​Awareness is universal! Establishing a 'living awareness' through meditation brings peaceful, healthy, and creative well-being into your day-to-day life.

Each year we offer several Living Awareness Retreats; each one unique and designed to cultivate your meditation practice. Spirit Fire's meditation retreats are set up in this way...

In January, we offer a retreat called Intention; this is a New Year's retreat designed to set the intention for the upcoming year. We explore the energetic nature of setting intentions and offer insights into the various ways that meditation plays a part in consistently staying aligned with them.

Our March retreat is called Foundations; this retreat introduces The Practice of Living Awareness, Spirit Fire's 14-step meditation program. The first half of our meditation program is dedicated to establishing peaceful abiding, or shamatha and the second half is dedicated to generating insight, or vipassana. The Foundations Retreat in March offers an introduction to all 14 steps. It allows participants to experience each one of them meditatively. We discuss their place within the practice as well as their practical use off of the cushion and in our every day lives. This is an excellent retreat for establishing a consistent and stable practice.

​Then, during the summer, we have two silent retreats. One called Silence, which is a weekend silent retreat focusing on the mindfulness aspects, of the practice. It is an excellent opportunity to experience a silent retreat, especially if you are new to the concept. Your time in silence is supported throughout by guidance and contemplative activity. The second silent retreat is called Silence, Extended; this is a 5-day silent meditation retreat. This retreat is excellent for total immersion into the beauty of silence in a device-free, meditative environment. Both of these retreats explore mindfulness as a way of generating awareness in your daily activity. Summer offers so much splendor for the senses: local farm-fresh food for your taste buds, fresh flowers perfuming the air, green grass growing all around, birdsong, and delightful summer streams for dipping your feet. These experiences are brought onto and off of  the meditation cushion. This retreat lays the groundwork for working with vipassana, or the insight aspects of our meditation practice.

In October, we offer Deepening. This retreat is dedicated to vipassana, or insight meditation. We work with the qualities of mind and the various ways in which we can meditatively access its higher aspects in order to experience a clear view of ourselves and our reality, or as we might say... our living awareness. 

Each retreat is designed for all levels of practitioner. Enjoy one or enjoy them all and by year's end you'll have well-rounded experiences working to cultivate consciousness in your practice and in your everyday life. As always, your experience will be supportive, inspiring, and delightful. Our 95 acres of foothill forest and fields invite peace of mind; our meals are mindfully prepared, delicious and nutritious as well as locally sourced wherever possible; and our art studio will get your creative juices flowing. Join us!

details on the retreats... 

​For all weekend, 2 day retreats, check-in anytime after 3 pm on Friday. Retreat begins with dinner at 6:30 pm and concludes by 3 pm on Sunday.  Lodging is shared occupancy and assigned on a first come/first serve basis. For helpful information on how to plan your stay and directions to the center visit:  planning your stay on our website.  If you'd like to find out about the "Spirit Fire Experience" read our Yelp reviews: Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center. Cancellation policy: A full refund, minus a $103 administrative fee, will be granted to cancellations occurring 8 days or more from the event start date. No refund will be granted to a cancellation occurring 7 days or less from the event start date. 

 Intention: January 24 - 26, 2020
Set your energetic tone for 2020

Set the tone of 2020 through meditation and contemplation. Our annual New Year Meditation Retreat provides an environment to reflect upon the year that has passed & the wisdom that has been gained while energetically setting the tone of the new year. Anchor your intentions for the new year from a place of inner-alignment and peace, supported by the serene environment of our retreat center, nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains; delicious and healthy food; and the thoughtful group that gathers. 

​Registration Details:
When:     Friday, January  24 - January 26, 2020
Where:    Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center in Leyden, Massachusetts​
Cost per person: (a $103 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot)​ 
​​  $395.00  Shared occupancy lodging & meals
  $325.00  Commuter rate, includes meals     

REGISTER

  Foundations: March 27 - 29, 2020
  Would you like to make meditation a part of your life?

​If you are a beginner to meditation or you are eager to create a meditative routine, this retreat is the perfect way to build a strong foundation for a lasting meditation practice. Through teachings and meditations, we will explore each particular step of The Practice of Living Awareness; its place within the practice, its usefulness in meditation, and its application off of the cushion. You'll discover the ways these meditation tools can assist you in bringing a living awareness to your life choices, relationships, career path, and all creative endeavors.  And then our Living Awareness blog offers daily meditations to keep your practice intact.

​Registration Details:
When:     Friday, March 27 - Sunday, March 29, 2020
Where:    Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center in Leyden, Massachusetts​
Cost per person: (a $103 non refundable deposit reserves your spot)​ 
​​  $395.00  Shared occupancy lodging & meals
  $325.00  Commuter rate, includes meals     

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS RETREAT, BUT PLEASE EMAIL US AT retreats@spiritfire.com WITH YOUR NAME TO JOIN OUR WAIT LIST AND WE WILL NOTIFY YOU IF A SPOT OPENS UP.

WAIT LIST

  Reflection: April 3-5, 2020

​Registration Details:
When:     Friday, April 3 - Sunday, April 5, 2020
Where:    Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center in Leyden, Massachusetts​
Cost per person: (a $103 non refundable deposit reserves your spot)​ 
​​  $395.00  Shared occupancy lodging & meals
  $325.00  Commuter rate, includes meals     

REGISTER

Silence
​a 2-Day Silent Retreat
June 19 - 21, 2020
  Allow the meditative experience to permeate every activity.

This weekend silent meditation retreats focuses on mindfulness as a way of creating a living awareness. Summer offers so much splendor for the senses: local organic food for your taste buds, fresh flowers perfuming the air, green grass growing all around, and delightful summer streams for dipping  your feet. We will bring these experiences to the meditation cushion and take the meditative experience off of the cushion. All activities will be guided; we will go into gentle silence after dinner on Friday and come out of silence for lunch on Sunday. 

Registration Details:
When:     Friday, June 19 - Sunday, June  21, 2020
Where:    Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center in Leyden, Massachusetts​
Cost per person: (a $103 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot)​ 
​​  $395.00  Shared occupancy lodging & meals
  $325.00  Commuter rate, includes meals 

REGISTER

Silence, Extended
​a 5-Day Silent Retreat
July 1 - 6, 2020
  Return To Yourself Through Silence.

Silence and simplicity set the tone for this 5-day retreat which is designed to allow for full immersion into mindfulness practices. Key components of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program will be offered such as guided walking, sitting, reclining, and eating meditations as well as daily mindful movement. 
 
We will go into gentle silence after dinner on Wednesday evening, July 1stand come out of silence on Monday, July 6th. You are asked to be device-free for that time (except for emergency, of course). This is a wonderful opportunity to unplug  and delight in an environment created to engage the senses and support moment to moment presence.  Summer offers so much splendor: local farm fresh food, fields, flowers, and birdsong. We are situated on 95 acres of land with forest trails, pastures, and streams.
 
Living Awareness retreats offer vegetarian meals with gluten free and dairy free options. The maximum number of participants for this retreat is 16. Lodging is shared occupancy and assigned on a first come/first serve basis. For helpful information on how to plan your stay and directions to the center visit:  planning your stay on our website.  If you'd like to find out about the "Spirit Fire Experience" read our Yelp reviews: Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center. The balance of the retreat is due 30 days prior to the retreat.

This retreat is led by Steve Kramer and Lisa Harvey. ​If you have any questions, please contact Steve at steve@spiritfire.com.
​
Cancellation policy: A full refund, minus a $200 administrative fee, will be granted to cancellations occurring 30 days or more from the event start date. Cancellation within 30 days of the event will result in a full refund minus $400. No refund will be granted to a cancellation occurring 7 days or less from the event start date. 

Registration Details:
​When:     Wednesday, July 1 - Monday, July 6, 2020 
Where:    Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center in Leyden, Massachusetts​
Cost per person:  (a $400 deposit reserves your spot)​ 
​  $1200.00  Shared occupancy lodging & meals
  

REGISTER

 Deepening: October 23 - 25, 2020
  Are you wanting to take your meditations to the next level? 

​Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center offers an environment which allows you to explore the depths of your meditation practice. This is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in a deeper meditative experience, ask questions, refine your sittings, and experience group meditation - which is blissful awareness at its best!

​​Registration Details:
When:     Friday, October 23 - Sunday, October 25, 2020
Where:    Spirit Fire Meditative Retreat Center in Leyden, Massachusetts​
Cost per person: (a $103 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot)​ 
​  $395.00  Shared occupancy lodging & meals
  $325.00  Commuter rate, includes meals     

REGISTER

The Practice of Living Awareness...

Learn More

The Practice of Living Awareness​ is Spirit Fire's own meditation practice. It is easy to learn and designed for every level of practitioner, from beginner to advanced. The Practice of Living Awareness is a 14-step guided meditation practice that is designed to be used on and off of the meditation cushion.  Each step of the practice is a tool for cultivating consciousness in your everyday life. And the meditations are offered free and online nearly everyday!​  A Living Awareness Retreat allows you to explore this practice in-depth in an environment that is form-fit for meditation. Click Learn More for detailed information about The Practice of Living Awareness.