Mettā Retreat: Teachings and Practices to Cultivate a Wise, Compassionate, and Resilient Heart (296R26) - On Land

Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on July 15, 2025, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on January 10, 2026. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early. Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – learn more below.

In need of a scholarship? – see “Scholarship offerings” information below.

Description

This retreat will focus on the cultivation of mettā, or lovingkindness. Retreats allow us the space to dedicate focused time to meditation. Mettā practice is a path to wisdom and awakening. Through this steady continuity of practice, we will cultivate benevolence, friendliness, and goodwill as the guiding orientation of the heart and mind, allowing these qualities to naturally extend into daily life. We will also explore the companion qualities of mettā—compassion, joy, and equanimity. Together, these four practices, known as the brahmavihāras or Divine Abodes, foster self-confidence, self-acceptance, and inner steadiness.

The retreat will be held in silence, while including daily guided meditations, Dharma talks, teacher-led Q&A, small groups, and individual practice meetings.

Assistant Teacher: Ronya Fakhoury Banks

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.

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 – $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

Important Note for CEC participants: Continuing education credit (CEC) fees are NOT included in the registration fees. If you are interested in receiving CECs, you must pay for CECs at the time of your registration and prior to the start of the retreat (no retroactive CECs will be given). Please review the detailed CEC information below.

Scholarship offerings: Scholarships are limited to those with significant financial need. If you need a scholarship to attend, do not continue registering now as this will disqualify you from a scholarship opportunity in this retreat. We encourage you to complete the Scholarship Interest Form – Click Here. Scholarship allocation dates are included in the form.

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.

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 weeklong silent residential retreat (5-7 nights) in Insight (vipassanā) meditation PRIOR to attending this retreat; preferably at Spirit Rock, but not required.

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

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.

Current Covid-19 Safety Protocols for residential retreats

Teachings are appropriate for health care professionals as well as the general public. This retreat offers healthcare providers tools to develop emotional resilience and relational presence through the cultivation of Mettā (lovingkindness) and the other brahmavihāras: compassion, joy, and equanimity. These heart practices support clinicians in reducing empathic distress and burnout, while enhancing their capacity for mindful, compassionate care in both personal and professional settings. The sustained mindfulness practices and supportive teachings foster self-awareness, balance, and insight—qualities essential for ethical and effective caregiving.

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

• Cultivate a sustainable mindfulness practice that supports ongoing well-being and emotional resilience, fosters resilience, and reduces distress.
• Describe the interrelatedness of the brahmavihāra practices in fostering emotional balance.
• Identify how sustained contemplative practice supports nervous system regulation and stress resilience.
• Describe Mettā (lovingkindness) and its role in caregiving practices.
• Utilize lovingkindness and compassion practices to reduce self-critical tendencies when providing care.
• Utilize mindfulness reflections to remain grounded and centered in emotionally charged clinical encounters.
• Integrate the practice of equanimity to cultivate emotional stability, supporting compassionate care in the face of patient suffering.
• Utilize compassion practices to cultivate a balanced, sustainable approach to caring for others without becoming overwhelmed or depleted.
• Cultivate compassion practices as a resource for countering burnout by training the mind to recognize well-being and support continued caregiving.

Continuing Education content level: Introductory

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

• January 11: No CECs
• January 12 – 16
  8:45am – 9:45am: Instructions, Q&A
  7:30pm- 8:30pm: Dharma talk/Lecture
• January 17: 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.
• Mindful CECs is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17985 for 10 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.