The Truth of Buddhist Recovery: A Mindfulness-Based Exploration of Craving, Suffering, and the Path Forward (KG1D26)

Registration closes at 8:30am (Pacific Time) on August 22, 2026. A waiting list will be created if the program fills early. A recording* will be available following the program. 

This program offers 4 CEs at $40. For more CE details, see below.

Description:
During this daylong, we will explore how addictive suffering arises and what inspires us to let go. Drawing on the Four Noble Truths, we look at suffering, its causes, and the way to its end. The Four Heavenly Messengers—the universal mirrors of aging, illness, death, and the seeker—give us the inspiration to step onto this path and the motivation to follow it forward. 

Join us for Dharma reflections, trauma-sensitive meditation, and compassionate self-inquiry practices. Together, we will learn to work with the heart and cultivate presence—grounding recovery into a living practice with wisdom, kindness, and the healing power of Saṅgha. Whether you are in a 12-step program, another recovery path, or simply seeking to heal a restless mind, all are welcome.

Online Only: We are offering this program online via Zoom.

Benefactor – $175
Sustainer – $95
Basic – $75
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna) – $45

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org no later than 12:00pm (NOON) PT on the day prior to the program date.

*Recording Note: Registration includes unlimited access to this program’s recording. You must register by the deadline above. The recording will be available in ~10 days after the program.

Important Note for CE participants: If you are interested in receiving continuing education credits (CEs), you must register and pay for CEs prior to the start of the program (no retroactive CEs will be given) and you must attend the entire program. Please review the CE information below.

Cancellation Policy – Online: Drop-ins, Daylongs, Multiday Programs (1-3 days), Family Programs/Series, CE 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

Continuing Education (CE) credit available:
This introductory-level program offers 4 Continuing Education (CE) credits/contact hours for $40.

This program is applicable for licensed and license-eligible mental health and health care professionals, including psychologists, social workers (LCSW, LSW), counselors (LPC, LCPC, LMHC), marriage and family therapists, nurses (RN, NP), and other health care professionals, seeking education in mindfulness-based approaches to addiction recovery. Please review our Continuing Education information page for provider details, and to determine if your association or board will accept credits offered by Spirit Rock.

Buddhist psychology offers clinicians a coherent framework for understanding what drives addictive behavior and what supports recovery. The Four Noble Truths illuminate how craving functions in the addictive cycle — and how mindfulness practice builds the capacity to recognize that cycle before acting on it. Practitioners working in addiction recovery settings will gain a working knowledge of these frameworks and their clinical relevance. The program also introduces heart-based practices — lovingkindness meditation and mindfulness approaches to working with difficult emotions — that clinicians can draw on to support clients’ emotional stability in recovery.

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

• Explain to clients or patients how the Four Noble Truths offer a framework for understanding addictive suffering — including the nature of craving, its role in maintaining addictive behavior, and the possibility of freedom from it.
• Describe how mindfulness meditation supports recovery by helping clients recognize and tolerate difficult internal states without acting on them.
• Identify specific heart-based practices — including lovingkindness meditation and working with difficult emotions such as anger, fear, and grief — that can support emotional stability in clients engaged in recovery.

Attendance policy for CE participants:

• Full, live attendance is required. Incomplete attendance nullifies CE eligibility, as board regulations do not permit partial credit for partial attendance.
• Certificates are issued only to those who meet the attendance requirements—without exception—to maintain compliance with our provider licenses and ensure the continuation of future CE programs.
• To ensure your attendance is recorded:
  • Sign in to Zoom with the same email used for registration, before joining the program. Zoom can keep you signed into a different account from a previous meeting. Check how you are logged into Zoom before the program begins.
  • Join on time using the Zoom app or a web browser (phone dial-ins are not tracked).
  • Stay logged in and engaged for the duration of the program.
  • Maintain a stable internet connection; participants are responsible for their own connectivity.
• After the program, participants who meet the attendance requirements will be emailed a form to submit their professional information.  There is a one-week deadline to complete and submit this form to receive the Certificate of Attendance.

Please note:

• Please visit our Continuing Education information page for complete provider details and additional CE information, including attendance requirements and our cancellation and grievance policies.
• Professionals with other license types or credentials may find our programs applicable for continuing education. Please confirm acceptance with your licensing board or certifying organization before registering for CE. Spirit Rock does not confirm CE applicability for license types beyond the scope of Mindful CECs’ provider approvals.
• Credit is awarded for instructional time only and does not include extended silent meditation, if offered.
• Continuing Education is sponsored by Mindful CECs.
• Mindful CECs is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Mindful CECs maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
• Mindful CECs is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP17985 for 4 contact hours.
• Conflict of Interest Statement: This instructor may have authored publications relevant to the subjects covered in this course, and may teach additional programs. The instructor might reference these publications and programs during the course, and the instructor may receive financial compensation if participants choose to purchase them.