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Retreat Dharma Talks

2026 March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat

An extended retreat period offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instructions will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness, influenced by the teachings of Mahasi Sayadaw and other Theravãda (Insight Meditation) traditions, and will be supported by a variety of skillful means. The teachings will encompass training in the heart qualities of lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, with a daily schedule structured around periods of silent meditation, guided instructions, Dharma talks, practice meetings with teachers, and optional mindful movement.

This retreat is also suitable for practitioners who wish to exclusively develop concentration (samādhi) through mindfulness of breathing or lovingkindness (metta) practice, with individual guidance by the teachers.

These extended retreats (as with all retreats at Spirit Rock) are NOT open for self-retreats.

2026-03-02 (27 days) Spirit Rock Meditation Center

  
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2026-03-03 Morning Instructions - Day 1 of Monthlong (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 62:26
Anushka Fernandopulle
Establishing mindfulness in the body with gentle continuity. Finding an anchor for attention to support the development of collectedness.
2026-03-04 AM Instructions & Guided Meditation (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:34
Greg Scharf
Guided meditation with an emphasis on simplicity, relaxation, and continuity of awareness. Additional reflections on walking meditation and practicing in all postures and during all daily activities
2026-03-04 March Monthlong Retreat Talk on the Three Characteristics of All Conditioned Experience: Impermanence (Anicca), Suffering (Dukkha), and Not-Self (Anatta) 53:23
Tara Mulay
2026-03-05 Practicing Metta (Lovingkindness or Love) for Self and a Good Friend, with an Introduction to all Four Brahmaviharas (Heart Qualities) Taught by the Buddha 49:01
Tara Mulay
Describing the Relationship Between Metta, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity.
2026-03-05 Mindfulness of the Body, Continuity of Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 45:48
Anushka Fernandopulle
Dhamma as nature and learning to align ourself with what is true. Taking refuge and our path to liberation.
2026-03-06 Meeting Emotions Within the Experience of Body (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 51:57
Kristina Bare
When strong experiences such as fear, grief, shame or desire become predominate in our awareness, we can meet them with mindfulness and interest. Asking “what is happening?” rather than “why is it happening?”. With mindfulness we can feel emotions as ripples of sensations within the body that arise, peak and fade when we dont feed the story in the mind. At times we need to fortify mindfulness by turning to other parts of the body such as feet or hands to allow for more space around intense sensations. This helps us not get caught in aversive tightening in response to the emotion.
2026-03-09 Feeling Tone: Cracking the Code on Reactivity (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 49:33
Anushka Fernandopulle
Learning to discern pleasant, unpleasant, neutral in sense experience. Developing awareness of our habitual reactivity to each, which is unnecessary and stressful.
2026-03-12 Samadhi or Collectedness of Mind and Heart (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 46:46
Anushka Fernandopulle
How to bring the energy of the mind and heart together in unification or concentration. What are the causes for samadhi. How we can live with nondistractedness and what are its benefits.
2026-03-13 Choiceless Attention (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:51
Anushka Fernandopulle
Instructions on letting go of the anchor in meditation on day 10 of monthlong retreat.
2026-03-16 Equanimity or Upekkha (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 45:11
Anushka Fernandopulle
Exploration of Brahma Vihara of Equanimity or balance of mind. Guided practice and suggestion
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