Young Adult Retreat (346R26) - On Land
Matthew Brensilver, PhD, Cara Lai, MA, Vinny Ferraro and Hakim Tafari
August 4 - 8, 2026
Registration opens at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on July 15, 2025, and closes at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) on August 3, 2026. A waiting list will be created if the retreat fills early. Interested in Commuting to the retreat? – learn more below.
In need of a scholarship? – see “Scholarship offerings” information below.
Designed for Young adults ages 18-32 years
Description
Join a kind community to practice mindfulness and compassion. Offer yourself freedom from overstimulation and come home to the experience of being alive.
In mindfulness meditation, we rest and look deeply, knowing moment-by-moment what it is like to be human. Some of us are hesitant to look because there is concern about what we’ll find. Our practice shows us that the more deeply we look, the more reason we have to love. We care about our struggles and cherish our joy in a new way. In turn, this love clarifies what we care about and informs how we engage with the world.
This retreat will offer instructions in mindfulness and loving-kindness practice. Throughout the retreat, there are dharma talks and meetings with teachers to support you in your practice. The retreat is held almost entirely in silence.
This retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, or other practice meetings.
Financial Details
Sliding Scale fees are for 4 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 – $2400
Benefactor Rate – $1920
Sustainer Rate – $1440
Basic Rate – $960
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, Mudita/Karuna, or Young Adult [ages 18-26 yrs]) – $380
Scholarship offerings: Scholarships are limited to those with significant financial need. If you need a scholarship to attend, do not continue registering now as this will disqualify you from a scholarship opportunity in this retreat. We encourage you to complete the Scholarship Interest Form – Click Here. Scholarship allocation dates are included in the form.
Pay in full or Payment plan: You can either pay in full or pay a deposit when you register. Payment plans are available to everyone! If you choose the deposit option, the remaining balance will be automatically 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
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.
Prerequisite to Attend as a Commuter:
You must have attended at least one weeklong silent residential retreat (5-7 nights) in Insight (vipassanā) meditation 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:
Sustainer-Commuter – $720
Basic-Commuter – $480
Current Covid-19 Safety Protocols for residential retreats
About the Teachers

Matthew Brensilver, PhD
Matthew Brensilver teaches at the Insight Retreat Center, Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society. He was previously program director for Mindful Schools and for more than a decade, was a core teacher at Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society. Matthew worked as a clinical social worker, serving severely and persistently mentally ill adults. He subsequently […]
Learn more about Matthew Brensilver, PhD
Cara Lai, MA
Cara Lai spent most of her life trying to figure out how to be happy—or at least avoid total misery—which ultimately led to her spending the majority of her adulthood meditating. She's explored the wild beauty of the human experience through many adventures in consciousness, including long retreats, chronic illness, and the profound experiences of […]
Learn more about Cara Lai, MA
Vinny Ferraro
Vinny Ferraro has been a practitioner of insight meditation (Vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He is a co-Founder of the Dharma Punx and he’s been the Guiding Teacher of the Big Heart City Sangha in San Francisco for 20 years. He is also a nationally recognized leader in designing and implementing interventions for at-risk adolescents and […]
Learn more about Vinny Ferraro
Hakim Tafari
Hakim Tafari has studied martial arts since 1996, starting off with Southern-style Praying Mantis Kung Fu. After a major knee injury, he did a lot of research and decided to start studying Tai Chi Chuan. From 1998 until present, Hakim has studied, taught, researched, and spent many hours practicing the art. During this time, he […]
Learn more about Hakim TafariCategories : Multi-day, On-land, Residential, Retreat