Winter Solstice Retreat: Embracing the Dark, Inviting the Light @Home
An immersion in meditation, ritual, elemental awareness, and spiritual friendship—held during the most powerful threshold of the year.
Begins December 18, 2025
Dawn Scott
devon hase
Yong Oh
Heather Sundberg
Kim Mojica
What is a Solstice Retreat?
A Solstice Retreat is a gentle, welcoming journey held during the longest night of the year—a moment humans have honored for thousands of seasons as a time to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what matters most. In a warm and supportive environment, beginners are guided through simple meditation, quiet reflection, and practices that help the body and heart settle. Darkness becomes an invitation—not something to resist, but a soft space to rest, breathe, and let go.
At the heart of the retreat is a beautiful candlelit ritual that symbolizes the slow, steady return of light. As the room (or your home) moves from darkness to gentle glow, you’re invited to release the weight of the year and open to clarity, courage, and renewal. The experience is tender, accessible, and transformative—offering a reset for your mind, nourishment for your heart, and a luminous way to begin again.
Course Overview - Winter Solstice Retreat @Home Retreat
The Winter Solstice @Home Retreat option allows you to fully participate in Spirit Rock’s Winter Solstice Retreat from wherever you are—bringing the stillness, ritual, and warmth of this sacred time directly into your home. Each day, you’ll receive 2–3 hours of meditation instruction, Dharma teachings, mindful movement, and heart practices, all livestreamed from Spirit Rock and recorded for on-demand access.
Practicing from home allows you to let the retreat unfold gently within the rhythms of your own life. You can join online live when you’re able, sit in darkness and candlelight at your own pace, and revisit the teachings as often as you wish—letting the wisdom of the season settle more deeply over time. Whether you follow the full schedule or stretch the content across the month, this retreat offers a powerful, flexible way to turn inward, release what no longer serves you, and welcome the slow return of light.
Three Ways to Experience the Winter Solstice Retreat @Home
Our @Home Retreat option gives you complete flexibility in how you engage with this solstice journey. Whether you want to follow the daily retreat rhythm, space the teachings out over several weeks, or move at your own natural pace, you can choose the mode that best supports your practice and life.
You’ll receive livestreamed access to Spirit Rock’s meditation instructions, Dharma talks, movement sessions, and the candlelit Winter Solstice Ritual from the Upper Meditation Hall. All sessions are recorded and available within 24 hours, with unlimited replay—allowing you to revisit moments of insight, quiet, or ritual whenever you need them.
While the @home format does not include teacher meetings, small groups, Q&A, or affinity groups, it offers the gift of practicing in your own sanctuary. You can build your retreat space with candles or seasonal symbols, follow your nervous system’s pacing, and let the teachings weave naturally into your daily life. This option gives you lifetime access to the content so the retreat can continue to nourish you long after the solstice has passed.
For those who want to fully enter the Solstice journey from home, this option follows the same schedule as the on-land retreat. You’ll join live-streamed meditation instructions, Dharma talks, mindful movement, and guided heart practices, while shaping your home environment to support deep stillness, reflection, and the turning of the year.
Throughout the week, you’ll practice alongside the Spirit Rock community as you move through morning and evening sittings, elemental awareness practices, the candlelit Solstice Ritual, and alternating periods of sitting, walking, and rest. This option is designed to help you create a sacred, retreat-style atmosphere in your own home—inviting darkness to be a place of rest, and the returning light to be a source of renewal.
Ideal for: Those who can set aside their schedule and create a deep, immersive Solstice retreat environment at home.
If a 6-day immersive retreat isn’t possible, you can spread the Solstice teachings out over 30 days, engaging with the guided meditations, Dharma talks, mindful movement, and rituals at a rhythm that works for your life. Whether you practice for 30–90 minutes per day or dedicate longer periods on weekends, this format lets you stay connected to the spirit of the retreat while allowing the teachings to gently weave into daily life.
This option gives you time to meet the themes of the Solstice—darkness, letting go, and the slow return of light—in a more spacious way. You can revisit the Solstice Ritual recording, move through the elemental practices at your own pace, and let the seasonal wisdom unfold gradually, in sync with your inner and outer rhythms.
Ideal for: Those who want structured engagement but need flexibility for work, family, and life commitments.
With on-demand access to all recorded sessions—including the candlelit Solstice Ritual—you can explore the retreat teachings whenever it feels right. No schedule, no pressure—just a steady, nourishing resource you can return to whenever you need grounding, inspiration, or a moment of quiet during the darker months.
Whether you complete the retreat in a few weeks or stretch it across the winter season, you’ll have lifetime access to guided meditations, elemental practices, movement sessions, and talks to support insight, calm, and renewal in a way that truly fits your journey.
Ideal for: Those who want complete flexibility and prefer an open-ended, self-guided experience.
For those who want to fully enter the Solstice journey from home, this option follows the same schedule as the on-land retreat. You’ll join live-streamed meditation instructions, Dharma talks, mindful movement, and guided heart practices, while shaping your home environment to support deep stillness, reflection, and the turning of the year.
Throughout the week, you’ll practice alongside the Spirit Rock community as you move through morning and evening sittings, elemental awareness practices, the candlelit Solstice Ritual, and alternating periods of sitting, walking, and rest. This option is designed to help you create a sacred, retreat-style atmosphere in your own home—inviting darkness to be a place of rest, and the returning light to be a source of renewal.
Ideal for: Those who can set aside their schedule and create a deep, immersive Solstice retreat environment at home.
If a 6-day immersive retreat isn’t possible, you can spread the Solstice teachings out over 30 days, engaging with the guided meditations, Dharma talks, mindful movement, and rituals at a rhythm that works for your life. Whether you practice for 30–90 minutes per day or dedicate longer periods on weekends, this format lets you stay connected to the spirit of the retreat while allowing the teachings to gently weave into daily life.
This option gives you time to meet the themes of the Solstice—darkness, letting go, and the slow return of light—in a more spacious way. You can revisit the Solstice Ritual recording, move through the elemental practices at your own pace, and let the seasonal wisdom unfold gradually, in sync with your inner and outer rhythms.
Ideal for: Those who want structured engagement but need flexibility for work, family, and life commitments.
With on-demand access to all recorded sessions—including the candlelit Solstice Ritual—you can explore the retreat teachings whenever it feels right. No schedule, no pressure—just a steady, nourishing resource you can return to whenever you need grounding, inspiration, or a moment of quiet during the darker months.
Whether you complete the retreat in a few weeks or stretch it across the winter season, you’ll have lifetime access to guided meditations, elemental practices, movement sessions, and talks to support insight, calm, and renewal in a way that truly fits your journey.
Ideal for: Those who want complete flexibility and prefer an open-ended, self-guided experience.
Retreat Focus: Turning Toward Darkness & the Return of Light
This retreat offers a rare opportunity to pause at the darkest time of year, settle the mind, open the heart, and attune to the natural rhythms that shape our inner and outer lives. As we move gently between stillness and movement, silence and ritual, we strengthen our capacity to meet both darkness and light with balance, clarity, and compassion. Through this attentive presence, we begin to see more clearly the habits and patterns that govern our responses, allowing wisdom—and the possibility of renewal—to emerge naturally.
With a focus on the transformative power of the winter solstice, we will explore how turning toward darkness can become a gateway to intimacy, insight, and release. This season invites an unhurried, receptive attention—an inner quiet that helps stabilize the mind and soften the heart. Rather than striving or pushing for change, we’ll cultivate a relaxed openness, learning to meet each moment with warmth, curiosity, and kindness. From this grounded acceptance, deeper investigation becomes possible, revealing the beliefs, defenses, and habitual reactions ready to be let go as the light slowly returns.
Teachings will explore the themes of descent and renewal, the symbolism of darkness and luminosity in Dharma practice, and the elemental forces that shape our inner landscape. Our time together will include guided and silent meditation, Dharma talks, mindful movement, chanting, and a candlelit Solstice Ritual honoring the turning of the year. In the stillness of retreat—and held by a supportive community—we create the conditions for genuine transformation and the reawakening of joy, clarity, and connection.
This retreat is open to all, whether you are new to meditation or deepening an established practice. We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences and offer an environment rooted in inclusivity and belonging. Together, we will cultivate the qualities of presence, tenderness, and resilience—deepening our connection to ourselves, to one another, and to the ancient, timeless rhythms that guide the unfolding of our lives.
Retreat Schedule
Daily Schedule
5:45 am Wake-Up
6:15 am Sitting Meditation
7:00 am Breakfast
7:45 am Work Meditation or Walking
8:45 am Sitting Meditation With Instructions
9:45 am Walking Meditation
10:30 am Sitting Meditation
11:15 am Walking Meditation
11:45 am Sitting Meditation
12:15 pm LUNCH
2:15 pm Mindful Movement or Walking Meditation
3:00 pm Sitting Meditation (Affinity Group Sit)
3:45 pm Walking Meditation
4:30 pm Guided Meditation
5:15 pm EVENING MEAL
6:45 pm Sitting Meditation
7:15 pm Walking Meditation
7:35 pm Dharma Talk
8:30 pm Walking Meditation
9:00 pm Sitting Meditation
9:30 pm Rest or continued practice
What's Included
Guided and Silent Meditation
Experience a balance of guided and silent practice to deepen stillness, soften into the darkness, and welcome the gradual return of light.
Progressive instructions in sitting and walking meditation
Develop steadiness and ease through step-by-step guidance in sitting, walking, and gentle movement designed to help regulate the nervous system.
Lovingkindness (mettā) meditation
Open the heart with gentle practices of goodwill, compassion, and spiritual friendship—core qualities that support us during the darkest time of year.
Mindful Movement
Reconnect with the body through daily movement that grounds, energizes, and supports inner balance.
Solstice Ritual
Participate in a candlelit ceremony honoring the turning of the year—moving from darkness to light in community and shared intention.
Dharma Talks
Engage with teachings that illuminate themes of darkness, letting go, renewal, and the slow returning of light within the arc of the solstice.
Why Choose an @Home Retreat?
Experience the depth and magic of the Winter Solstice Retreat from the comfort of your own home—no travel required, full flexibility, and lifetime access to every teaching. This self-directed format lets you move through the darkness-to-light arc at your own pace, revisit teachings whenever you need grounding, and integrate the wisdom of the season directly into your daily life. Receive the same Solstice ritual, Dharma talks, movement sessions, and guided meditations as on-land participants, for a fraction of the cost and with none of the scheduling constraints.
A Self-Directed Retreat Experience with Unique Advantages
Complete Flexibility
Follow the rhythm that works for your life—early mornings, evenings, or weekends—while honoring the natural pace of the season.
Live + Recorded
Join live when you can and rewatch teachings anytime. Access all meditation instructions, Dharma talks, and the candlelit Solstice Ritual on your schedule.
Private Practice Space
Create your own sanctuary at home—light candles, adjust the lighting, or practice in darkness—without the distractions of group dynamics.
Integration With Daily Life
Bring the teachings of darkness, letting go, and renewal directly into real-world challenges, relationships, and ordinary moments.
Meet the Teaching Team
Dawn Scott
TEACHER
Dawn Scott has been practicing Insight Meditation since 2008. She is a graduate of the Insight Meditation Society’s teacher training program and is a core teacher of Spirit Rock’s Liberation, Emptiness, and Awareness Practices (LEAP) Program. Dawn has a deep love of long retreat practice and the Buddha’s liberative teachings.
devon hase, MA
TEACHER
devon hase has practiced intensively in the Insight and vajrayana traditions since discovering meditation in 2000. She now teaches at the Insight Meditation Society, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and the Forest Refuge. She co-authored How Not to Be a Hot Mess and the forthcoming This Messy, Gorgeous Love.
Yong Oh
TEACHER
Yong is a core teacher at the Durango Dharma Center and at Sacred Mountain Saṅgha. Yong has a particular interest in nature Dharma, devotional expression, and supporting caregivers as well as communities of color in the Dharma. For more, visit yongoh.com
Heather Sundberg
TEACHER
Heather Sundberg has taught insight meditation since 1999, and completed the Spirit Rock/IMS Teacher Training. For the last three decades, Heather has studied with senior teachers in the Insight Meditation and Vajrayana traditions, completing 3.5 accumulated years of retreat. Her teaching emphasizes embodiment, heart practice, and emptiness-awareness practices. www.heathersundberg.com.
Kimi Mojica
TEACHER
Born on the unceded Ohlone lands of Yelamu (San Francisco, CA), Kimi is currently based in unceded Ohlone Territory in Huchiun (Oakland, CA). They can be found seeking refuge on the water, learning from plant allies medicine, and building ecosystems of community care with their Kajukenbo martial arts community.
Benefits of the Winter Solstice Retreat
A Winter Solstice Retreat offers a powerful opportunity to pause at the deepest point of the year and cultivate presence, clarity, warmth, and renewal. Whether you attend in person or from home, this retreat invites you to step out of daily busyness and into a season of stillness—immersing yourself in practices that foster grounding, wisdom, emotional balance, and a renewed sense of direction.
Strengthen Mindfulness & Awareness
Solstice practice strengthens awareness, helping you meet the darkness with steadiness, notice mental and emotional patterns, and stay present as the light returns.
Cultivate Inner Stillness & Resilience
Through meditation, movement, and ritual, you develop calm, inner stability, and the capacity to face life’s challenges with grace and balance.
Develop Compassion & Loving-Kindness
Heart practices such as mettā nurture warmth, self-compassion, empathy, and deeper connection with others—essential qualities during the winter season.
Gain Profound Insights into Yourself
With gentle, non-reactive awareness, you recognize what’s ready to be released, gain insight into long-held patterns, and open to what truly matters.
Integrate Seasonal Wisdom into Daily Life
This retreat helps you carry the teachings of darkness and light into your everyday world—bringing more presence, courage, and resilience to real-life situations.
Why Now?
In a world that moves quickly—full of noise, pressure, and relentless activity—the Winter Solstice offers a rare invitation to pause, breathe, and turn inward. As the days grow shorter and the nights deepen, this retreat creates space to rest, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters. Whether you’re seeking clarity, emotional steadiness, spiritual nourishment, or a sense of renewal, the Solstice Retreat provides guidance and practices to help you meet this season with greater intention, presence, and ease.
Join us and experience the transformative power of embracing the darkness, welcoming the light, and returning to your life with a steadier heart.
Who Should Enroll?
This retreat is for anyone feeling the pull to pause, reflect, and reconnect with themselves during the most meaningful turning point of the year. Whether you’re new to meditation or returning to your practice, the Winter Solstice offers a natural gateway into stillness, clarity, and renewal.
New meditators seeking clear guidance, gentle support, and a welcoming structure for beginning a contemplative journey
Experienced practitioners wishing to deepen seasonal practice, explore ritual, and refresh their sense of purpose and inner alignment
Everyday seekers looking for grounding, steadiness, and tools to navigate life’s joys and challenges with more presence and compassion
Community-oriented learners who value shared silence, ritual, collective reflection, and the inspiration of practicing together—on land or at home
Wherever you are on your path, the Solstice meets you there—inviting you to turn toward the darkness with courage, and toward the returning light with an open, renewed heart.
Join Us for the December 2025 Winter Solstice Retreat
Reawaken your practice at the most powerful turning point of the year—
when the darkness invites reflection, the light begins its slow return,
and renewal becomes a lived experience.
Together with a supportive community, you’ll explore how the Dharma speaks through the rhythms of the season—meeting what’s ready to be released, welcoming what wants to emerge, and carrying these insights into the everyday moments of your life.
Begins December 18, 2025
Register Now
Save over 75% compared to the cost of an in-person retreat
Payment Plan
- Over 20 hours of Instruction
- Lifetime Access
- World-Renowned Teachers
- Affordable & Accessible
- Flexible & Self-Paced
- Deep Practice at Home
11 weekly payments of
$49
$39
Early bird savings of $110. Ends December 10th.
Full Payment
- Over 20 hours of Instruction
- Lifetime Access
- World-Renowned Teachers
- Affordable & Accessible
- Flexible & Self-Paced
- Deep Practice at Home
$499
$399
Early bird savings of $100. Ends December 10th.
- Scholarships are very limited and reserved for those who are truly experiencing financial hardship. Click here to apply.
Save over 75% compared to the cost of an in-person retreat
Course Schedule
Daily Sessions:
- Thursday, December 18
- Friday, December 19
- Saturday, December 20
- Sunday, December 21
- Monday, December 22
- Tuesday, December 23
Course FAQ
Although our Programs are available on any device, we suggest using a computer (if possible) and Chrome or Firefox browser to log in: https://courses.spiritrock.org
Note: The login for our Online Learning Platform differs from your Spirit Rock login.
Accessing Your Program Page:
Click on it from your Dashboard after you’ve logged in. Once there, navigate through the sections on “My Courses” on the dashboard.
Are you logged in? Use the “log in” button on the top right of the page. This will give you the access you need to see all the content.
Although the Online Learning Platform works on mobile and tablet devices, for the best experience, use a desktop or laptop. This might be an easier way to find all the areas of the site as you are learning how it works.
The retreat will be offered live online over five days via Zoom.
If you notice a link, content, or anything that isn’t working properly, please email us at courses@spiritrock.org
Try refreshing your browser and check your internet connection. Check another website to see if it’s just our site or something in your system.
Yes, once you’ve completed the course, you will retain lifetime access to all course materials, allowing you to revisit lectures, exercises, and meditations whenever needed.
We would love for you and your Sangha to join as a group. Please complete this form to request group registration.
This course is about the Four Brahmavihāras (Metta, Karuna, Mudita, and Upekkha), which are Buddhist heart practices that cultivate love, compassion, joy, and balance. The course will provide practical meditation techniques and real-life applications to help participants develop these qualities in their lives.
Spirit Rock offers scholarships for those in need. If the course fees are a barrier, please complete the scholarship form HERE.
- If you need to cancel before the course begins, we’ll provide a refund with just a $25 administrative fee deducted.
- For cancellations made by 5:00 PM PST on Oct 31st, we’ll happily refund your payment, keeping only a $49 course fee.
- To assist you with your cancellation, please reach out to us directly at courses@spiritrock.org. We’ll take care of the process for you.
- After November 1st, we won’t be able to issue refunds, so we appreciate your understanding.
- CEs are non-refundable.
Solstice retreat:
If you cancel by the end of the day on December 18, you’ll receive a refund minus a $25 cancellation fee.
We’re unable to issue refunds once the retreat begins on December 18. Thank you for your understanding.
Although our Programs are available on any device, we suggest using a computer (if possible) and Chrome or Firefox browser to log in: https://courses.spiritrock.org
Note: The login for our Online Learning Platform differs from your Spirit Rock login.
Accessing Your Program Page:
Click on it from your Dashboard after you’ve logged in. Once there, navigate through the sections on “My Courses” on the dashboard.
Are you logged in? Use the “log in” button on the top right of the page. This will give you the access you need to see all the content.
Although the Online Learning Platform works on mobile and tablet devices, for the best experience, use a desktop or laptop. This might be an easier way to find all the areas of the site as you are learning how it works.
The retreat will be offered live online over five days via Zoom.
If you notice a link, content, or anything that isn’t working properly, please email us at courses@spiritrock.org
Try refreshing your browser and check your internet connection. Check another website to see if it’s just our site or something in your system.
Yes, once you’ve completed the course, you will retain lifetime access to all course materials, allowing you to revisit lectures, exercises, and meditations whenever needed.
We would love for you and your Sangha to join as a group. Please complete this form to request group registration.
Spirit Rock offers scholarships for those in need. If the course fees are a barrier, please complete the scholarship form HERE.
Solstice retreat:
If you cancel by the end of the day on December 18, you’ll receive a refund minus a $25 cancellation fee.
We’re unable to issue refunds once the retreat begins on December 18. Thank you for your understanding.
Our Guarantee
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Please read our detailed refund policy in the FAQ above. For any questions or to request a refund, please contact us at courses@spiritrock.org.
Group Program
Join us on the Winter Solstice Retreat @Home and save 15% when you sign up with a friend or group using the link below!
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