There are many different reasons we come into this practice. But for most of us, suffering is one of the key components that brings us here. Physical pain, mental suffering, pain in the body, difficult emotions. For me, hearing the first Noble Truth for the first time resonated deep inside—that there is suffering, that this is a universal condition, that I wasn’t alone in my suffering. That there is a cause—that this can be understood. That there is the potential to open to peace, to realize an end of suffering. And that the Buddha offered this path of practice that leads to the very end. Something deep inside of me resonated with that. I couldn’t explain it. But it was a calling to a deeper happiness, a deeper peace.
John Martin
Residential Retreat Teacher
John Martin has been devoted to dharma practice since 2001, and has been teaching since 2014. He serves as the Co-Chair of the Spirit Rock Guiding Teachers Council. John teaches Vipassana, Metta and LGBTQI-themed meditation retreats. He is on the teaching team leading the four year Spirit Rock/Insight Meditation Society teacher training program. John’s spiritual path has included volunteer service work, including over 12 years as a hospice volunteer.
John Martin's Upcoming Programs
Training | Online
January 11 - May 6, 2026 | 6 Monthly Sundays | Plus Weekly Guided Meditations. Times Variable - see description.
Foundational Practices for Inner Peace
Discover the Buddha’s timeless path to inner freedom through an in-depth journey into the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. These essential teachings offer a clear, step-by-step approach to cultivating awareness of body, feeling, mind, and the patterns that shape our experience. Blending scholarly depth with practical tools, this five-month course invites you to deepen insight, integrate teachings into daily life, and cultivate embodied presence and understanding of what the Buddha called “the direct path” to freedom.
Retreat | On-Land
May 10 - May 17, 2026 | Sunday - Sunday | 7 nights
Cultivating the Stability of Mindfulness
Discover the Buddha’s core teachings on mindfulness as a direct path to liberation. This retreat explores the 13 foundational practices from the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, cultivating awareness of body, feeling tone, mind, and dharmas (truths). Learn how to establish mindfulness as a source of inner strength, clarity, and integrity—an essential empowerment for navigating life with wisdom. These teachings form the basis for most Insight meditation (vipassanā) retreats and offer practical tools for deepening your practice and understanding.
Retreat | On-Land
July 8 - July 17, 2026 | Wednesday - Friday | 9 nights
Summer Lovingkindness Retreat
Registration Open. The Buddha’s teachings on the four divine sanctuaries (brahmavihāras) include meditations on universal friendliness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), altruistic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā). Aimed at purifying our hearts and developing concentration, these divine sanctuaries help us find inner peace and powerfully engage with the world. This retreat will deepen our understanding of selfless love and its role in ending suffering. Practitioners are encouraged to combine this retreat with the Insight Meditation retreat to further develop concentration and purify the heart.
Retreat | On-Land | Hybrid
October 26 - October 31, 2026 | Monday - Saturday | 5 nights
Befriending Mortality: Living an Awakened Life Through Mindfulness of Death (Maraṇasati)
Registration Open. We all “know” we will die, yet we tend to ignore this fact and put our collective head in the sand. Rather than running away from our mortality, we can harness its power to stay aligned with our deepest values and to live and love more fully. Fully embracing life’s impermanence can engender a deep freedom and letting go. Through mindfulness of death maraṇasati practice, we become more present for this miraculous, passing show called life with gladness and gratitude.
Retreat | Online | Hybrid
October 26 - October 31, 2026 | Monday - Saturday
Befriending Mortality: Living an Awakened Life through Mindfulness of Death (Maraṇasati)
Registration Open. We all “know” we will die, yet we tend to ignore this fact and put our collective head in the sand. Rather than running away from our mortality, we can harness its power to stay aligned with our deepest values and to live and love more fully. Fully embracing life’s impermanence can engender a deep freedom and letting go. Through mindfulness of death maraṇasati practice, we become more present for this miraculous, passing show called life with gladness and gratitude.
Retreat | On-Land
November 1 - November 6, 2026 | Sunday - Friday | 5 nights
Finding True Refuge: A Retreat for the LGBTQIA+ and GNC Community
For those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Registration Open. Explore Buddhist practices and teachings of liberation in our LGBTQIA+ and GNC (Gender Non-Conforming) community. Together, we will practice mindfulness and heart-fulness, embracing all of our experience with loving awareness and deep acceptance. There will be an emphasis on cultivating a continuity of awareness in all activities (sitting, stillness, standing, walking, movement, eating) with a relaxed and gentle presence. Through these practices, we will explore what true refuge means for us individually and for our community.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with John Martin through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.