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In the Presence of Love: A Mettā & Qigong Retreat (286R25) - On Land

Vinny Ferraro, Leslie Booker and Teja Bell

December 1 - 7, 2025

Date and Time Details:
Monday to Sunday
December 1-7, 2025 (6 nights)
Arrival Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Departure Time: 11:00am

On Land - Upper Retreat Hall

Contact: Spirit Rock Registration
registration@spiritrock.org

  • Supporter-guaranteed single. – $3,600.00
  • Benefactor-residential. – $2,880.00
  • Sustainer-residential. – $2,160.00
  • Basic Rate-residential. – $1,440.00

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

Registration opens: Feb 19, 2025
Registration opens: Feb 19, 2025

Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on February 19, 2025, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on November 30, 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. Open to Everyone.

Description

This silent retreat will focus on cultivating the quality of lovingkindness (mettā in Pāli), infusing our hearts, minds, and bodies with a strong, caring wisdom. Lovingkindness practices open the heart and connect us intimately with all of life, while awareness—as developed through mindfulness practice—leads to clarity, insight, and understanding. The fusion of these qualities helps us to respond more compassionately to the challenges we encounter in ourselves and in the world.

Qigong is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation. Qigong perfectly complements traditional sitting meditation practice and has a long and well-established connection to contemplative traditions. On this retreat, lovingkindness practices will be supported by periods of guided instruction as well as Qigong, meditation, and regular meetings with the teachers.

This retreat will be held in silence except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.


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 w/guaranteed single room – $3600
Benefactor Rate – $2880
Sustainer Rate – $2160
Basic Rate – $1440
Toni Ko Scholarship Rate (1st time retreatants, ages 27-55 yrs) – $50
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $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.

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 – $1080
Basic-Commuter – $720

All prices are subject to change.


About the Teachers

Vinny Ferraro

Vinny Ferraro has been a practitioner of insight meditation (Vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He is a co-Founder of the Dharma Punx and he’s been the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco for 20 years. He is also a nationally recognized leader in designing and implementing interventions for at-risk adolescents and […]

Learn more about Vinny Ferraro

Leslie Booker

Booker is a heart-centered, spirit-driven activist and meditation teacher committed to creating a culture of belonging through her teaching and writing. She trained at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in their Mindful Yoga and Meditation (2012), Community Dharma Leaders (2017), and Retreat Teacher training programs (2020). Outside of her formal training, she shared the practices of […]

Learn more about Leslie Booker
Teja Bell

Teja Bell

Teja Bell (Fudo Myoo Rōshi 老師) is a lineage dharma teacher and Rinzai Zen master, the 84th ancestor of Lin-Chi I-Chuan's Chan lineage. He is a 6th degree Black Belt in Aikido and a life-long practitioner and teacher of Chinese Internal Arts and Qigong. Teaching Internationally (in China and Europe), Teja integrates meditation, and dharma, […]

Learn more about Teja Bell

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