Autumn Ango – Fall Residency 2026

Ango — a traditional three-month practice period — is the spine of monastic Zen training. Great Vow's autumn ango condenses ten weeks into a lighter schedule than full monastery residence, but maintains the core structure: extended sitting, silence, and communal daily life. This is residential practice, not a drop-in retreat.

The schedule holds 5.5 hours of zazen daily, supplemented by body practice (likely yoga or stretching) and meals in silence. Three longer sesshins punctuate the period: the ten-day Walking the Ancient Way sesshin (likely kinhin-heavy or movement-focused), a Gratitude sesshin (duration unspecified), and Rohatsu, the seven-day sesshin marking Shakyamuni Buddha's awakening in early December. Each sesshin intensifies the pace — more sitting, stricter schedule, likely dokusan (private meetings with a teacher).

This is not an introduction to meditation. Ango assumes you already sit and can handle ten weeks of structure. If you're new to Zen practice, begin with a shorter sesshin first.