Dharma Seed - Dharma Talks from Retreats

Refuge & Respite: A Vipassanā Retreat for Beginners

Have you ever been curious about Insight Meditation (vipassanā)? This silent retreat will teach the essentials of mindfulness and Insight practice. We will explore ways to calm our minds and hearts, how to work with difficult thoughts and emotions, how to build attention, and how to cultivate kindness and compassion. This retreat will combine stillness and movement meditations, lectures, and opportunities to meet with a teacher. This is an excellent opportunity for those new to retreat practice, and also appropriate for experienced practitioners who wish to attend a shorter retreat.

2026-08-29 (5 days) Spirit Rock Meditation Center

2026-08-30 Mindfulness Meditation: Getting Started (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 69:11
Diana Winston	Download Listen
This short talk and longer guided meditation offers a clear introduction to how to practice mindfulness with an emphasis on finding and anchor and gathering your wild mind.

2026-08-31 Self-Compassion and Self-Directed Loving Kindness Practice (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 48:28
Diana Winston	Download Listen
This guided session teaches the basics of self-compassion: mindfulness for judgmental thoughts, kindness towards self, and recognition of shared humanity. The guided meditation focuses on sending kindness to self.

2026-09-01 The Spiritual Journey (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 55:28
Diana Winston	Download Listen
In this talk, Diana weaves together stories from her own spiritual journey with what she sees as universal aspects of the spiritual path. She talks about obstacles that arise on the path, what insight is, learning to love ourselves more deeply, and the journey to resting in Natural Awareness. She also covers how the spiritual life manifests off the cushion throughout a lifetime, including in the face of a turbulent world.