Retreat as Ceremony: Mindfulness and Indigenous Presence for Wellness and Healing

Retreat as Ceremony is a four-night silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, that brings Insight (Vipassana) meditation together with Indigenous ways of knowing. It is open to Indigenous peoples from around the world and to allies. The teaching team is Bonnie Duran, Carol Cano, bruni dávila and Mario Castillo, who is a teacher in training.

The retreat explores where Buddhist practices such as mindfulness and mettā (lovingkindness) meditation meet Indigenous knowledge systems such as Intuitive Awareness. Both traditions are rooted in a relationship with nature, with ancestors, and with silence. The retreat is offered in English and Spanish.

What to Expect

Most of the retreat is held in Noble Silence, with Wise Speech as part of the practice. Silence is set aside for teacher-led Q&A, small groups and other practice meetings. The retreat opens and closes with ceremonial talking circles, and breakout groups near the end help participants carry what they have learned back into daily life.

The retreat begins with check-in in the afternoon, followed by the opening talking circle and an orientation to the schedule and practice. Each full day then follows a steady rhythm:

- Morning instruction and Q&A, 8:45 to 9:45 AM
- Silent meditation practice through the day
- Guided lovingkindness practice, 4:45 to 5:15 PM
- Evening discourse, 7:45 to 8:45 PM

Small group practice meetings are held on the second and third full days. On the last morning there is silent practice, the closing talking circle and the integration breakout groups, with departure at 11:00 AM.

For licensed mental health and health care professionals, 7.5 continuing education credits are available for an additional fee. They are sponsored by Mindful CECs and cover instructional and guided practice sessions only. Credit requires full, documented attendance, and the fee must be paid before the program starts. The content is aimed at stress management, emotional regulation and culturally responsive care with Indigenous and underserved communities.

The Teachers

Bonnie Duran met the Dharma in 1982 and has studied with many Western, Thai, Burmese and Tibetan teachers. She is a graduate of the IMS/SRMC retreat teacher-training program and serves on the SRMC Guiding Teachers Council. Dr. Duran holds a DrPH and is a professor emeritus at the University of Washington.

Carol Cano, bruni dávila and Mario Castillo complete the team, and Mario is a teacher in training. The teachers bring Dharma practice together with Indigenous and cultural lineages.

The Setting

The retreat is residential at Spirit Rock in Woodacre. Rooms are single or shared, and all meals are provided. Only 16 of the 80 rooms on campus are doubles. Single rooms are offered at higher sliding scale rates or given priority to those with medical needs. A commuter option, with meals but no lodging, is open to those who have completed a weeklong residential Insight retreat. It becomes available once the retreat reaches capacity. Transportation to Spirit Rock is not included.

Before You Go

The content is introductory. Spirit Rock suggests that anyone new to meditation attend two or three daylong programs before a week-long silent retreat.

Registration covers lodging, meals, instruction, guided practice, small groups and the ceremonial circles. Teacher dana, an optional offering to the teachers and to Spirit Rock, is made at the end of the retreat and is not part of the fee. Rates are on a sliding scale, with needs-based scholarships for elders, people of color, young adults and low-income parents or guardians raising children.