The Family Retreat - Application 2027

The Family Retreat is a four-night residential meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, for adults and their children ages 7 to 15. Rooted in the Buddhist and Vipassana traditions, it is led by Diana Winston, Cara Lai, Ofosu Jones-Quartey and Ajahn Nyaniko, with Eli Talen as assistant teacher. Families rest, reconnect, play and practice together.

Admission is by application and a lottery-style selection, which is how Spirit Rock keeps its community of practitioners diverse.

What to Expect

The days weave together age-appropriate meditation and Dharma teachings, games, arts and crafts, and time in nature. Children and teens spend part of each day with same-age peers, fully supervised by mindful leaders. Adults have their own time to practice, relax and receive teachings from the teachers.

Families arrive on opening day between 9:00 and 11:00am Pacific Time, with lunch at 12:00pm. After settling in, the group gathers for an opening session. The middle days follow a steady rhythm of morning and afternoon meditation, teachings for adults, instruction for children suited to their ages, and organized activities, with separate practice sessions for adults. On the final morning there is a closing session, and families depart at 11:00am. Lunch is not served on the closing day. The arrival window differs from standard retreats, so plan your travel with care.

The retreat is meant to feel safe and nurturing, and all family constellations, races, gender identities and bodies are welcome. Children and adults from participating families often form lifelong friendships here.

About Diana Winston

Diana Winston is the Director of UCLA Mindful, the mindfulness education center of UCLA Health. She has taught meditation retreats at Spirit Rock since 2004 and has been a pioneer in the field of mindfulness, helping to bring it into healthcare, universities, businesses and non-profits.

About Cara Lai, MA

Cara Lai spent much of her life trying to figure out how to be happy, or at least avoid total misery, and that search led her to spend most of her adult life meditating. She has explored the human experience through long retreats, chronic illness and many other adventures in consciousness.

About Ofosu Jones-Quartey

Ofosu Jones-Quartey is a meditation teacher, hip-hop artist and musician from the Washington DC area. He has taught mindfulness and meditation to young people and adults since 2004. He is the male voice on the Balance meditation app, and he teaches classes and retreats around the country.

About Ajahn Nyaniko

Ajahn Nyaniko was born and raised in northern California. He took novice ordination in 2002 and ordained as a bhikkhu in 2003. He received his basic training from Luang Por Pasanno and Luang Por Amaro at Abhayagiri and has spent more than six years training in Thailand.

The Setting

The retreat takes place on the grounds of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, in Marin County, California, with the main retreat hall as its home base. Families stay on site in residential lodging for all four nights, and all meals are provided.

Before You Go

The retreat is designed for families with children ages 7 to 15, whether new to meditation or experienced. At least one parent or caregiver must have attended a silent meditation retreat of at least four nights at a Buddhist meditation center. The retreat is offered in English and Spanish.

Fees cover food and lodging for the four nights. They do not include dana, the voluntary offering made to the teachers and to Spirit Rock at the end of the retreat. Sliding scale rates, scholarship rates and payment plans are available.