There's a very specific path of what deep insight and awakening looks like. And right before we get a glimpse of the unconditioned, equanimity arises, allowing us to be absolutely fine with whatever comes next.
Bonnie Duran
Residential Retreat Teacher
Bonnie Duran embarked on her journey with the Dharma in 1982. She has since taken teachings from a diverse array of Western teachers, such as Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Kamala Masters, as well as Thai, Burmese, and Tibetan Monastic teachers. Bonnie's credentials include graduating from the Insight Meditation Society (IMS)/Spirit Rock Meditation Center (SRMC) retreat teacher-training program. She has been a core SRMC Dedicated Practitioners Program teacher and is on the SRMC Guiding Teachers Council.
Bonnie teaches long and short retreats at IMS, Spirit Rock, and other communities and is involved in Native American spiritual practices and traditions. Bonnie was introduced to the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition through her partner and is now happily studying and practicing. Bonnie has contributed to Hilda Gutiérrez Baldoquin’s book “Dharma, Color, and Culture: New Voices in Western Buddhism” and has written for the Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Tricycle, and the Turning Wheel.
Dr. Duran is a professor emeritus in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Washington and a faculty member at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. Her academic work has been primarily with Tribal, urban Indian, and International Indigenous communities.
Bonnie Duran's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
July 17 - July 26, 2026 | Friday - Sunday | 9 nights
Summer Insight Retreat
Spaces Still Available! The Buddha's unique Insight Meditation techniques open a direct experience with our human mind and body, allowing us to deeply see into the nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non-self. Having these direct insights uproots the ignorance that keeps us trapped in cycles of suffering. Practitioners are encouraged to combine the Summer Insight Retreat with the Summer Lovingkindness (mettā) Retreat, although this is not required. For those attending both retreats, teachers will guide and integrate the retreats as one offering.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Bonnie Duran through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.