Beginning Where You Are: A Retreat in Mindfulness and Gentle Awareness

"Beginning Where You Are" is a four-night silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, rooted in Insight Meditation and mindfulness. It is made for beginners and for people returning to the basics, and it is led by Dawn Mauricio, Gullu Singh and James Baraz, with Jonathan Relucio teaching movement and Rae Houseman as teacher in training. No prior experience is needed, only a willingness to pause and begin.

What to Expect

The retreat opens on Monday afternoon with check-in between 2:30 and 4:30 PM, an orientation to the retreat guidelines and the space, and a first sitting practice with an introduction to the teaching. Tuesday through Thursday follow a daily rhythm of sitting and walking meditation, gentle movement, and teachings on the foundations of mindfulness: steadying attention, connecting with the body, and meeting thoughts and emotions with curiosity rather than judgment. Small group dialogues with the teachers help bring these practices into everyday life. Meals are taken in silence and in community.

The retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups and other practice meetings. On Friday there is a morning practice session, closing teachings and guidance on integration, and departure by 11:00 AM.

Your Teachers

Dawn Mauricio has practiced since 2005 and teaches across Canada and the U.S. in a playful, dynamic and heartfelt way grounded in relational and embodied practice. She is the author of Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners and a Somatic Experiencing™ practitioner. Her training includes Spirit Rock's four-year Retreat Teacher Training and its Dedicated Practitioners' Program.

Gullu Singh is a corporate real estate attorney and a dedicated Dharma practitioner who teaches secular and Buddhist meditation in legal, corporate and academic settings. A graduate of Spirit Rock's Teacher Training, he serves on core faculty for major programs and is the incoming Co-chair of the Guiding Teacher Council.

James Baraz is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock. He started the Community Dharma Leader program and the Family Program, and has led the online course "Awakening Joy" since 2003. He is also a guiding teacher to One Earth Sangha, a platform devoted to Buddhist responses to climate change.

Jonathan Relucio leads the movement practices. He teaches mindfulness and embodiment grounded in healing, justice and liberation, and is a former Senior Trainer at Niroga Institute. He also teaches with East Bay Meditation Center and Braided Wisdom, drawing on over 20 years in community organizing, social services and leadership development.

Rae Houseman, teacher in training, has practiced for more than 20 years, with depth in both the Insight Meditation and Vajrayana traditions. Rae sees practice as a powerful support for opening to our essential nature and living a more authentic life.

The Setting

Sessions are held in the Upper Meditation Hall at Spirit Rock, a space held by years of collective practice. The retreat is residential for up to 80 people. Most of the center's rooms are single occupancy, and only 16 of its 80 rooms are doubles. Single rooms are initially prioritized for those with serious medical needs, and a limited number are guaranteed at higher sliding-scale rates. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided. Retreat commuters, who attend the full program without overnight lodging, have a shared daytime resting area below the main hall.

Before You Go

No experience is required, and the retreat is taught in English. Spirit Rock suggests that anyone who has never meditated attend two or three daylong programs before a residential retreat. The fee covers four nights of lodging, all meals, instruction and guided practices. It does not cover travel, personal items and medications, or teacher dana, which is offered at the end of the retreat to the teachers and to Spirit Rock. Because participants share close quarters, anyone who is sick is asked to stay home.