Insight Meditation Winter Solstice Retreat:
Embracing the Dark, Inviting the Light
with Oren Jay Sofer, Dawn Scott, Devon Hase and Heather Sundberg (online)
In this retreat, we will emphasize 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. There will be a special emphasis on opening to the darkness, including to our difficulties and challenges, as well as to the coming light -- to our beauty, joy, wisdom, and love. The retreat will include complete meditation instructions, sitting and walking meditation, daily loving kindness practice, daily Qigong practice, evening talks, practice discussions, and a Winter Solstice ceremony.
Dates: Wednesday December 18, 4pm PT – Monday December 23, 10:30am PT
Cost: Sliding Scale, plus a donation to the teacher(s) and retreat staff.
Hybrid Retreat: We are happy to offer this retreat with options to join in-person or remotely/online.
Scholarships: Spirit Rock offers a range of reduced rate scholarships for young adults, BIPOC practitioners, and others. See registration page for details. All sessions will be recorded and available for 3 months to registered participants.
Room Occupancy: Spirit Rock offers both single and double occupancy rooms (only 16 of 80 rooms are double occupancy). There are a limited number (16) of “guaranteed single rooms” for a specific rate. This rate guarantees a single room while helping to support scholarships and general operations at Spirit Rock. The remaining single rooms are not exclusive to the top end of the sliding scale; however, they are initially prioritized for those with serious medical needs.
Questions?
This event is being run by the Spirit Rock Meditation Center. For any questions related to registration, scholarships and/or continuing education, please contact them here. For questions related to the content of this program or event, feel free to get in touch with us here instead. Please be sure to include the date and title of the event in your email!
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About the Teachers
Oren Jay Sofer
Oren Jay Sofer teaches workshops and retreats on meditation and communication nationally. A member of the Spirit Rock Teachers Council, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, is a Somatic Experiencing for healing of trauma, and is a certified trainer of Nonviolent Communication. Oren is also the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication.
Dawn Scott
Dawn Scott has been practicing Insight Meditation since 2008 and served as the Family Program Coordinator for eight years at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She is a graduate of the Insight Meditation Society’s 2017 – 2021 teacher training program, a co-principal teacher of Marin Sangha, and is a core teacher of Spirit Rock’s Liberation, Emptiness, and Awareness Practices (LEAP) Program and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and Insight Meditation’s joint program, Exploring the Heart of Freedom. Dawn has a deep love of long retreat practice and the Buddha’s liberating teachings.
Devon Hase
Devon Hase began intensive meditation training in 2000. After spending a decade teaching English and social studies in high school and college classrooms, she entered a two-year period of retreat. She has studied at monasteries in Nepal and India, and practices in the Insight and Vajrayana traditions. Currently, Devon teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock, and throughout North America and Europe. Along with her life partner nico, she co-authored their first book, How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life, which offers six really good pieces of semi-Buddhist advice to keep you anchored and steady amidst the chaos of modern life. Devon loves long retreat and is passionate about creative ways to bring deep practice into the daily spin of things. She now lives together with nico in urban retreat in her hometown of Ashland, Oregon, splitting each week between teaching and practice.
Heather Sundberg–Online Teacher
Heather Sundberg has taught Insight Meditation since 1999 and is a graduate of the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training Program. For the last 25 years, Heather has studied with senior teachers in the Insight Meditation and Tibetan traditions and has sat 1-3 months of retreat a year for almost 20 years. She was the Spirit Rock Family & Teen Program Teacher & Manager for a decade, and serves on the Spirit Rock Teachers Council. Since 2011, she has been a Teacher at Mountain Stream Meditation Center and sister communities in the Sierra Foothills, and also teaches nationally, especially at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Her teaching emphasizes embodiment, compassion, and practical wisdom.