The Elements: Cultivating an Embodied Experience of Emptiness and Fullness (352R24) - On Land

Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on April 9, 2024 and closes 2:30pm (Pacific Time) on August 10, 2024. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early.

Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – learn more below.

RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

Open to: Everyone

Description:

A fundamental aspect of establishing embodied mindfulness centers around contemplations of the elements. In the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air represent the four basic qualities of matter—solidity, liquidity, temperature, and motion.

The Buddha also gave instruction for knowing space as a fifth element. These five elements are universal and when we contemplate them in relation to the body, they may bring a cooling of the grasping mind and a profound realization of emptiness and fullness.

During this retreat, we will practice with the descriptive nature of each of the elements, which can be known through the felt sense, energetic sense, and intuitive knowing. We will contemplate the relationship they have with each other and their importance in establishing mindfulness and concentration, while allowing them to support the kind of non-conceptual knowing from which insights naturally arise. This retreat Includes guided and silent meditations, mindful movement, and practice meetings with teachers.

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

Unique Opportunity for a 16-night Retreat – merging the elements with the lovingkindness meditation practices:

Prerequisite for 16-night Retreat: Completion of one (or more) 9-night (or longer) silent, residential, insight meditation retreat(s). You will be required to list retreat experience during the registration process: the teachers’ names, dates, location/center, length (# of nights), and style of the retreat(s). Online retreats do not meet this prerequisite.

If you would like a longer retreat period (16 nights), you could attend BOTH The Elements (August 11-18) and the Summer Lovingkindness (August 18-27) retreats back-to-back. We will reserve 50 spaces for this extended retreat opportunity. These spaces sell out quickly, so register as early as possible.

Financial Details

Sliding Scale: 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 – $2520
Basic – $1680
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $455
*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.

Scholarship offerings: All scholarship rates require a minimum fee. These rates are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and limited to those with significant financial needs. Scholarships are limited to TWO per calendar year for on-land retreats.

IMPORTANT – Details on our current COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats.

CANCELLATION POLICY (Residential Retreats):**
Standard Cancellation Fees:

• $100 On or before 8 weeks
• $175 4-8 weeks before
• $300 2-4 weeks before
• No refunds as of 2 weeks before

Scholarship and Commuter Rate Cancellation Fees:

• $75 On or before 8 weeks
• $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:
Commuter-Sustainer – $1260
Commuter-Basic – $840