Reconnecting to the Earth: A Path for Healing Grief - A Retreat for BIPOC Community

This silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, is held for people who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color. Titled Reconnecting to the Earth: A Path for Healing Grief, it is led by Kaira Jewel Lingo, Konda Mason, Carol Cano, and movement teacher Jonathan Relucio. The practice draws on Plum Village Zen and Insight Meditation (Vipassana), and it turns toward grief for personal losses, for community, and for the Earth itself, not as something to fix but as a way back into relationship with the living Earth.

What to Expect

The retreat runs five nights. Arrival is between 2:30 and 4:30 PM on the first day, followed by an opening session, orientation, and a first evening meditation. The middle days hold silent meditation with daily instruction, movement and embodiment sessions, small group meetings and teacher consultations, teachings on grief, Earth connection, and healing, time in nature, and ritual and ceremonial practice. On the last morning there are final meditation sessions and a closing ceremony, with departure at 11:00 AM.

The retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups, and other practice meetings. The teaching speaks to the histories of displacement and systemic harm that can deepen disconnection from the land for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The aim is to create a space to remember and restore that connection, to listen for how the Earth holds us even in sorrow, and to honor what has been lost while nurturing resilience, joy, and collective healing.

About Kaira Jewel Lingo

Kaira Jewel Lingo is a senior Dharma teacher in the Plum Village Zen lineage and an Insight Meditation teacher. A former nun in Thich Nhat Hanh's community, she teaches engaged Buddhism internationally, at the intersection of racial, climate, and social justice, with a particular focus on activists, Black, Indigenous and People of Color, artists, educators, families, and youth. She is the author of We Were Made for These Times and co-author of Healing Our Way Home.

About Konda Mason

Konda Mason is a social entrepreneur, eco-spiritual thought leader, mindfulness teacher, and justice advocate working where social and financial justice meet planetary healing. She was introduced to Tibetan Buddhism in 1982 and began practicing vipassana in 1996 with Jack Kornfield. She has taught at Spirit Rock since 1997 and graduated from the Spirit Rock Teacher Training program in 2020.

About Carol Cano

Carol Cano began her Dharma practice more than 30 years ago at Wat Kow Tahm in Thailand. A Spirit Rock teacher and graduate of its 2017 to 2020 training, she co-founded the Philippine Insight Meditation Community and is a core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center. Her teaching braids the Dharma with Basque, Native American, and Earth-based influences, and her background in psychology informs how she supports people navigating spiritual ideals and modern life.

About Jonathan Relucio

Jonathan Relucio teaches mindfulness and embodiment practices grounded in healing, justice, and liberation. A former Senior Trainer at Niroga Institute, he teaches with Spirit Rock, East Bay Meditation Center, and Braided Wisdom, drawing on more than 20 years in community organizing, social services, and leadership development.

The Setting

All sessions take place in the Community Meditation Center on Spirit Rock's lower campus, a short 5 to 10 minute walk down the hill from the dormitories. The retreat is held concurrently with another, so the smaller center offers a more intimate environment. Lodging is in shared double rooms or single rooms; most of Spirit Rock's 80 rooms are single, though availability is limited and single rooms are first prioritized for serious medical needs. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided. A retreat commuter option exists for those who stay off campus at their own expense.

Before You Go

The retreat is taught in English and is open to practitioners of various levels. Those new to meditation are encouraged to attend two to three daylong programs before a weeklong retreat. Retreat commuters must have completed at least one previous weeklong silent residential retreat in Insight meditation. Spirit Rock registration staff can talk through your experience and preparation.

Included are all meditation sessions and teachings, teacher-led Q&A and small groups, movement instruction, meals, lodging, and access to the grounds and nature spaces. Not included are transportation to Spirit Rock, personal items and toiletries, and teacher dana, a gift offered to the teachers and to Spirit Rock at the close of the retreat. Spirit Rock prices its retreats on a sliding scale, with scholarships and payment plans available.