2027 March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat - Application (310R27)

The application period opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on May 5, 2026. Those who apply May 5 – July 14, 2026 (by 11:59pm Pacific Time) will be included in the first round of notifications. After this date, folks will continue to be accepted until the retreat is full.

Admission for this retreat is by application – see “Application Process” for more information. PLEASE READ all details below before applying.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

PREREQUISITE:
Prerequisites for March One-Month Retreat (27 nights): BEFORE applying you must have already completed at least 14 nights of silent residential retreat time. This retreat time must include a minimum of two (2) silent residential retreats with each of these six (6) nights or longer.

Other Important Notes About Prerequisites: These retreats must have been led by Spirit Rock, IMS, or IRC teachers, or other recognized Insight Meditation teachers. Previous retreats must be silent residential retreats and have a similar format to this retreat, with instructions, practices, and talks focused on Insight Meditation. Online retreats do not qualify for these retreat prerequisites. When applying, you will need to provide the teachers’ names, dates, location, length (# of nights), and style of the retreats.

RETREAT DESCRIPTION:

Awareness, or consciousness, is the very heart of sentient life, the faculty that reveals all the events of our experience. Yet in our Dharma practice we may not have learned how to meditate directly on this fundamental aspect of our minds.

In this retreat we will explore the nature of awareness in three stages. We’ll begin by developing greater stability of mind through mindfulness of breathing. Next we’ll introduce a regular practice of lovingkindness, allowing the beautiful and responsive qualities of heart to unfold. Then, with these foundations, we’ll start to explore the nature of awareness—this mysterious capacity of knowing. These practices open the door to emptiness, profound understanding, and great freedom.

Special Note for March Retreat: This coming year (2027), “awareness” practice will be the focus during the March retreat. All participants of the March retreat (whether the single month or the two-month) are expected to follow the instructions as offered for this month. If this focus doesn’t resonate, the teachers kindly request choosing a different retreat that may be a more supportive fit for your practice.

These extended retreats (as with all retreats at Spirit Rock) are NOT open for self-guided retreats.

FINANCIAL DETAILS

March One-Month Sliding Scale:
Sliding Scale fees are for 27 nights including food and lodging. Please consider selecting the highest possible level you can reasonably afford: your generosity supports your community of practitioners who need to pay less, as well as staff and Spirit Rock.

Supporter Rate – $11,205 (covers cost of retreat, plus a deeply generous dana offering to Spirit Rock – guaranteed single room)
Benefactor Rate – $8,100 (covers cost of retreat, with a meaningful dana contribution to Spirit Rock)
Sustainer Rate – $5,940 (covers cost of retreat)
Basic Rate – $4,455 (partially subsidized rate)
Scholarship Rate – $2,025 (significantly subsidized rate)
PLUS a donation to the teacher(s).

Cancellation Policy for March One-Month Retreat:

• $125 fee* = on or before December 7, 2026 (12 weeks prior)
• $250 fee* = December 8, 2026 – January 4, 2027 (8-12 weeks prior)
• $500 fee* = January 5 – 18, 2027 (6-8 weeks prior)
• $750 fee* = January 19 – February 1, 2027 (4-6 weeks prior)
• No refunds = February 2, 2027 or after (less than one month prior – applies to ALL participants)

*Fees reduced 50% for scholarship participants, excluding last tier.

Switching Fees:
If you need to cancel and would like to switch to another monthlong, the following fee will apply in lieu of the above cancellation fee: $100 fee = non-scholarship participants and $50 fee = scholarship participants. Switching is all dependent upon available space in the retreat switching to. If you cancel after switching, the regular cancellation fee will apply.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

The application period opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on May 5, 2026. Those who apply May 5 – July 14, 2026 (by 11:59pm Pacific Time) will be included in the first round of notifications.

First round notifications will be sent via email July 23-24, 2026. Please refrain from calling or emailing before this notification period. We will need this time to process all applications, coordinate with teachers, and allocate scholarship funding. If you are selected, you will receive an email with a special link to register and pay your retreat fees online. If you end up on the wait list, you will be notified of your relative position on the wait list.

For All Applicants: To be included in the first round of notifications, your application must be complete, including prerequisites already met, and submitted by the deadline. No exceptions.

If you submit an application after July 14, 2026:
We will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis after the initial deadline of July 14 until the start of the retreat. Applications received after this date will be reviewed and offered a spot if accepted and there is space available, or put on a wait list (if the retreat is full).

Scholarships:
Scholarship funding is offered to those needing financial assistance to attend. We receive many more requests for scholarships than we have funding; therefore, we cannot guarantee scholarships will be available to all who request it.

If you need scholarship funds to attend, once the application is available, please complete the Scholarship Section. Funding may likely not be available later.

Covid Protocols for residential retreats