Young Adult Residential Retreat

Boundless Way Zen Temple's young adult retreat is a straight three-day sesshin — the traditional Zen residential format of intensive sitting practice. If you're 18-35 and curious about meditation but haven't sat before, this is designed for you. If you have practice, it's a chance to deepen it among your peers.

The retreat follows a classic sesshin structure: periods of zazen (sitting meditation) alternated with kinhin (walking meditation), formal meals, chanting, and dokusan — brief one-on-one meetings with a teacher where you can ask questions or sit together in silence. The whole retreat is held in Noble Silence, meaning no unnecessary conversation, so you're not distracted by social dynamics. That silence creates space to notice what's actually happening in your mind and body.

Soto Zen is the largest Zen school in Japan and emphasizes just sitting — zazen itself is considered complete practice, not a means to an end. The approach is straightforward: show up, sit, and let your mind settle. No special technique or achievement required.

This is a residential retreat, so you'll sleep and eat at the temple for the three days. Bring warm layers if you sit early mornings; temples are usually cool. The schedule is demanding — expect to wake early and sit for long periods — but there's structure and rest built in.