Grief as a Change Agent of Transformation and Resiliency (280R25) - On Land

Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on February 19, 2025, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on July 16, 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.

Description

Grief is not sequestered to the life loss of loved ones. It traverses beyond the terrain of physical death and seeps into disappointments in relationships, the loss of dreams, ancestral anguish, and unnamed disappearances. Understanding the personal nature of grief and the tenderness of being with a broken heart, we will create a container that honors all individuals moving through their sorrow.

During the retreat, we will practice silent meditation both indoors and in nature. There will be Dharma talks, embodiment practices, and meetings with teachers. The retreat will unfold with an opening ritual each morning and offer opportunities to experience silent time together in affinity groups that honor the diversity of the saṅgha. In beloved community, we will create a space of sacred refuge that offers freedom for inner reflection that deepens our mindfulness practice and brings us into closer alignment with Earth Medicine.

Teacher(s)-in-Training: Mario Castillo

A Special Invitation and Aspiration!
Our aspiration for this retreat is to have a 50/50 ratio of BIPOC to non-BIPOC participants. Our strategy to achieve this while meeting the needs of Spirit Rock is to hold 50% of the spaces for BIPOC retreatants. We are prioritizing all BIPOC folks. After August 31st, any remaining unfilled spots will be open to all.

Financial Details

Sliding Scale fees are for 6 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 (guaranteed single room) – $3600
Benefactor Rate – $2880
Sustainer Rate – $2160
Basic Rate – $1440
Mudita/Karuna Scholarship Rate (for anyone who needs financial assistance, including fixed income folks) – $570
BIPOC Scholarship Rate (for Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of color) – $570
Young Adult Scholarship Rate (for young adults ages 18-26 years) – $570

*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. 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.

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:
Commuter-Sustainer – $1080
Commuter-Basic – $720

All prices above are subject to change.

Teachings are appropriate for health care professionals as well as the general public. The content of this program equips healthcare providers with the tools to recognize and address various forms of grief, including non-traditional and ambiguous losses, which are often overlooked in clinical settings. By integrating mindfulness, embodiment practices, and nature-based rituals, providers can offer holistic care that supports emotional healing and resilience in patients. Additionally, the program’s focus on cultural sensitivity and community-based approaches helps healthcare professionals create more inclusive and compassionate spaces for diverse patient populations navigating grief.

Learning Objectives for participating health care professionals-
At the end of the program, you will be better able to:

• Describe the intersection of grief and resilience and how grief can catalyze personal transformation and the development of inner strength;
• Utilize embodiment practices, such as mindful movement and somatic awareness, in grief therapy to facilitate clients’ emotional processing and resilience-building;
• Describe the role of nature-based practices in mindfulness practices, learning to guide clients in nature-based mindfulness exercises that foster deeper connections with the natural world and support healing from grief;
• Utilize rituals within grief counseling that serve as transformative practices, helping clients to mark transitions, honor losses, and cultivate resilience in their journey through grief;
• Analyze the impact of ancestral and intergenerational grief on present-day experiences, learning strategies to help clients acknowledge and heal these deep-rooted sources of sorrow;
• Describe the practice of naming and acknowledging ambiguous or disenfranchised grief, helping patients or clients recognize and validate losses that may not be immediately visible or socially acknowledged.

Continuing Education content level: Introductory

Schedule: (Full attendance is required. Times are listed in Pacific time.)

• November 8
• No CECs
• November 9 – 13
• 3:45pm – 4:30pm: Guided lovingkindness Practice
• 7:30pm – 8:30pm: Discourse/Dharma Talk
• November 14
• No CECs

***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 8.75 contact hours.
• Credit is awarded for instructional time only and does not include extended silent meditation, if offered.
• Potential Conflict of Interest Statement: These instructors may have authored publications relevant to the subjects covered in this course. The instructors might reference these publications during the course, and they may receive financial compensation if these publications are purchased.

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