Matthew Brensilver, PhD, offers retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the Insight Retreat Center. For more than a decade, he taught for Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society.
He continues to teach at UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center about the intersections between mindfulness and mental health. He spent years doing research on addiction treatment at the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine and continues to be interested in the unfolding dialogue between dharma and science.
Events with Matthew Brensilver
The Convergence of Wisdom and LoveMarch 31 - April 4, 2026
Open to experienced and new practitioners Registration closes on March 17, 2026. If joining after this date, please contact us. For generations, practitioners have stepped away from the intensity of daily life to sit in the quiet of their own hearts. A silent retreat offers us a chance to slow down, listen deeply, and remember what’s always been here. To be mindful of goodness brings love; to be mindful of pain also brings love. This asymmetry is the miracle of mindfulness. As the attention stabilizes, we begin to sense the poignancy of our wish to be happy. In turn, this…
The Convergence of Wisdom and Love [ONLINE]March 31 - April 4, 2026
Open to experienced and new practitioners Registration closes on March 30, 2026. If joining after this date, please contact us. For generations, practitioners have stepped away from the intensity of daily life to sit in the quiet of their own hearts. A silent retreat offers us a chance to slow down, listen deeply, and remember what’s always been here. To be mindful of goodness brings love; to be mindful of pain also brings love. This asymmetry is the miracle of mindfulness. As the attention stabilizes, we begin to sense the poignancy of our wish to be happy. In turn, this…
The Refuge of the HeartSeptember 15 - 20, 2026
Open to experienced and new practitioners Registration closes on September 1, 2026. If joining after this date, please contact us. The Buddha counsels: “Hatred does not cease by hatred but by non-hatred. This law is eternal.” The alternatives to love – namely, hate or apathy – are not viable for ourselves, for our communities or our world. There are many details to work out, but in one way or another, love is the path forward. During this retreat, we’ll cultivate and abide in the four forms of love articulated by our Buddhist tradition. When love meets goodness, there is lovingkindness.…
The Refuge of the Heart [ONLINE]September 15 - 20, 2026
Open to experienced and new practitioners Registration closes on September 14, 2026. If joining after this date, please contact us. The Buddha counsels: “Hatred does not cease by hatred but by non-hatred. This law is eternal.” The alternatives to love – namely, hate or apathy – are not viable for ourselves, for our communities or our world. There are many details to work out, but in one way or another, love is the path forward. During this retreat, we’ll cultivate and abide in the four forms of love articulated by our Buddhist tradition. When love meets goodness, there is lovingkindness.…