Naturally Arising Samādhi (Concentration)

Naturally Arising Samādhi is an eight-night silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, devoted to concentration practice within the Insight Meditation (Vipassana) tradition. It is for experienced practitioners who have already completed at least one seven-night silent residential Insight Meditation retreat. The teaching team is Dana DePalma, Phillip Moffitt, Tuere Sala, Alex Haley, Ying Chen, and Adam Stonebraker, who is a teacher in training.

What to Expect

The retreat treats samādhi as an innate capacity of the mind-heart that emerges when conditions are gently aligned, rather than something to be forced. The emphasis is on grounded, embodied presence that lets the mind become collected and unified. As the mind steadies, joy and contentment can arise, and these can become trustworthy companions for insight practice. The Buddha named samādhi as one part of the Eightfold Path, and the teachers explore both how concentration is developed and what a concentrated, contented mind is like to experience.

Two guided meditations each day, 45 to 60 minutes apiece, anchor the schedule. Dharma talks on samādhi and the Eightfold Path and teacher-led practice support meetings fill out the rhythm. Noble silence is kept throughout, apart from the guided meditations, talks, and support meetings.

Arrival is in the afternoon of the first day, between 2:30 and 4:30 PM, with check-in, room assignment, and an orientation to the retreat guidelines. The following days follow the steady daily pattern of practice. The final morning includes practice and closing teachings, and departure is at 11:00 AM.

Your Teachers

Dana DePalma is a Stewarding Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and Guiding Teacher at Dharma Ground, which she co-founded. She teaches Nine Bodies Insight, a method that uses teachings on the structure of consciousness to balance, refine, and strengthen Insight Meditation practice.

Phillip Moffitt is a Buddhist meditation teacher and writer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He served as Co-Guiding Teacher at Spirit Rock from 2010 to 2018 and founded Life Balance Institute, which offers mindfulness-based programs for people going through major life transitions.

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

Alex Haley has meditated for more than 25 years, including many multi-month retreats. He teaches at Minneapolis Insight Meditation Community and online through Dharma Ground, graduated from the SRMC/IMS/IRC training program, and is the former mindfulness faculty lead at the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing.

Ying Chen practiced primarily under Gil Fronsdal and is a graduate of the Sati Center Chaplaincy program and the Local Dharma Leader program at Insight Meditation Center. She facilitates a support group for people living with illness and co-leads the Asian Dharma Circle.

Adam Stonebraker is Guiding Teacher of Mountain Stream Meditation. He has practiced since 1999 and taught since 2010, rooted in the Thai Forest Tradition and the Bodhisattva path, with a teaching that emphasizes wisdom, openhearted awareness, and embodiment. He is mentored by Kittisaro and Thanissara and is in the four-year Spirit Rock/IMS teacher training.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, a retreat center built around decades of collective practice. Of its 80 rooms, most are single occupancy and 16 are doubles. A limited number of single rooms are guaranteed at the highest rate, and the remaining singles are first prioritized for people with serious medical needs. All meals are provided.

A commuter option is also available for those who attend the full retreat and all meals but sleep elsewhere. Commuters have a shared daytime rest area on campus. Transportation to Spirit Rock is not included.

Before You Go

- Experience: Completion of at least one seven-night silent residential Insight Meditation retreat is required. You should be comfortable with extended silence and basic meditation techniques.
- Language: English.
- Included: Meals, lodging in a shared or single room, the guided meditations, talks, and small group support meetings.
- Cost and support: Fees follow a sliding scale, with needs-based scholarships and payment plans available. Teacher dāna is not part of the registration fee. At the close of the retreat there is an invitation to offer it to the teachers and to Spirit Rock.
- Health: Participants live closely together, so anyone who is sick is asked to stay home. Masks are welcome but not required.