COVID Safety Protocols for In-person Retreats

We are delighted to officially welcome you back to Spirit Rock for in-person retreats starting in August 2021.

Our first priority is to protect the health of everyone who comes to Spirit Rock, including practitioners, staff, and teachers. When we reopen in-person retreats on campus in August 2021, we will be following county, state, and federal (CDC) COVID-19 guidelines that are in place at that time, and with additional significant safety protocols, including limited capacity for retreats.

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

Primary Safety Protocols

The following are Spirit Rock’s primary required safety protocols, which will remain in place for all in-person retreats between August 1 - December 31, 2021. (We will re-evaluate these protocols in the fall for retreats in 2022.)

• Vaccination: All staff, teachers, and practitioners must be fully vaccinated with vaccines for COVID-19 two weeks or more before arrival. We will require everyone to show proof of vaccination.
• Single Rooms: All retreatants will receive a single room, and retreats will be limited to 80 practitioners.
• 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.
• Physical Distancing in Meditation Hall: Cushions and chairs will be arranged to maintain physical distancing in the meditation hall.
• Staggered Shower Times: We will post a sign-up sheet for showers for practitioners to stagger their use.
• Sick Policy: If a staff member, practitioner, or teacher becomes sick, they will be asked to remain in their room, and if serious, return home. If they test positive for COVID-19, they must exit the retreat. If they cannot return home due to travel restrictions, we will quarantine them in one of the residential housing units with a private bathroom and deliver food until they are medically cleared to return home. Staff will not come to work if they feel sick.

Secondary Safety Protocols

These secondary safety protocols may be implemented based on current county, state, and federal requirements, emerging science, and evolving public health guidelines. Below are the current additional protocols under consideration. Whether these safety measures will be implemented (or others added or removed) will be confirmed for all staff, teachers, and practitioners as we get closer to the retreats.

• Negative COVID-19 Test: All practitioners, staff, and teachers may be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within a few days of the retreat start.
• Daily Symptom Check: All practitioners, staff, and teachers may receive a personal kit that includes a symptom checklist and thermometer.
• Masks Required: Masks may need to be worn at all times in public, except when dining or residing in private lodging. Teachers may remove masks during their dharma talks.
• Limited Dining Hall Capacity: Current county guidelines mandate that our Dining Hall not exceed 50% capacity (50 people).
• Staggered Meal Times: We may have two 30-minute seating times for each meal, which will allow for physical distancing, and minimize traffic in the dining areas.

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 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, we invite you to participate in our online retreats and programs to deepen your practice and connect with community. We will revisit all of our safety guidelines in the fall for retreats in 2022.

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

September

To offer participants greater flexibility as we make our way out of the pandemic, we’re offering a more generous cancellation policy for On-land Residential Retreats (Aug.-Dec. 2021) and Online Multi-day Retreats (4+ days):

• $100 fee when you cancel more than 2 days before the retreat (fees reduced to half for scholarship participants)
• No refunds when you cancel less than 2 days prior to the retreat (applies to all participants)