COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats

Our first priority is to protect the health of everyone who comes to Spirit Rock, including practitioners, staff, and teachers. We follow county, state, and federal (CDC) COVID-19 guidelines that are currently in place, along with additional significant safety protocols.

The Spirit Rock campus will remain closed except for in-person retreats. During retreats, the campus will be closed to all, excluding staff, retreat teachers, and retreatants.

Safety Protocols

The following are Spirit Rock’s primary required safety protocols:

• Vaccination: All staff, teachers, and practitioners must be fully vaccinated which includes boosted (at least 1 booster) with vaccines for COVID-19, two weeks or more before arrival. Proof of vaccination with boosters will be required. Boosters are required as of March 15, 2022; and must have been received two weeks or more before arrival. Individuals will not be admitted to the retreat if not "fully vaccinated."
• Negative COVID-19 Test: All practitioners, teachers, and retreat staff will take an antigen test on the opening day of a retreat upon arrival. Individuals will not be admitted to the retreat if the test result is positive for COVID.
• N95, KN95 or KF94 Masks Required: Although Marin County has lifted the mandatory mask mandate, it is strongly recommended by the CDC and the California Department of Public Health that we continue to wear masks indoors. Since we serve as a residential retreat center and prioritize the safety of our practitioners, staff, and teachers, we will continue to require masks in all shared indoor spaces except for dormitory rooms. We are requiring the proper wearing of N95, KN95, or KF94 masks, which are proven to better filter aerosolized particles than cloth or three-ply disposable masks. We will supply you with an appropriate mask if you do not have one. Teachers are exempt from the mask requirement while actively offering Dharma teachings. Masks are not required in outside spaces when physical distancing of six feet or more can be maintained. You may be asked to leave the retreat if you do not properly wear your mask.
• Ventilation/Air Filtration: We have upgraded air filtration in all the meditation halls, and have provided small air purifiers in all dorm rooms and public spaces.
• Surface Cleaning: Sanitizing of all high touch areas will be done twice daily and hand sanitizing stations will be placed in convenient locations across campus.
• Dining: Physical distancing will be maintained in the dining hall with additional indoor and outdoor seating options for dining. We’ve added more tents with heaters to our outside dining space and have air filters in the dining hall as well. Typically, our opening night supper is a time for conversation and community connection. However, to minimize aerosolized particles and promote greater safety for all practitioners, retreats will begin with noble silence at the first meal and continue through the end of the retreat. We are extending the buffet time to 45 minutes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and ask that the first 10 minutes of each meal be reserved for seniors and folks with compromised immune systems. We ask that retreatants practice mindfulness while eating and not linger in the dining hall, as we have reduced our seating capacity to make more space for physical distancing.
• Physical Distancing in Meditation Hall: Cushions and chairs will be arranged to maintain physical distancing in the meditation hall.
• Symptom Check: All practitioners, staff, and teachers will receive a personal kit that includes a symptom checklist and thermometer. All are to monitor their symptoms daily and notify a staff member if their symptoms indicate COVID. 
• Sick Policy: If a practitioner or teacher becomes sick, they will be asked to remain in their room, and if serious, return home. We will also ask them to take an antigen self-test onsite, and if they test positive for COVID-19, they must exit the retreat. If they cannot return home due to travel restrictions, we will support their quarantine to the best of our ability.

Caring for the Community

Spirit Rock welcomes people from around the U.S. and the world to participate in our retreats. Our intention is to include as many people as possible. We have chosen to require COVID-19 vaccination + booster for in-person retreats. This is not a decision we have made lightly. It reflects our obligation to keep our workplace and practice spaces as safe as possible.

If you are not vaccinated + boosted, we invite you to participate in our online retreats and programs to deepen your practice and connect with our community. We will continue to revisit our safety guidelines as the pandemic shifts.

If you have any questions, please contact us at srmc@spiritrock.org. Thank you for your practice and dedication to Spirit Rock.

Upcoming In-person Retreats

October 2022

November 2022

December 2022

View Full On-Land Retreat Calendar

Cancellation Policy for On-land Retreats

As of April 2022*

Standard Cancellation Fees:

• $100 On or before 8 weeks
• $175 4–8 weeks before
• $300 2–4 weeks before
• No refunds as of 2 weeks before 

Scholarship Rates Cancellation Fees:

• $75 On or before 8 weeks
• $100 4–8 weeks before
• $200 2–4 weeks before
• No refunds as of 2 weeks before

* Fees reduced for serious illness or death in family