18-Night Retreat: Concentration & Fall Insight Retreats

This 18-night silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, joins two retreats into one continuous training: a Concentration (samādhi) retreat followed by a Fall Insight Retreat in the Thai Forest Tradition. It is for experienced practitioners who are ready for a longer commitment and want to build a settled, stable mind first and then bring that steadiness into vipassanā. Tuere Sala, Tempel Smith, devon hase, Brian Lesage, Vance Pryor, Eugene Cash and movement teacher Hakim Tafari lead it. Each part can also be attended on its own.

What to Expect

The first nine days are devoted to concentration. Teachers offer practical techniques for staying with a meditation object over time, explore the qualities that support deep absorption (jhānas), and give guidance on bringing concentration into insight practice. Dharma talks look at samādhi and its place in the Eightfold Path. Days include seated and walking meditation, and one-on-one meetings with Tuere Sala, Tempel Smith, devon hase, Brian Lesage or Vance Pryor.

The second nine days move into insight meditation grounded in that settled presence. The emphasis is on a deep settling of the mind, an opening of the heart and a steady cultivation of clarity, with lovingkindness (mettā) woven throughout. Dharma talks turn to clarity, equanimity and embodied awareness. Optional movement and tai chi practices with Hakim Tafari are offered, and personal meetings are held with Tuere Sala, Eugene Cash or Hakim Tafari.

Both retreats are held in silence, apart from teacher-led Q&A, small group meetings and other practice meetings. Arrival is between 2:30 and 4:30 PM on the first day, and departure is at 11:00 AM on the last.

The Teachers

Tuere Sala is a Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock. She has practiced Vipassana for over 30 years and has taught since 2010, helping people establish and sustain a daily practice.

Tempel Smith teaches mindfulness, insight and mettā meditation with an emphasis on Buddhist psychology, neuroscience and mind-body awareness. He spent a year as a monk in Myanmar with Sayadaw U Pandita and Pa Auk Sayadaw, serves on the Spirit Rock Guiding Teachers Committee, and has led the Dedicated Practitioners Program and pilgrimages to India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

devon hase has practiced in the Insight and Vajrayana traditions since 2000 and has spent a cumulative four years in silent practice. She teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock and centers around the world, and is known for a friendly, conversational approach that emphasizes relational practice and the natural world. She co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess.

Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 and taught since 2000. Ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996, he has studied in Zen, Theravāda and Tibetan schools, with extended vipassanā retreats in Myanmar, Nepal and India.

Vance Pryor, PsyD, has practiced insight meditation since 1999 in the United States and Myanmar, influenced by Sayadaw U Pandita and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. He graduated from the Insight Meditation Society's 2017-2021 Teacher Training Program.

Hakim Tafari teaches movement. Originally from the U.K. and now living in Los Angeles, he is a runner, meditator and martial arts student who has studied and taught Tai Chi Quan for over 20 years.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, with sessions in the Upper Meditation Hall. Meals are breakfast, lunch and a light evening meal. Rooms are single or shared depending on the rate chosen, and a commuter option exists for those who keep their own lodging.

Before You Go

Participants need to have completed at least one silent, residential insight retreat of nine nights or more beforehand. Online retreats do not count. The retreat is taught in English and suits intermediate to advanced meditators.

Lodging, meals, Dharma talks, guided meditations and teacher meetings are included. Teacher dāna is not part of the fee; an invitation to offer it comes at the end. Travel is not included. Spirit Rock offers sliding-scale rates, scholarships and payment plans.