Turning Towards the Wisdom of the Body - A Retreat for BIPOC Community (274R27) - On Land
Amana Brembry Johnson
November 2 - 7, 2027
Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on September 2, 2026, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on November 1, 2027. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early.
Applying for a residential scholarship? – see our Financial Support FAQs.
Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – learn more below.
Retreat to be held: Spirit Rock’s Upper Retreat Hall*
Designed to support the BIPOC community
Description
Ease is the natural state the body longs to return to—quiet, spacious, and present. Yet currents of daily life pull us away, entangling mind, heart, and body in layers of tension that obscure our innate clarity and inner knowing. This retreat invites us to return-through the sacred temple of the body-to the true essence our being.
With kind attention, we’ll attune to foundational mindfulness practices of body, breath, and thoughts. These simple yet profound gateways open us to embodied awareness and a direct, lived understanding of the three marks of existence—impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and emptiness—experienced not merely as concepts, but as intimate truths.
Supported by stillness and walking meditation, Dharma reflections and one-on-one practice meetings, we will listen deeply for the wisdom that flows beneath thought and form. This is an invitation to remember: we are so much more than these bodies—and yet, through them, the path to liberation is revealed.
This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
*This retreat will be held concurrently with another, with all sessions located in the Upper Meditation Hall in the upper campus. It offers a unique opportunity to practice in a smaller, more intimate retreat environment.
Financial Details
Sliding Scale fees are for 5 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 – $3,225
Benefactor Rate – $2,575
Sustainer Rate – $1,925
Basic Rate – $1,300
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $500
Present Parent Scholarship (low-to-modest income parent/legal guardian raising children under 18) – $50*
*See eligibility requirements here>> Financial Support FAQs
Pay in full or Payment plan: You can either pay in full or pay a minimum 30% deposit when you register. Payment plans are available to everyone! If you choose the deposit option, the remaining balance will be automatically set up and charged to your payment card in equal installments on a monthly basis. Full payment is due two weeks prior to the retreat start.
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
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 accommodation at their own expense. 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.
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. (“Personal circumstances” could be situations like if you are a sole caregiver, or parent w/young children where you need to be home each night, for example.)
Prerequisite for Commuters:
You must have attended at least one weeklong silent residential retreat (5-7 nights) in Insight (vipassanā) meditation PRIOR to attending this retreat.
If you have questions about being a retreat commuter, please email Registration@spiritrock.org
Commuter Sliding Scale:
Sustainer-Commuter – $975
Basic-Commuter – $650
Current Covid-19 Safety Protocols for residential retreats
About the Teacher
Amana Brembry Johnson
Amana Brembry Johnson is a dedicated meditation teacher and community leader with over four decades of contemplative practice across multiple spiritual traditions. She serves as a Core Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) in Oakland, California, and is a coordinating teacher for residential retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Amana is one of […]
Learn more about Amana Brembry JohnsonCategories : BIPOC, Hide Commuter, Hide Scholarships, Multi-day, On-land, Parallel, Residential, Retreat