Finding Freedom through Insight Meditation (264R25) - On Land
Brian Lesage and Neesha Patel, PhD
September 26 - 30, 2025
Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on February 19, 2025, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on September 25, 2025. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early. Looking for a scholarship? Scholarship Interest Form – Click Here
Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – learn more below.
Retreat to be held on the land in the Community Meditation Center.*
Open to: Everyone
Description
Insight Meditation is a simple and direct practice based on moment-to-moment awareness—a technique that opens the heart and clears the mind. This retreat will offer an opportunity to practice continuous mindfulness in silence throughout the day, through both sitting and walking meditation. In the silence, we are freed from much of the daily barrage of stimuli that draws our attention outward, letting us delve deeply inward. Learning to be aware of our experience from a place of equanimity allows us to see more clearly, such that compassion and wisdom can 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.
*This retreat is a parallel retreat and will be held in the Community Meditation Center while another retreat is being held in the upper Retreat Center. It’s an opportunity to practice at Spirit Rock in a more intimate size retreat setting.
Financial Details
Sliding Scale fees are for 4 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.**
Supporter Rate w/guaranteed single room – $2400
Benefactor Rate – $1920
Sustainer Rate – $1440
Basic Rate – $960
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $380
**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.
Pay in full or Payment plan: You can either pay in full or pay a deposit when you register. Payment plans are available to everyone! If you choose the deposit option, the remaining balance will be automatically charged to your payment card in equal installments on a monthly basis. Full payment is due 2 weeks prior to the retreat start.
Scholarship offerings: Our scholarship process has changed for 2025. Scholarships are limited to those with significant financial need. If you fall into that category, please complete the Scholarship Interest Form – Click Here. To be scholarship eligible, you cannot already be registered in the same retreat.
EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2024 – Covid-19 Safety Protocols for residential retreats have been updated..
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
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:
Sustainer-Commuter – $720
Basic-Commuter – $480
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 LesageNeesha Patel, PhD
Neesha is inspired by the call to awakening and started formal meditation practice in 2003. She is deeply grateful for the Buddha’s teachings and for the opportunity to learn and practice dhamma in both Asia and the US. Her practice has been influenced by numerous wonderful teachers including Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Andrea Fella, Will Kabat-Zinn, […]
Learn more about Neesha Patel, PhDCategories : Multi-day, On-land, Parallel, Residential, Retreat