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Freedom Within Reach: Real Awakening in Ordinary Life (CL1Z25)

Cara Lai, MA and Matthew Brensilver, PhD

July 27, 2025

Online Program Online

10:00 am Jul 27 - 4:00 pm Jul 28, 2025 PST

Date and Time Details:
Sunday, July 27, 2025
10:00am - 4:00pm US Pacific Time

Online via Zoom

Contact: Spirit Rock Registration
registration@spiritrock.org

  • Benefactor. – $200.00
  • Sustainer. – $120.00
  • Basic. – $95.00
  • Mudita/Karuna Scholarship Rate. – $45.00
  • BIPOC Scholarship Rate. – $45.00

Cancellation Policy - Online: Drop-ins, Daylongs, Multiday Programs (1-3 days), Family Programs/Series, CEC fees:

  • NO REFUNDS
  • Open Credit, or Donation to Spirit Rock = if cancel by midnight, the day prior to program start (Pacific Time)
  • No Open Credit = if cancel day of the program, or beyond

Please only register for one of the two formats: On-Land or Online.

Registration closes at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on July 27, 2025. A waiting list will be created if the program fills early. A recording* will be available following the program.


Description:
The attainment of enlightenment has a hallowed place in Buddhism. We often assume it’s some distant, rarified achievement that is only accessible for certain people at certain times. But what if each day could be punctuated by the experience of deep letting go? And what if nibbāna was something within our reach, or even inevitable? The more we subscribe to the belief that freedom is remote, the more we lose hope, give up on ourselves, or feel resigned to a dismal and difficult path.

We are preoccupied with pleasure and pain and with the task of managing an uncertain world, yet the longing for peace animates our moments. How do we develop the trust to release into ease and the clarity to know when, even if momentarily, there is peace? Our time together will explore the possibilities for nurturing freedom in the ordinariness of our lives. Please join us.

Sliding Scale: 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 the teachers as well as Spirit Rock and your fellow practitioners who need to pay less.

Benefactor – $200
Sustainer – $120
Basic – $95
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, M/K) – $45

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org by 12:00pm (NOON) PT on the day prior to the program date.

*Recording Note: You will have ~90 days from the original program date to view the program. If you would like access to the recording, you must register by the deadline above. The recording will be available in ~10 days after the program.

Cancellation Policy – Online: Drop-ins, Daylongs, Multiday Programs (1-3 days), Family Programs/Series, CEC fees:

  • NO REFUNDS
  • Open Credit, or Donation to Spirit Rock = if cancel by midnight, the day prior to program start (Pacific Time)
  • No Open Credit = if cancel day of the program, or beyond

About the Teachers

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, MA

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

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