Buddha Body, Buddha Mind: Six-Day Sesshin

Soto Zen sesshin in the city

This is a traditional sesshin — the intensive silent retreat format central to Zen practice — held at SFZC's urban location rather than their Green Gulch Farm monastery. Six days means you'll sit multiple periods daily over nearly a week, with the schedule shaped to support concentration and the gradual settling that comes from sustained practice.

Soto Zen emphasizes shikantaza (just sitting) over koan work. You sit facing the wall, following your breath, without an assigned problem to solve. Teachers offer dokusan (private meetings) for questions or obstacles, but the core is the sitting itself.

What daily practice looks like

Expect early mornings, typically 5 or 6 a.m., with alternating periods of zazen (sitting meditation) and kinhin (slow walking meditation). Meals are taken in oryoki style — eating together in the zendo with ceremony and mindfulness. Dharma talks (teachings) break up the day. Evening sits usually end by 9 p.m. The schedule is structured but not punishing.

For those who need flexibility

SFZC explicitly states you can substitute some zazen periods with walking meditation or light work. This matters: it means if sitting is painful, exhausting, or triggering for you, you're not locked into a rigid format. You can still participate in the retreat's rhythm and silence without pushing through physical or emotional distress. That's unusual enough to note.

What's included

• All meditation periods and Dharma talks
• Residential lodging (specific room type not stated in listing)
• Oryoki meals
• Dokusan access