Fall Insight Meditation Retreat

This nine-night silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, is an insight meditation (vipassanā) retreat grounded in the Thai Forest Tradition. It is written for practitioners who already have some meditation experience and want a sustained period of settling the mind, opening the heart and cultivating clarity. It is led by Tuere Sala and Eugene Cash, with movement teaching from Hakim Tafari.

What to Expect

The retreat combines traditional vipassanā instruction with the steadying presence of lovingkindness. The aim is greater stillness, spaciousness and embodied awareness. Days are built around periods of seated and walking meditation, with Dharma talks in the morning and evening, optional movement practices, and individual meetings with the teachers to help personalize your practice.

Practice is silent throughout, apart from teacher-led Q&A, small groups and other practice meetings.

On the first day, check-in runs between 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM, followed by opening instructions, orientation, a first evening sitting and a Dharma talk. The days in between follow the rhythm of sitting, walking, teachings and meetings. On the last day there are final meditation sessions and a closing Dharma talk, along with an opportunity to offer dana to the teachers and to Spirit Rock. Departure is by 11:00 AM.

This retreat can be joined with the Concentration Retreat that comes just before it, forming one continuous eighteen-night retreat. The two are designed to complement each other, one deepening concentration and the other carrying that into heart and wisdom practice.

About Tuere Sala

Tuere Sala is a Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock, and has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. She has been teaching since 2010, helping people establish and maintain a daily practice.

About Eugene Cash

Eugene Cash is the founding teacher of San Francisco Insight and a senior teacher on the Spirit Rock teacher council. His teaching draws on Theravada, Zen and Tibetan practice, and he is also a Diamond Approach teacher. He is known for his commitment to practicing around the clock, supporting awareness, investigation and realization in daily life.

About Hakim Tafari

Hakim Tafari, the movement teacher, is originally from the U.K. and now lives in Los Angeles. He is a runner, a meditator and a student of the martial arts, with a particular love of Tai Chi Quan, which he has studied and taught for over 20 years.

The Setting

The retreat is held on land at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, with sittings in the Upper Meditation Hall. Accommodation is residential, and all meals for the nine nights are provided. Of the 80 rooms, 16 are double occupancy and the rest are single. A limited number of single rooms are guaranteed at the top of the sliding scale, and other single rooms are first offered to people with serious medical needs. The group is up to 80 people.

A commuter option exists for those who cannot stay overnight. Commuters take part in all sessions and meals, arrange their own lodging, and use a shared resting area on campus during the day. It opens once the retreat is full with a waitlist, and it requires prior completion of at least one weeklong silent residential insight retreat in person. Online retreats do not count.

Before You Go

This retreat is at an intermediate level and taught in English. Spirit Rock recommends first attending two to three daylong programs, then one or more shorter retreats of four to seven nights. First-time silent retreatants are encouraged to contact the Registration Department for guidance and preparation.

Registration covers accommodation, meals, and access to the retreat facilities and teachings. Teacher dana is not included. It is offered at the end of the retreat, as a gift to the teachers and Spirit Rock. Personal toiletries, medications and transportation to Spirit Rock are your own to arrange.

Fees are offered on a sliding scale, with needs-based scholarships and payment plans available. Because participants live closely together, anyone who is sick is asked to stay home. Masks are welcome but not required, and proof of vaccination is not requested.