Turning Toward Freedom: The Four Noble Truths

Turning Toward Freedom: The Four Noble Truths is a five-night silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. It is taught in the Insight Meditation (vipassana) tradition by Devin Berry, Tara Mulay and Victoria Cary. The retreat is open to newcomers and to experienced practitioners who want to look closely at how suffering arises and how freedom becomes possible.

The teaching asks a plain question: what does it mean to meet our lives without turning away? Over the retreat, the Four Noble Truths are explored as a direct, practical path rather than a doctrine to study.

What to Expect

The retreat begins on a Wednesday afternoon, with check-in between 2:30 and 4:30 PM, an orientation to the center, and the start of silence. Thursday through Sunday follow a steady rhythm: early morning sitting, walking meditation, Dharma talks from the teaching team, movement practice, midday and evening meals, small group meetings with the teachers, and teacher-led Q&A. On Monday there are final meditation sessions, teacher reflections, and a closing circle with an invitation to offer dana. Departure is by 11:00 AM.

Together you look at how dissatisfaction shows up in everyday experience, how habits of reactivity and grasping take hold, and what changes when they are understood rather than followed. The heart practices of lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity (metta, karuna, mudita and upekkha) run through the whole retreat. They are a training in how we meet each moment, and they support letting go and greater ease. The silence is held throughout, except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups and other practice meetings.

The Teachers

Devin Berry is a Core Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Society and a residential retreat teacher at both IMS and Spirit Rock. He has meditated since 1999, and his practice is rooted in long-term retreat practice and the metta and vipassana teachings of the Insight Meditation tradition. A storyteller at heart, he teaches at community sanghas across the country and abroad, drawing on lived experience and a deep love of the Dharma.

Tara Mulay, JD, has practiced Insight Meditation since 2003. She was trained and authorized to teach by the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and serves on the Board of Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

Victoria Cary loves the Dhamma and is drawn to supporting people in bringing it into everyday life. Her teaching investigates the complexity of human experience while holding plenty of space for kindness.

The Setting

Spirit Rock Meditation Center is in Woodacre, California. The retreat takes place in its meditation hall, with up to 80 participants. Of the center's 80 rooms, most are single occupancy and 16 are doubles. Single rooms are available at every rate, though they are first prioritized for people with serious medical needs, and a limited number are guaranteed at the higher sliding-scale tiers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided.

Retreat commuters, who sleep at home or in their own local lodging, can join once the retreat is full and has a waitlist. They have a shared resting area on campus during the day, and they must have completed a weeklong silent residential Insight retreat beforehand. People whose circumstances rule out staying overnight, such as sole caregivers, are welcome to ask about a commuter place sooner.

Before You Go

No prior experience is required, only a willingness to be present and begin again. Spirit Rock suggests that newcomers attend one to three day-long programs first. The retreat is taught in English.

Lodging, all meals, the teachings and the group meetings are included. Transportation to Spirit Rock is not, and neither is teacher dana, the voluntary offering made to the teachers and to Spirit Rock at the end. Pricing is on a sliding scale, and needs-based scholarships are available. Payment plans are offered as well.

Because participants live closely together, anyone feeling ill is asked to stay home. Spirit Rock does not require proof of vaccination or COVID testing, and masks are optional.