Steadying the Heart: Refuge through the Four Sublime States (214Z25) - Online

Please only register for one of the two formats: Online Retreat or Audit Option.

Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on November 13, 2024, and closes at 4:00pm (Pacific Time) on April 1, 2025. A waiting list will be created if the program fills early. Recordings* will be available for this program.

Description:

The Buddhist path cultivates four powerful and transformative qualities: kindness, compassion, joy, and balance. These qualities are innate human capacities, and can be developed into steadfast dwelling places for the heart. Known as the brahmavihāras, or “sublime homes,” these states can serve as powerful supports both for deepening concentration and insight on the contemplative path and for responding to suffering in these troubled times. In this silent meditation retreat, we will explore techniques to develop each of the four sublime states, and to release the obstacles that hinder us from living a full life and responding meaningfully to the needs of our world. Our time together will include silent and guided sitting meditation, walking meditation, Dharma talks, instructions, Q&A and small group meetings with the teachers. This retreat is appropriate for both beginning and more experienced meditators.

This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.

On Land Teachers: Oren Jay Sofer, Cara Lai, Yong Oh, Jessica Morey, Margrit Pittman-Polletta (teacher trainee), Monica Magtoto (movement)
Online Teacher: Gullu Singh

Interested in joining this residential retreat instead? Learn more here.

Online Retreat Details:
The online retreat will be offered via Zoom and will include: meditation instructions, Dharma talks, and opportunities to ask questions during Q&A with on-land teachers, broadcasted live from Spirit Rock’s Upper Meditation Hall. There will also be practice meetings on Zoom with a dedicated online Spirit Rock teacher, as well as online affinity groups. Please note: the on-land teachers will not offer practice meetings to online practitioners. This retreat has a limited number of spaces for online participants.

Details to Audit the Retreat:
The audit option for this retreat offers online access to the teacher-led meditation instructions and Dharma talks broadcasted live from Spirit Rock’s Upper Meditation Hall. Video recordings of each teacher-led session will be posted within 24 hours after a session ends. All audio and video recordings will be available for you to play and replay indefinitely after the retreat ends.

Important note regarding the audit option, it does not offer interactions with the teachers (i.e., no practice meetings, no ability to ask questions during Q&A sessions, etc.), nor does it offer online small groups or affinity groups.

What’s the difference between online retreat and audit?

Both online retreat and audit will include:

• Live video broadcast from the meditation hall of all Dharma talks, meditations, and other instructions
• Retreat homepage – includes retreat schedule, access to recordings, other resources
• Recordings of all Dharma talks and meditations, video and audio

Online Retreat:

• Zoom hall for all teaching sessions
• Video and audio recordings of all teaching sessions
• Practice meetings with the online teacher
• Opportunity to ask questions during Q&A with the on-land teachers
• Online affinity groups (optional)

Audit the Retreat (online/live broadcast only):

• Zoom hall for all teaching sessions
• Video and audio recordings of all teaching sessions

Financial Details

Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports Spirit Rock and your fellow practitioners who need to pay less. Registration fees DO NOT include teacher dana. At the end of the retreat, there will be an opportunity to offer dana to the teachers and to Spirit Rock.

Sliding Scale for Online Retreat:
Benefactor – $2,100
Sustainer – $1,350
Basic – $750
Scholarship Rates (BIPOC; M/K) – $175

Sliding Scale for Audit Option:
Benefactor – $1,260
Sustainer – $700
Basic – $395
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, M/K) – $125

*Recording Note: Registration includes unlimited access to this program’s recording. 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