Zazenkai (Daylong Retreat)

What is a zazenkai

A zazenkai is a full day of intensive Zen practice — the word means "sitting gathering" in Japanese. Unlike longer residential sesshin, a daylong is structured for people who live nearby or want to experience extended practice without the commitment of multiple days away. This April zazenkai runs from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time.

The teacher and the theme

Valerie Forstman, an Associate Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, leads a six-part zazenkai series throughout 2026 focused on modern women teachers who shaped contemporary Zen practice. This April session explores Silvia Ostertag Roshi, a Swiss musician who founded a meditation center near Cologne and wove zazen into her daily life, often writing poems afterward to guide students. The daylong begins with one of her poems, "Earth Gratitude," and traces her teaching: the clarity that nothing is separate, nothing lacking.

What the day looks like

• 6:30–8:00 a.m.: Sitting meditation
• 8:45 a.m.: Guided movement
• 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: More sitting, then a dharma talk from Valerie
• 12:00–1:00 p.m.: Lunch break
• 1:00–3:30 p.m.: Afternoon sitting and Q&A

In-person participants receive breakfast, coffee, and tea; bring your own lunch. Online participants join via Zoom.

Pricing and access

In-person is $60; online is $30. Members receive 15% off. Needs-based scholarships are available. If you want to deepen the experience, the center also offers personal retreat stays onsite (dorm, cabin, or camping options available) with optional 1-on-1 guidance from teacher Scott Thornton.