Solstice Zazenkai: A One Day Meditation Retreat

The Solstice Zazenkai is a full day of zazen—sitting meditation—organized around the summer solstice. At a day-long format, it offers a middle ground between a single morning sit and a multi-day sesshin: enough time to settle into sustained practice without the commitment of overnight stays.

The retreat follows a traditional Soto Zen structure with extended zazen periods, instruction, and communal meals taken in silence. Lunch is provided. The day is designed to create conditions for deepening focus through longer sitting blocks than typical weekly practice, with the support of other practitioners and the rhythm of a full schedule. Noble silence runs throughout.

Great Vow Zen Monastery, located in Oregon, maintains a residential practice community and welcomes practitioners of all backgrounds. For those new to zazen or to retreat practice, a day-sit is a low-risk way to experience what extended sitting feels like without travel or overnight logistics.