Nurturing the Beautiful: Cultivating Kindness and Embodying Freedom - A Retreat for LGBTQIA+ and GNC Community

This is a five-night residential silent meditation retreat for LGBTQIA+, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary practitioners, held at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. Rooted in Insight Meditation and Vipassana within the Buddhist tradition, it is led by JD Doyle, bruni dávila and Leslie Booker, with Kimi Mojica as movement teacher and Eli Talen as teacher in training.

The retreat starts from the understanding that recognizing beauty, within ourselves and around us, is a vital part of Buddhist practice. That matters especially for people who have often been told the opposite. Practicing together in LGBTQIA+ space, participants nurture what is beautiful both individually and collectively, and learn tools for building resilience in themselves and their communities.

What to Expect

Practice is grounded in kindness. The days combine seated meditation, mindful movement, heart-centered practices, Dharma talks and practice discussions. The retreat is silent except for teacher-led Q&A, small groups and other practice meetings.

Arrival is on Monday between 2:30 and 4:30 PM, followed by check-in, room assignment, an opening ceremony and an orientation to retreat practice. Tuesday through Friday follow a steady rhythm of morning and evening meditation, Dharma talks from the teaching faculty, mindful movement sessions with Kimi Mojica, small group meetings and teacher-led Q&A. Walking and eating are done in silence, and there is free time for personal practice and rest. On Saturday there is a morning meditation, a final Dharma talk and a closing circle with group practice, and departure is by 11:00 AM.

The Teachers

JD Doyle (they/them) teaches at the East Bay Meditation Center and in many other communities. They are committed to celebrating the diversity of the human saṅgha, transforming the impacts of racism, honoring all genders, and living in ways that affirm the sacredness of the Earth.

bruni dávila has practiced Insight Meditation and Zen since 1995 and teaches mettā and vipassanā retreats in English and Spanish. She was trained and empowered to teach by the Insight Meditation Society and IMC, and is drawn to long retreat practice and to Dharma in daily life.

Leslie Booker is a heart-centered teacher and writer focused on creating a culture of belonging. She was a 2020 Sojourner Truth Leadership Fellow, was named one of Mindful's 12 Powerful Women, and is the Guiding Teacher of New York Insight.

Kimi Mojica leads the movement practice. Born on the unceded Ohlone lands of Yelamu (San Francisco) and now based in Huchiun (Oakland), Kimi finds refuge on the water, learns from plant allies, and helps build ecosystems of community care within their Kajukenbo martial arts community.

Eli Talen is a teacher in training, a psychotherapist, and a former lawyer and academic. His Dharma teaching in prisons and community settings emphasizes intuitive awareness and brings Buddhist and Western approaches into conversation in support of awakening and a more intimate relationship with oneself and the world.

The Setting

The retreat takes place on the upper campus of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, with sessions in the Upper Meditation Hall. Of the 80 rooms, 64 are single and 16 are double occupancy. A limited number of guaranteed single rooms are offered at the highest sliding scale rates, and remaining single rooms are first prioritized for people with serious medical needs. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tea with light refreshments are provided. A shared daytime resting area is available for commuters, but only once the residential retreat is full and has a waitlist.

Before You Go

The retreat is open to all levels of practice. Spirit Rock suggests that anyone with no meditation experience first attend two or three daylong programs. Commuter participation requires prior completion of at least one five- to seven-night in-person silent Insight Meditation retreat. The retreat is taught in English.

Registration includes five nights of lodging, all meals, guided meditation, Dharma talks, practice discussions and movement sessions. It does not include transportation, personal items or toiletries, or off-campus meals. Teacher dana is also separate: at the end of the retreat there is an invitation to offer dana to the teachers and to Spirit Rock.

Pricing is on a sliding scale, with needs-based scholarships and payment plans available.