Settling, Seeing, and Spacious Awareness (276R25) - On Land
Donald Rothberg, PhD and Tere Abdala-Romano
October 25 - November 1, 2025
Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on February 19, 2025, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on October 24, 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.*
Prerequisite: Completion of a class or retreat in mindfulness practice and a regular mindfulness practice.
Description
During this retreat, we will train in three interrelated modes of practice. First, we will practice settling and stabilizing our minds and bodies. As we become more concentrated through sitting and movement-based meditation, including regular Qigong, we are better able to examine the experiences of our bodies, thoughts, and emotions, as well as the general patterns of experience—both personal and universal. From here, we can see more clearly when there is reactivity, when we suffer, and when there is a thick sense of self, and we can learn to be more in line with the impermanent flow of experience. We can also tune in to an increasingly unconfined and luminous awareness beyond reactivity, which is a source of freedom, wisdom, and compassion both in retreat practice and daily life.
This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
*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 7 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 – $4200
Benefactor Rate – $3360
Sustainer Rate – $2520
Basic Rate – $1680
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $665
**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.
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 – $1260
Basic-Commuter – $840
All prices above are subject to change.
About the Teachers
Donald Rothberg, PhD
Donald Rothberg has practiced Insight Meditation since 1976 and has also received training in Tibetan Dzogchen, Mahamudra practice and the Hakomi approach to body-based psychotherapy. Formerly on the faculties of the University of Kentucky, Kenyon College, and Saybrook Graduate School, he currently writes and teaches classes, groups, and retreats on meditation, daily life practice, spirituality […]
Learn more about Donald Rothberg, PhDTere Abdala-Romano
Tere a senior Teacher at InsightLA. From Lebanese grandparents, Tere was born and lived in Mexico City almost all her life. Being a very devoted catholic, she then became fascinated by Tibetan Buddhism. She moved to Los Angeles in 2002 with her now late husband and three then young daughters. She left behind her MBA […]
Learn more about Tere Abdala-RomanoCategories : Experienced Practitioners, Multi-day, On-land, Parallel, Prerequisite, Residential, Retreat