Finding Freedom through Insight Meditation (252R27) - On Land
Brian Lesage, Matthew Brensilver, PhD and Cara Lai, MA
August 27 - September 1, 2027
Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on September 2, 2026, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on August 26, 2027. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early.
Applying for a residential scholarship? – see our Financial Support FAQs.
Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – learn more below.
Description
Insight Meditation is a simple and direct practice of moment-to-moment awareness that can steady the mind and soften the heart. During our time together, we will cultivate continuous mindfulness in silence through a grounded rhythm of stillness and movement meditation, supported by clear guidance and the shared energy of dedicated practice.
As the usual barrage of stimulation falls away, we have a chance to listen more closely to what is here: body, feeling tone, emotion, thought, and the subtle movements of reactivity and release. Practicing with kindness and equanimity helps us see experience more clearly, and from that clear seeing, compassion and wisdom can naturally arise.
The retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings and is designed for beginners and experienced practitioners alike and will include meditation instruction, Dharma talks, chanting, and discussion time with the teachers.
Financial Details
Sliding Scale fees are for 5 nights including food and lodging. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock’s efforts in offering lower sliding scale rates and supporting the large number of scholarship requests.
Registration fees DO NOT include teacher dana. At the end of the retreat, there will be an invitation to offer dana to the teachers and to Spirit Rock.
Supporter Rate w/guaranteed single room – $3,125
Benefactor Rate – $2,500
Sustainer Rate – $1,875
Basic Rate – $1,250
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $475
Present Parent Scholarship (low-to-modest income parent/legal guardian raising children under 18) – $50*
*See eligibility requirements here>> Financial Support FAQs
Pay in full or Payment plan: You can either pay in full or pay a minimum 30% deposit when you register. Payment plans are available to everyone! If you choose the deposit option, the remaining balance will be automatically set up and charged to your payment card in equal installments on a monthly basis. Full payment is due two weeks prior to the retreat start.
Cancellation Policy (Residential Retreats):**
Standard Cancellation Fees:
- $50: On or before 12 weeks
- $100: 8-12 weeks before
- $175: 4-8 weeks before
- $300: 2-4 weeks before
- No refunds as of 2 weeks before
Scholarship and Commuter Rate Cancellation Fees:
- Full refund: On or before 12 weeks
- $75: 8-12 weeks before
- $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
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 accommodation at their own expense. 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.
The retreat commuter option will only become available once the retreat is FULL with a waitlist. However, if your personal circumstances preclude you from attending a residential retreat (e.g. staying overnight), please reach out to us as we may be able to offer you a commuter spot sooner and we would be happy to have a conversation with you. (“Personal circumstances” could be situations like if you are a sole caregiver, or parent w/young children where you need to be home each night, for example.)
Prerequisite for Commuters:
You must have attended at least one weeklong silent residential retreat (5-7 nights) in Insight (vipassanā) meditation PRIOR to attending this retreat.
If you have questions about being a retreat commuter, please email Registration@spiritrock.org
Commuter Sliding Scale:
Sustainer-Commuter – $950
Basic-Commuter – $625
Current Covid-19 Safety Protocols for residential retreats
About the Teachers
Brian Lesage
Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 and has taught meditation since 2000. He has studied in the Zen, Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism. He was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996. His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal and India as well as numerous […]
Learn more about Brian Lesage
Matthew Brensilver, PhD
Matthew Brensilver teaches at the Insight Retreat Center, Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society. He was previously program director for Mindful Schools and for more than a decade, was a core teacher at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. Matthew worked as a clinical social worker, serving severely and persistently mentally ill adults. He subsequently […]
Learn more about Matthew Brensilver, PhD
Cara Lai, MA
Cara Lai spent most of her life trying to figure out how to be happy—or at least avoid total misery—which ultimately led to her spending the majority of her adulthood meditating. She's explored the wild beauty of the human experience through many adventures in consciousness, including long retreats, chronic illness, and the profound experiences of […]
Learn more about Cara Lai, MACategories : Hide Commuter, Hide Scholarships, Multi-day, On-land, Residential, Retreat