Event Type: Day Retreats

Date & Time: 5 Thursdays; March 9 – April 6, 2023; 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: Dana (By Donation) $0-$108. Code SF1G23.

---

Description:
Seemingly unlike the other identities that shape our life—gender, race, culture, caste, sexual orientation—being human usually feels like an intrinsic part of who we are. But in the Buddhist conception of the world, humanity is just one form of life we are born into. At other times we have been animals, ghosts, gods, and spirit beings of many kinds, moving through the “six realms” of Saṁsāra since beginningless time.

Though it can feel like one of the most foreign of the Buddhist concepts, rebirth and the many realms—and what causes us to be born in them—are as central to the Dharma as mindfulness, meditation, and ethics. In this round of our sutta study series The Refuge of Dhamma: Exploring the Discourses of the Buddha, we’ll explore teachings on rebirth, karma, and how a more animist vision of consciousness changes how we think about identity and liberation.

While beginners are welcome, this class may be most engaging for practitioners with some experience in meditation. With extensive supplementary material, this class aims to make the discourses of the Buddha an accessible, inspiring support for practice. Please Note: Though the classes in the series will build on each other, attendance at all classes is not required.

Date & Time: 6 Mondays, March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, and May 1, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $0-$108. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code SB1G23.

---

Description:
Join us for a foundational series on the common-sense teachings of mindful awareness. With a focus on interactive discussion, meditation, and community building, Sylvia (via video recording) and Heidi (live via Zoom) share practical, accessible teachings, and tools that support the integration of mindfulness, non-harming, and kindness into our everyday lives. Nurtured and uplifted by saṅgha through inquiry, shared stories, and connection, we explore how to bring our practice more fully into everyday life.

The series includes Dharma talks, discussion and reflection, guided meditation, and Q&A, with interactive discussion led by facilitating teacher Heidi Bourne. With easy, accessible instructions based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, ethics (sīla), and lovingkindness (mettā), this beloved series invites you to take your practice off of the cushion and into the world.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: 5 Thursdays; March 9 – April 6, 2023; 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: Dana (By Donation) $0-$108. Code SF1G23.

---

Description:
Seemingly unlike the other identities that shape our life—gender, race, culture, caste, sexual orientation—being human usually feels like an intrinsic part of who we are. But in the Buddhist conception of the world, humanity is just one form of life we are born into. At other times we have been animals, ghosts, gods, and spirit beings of many kinds, moving through the “six realms” of Saṁsāra since beginningless time.

Though it can feel like one of the most foreign of the Buddhist concepts, rebirth and the many realms—and what causes us to be born in them—are as central to the Dharma as mindfulness, meditation, and ethics. In this round of our sutta study series The Refuge of Dhamma: Exploring the Discourses of the Buddha, we’ll explore teachings on rebirth, karma, and how a more animist vision of consciousness changes how we think about identity and liberation.

While beginners are welcome, this class may be most engaging for practitioners with some experience in meditation. With extensive supplementary material, this class aims to make the discourses of the Buddha an accessible, inspiring support for practice. Please Note: Though the classes in the series will build on each other, attendance at all classes is not required.

Date & Time: 6 Mondays, March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, and May 1, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $0-$108. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code SB1G23.

---

Description:
Join us for a foundational series on the common-sense teachings of mindful awareness. With a focus on interactive discussion, meditation, and community building, Sylvia (via video recording) and Heidi (live via Zoom) share practical, accessible teachings, and tools that support the integration of mindfulness, non-harming, and kindness into our everyday lives. Nurtured and uplifted by saṅgha through inquiry, shared stories, and connection, we explore how to bring our practice more fully into everyday life.

The series includes Dharma talks, discussion and reflection, guided meditation, and Q&A, with interactive discussion led by facilitating teacher Heidi Bourne. With easy, accessible instructions based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, ethics (sīla), and lovingkindness (mettā), this beloved series invites you to take your practice off of the cushion and into the world.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Saturday, April 22 2023, ; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Please Note: This program will be offered as a hybrid: on-land and online.

On-land (in-person) Sliding Scale: $55-$275. Fees DO NOT include a donation to the teachers. Code JB1B23.

Online Sliding Scale: $0-$108. Fees DO NOT include a donation to the teacher(s). Code JB1Z23.

---

 

Description: This Earth Day gathering will be a time to connect with each other in community to share our love and care for the Earth, feel any grief or other strong responses to the climate situation, and learn how to move through stuck places into inspiring action. A connection with community in a way that embraces the sorrows and the joys leads to a wholehearted commitment for wise stewardship of the Earth. With compassion and humility, we begin to understand our place as co-inhabitants, and take on the joyful responsibility to do our part to protect this planet and all the life it supports as an act of love.

We will enjoy presentations, meditation, and music, and connect with like-minded friends who celebrate the Earth by committing to be, as best we can, agents of healing for the planet and all living beings.

On-Land space is limited due to COVID protocols in place, please register here only if you can join us on the land. If you can only join us remotely online, please register for the Online version and you can participate by Zoom or watch the program later.

Date & Time: Sunday, April 23, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $45-$200. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code DM1D23.

---

Description:
We are often led to falsely believe that there is nature, and then there is us, as though we aren’t all intrinsically linked and the same. The Dhamma is here to remind us otherwise. This daylong retreat will explore mindfulness of the body through the four elements to remind us that we are nature. This is not about sitting in silence as the world burns—it’s about tuning into the fact that if the earth is on fire, so are we, and letting that wake up the heart and inspire action.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Saturday, April 29, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $45-$200x. Code DR1D23.
Continuing Education Credits: This program offers 6 CE credits for $60 for psychologists, and California licensed MFTs, LCSWs, LEPs, LPCCs, nurses, and chiropractors.*

---

Description:
Judgments of a reactive and compulsive nature are very strong for many of us. They can distort our perceptions, make relationships with others difficult, and undermine our work. We will examine what judgments are and how to work with them, using mindfulness, heart practices, and inquiry, helping us to preserve the discernment often found in judgments, while working through their destructive aspects. We will also explore how we internalize the judgments of our society in a number of ways, particularly related to race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identity characteristics. Attendees will have the option of regular follow-up sessions to continue and deepen the learning.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Sunday, April 30, 2023; 10:30am – 3:00pm.
Sliding Scale: $90-$295 (per family). Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers and Spirit Rock. Code FA1D23.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND ONLY! Community Meditation Center – Great Hall

---

Description:
Family Days are a wonderful opportunity to spend the day connecting with your children, yourself and a community of supportive peers. Come play, share, learn, and open your heart!

Family Practice Period:
We start our morning with a program for everyone, weaving the theme of the day into songs, skits, and family activities. We have plenty for your children, with mindfulness activities geared toward youth ages 4 – 10 as well as a new program for older youth, ages 11 – 14. 

Youth Program:
During the second half of the day, youth ages 4 – 14 will attend age-appropriate groups with our experienced Spirit Rock mindfulness leaders. They will play, make art, sing songs, and practice mindfulness together.

Parents’ Program:
Parents of children ages 4 and older will have an opportunity to meditate, hear a talk related to parenting as practice, and connect with each other through group discussions.
Pre-registration is required so we can plan ahead, especially for the kids’ activities.  This is a popular event that usually sells out, so register early!

Volunteers are needed to assist with the event and attend free of charge. Children are welcome to volunteer alongside an adult. Contact our Volunteer Coordinator for more information at: volunteering@spiritrock.org.

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

Date & Time: 6 Mondays, March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, and May 1, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $0-$108. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code SB1G23.

---

Description:
Join us for a foundational series on the common-sense teachings of mindful awareness. With a focus on interactive discussion, meditation, and community building, Sylvia (via video recording) and Heidi (live via Zoom) share practical, accessible teachings, and tools that support the integration of mindfulness, non-harming, and kindness into our everyday lives. Nurtured and uplifted by saṅgha through inquiry, shared stories, and connection, we explore how to bring our practice more fully into everyday life.

The series includes Dharma talks, discussion and reflection, guided meditation, and Q&A, with interactive discussion led by facilitating teacher Heidi Bourne. With easy, accessible instructions based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, ethics (sīla), and lovingkindness (mettā), this beloved series invites you to take your practice off of the cushion and into the world.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Saturday, May 6, 2022; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $45-$200. Code TU1D23.
Continuing Education Credits: CECs pending

---

Description:
Insight Meditation (vipassanā in Pāli, the language of the original Buddhist teachings) is the simple and direct practice of mindfulness. Through relaxed awareness, we can experience for ourselves the nature of stillness and movement in the ever-changing flow of the mind-body process. This awareness leads us to accept more fully the pleasure and pain, fear and joy, sadness and happiness that life inevitably brings. As insight deepens, we develop greater equanimity and peace in the face of change, and wisdom and compassion increasingly become the guiding principles of our lives.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Sunday, May 7, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $55-$275. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code VF1B23.

---

Description:
Spirit Rock is proud to host Roshi Joan Halifax (Upaya Zen Center), Frank Ostaseski (Zen Hospice Project), and Dharmacharya Valerie Brown (Plum Village) in conversation about engaged Buddhist practice with Vinny Ferraro. Our time will be spent discussing what our traditions have in common and what that means regarding taking our practice off the cushion and into the world.

Together we’ll explore the connections between social action, social justice, and social service and then focus on the inspired work each of these teachers has been involved in. There’ll be a short guided practice, as well a chance to be in dialogue with the panel. Please join us for this very special event.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Saturday, May 13, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $45-$200. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code KJ1D23.

---

Description:
As mothers, generosity is our practice. We pour our time, attention, and love into our children. We offer our physical, emotional, and spiritual labor to make a world we want to pass on to them. And we do it all in a society that doesn’t always support us, or our kids, the way that it should. From the Buddhist perspective, generosity is our capacity to receive care, as well as to give it.  In truth, we never stop needing mothering—even after we become mothers ourselves.

In this daylong retreat, on the day before Mother’s Day, we’ll give ourselves time to nurture the inner mother. Through meditation, restorative movement, and journaling, we’ll make space for rest, creativity, healing, and humor in our practice. Most importantly, we’ll lift up mothering as its own spiritual path, and find ways to let our practice mother us, as we in turn mother future generations.

Open to all who are raising or have raised children, including stepmoms, adoptive and foster moms, grandmothers, godmothers, and every other kind of mama. We welcome the spectrum of genders within motherhood, including trans women, cis women, and nonbinary and gender non-conforming people who feel supported in a space that centers motherhood.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Sunday, May 14, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $0-$108. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code NU2G23.

---

Description:
On this day of honoring all mothers, we invite you to join us in an exploration of the Mettā Sutta, “The Buddha’s Words on Lovingkindness.” This timeless teaching activates our potential to cultivate a boundless heart, transforming all our relationships: toward ourselves, all beings, and our beautiful Mother Earth.

Shorter newsletter description (80 words): On this day of honoring all mothers, we invite you to join us in an exploration of the Mettā Sutta, “The Buddha’s Words on Lovingkindness.” This timeless teaching activates our potential to cultivate a boundless heart, transforming all our relationships: toward ourselves, all beings, and our beautiful Mother Earth.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Saturday, June 3, 2023; 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $30-$140. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code JK2D23.

---

Description:
The awakened heart has immense capacities for tender compassion, profound love, and renewed joy. We need all of these as we navigate the challenges of this moment, from the pandemic and other global crises to the ongoing struggles around civil rights and the climate emergency. Come together to enhance skillful ways to hold our collective fears and losses, and to build a sense of hope and beauty even amidst these difficult times. These gifts of the heart can be practiced, activated, developed, and opened.

Join in this day of meditations, stories, and dialogue, illuminating your own inner gifts, held by teachings on love, gratitude, forgiveness, and the true nature of the heart. This will be a day of virtual community, sharing visionary perspectives, training, and blessings. All are welcome!

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Sunday, June 4, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $45-$200. Code DC2D23.
Continuing Education Credits: This program offers 5 CE credits for $50 for licensed psychologists, health & wellness coaches, and California licensed MFTs, LCSWs, LEPs, LPCCs, nurses, and chiropractors. *

---

Description:
Qigong and Buddhism both recognize that joy shines naturally within each person, like the sun. Yet we know that various life and world conditions can be like clouds that obscure the inherent radiance of being. This daylong will offer meditation and Qigong practices that help us clear the clouds and return to our innate joy and wholeness. Qigong and meditation woven together uplift the spirit, enhance physical and emotional health, and awaken consciousness.

Master Mingtong Gu will guide us in simple movements and the practice of Sound Healing to awaken our physical, mental, and emotional bodies, and our consciousness. This naturally reconnects us to happiness and wellbeing. Debra Chamberlin Taylor will offer Dharma practice and guided meditation to help us open the heart of joy, and discover wonder in the present moment. She will also guide practice for recognizing, valuing, and embodying even the most subtle, quiet joy.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Saturday, June 17, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $25-$108. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code JW1H23.

---

Description:
In this half-day program, Jan Willis will guide us in exploring the meaning and functioning of “liberation life stories” (rNam thar) in the Tibetan Tantric tradition by focusing on the stories of two well-known tantric siddhas, practitioners who gained enlightenment in one lifetime, Naropa and Milarepa. What are rNam thar, and how do they work? How should we read them? Can we discern common patterns in the lives of those who attained enlightenment in one lifetime? What do these two rNam thar, read in tandem, teach us about the Buddhist Path?

Shorter newsletter description (80 words): Explore the meaning and functioning of “liberation life stories” (rNam thar) in the Tibetan Tantric tradition by focusing on the stories of two well-known siddhas, practitioners who gained enlightenment in one lifetime, Naropa and Milarepa. What are rNam thar, and how do they work? How should we read them? Can we discern common patterns in the lives of those who attained enlightenment in one lifetime? What do these two rNam thar, read in tandem, teach us about the Buddhist Path?

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

Date & Time: Sunday, July 30, 2023; 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: $45-$200. Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Code DD1D23.

---

Description:
This experiential daylong retreat is an invitation to rediscover your sense of aliveness. We will explore different facets of the direct experience of vitality, or life energy, including within the body, the mental/emotional, and the subtle as experienced in spacious awareness. We will also open to the vitality of the natural world, letting nature be our teacher. Bringing mindfulness to these dimensions can enhance our sense of aliveness, support resilience, and awaken gratitude for the gift of life.

This day of practice will include guided meditations, talks, and time for movement/walking meditation. The primary teaching method will be a progression of detailed guided meditations to support centering our direct experience rather than concepts. Open to all experience and vitality levels.

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.