Cultivating the Heart of Forgiveness (302R23) - On Land
Noliwe Alexander, Bonnie Duran, MPH, DrPH, Louije Kim, Jonathan Relucio and Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA
December 11 - 16, 2023
Registration open until 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on Friday December 10, 2023. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early.
Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – learn more below.
RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!
This retreat will be smaller in size and will be held in “parallel” to another retreat. It will be held in the West Hall of the Upper Meditation Hall.
Description:
When we open to the reciprocity of forgiveness, we also enter into an awareness practice that presences understanding, wisdom, and compassion. The complexities of conditioned experience often compel us to defend rather than open our hearts. Forgiveness practice can be the medicine we need to lessen the tight grip of past trauma, grief, fear, anger, judgment, and wounds on ourselves and others. The courage to witness what we hold fast to has the potential to lead us on a journey towards liberation and true freedom.
Join us in exploring how cultivating the spirit of forgiveness, as a heart practice, allows for a reclaiming of our true loving nature. We will explore the practices of forgiveness and letting go, with the primary support of mindfulness, kindness, compassion, equanimity, and gratitude.
This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
Financial Information:
Sliding Scale: $1025-$2600; 5 nights including food and lodging. Fees DO NOT include a donation to the teacher(s).
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.
Supporter Rate (guaranteed single room) – $2600
Benefactor – $2050
Sustainer – $1575
Base – $1025
Reduced Rate – $650
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship Rate(for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $275
BIPOC Scholarship Rate (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $275
Young Adult Scholarship Rate (for young adults ages 18-26 years) – $275
Important Notes:
Scholarship offerings: All scholarship rates require a minimum fee ($55/night). Scholarships are limited to TWO per calendar year for on-land retreats. And, while we are not able to offer “no one turned away”-type scholarships for in-person retreats, they are still available for online offerings.
Room Occupancy*: We have double and single occupancy rooms. Many of our rooms are single occupancy (only 16 of 80 rooms are double occupancy). We also offer a “guaranteed single room” rate and these will be limited (16). This rate guarantees a single room while helping to support scholarships and all we do here at Spirit Rock. The remaining single rooms are not exclusive to the top end of the sliding scale; however, they are initially prioritized for those with serious medical needs.
*Subject to change depending upon COVID-19 situation.
IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ Updates on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.
Cancellation Policy for Residential Retreats*:
Standard Cancellation Fees:
- $100 On or before 8 weeks
- $175 4-8 weeks before
- $300 2-4 weeks before
- No refunds as of 2 weeks before
Scholarship and Commuter Rate Cancellation Fees:
- $75 On or before 8 weeks
- $100 4-8 weeks before
- $200 2-4 weeks before
- No refunds as of 2 weeks before
*Fees reduced for serious illness or death in family
Retreat Commuter Option:
The retreat commuter option will only become available once the retreat is full with a waitlist.
Prerequisite to Attend as a Commuter:
You must have attended at least one 7-night or two 5-night silent, Insight (vipassanā) meditation residential retreats PRIOR to attending this retreat.
What is a Retreat Commuter?
A retreat commuter is a practitioner who attends a full residential retreat, including all meals, but they are not provided with overnight accommodations. Instead practitioners stay in their own home or find local accommodations. A communal resting area is provided during the day while on campus for the retreat. The retreat commuter is expected to attend the entire retreat just like residential retreatants. Special reduced rates are listed below for retreat commuters
If you have questions about being a retreat commuter, please email Registration@spiritrock.org
Commuter Sliding Scale:
Benefactor – $1025
Sustainer – $1770
Base- $515
About the Teachers

Noliwe Alexander
Noliwe Alexander has been a student of Vipassana meditation for over 20 years. Throughout this time of deep devotion to the Dharma, Noliwe has become a dedicated practitioner, meditation teacher of various retreats and sitting groups, day-longs and class series programs. She dedicates her BuddhaDharma practice and teachings to the BIPOC, LGBTQIA, At Risk and […]
Learn more about Noliwe Alexander
Bonnie Duran, MPH, DrPH
Bonnie Duran embarked on her journey with the Dharma in 1982. She has since taken teachings from a diverse array of Western teachers, such as Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Kamala Masters, as well as Thai, Burmese, and Tibetan Monastic teachers. Bonnie's credentials include graduating from the Insight Meditation Society (IMS)/Spirit Rock Meditation Center (SRMC) […]
Learn more about Bonnie Duran, MPH, DrPH
Louije Kim
Louije Kim, LMFT, is a San Francisco Bay Area based dharma practitioner, teacher and licensed psychotherapist. They have completed dharma study programs including Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioners and Community Dharma Leader programs, and graduated from Spirit Rock’s four-year Teacher Training in 2020. Louije has taught in various dharma centers locally and across the U.S. They […]
Learn more about Louije Kim
Jonathan Relucio
For a decade, Jonathan Relucio taught trauma-informed yoga, meditation, and mindfulness in urban schools, mental health clinics and juvenile detention centers as a Senior Trainer for Niroga Institute. He has completed Spirit Rock's Mindfulness, Yoga and Meditation Training program and currently teaches at the East Bay Meditation Center. Jonathan facilitates transformation in social justice movements with Rockwood […]
Learn more about Jonathan Relucio
Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA
Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBA, (she+), brings over 25 years of meditation practice and spiritual studies to her livelihood as a spiritual teacher and leader. She is a dedicated lay practitioner of the Dharma and has spent the last five years undertaking contemporary Upasika vows and living as a lay renunciate. She enjoys scholarly programs and […]
Learn more about Ramona Lisa Ortiz-Smith, MBACategories : Multi-day, On-land, Residential, Retreat