Our practice is designed to help us bear that which is difficult or overwhelming—not to find the solution or fix the problem. It’s designed to help us be with the difficulty, to have the capacity to hold it, understand it, and learn to distinguish between what is human existence and conditionality and then what is my added layer on top of that? The Buddha’s Middle Way is to accept the truth of the human condition—that it’s difficult and painful, rough and messy. We live in a world based on greed, hatred, and delusion, but wishing it were not so brings an added layer of pain that makes the whole thing stressful.
Tuere Sala
Residential Retreat Teacher
Tuere Sala serves on Spirit Rock's Guiding Teachers Council and is a Guiding Teacher at Seattle Insight Meditation Society. She has practiced Vipassana meditation for over 30 years. Tuere is committed to lay practice and inspired by bringing the Dharma to nontraditional places. She is a strong advocate for practitioners living with high stress, past trauma, and difficulties sitting still. Tuere has been teaching since 2010 and has a long history of assisting others in establishing and maintaining a daily practice.
Tuere Sala's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
December 27 - January 4, 2026 | Saturday - Sunday | 8 nights
New Year's Insight Meditation Retreat
Full - waitlist. Commuter spaces available! This is a traditional Insight Meditation (vipassanā) retreat with sitting and walking in silence, and regular meetings with teachers. Each day there will be systematic meditation instructions, Dharma talks, and movement practice. We will mark the turning of the year with a late evening sitting and simple ceremony on New Year’s Eve. In celebration of the New Year, our focus will be on cultivating loving awareness and embracing each moment as fresh and new. All are welcome.
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
February 3 - March 28, 2026 | Tuesday - Saturday | 53 nights
2026 Insight Meditation 2-Month Retreat - Application
Application Open. Spaces Still Available! An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, and practice will be structured around a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
Dawn Scott
Tuere Sala
James Baraz
JD Doyle
Vance Pryor
Brian Lesage
Tara Mulay
Tempel Smith
Kristina Baré
Anushka Fernandopulle
Greg Scharf
Rasika Link
Retreat | On-Land
February 3 - March 2, 2026 | Tuesday - Monday | 27 nights
2026 February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat - Application
Application Open. Spaces Still Available! An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, and practice will be structured around a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
Retreat | On-Land
March 2 - March 28, 2026 | Monday - Saturday | 26 nights
2026 March Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat - Application
Application Open. Spaces Still Available! An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, and practice will be structured around a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
Tara Mulay
Tempel Smith
Tuere Sala
Anushka Fernandopulle
Kristina Baré
Greg Scharf
Rasika Link
Retreat | On-Land
April 9 - April 16, 2026 | Thursday - Thursday | 7 nights
Insight Meditation Retreat: A Path to Clarity and the Cultivation of the Heart of Wisdom
Spaces Still Available! Grounded in mindfulness, investigation, and compassion, this retreat offers a supportive and contemplative space to gently turn inward, observe the nature of the mind and body, and deepen your understanding of impermanence, interconnection, and the possibility of inner freedom. Open to all levels, the retreat fosters clear seeing and the development of heart qualities—equanimity, lovingkindness, compassion, and joy—within the quiet refuge of noble silence.
Upcoming Drop-Ins
Drop-in | Online
Monday, January 19 | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Monday Night Meditation & Talk
For over 35 years, the Monday Night sitting group at Spirit Rock has been a welcoming refuge to gather, hear the teachings of the Buddha, and practice Insight Meditation together as a community. The program includes a 30-40 min guided meditation, a short break, and a Dharma talk.
Tuere Sala
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Tuere Sala through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.