale:
Supporter – $16,900 (guaranteed single room)
Benefactor – $13,700
Sustainer – $10,700
Base – $7,700

Scholarship Sliding Scale:
Scholarship Rate 1 – $5,700
Scholarship Rate 2 – $3,700

Tuition includes:

• Accommodations and meals at all five residential retreats
• All handouts and program materials
• Access to social media and online community building groups

Tuition does NOT include:

• Teacher support (dana)
• Transportation costs to/from your home to Spirit Rock
• Dana for mentor teacher support and monthly group teacher support

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IMPORTANCE OF SANGHA

With the spread of mindfulness outside of traditional Theravadin countries, often taught by teachers with little direct contact to the Pali teachings, every generation must take time to find the roots of their understanding in the recorded words of the Buddha and his earliest community. If we study alone, we often feel a limited understanding of these ancient texts, yet together they can come more alive. Also, many past students of DPP have forged life-long friendships from within the program.

During free time around non-silent meals on the retreats, and any time in the months between retreats, students are encouraged to organize self-led student groups on topics of shared interests. This is to further extend the Dharma presented formally by the program teachers and to raise topics not covered in the formal DPP curriculum.

All who meet the prerequisites are welcome to apply. Spirit Rock and the organizers of DPP7 are deeply committed to creating a community of practitioners from diverse backgrounds and cultures – a mix of races, genders, ethnicities, classes, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities – to support each other’s Dharma practice.

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Testimonials from Past DPP Participants

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about my practice on silent meditation retreats is the chance to just drop my habitual patterns of relating to people. Upon re-emerging into the world of social contact after a silent retreat, I have usually noticed subtle shifts in how I relate to people: over time, some of my habitual patterns have gotten weaker. With the interactive practices offered in the DPP, the shifts have been dramatic. Mindful interactive practices were for me a radical experience of authenticity in communication. Having experienced that level of authenticity and sharing in a safe environment, I find myself more willing to be authentic in daily life interactions. For me, the DPP has been as much about exploring community as about exploring the Dharma. The experience of trust and intimacy with such a large group of people has been extremely powerful. — Rachel

One of the greatest benefits of the DPP program was the “Dharma Buddy” element.  For years I sat silent retreats with total strangers who now, thanks to DPP, are my closest friends. It doesn’t matter who you choose to be your dharma buddy; each of us is a teacher and a student in our own unique way. I started out buddying up with an acquaintance who was in the program, and then a total stranger asked to be my buddy, so we became three. And then, during the course of the two years, I deeply connected with several other people who I adopted (or perhaps they adopted me) as dharma buddies. I speak on the phone or email those is distant cities, and we visit each other. Those who are local have formed a Kalyana Mitta (Dharma Friends) group that meets monthly. By the end of the program I had more than a half dozen close dharma buddies with whom I will undoubtedly continue sharing the dharma for years to come. — David

As a parent, the DPP gave me the focus and permission to deeply commit to my practice for two years. While I was uncertain initially about the impact on my family, the depth of practice has deeply served us and I have come much closer to the parent I always wanted to be! — Maureen

Participating in DPP has been one of the best experiences of my life. After two years of guided practice and study of the dharma, I feel confident and happy to go on with my life with a sense of meaning and connectedness. This is the greatest gift from life one can get. — Alicia

QUESTIONS? Please email us. 

Dates: Monday to Sunday, November 29-December 5, 2021 (6 nights). Code 312R21.
Sliding Scale: $300-$2100, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
The foundational Buddhist meditation practices are the collecting and clarifying of the mind, and cultivating the conditions for Insight. On this retreat we will look carefully and practice creating the conditions that allow the meditation practice to flourish and wisdom to arise. Specific guidance will be given around the different aspects of practice will be offered with an emphasis on the practitioner knowing what and why they are doing the practice they are and what the results that may follow. Open to all interested meditators with a willingness to investigate and experiment with their practice approaches.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Dates: Monday to Saturday, December 6-11, 2021 (5 nights). Code 314R21.
Sliding Scale: $250-$1750, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
This silent retreat will focus on cultivating the quality of lovingkindness (metta in Pali), infusing our hearts, minds and bodies with a strong caring wisdom. Awareness as developed through mindfulness practice leads to clarity, insight and understanding. Loving kindness practices open the heart, allow a kind embrace of ourselves, and connect us intimately with all of life. The fusion of these qualities helps us to respond more compassionately to the challenges that we encounter in ourselves and in the world.

Qigong is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation. Qigong perfectly complements traditional sitting meditation practice and has a long and well-established history connected to contemplative traditions. On this retreat the loving kindness practices will be supported by periods of guided instruction as well as Qigong meditation, and regular meetings with the teachers. All are welcome to attend!

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Dates: Saturday to Thursday, December 18-23, 2021 (5 nights). Code 318R21.
Sliding Scale: $250-$1750, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
This retreat will support centering ourselves at the time of the holidays and the New Year, through quieting our minds, grounding in our bodies, and opening our hearts. There will be special emphasis on embracing the darkness, to including our difficulties and challenges, and to welcoming the coming light — including joy, wisdom, and love. The retreat will include sitting and walking meditation instructions, daily loving kindness and Qigong practice, evening Talks, practice check in’s, and a Winter Solstice ceremony.

Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.

Hemera Fellowships – are you eligible? Learn more…

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Dates: Monday to Monday, December 27, 2021-January 3, 2022 (6 nights). Code 320R21.
Sliding Scale: $350-$2450, PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).
Arrival Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11:00 a.m.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

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Description:
This is a traditional Insight Meditation (vipassana) retreat with sitting and walking in silence, and regular meetings with teachers. Each day there will be systematic meditation instructions, dharma talks and movement practice. We will mark the turning of the year with a late evening sitting and simple ceremony on New Year’s Eve. In celebration of the New Year, our focus will be on cultivating loving awareness and embracing each moment as fresh and new. All are welcome.

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

Financial Information:
Sliding Scale: $350-$2,450; 6 nights including food and lodging.
Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock, staff, and your fellow practitioners. Any amount offered above the Base rate is a tax deductible donation to Spirit Rock, and your generosity will enable and support the participation of others. These fees do not include dana for the teachers.

Benefactor – $2,450
Sustainer – $1,750
Base – $1,225
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship (for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $350*
BIPOC Scholarship (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $350*
Young Adult Scholarship (for young adults age 18-26 years) – $350*

*Scholarship offerings: In returning to the land, we will also be returning to our pre-pandemic scholarship options and policies. All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($50/night). While we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type of scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.