spirit rock is a vipassana center in marin county:
www.spiritrock.org/

...there's a fee for the retreat (for food & lodging etc.), teacher payment is donation based.

my understanding is that goenka is a more prescribed, ascetic, strict method. and i think i'd prefer 10 day. the upside to spirit rock is that the instructors also lead sitting groups in sf, so you come away from the retreat with more of a spiritual advisor relationship that can continue to develop post-retreat.

--"I also don't like Spirit Rock because of the extreme whiteness and middle classness of the practioners."

Ha ha. Is "extreme whiteness" different from garden variety Caucasian? :) If you were in a room full of "extreme whiteness" would there be absolutely nothing of value for you to learn there? :)

Is it really different at Goenka? More diverse, really? I've never been...

And I'm just curious...how did you know that all of the people at Spirit Rock were middle class - did you ask them all what their net worths were? ;)

--"I've had some really bad experiences there with people judging me for how I look."

As someone who has been to Spirit Rock many times this is really surprizing to me. I am new but so far they are the only place I have found (in SF and Marin) that specifically offers retreats (and scholarships) geared towards people of color and the LGBT community. I have a close friend who attended on one for people of color and she had a great time. I have attended an LGBT one and plan to do another in April.

Do you care to share, specifically, happened to you?

--"Besides - why work in the damn kitchens when you can do a Goenka for FREE?"

Hmmm...Because you like to learn how to do a cooking meditation? Because you like to see the joy on people's faces who get the food when they are hungry? Because you like to feel that you are contributing to the community instead of just "taking" or "getting" something for free from it?

Yeah- I guess you've already made your choice, but I'd strongly suggest Goenkaji, as well. Interesting perspective on Spirit Rock. I've heard some criticisms of the scene up there. The Southern California 10 day retreat (which I attended) was strict, intense and serious. On my 8th day, I hit "paydirt". Go for the 10 day, I'd say. Blessings on your dharma.

btw- on an utterly unrelated note.. Claudia- Gracious Gautama- is that, **cough**, emmm... "real"?

**yanking tie, beads of sweat forming on forehead**

all of my equanimity and unattached-ness seems to have flown out the window...

DAYUM!!!

Hi everyone,

Quote:
.. considering my first residential retreat...torn between a goenka 10-day in north fork and an 8-day in yucca valley led by jack kornfield and other spirit rock instructors.

Just wanted to check if the rumors about prices for a Kornfield retreat are true:

Thu, May 1, 3:00 pm - Sat, May 10, 12:00 pm (9 nights)
Joshua Tree Spiritual Center, Yucca Valley
Cost $1350 - $900, sliding scale.

And you're still given the opportunity to give Dana on top of that!

This raises the question:
Why it is possible for Goenka's organization to be able to offer 10-days at the expense of about $ 150,- per person for 10 days (all covered by donations)?
- while Spirit Rock is only able to offer something equal for a multiple expense of that - and on top of that asks for donations for the teachers?

For me there really seems a upper-middle class thing going on here.

kind regards..