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Winter Solstice Retreat: Embracing the Dark, Inviting the Light (388R24) - On Land

Oren Jay Sofer, SEP, devon hase, Dawn Scott, Heather Sundberg and David Cabrera

December 18 - 23, 2024

Date and Time Details:
Wednesday to Monday
December 18 - 23, 2024 (5 nights)
Arrival Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Departure Time: 11:00am

On Land - Main Retreat Hall

Contact: Spirit Rock Registration
registration@spiritrock.org

  • Supporter-guaranteed single. – $3,000.00
  • Benefactor-residential. – $2,400.00
  • Sustainer-residential. – $1,800.00
  • Basic Rate-residential. – $1,200.00
  • Mudita/Karuna Scholarship Rate-residential. – $325.00
  • BIPOC Scholarship Rate-residential. – $325.00
  • Young Adult Scholarship Rate-residential. – $325.00

CANCELLATION POLICY:*

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

Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on August 13, 2024, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on December 17, 2024. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early.

Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – details below.


RETREAT TO BE HELD ON THE LAND!

Description:

Throughout this residential retreat, we will focus on centering ourselves at the time of the holidays and the New Year, quieting our minds, grounding in our bodies, opening up our hearts, and using inquiry to help give energy to our practice. Special emphasis will be placed on opening to the darkness, including to our difficulties and challenges, and opening to the coming light—to the beauty, joy, wisdom, and love within and around us. The retreat will include complete meditation instructions, sitting and walking meditation, daily lovingkindness practice, daily Qigong practice, evening talks, practice discussions, and a Winter Solstice ceremony.

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

On-Land Teachers: Oren Jay Sofer, devon hase, Dawn Scott, David Cabrera (movement)
Online Teacher: Heather Sundberg

Interested in joining this retreat online or auditing the retreat? Learn more here.


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. For this retreat we will have two other options for attending the retreat at much lower costs (online or audit/broadcast only).*

Supporter Rate w/guaranteed single room – $3,000
Benefactor Rate – $2,400
Sustainer Rate – $1,800
Basic Rate – $1,200
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $475
*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. And, while we are not able to offer “pay what you can” type of scholarships for residential retreats, we invite you to email us if the lowest rate does not fit your circumstance.

EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2024 – Covid-19 Safety Protocols for residential retreats have been updated..

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 – $900
Commuter-Basic – $600


About the Teachers

Oren Jay Sofer, SEP

Oren Jay Sofer teaches meditation and communication internationally. He holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University, is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication, and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Oren is also the author of several books, including the best-seller "Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent […]

Learn more about Oren Jay Sofer, SEP

devon hase

devon hase loves long retreats. Cumulatively, she’s spent four years in silent practice in the Insight and Vajrayana traditions. Since discovering meditation in 2000, she has put dharma and community at the center of her life: she spent a decade bringing mindfulness to high school and college classrooms and now teaches at the Insight Meditation […]

Learn more about devon hase

Dawn Scott

Dawn Scott has been practicing Insight Meditation since 2008. She is a graduate of the Insight Meditation Society’s teacher training program and is a core teacher of Spirit Rock’s Liberation, Emptiness, and Awareness Practices (LEAP) Program. Dawn has a deep love of long retreat practice and the Buddha's liberative teachings.

Learn more about Dawn Scott

Heather Sundberg

Heather Sundberg has taught Insight Meditation since 1999 and has taught residential retreats regularly at Spirit Rock since 2001. She completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training program under Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. Beginning her own meditation practice in her late teens, for the last three decades, Heather has studied with senior teachers in the […]

Learn more about Heather Sundberg

David Cabrera

David Cabrera has been a Vipassana practitioner and instructor since 2007 and received certification through Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program in 2021. He currently mentors for Cloud Sangha and teaches meditation and mindful movement with One Dharma Nashville, where he co-founded their thriving BIPOC Sangha. Incorporating many years of martial […]

Learn more about David Cabrera

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