Financial Support

Our mission is to make all of our programs accessible. Every fee-based offering has a limited number of pay-what-you-can spots available to support self-identified people of color, members of marginalized groups (queer people, transgender people, and  people with disabilities) and those in financial need (those for whom the cost to attend is not financially possible). 

These spots are offered on a first come, first served basis. Please pay at the highest level you can afford. In order for this support to be available, we rely on those who can afford to pay the full price to do so.

Find out if spots are available by clicking REGISTER NOW on the event you are interested in.

Safety 

We work to protect the safety of all students. We reserve the right to remove any student from any class, sitting group, retreat, or any event if the student is disruptive to the safe learning environment we maintain for all.

Cancellation & Refunds

We reserve the right to cancel a class or special event due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the event non-viable. If InsightLA cancels an event you’ve registered for, you will be offered a full refund. If an event has to be postponed for any reason, you will have the option to either receive a full refund or transfer your registration to the same event at the new, future date. If you cancel, we apply a 5% credit processing fee and the refunded amounts are listed below:

MBSR, MSC, & MBHC, Mindfulness for Beginners & Special Events

7 days – 95% Refund
<7 days – No Refunds – Credit given if requested or donation to InsightLA

Fee-Based Non-Residential Retreats (note: Donations are non-refundable)

>7 days – 95% Refund
<7 days – No Refunds – Credit given if requested or donation to InsightLA

Residential Retreats

> 8 weeks – amount paid less $100
4-8 weeks – amount paid less $175
2-4 weeks – amount paid less $300
< 2 weeks – No refund

Residential Retreats with Financial Support:

> 8 weeks – amount paid less $75
4-8 weeks – amount paid less $100
2-4 weeks – amount paid less $200
< 2 weeks – No refund

Buddhist Teachings (Series)

Deepening the Path: A Yearlong Program for Experienced Practitioners (2027)

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Jack Kornfield, PhD Dharma Council, Visiting Teacher

Trudy Goodman, PhD Teacher

Kamala Masters Visiting Teacher

Guy Armstrong Dharma Council

Sally Armstrong Visiting Teacher

James Baraz Visiting Teacher

Vance Pryor

Beth Sternlieb Teacher

Diana Winston

Gullu Singh, JD Teacher

Celeste Young Teacher

Melissa McKay Teacher

Refund and Event Policies

Join InsightLA for a very special yearlong program in 2027 for experienced practitioners who want to deepen both meditation practice and dharma study with senior teachers from the Insight LA, Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society (IMS) community.

The program is a committed cohort of about 38 people (+ online attendees) who register for the full year. Together you will gather for six non-residential weekends at the Benedict Canyon Retreat House…an intimate container for practice, study, dialogue, and friendship that is difficult to create in a single retreat.

Purpose of the program

  • Deepen the practice and understanding of practitioners with a strong background in vipassana retreat practice
  • Study with some of the most established and recognized dharma teachers in the U.S.
  • Build a genuine sense of community through regular meetings over the course of a year
  • Explore dharma themes that are not often covered in depth on silent retreats
  • Practice and study in the quiet, natural setting of Benedict Canyon

Program format

Six weekend gatherings, roughly every other month:

  • January 23rd and 24th, 2027 with Jack Kornfield, Trudy Goodman and Melissa McKay
  • March 6th and 7th, 2027 with Kamala Masters and Vance Pryor
  • May 8th and 9th, 2027 with Guy and Sally Armstrong
  • July 17th and 18th, 2027 with Diana Winston and Beth Sternlieb
  • September 11th and 12th, 2027 with Celeste Young and Gullu Singh
  • December 4th and 5th, 2027 with James Baraz

Each weekend is two full days of teaching on Saturday and Sunday, led by a skilled Spirit Rock / IMS teacher. The teachers will offer preparatory work before each weekend, a sequence of talks, meditation instructions, and discussion around a theme of particular interest to them. The teachings are interactive—participants are expected to take part in the inquiry, not only listen.

Note: This is a non-residential program for students. You commute to Benedict Canyon each morning and return home each evening. 

Typical daily rhythm (final hours to be confirmed with each teacher):
Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm PT, including sitting and walking meditation, talks, and discussion. Please plan to bring your own lunch.

Who this program is for

To keep the level of dharma discussion high, participation has a prerequisite:

  • A minimum of five years of vipassana meditation practice, and
  • At least two 7-day silent intensive vipassana retreats with Spirit Rock or IMS teachers

This is not a drop-in series and not an introductory program. Registration is for the full year. The strength of the program depends on a stable group that meets throughout 2027.

The 2027 faculty are teachers :Jack Kornfield · Trudy Goodman · Kamala Masters · Sally Armstrong · Guy Armstrong · James Baraz · Vance Prior Diana Winston · Beth Sternlieb · Melissa McKay · Celeste Young · Gullu Singh 

Each weekend will be led by one or two teachers. Specific teacher-and-theme pairings will be announced. Themes will be chosen by the teachers and are intended to go beyond what is usually possible in a silent retreat format.

Location
Benedict Canyon Retreat House – 9940 Westwanda Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (Map It)
A short drive from the city, the retreat house sits on 18 preserved acres in the canyon—quiet trails, wildlife, and a simple hall for practice. Most cell carriers have little or no reception; free Wi-Fi is available. The site is not wheelchair accessible (stairs to the entrance).Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to park and settle. Dress in layers, bring a shawl or blanket, socks (shoes come off at the door), a water bottle, and any meditation props you prefer. Some cushions and chairs are available on site. See Benedict Canyon location details, parking, and what to bring.

Program fee
The fee covers all six weekends.Program fee: $1,950 Please inquire early, as the cohort is small.

Registration
Registration is for the entire yearlong program. Individual weekends are not offered separately.
Because the group is limited to about 38 people, early registration is encouraged. Please be prepared to confirm that you meet the practice prerequisites when you register.
 

Jack Kornfield, PhD Dharma Council, Visiting Teacher

Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. After graduating from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies in 1967 he joined the Peace Corps and worked on... Read more

Trudy Goodman, PhD Teacher

Trudy Goodman, PhD, is the Founding Teacher of InsightLA, the first center to combine training in Insight (Vipassana) Meditation and in non-sectarian mindfulness and compassion practices, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC). The fourth teacher ever of MBSR, Trudy taught with its creator, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and studied Buddhist meditation for 40... Read more

Kamala Masters Visiting Teacher

Kamala Masters is co-founder with Steve Armstrong of the Vipassana Metta Foundation and Sanctuary on Maui, and a Core Guiding Teacher of the Insight Meditation Society of Barre, MA. In 1977 she began her Dharma training in the Mahasi tradition with the late Anagarika Munindra of India. In 1985, the late Ven. U Pandita also... Read more

Guy Armstrong Dharma Council

Guy Armstrong has been practicing Insight Meditation for over 30 years. His training included a year as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, primarily with Ajahn Buddhadasa. He began teaching in 1984 and has led retreats in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Guy is a Stewarding Teacher at Spirit Rock and a Guiding Teacher of Insight... Read more

Sally Armstrong Visiting Teacher

Sally Armstrong began practicing vipassana meditation in India in 1981 and started teaching in 1996. She is a Stewarding Teacher at Spirit Rock and has served as a co-guiding teacher at Spirit Rock. She developed and led Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioners Program and Advanced Practitioner Program. She has a keen interest in supporting students who... Read more

James Baraz Visiting Teacher

James Baraz is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. James started the Community Dharma Leader program, the Kalyana Mitta Network, the Spirit Rock Family Program and helped create the Heavenly Messengers Training Program. James has been leading the online course “Awakening Joy” since 2003. He serves as a guiding teacher to One Earth... Read more

Vance Pryor

Vance Pryor, PsyD, began practicing insight meditation in 1998. He has been deeply influenced by the teachings of Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. His training to become a teacher has been supported by the mentorship of Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters. He is a graduate of IMS’s 2017-2021 Teacher Training Program.  

Beth Sternlieb Teacher

Beth is a Spirit Rock and Insight Mediation Society retreat teacher. She teaches the Dedicated to Dharma program at InsightLA and The Morning Community Sit. You can drop in through InsightLA.org and meet her there Monday – Friday mornings. Beth’s Teachers are Dza Kilung Rinpoche and Joseph Goldstein. Beth has been a co-investigator on several... Read more

Diana Winston

Diana Winston is the Director of UCLA Mindful, the mindfulness education center of UCLA Health. She is the author of The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering your Natural Awareness, and the co-author, with Susan Smalley PhD, of Fully Present, the Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness. She has taught mindfulness for health and well-being since... Read more

Gullu Singh, JD Teacher

Gulwinder “Gullu” Singh is a mindfulness and Dharma teacher who also practices corporate real estate law. Although he was exposed to meditation as a child, he found his own practice when, after law school, he found himself working at high-powered law firms where the job was extremely stressful. Gullu completed the four-year Spirit Rock Meditation... Read more

Celeste Young Teacher

Celeste began formal meditation practice in 2002. She was invited to join the very first teacher development cohort at InsightLA under the guidance of founder Trudy Goodman in 2011 and has since taught thousands of students the essentials of mindfulness over the years. Celeste offers several classes a week as a core teacher at ILA,... Read more

Melissa McKay Teacher

Melissa began her path of meditation in 1998 with a small group of dedicated practitioners in Oakland, CA with her beloved, though not known, teacher named Barbara Janus who introduced her to the teachings of Sayadaw U Pandita of Burma. Her first retreat was with Sayadaw U Pandita and the profound changes she saw in... Read more

Pricing Options
Class Fee $1950

📌Prerequisites Required:

This yearlong program is designed for experienced practitioners. To register, you must have:

  • A minimum of five years of vipassana meditation practice, and
  • At least two 7-day silent intensive vipassana retreats with Spirit Rock or IMS teachers

Please only proceed with registration if you meet both requirements. Thank you.

 

Register Now

Need Financial Support?

Financial Support

Our mission is to make all of our programs accessible. Every fee-based offering has a limited number of pay-what-you-can spots available to support members of marginalized groups (people of color, queer people, people with disabilities) and those in financial need (those for whom the cost to attend is not financially possible).

These spots are offered on a first come, first served basis. Please pay at the highest level you can afford. In order for this support to be available, we rely on those who can afford to pay the full price to do so.

Register Now

 

Questions or comments about this class? We love hearing from you.

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