Registration closes at 8:00am (Pacific Time) on February 8, 2025. A waiting list will be created if the program fills early. Continuing Education Credits? (see details below).
Please read Important Notes below.*
Open to Everyone
Program to be held on the land only
Description:
Connecting our meditation practice with our speech and communication is one of the main ways to bring spiritual values further into our everyday lives. In this daylong, we will support this intention by integrating periods of sitting and walking meditation with talks, a number of speech practices, and discussion. We will focus on (1) the basic teachings of the Buddha on wise speech, (2) cultivating moment-to-moment presence and mindfulness during speaking and listening, (3) developing empathy as a practice, and (4) learning how to practice wise and compassionate speech in difficult conditions—such as when there are difficult emotions, when there is conflict, or when there are challenging interpersonal or group dynamics.
*Important Notes:
On-Land Attendance
- The on-land day program will take place in the Community Meditation Center in the Great Hall.
- Bring a sack lunch and a water bottle. Lunch will not be provided.
- This is NOT a residential retreat. Overnight accommodations are not provided.
COVID Safety Protocols for non-residential programs: details here.
On-Land Sliding Scale Rates: Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports teachers as well as Spirit Rock and your fellow practitioners who need to pay less.**
Benefactor – $310
Sustainer – $235
Basic – $140
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, M/K) – $70
**Volunteer/Work Exchange opportunities, which include full or partial scholarships, may be available for in-person programs. For more information, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at volunteering@spiritrock.org.
Important Note for CEC participants: If you are interested in receiving continuing education credits (CECs), you must register and pay for CECs prior to the start of the program (no retroactive CECs will be given) and you must attend the entire program. Please review the CEC information below.
Cancellation Policy for On-Land Day Programs:
- NO REFUNDS.
- Open Credit or Donation to Spirit Rock = cancel 2 or more business days prior to program (Pacific Time)
- No Open Credit = cancel less than 2 business days prior
Continuing Education (CE) credit available:
This program offers 6 CE credits for $60 for psychologists, and California-licensed MFTs, LCSWs, LEPs, LPCCs, nurses, and chiropractors. Please review our Continuing Education Credit information page to determine if your association or board will accept credits offered by Spirit Rock.***
Teachings are appropriate for health care professionals as well as the general public. This program is highly relevant to healthcare professionals as it enhances their ability to communicate with patients, colleagues, and teams by fostering mindfulness and empathy in speech. This program provides tools to cultivate empathy and emotional regulation, and manage difficult emotions and conflict, improving interactions in high-stress environments. These practices will support better coworker and client communication by promoting understanding and presence during conversations. Additionally, healthcare providers can share these tools with clients to help them navigate their own relational challenges, contributing to a more holistic approach to care.
Learning Objectives for participating health care professionals-
At the end of the program, you will be better able to:
- Describe the nature and importance of wise speech and its grounding in ethical principles, in ways that will help guide your practical work with both yourselves and your clients;
- Describe several practical methods of developing skillful speech through following ethical guidelines, mindfulness, empathy toward others, and skillful choice of language that might be used both with oneself and with others;
- Demonstrate skillful speech in difficult situations, in ways useful both for yourselves and your clients;
- Utilize mindful listening practices to cultivate deeper understanding, enabling more effective and compassionate interactions with clients and colleagues in both clinical and interpersonal settings.
Continuing Education content level: Introductory
***Please note:
- For full Provider information, and additional CEC information, including attendance requirements, cancellation, and grievance policies, please visit our Continuing Education Credit information page.
- For those with a different license than listed above, or with a license from a different board or association than listed on our CEC info page, please contact your licensing board or association directly to request pre-approval/acceptance of CE credits offered at Spirit Rock. Spirit Rock does not confirm the applicability of credit for those with licenses different than those listed.
- Spirit Rock is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16905 for 6 contact hours.
- Potential Conflict of Interest Statement: This instructor may have authored publications relevant to the subjects covered in this course. The instructor might reference these publications during the course, and they may receive financial compensation if these publications are purchased.
- Credit is awarded for instructional time only and does not include extended silent meditation, if offered.
