Insight Retreat Center

The Insight Retreat Center (IRC) is IMC’s community-based retreat center just outside of Santa Cruz, CA. We offer silent meditation retreats throughout the year primarily focused on insight meditation (Vipassana) and the liberation teachings of the Buddha.

IRC is entirely supported by a wide community of practitioners, volunteers and donors whose generosity is the foundation for the center. With no paid staff, the running of our retreats expresses the integration of the practice, service and goodwill of our volunteers.

Retreats at IRC are offered freely, as gifts to those who attend. This means there is no cost for retreats. Donations by those who attend our retreats make it possible to pass this gift forward to others who come to IRC.

In 2024, IRC has started to offer retreats with IMC teachers in other locations. We call these off-site retreats. These are listed below and on IRC’s website.

Please see the [Insight Retreat Center] website for a schedule and more information.

Offsite IRC retreats by IMC Trained Teachers

5 day Natural Awareness Insight Meditation Retreat with Marjolein Janssen and Ari Crellin-Quick
Hidden Villa, Los Altos, CA (Map) .
January 7 to 11, 2025  –  Hours: Tuesday check-in is from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm  End time: Saturday 1:00 pm

Please join us for a 5-day silent retreat focusing on the cultivation of natural awareness, relaxation and skillful understanding of our moment-to-moment experience. This retreat will be offered in the teaching style of meditation master Sayadaw U Tejaniya, who emphasizes approaching meditation with relaxed interest and allowing experience to be known in a simple way as it unfolds naturally. There will be alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. There will be daily instructions, reflections and group practice discussions, offered by the teachers.

Simple vegetarian meals will be provided. The accommodations include rustic yet cozy dormitory-style cabins, with the option to set up your own tent on a platform for those who prefer to camp. Full shared bathrooms are in a separate building. The property is set in a wooded area adjacent to a community garden and petting zoo, with nearby hiking trails. There is also the option to commute to this retreat; if you’d like to make use of this option, please indicate this on the registration form.

This retreat is offered freely, as a gift to those who attend—there is no cost. Donations by those who attend make it possible to pass this gift forward to others who attend IRC off-site retreats.

APPLY ONLINE – Registration has opened – please check the IRC website.

Non-IMC Retreats Organized and Taught by IMC Trained Teachers