Summer Sesshin
with Cathy Seizan Wright
Five-day intensive sesshin led by Cathy Seizan Wright and Geoff Baoku Keeton. Includes zazen, dokusan, teisho, chanting, and oryoki meals. Offered in three formats: residential overnight, commuter (sleep at home), or online via Zoom at the same cost.
Zen Center of Denver's five-day summer sesshin follows a traditional intensive format: you arrive Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm, complete an orientation session that morning at 10:00 am, and the retreat concludes before noon on the final day. The schedule includes zazen (sitting meditation), dokusan (private teacher meetings), teisho (dharma talks), chanting, and communal oryoki meals—a formal eating practice where participants serve one another in silence.
The retreat is led by co-teachers Cathy Seizan Wright and Geoff Baoku Keeton. The center doesn't specify their lineage in the posted materials, so contact the office if you want to know more about their teaching tradition or previous training.
Three participation formats at the same cost
- Residential: Stay overnight at the center. Twenty beds available; register early to secure a spot.
- Commuter: Attend in person during the day, return home to sleep.
- Online via Zoom: Full participation through video; same cost as in-person options.
The center emphasizes that all three formats carry the same fee ($225 for members, $275 for non-members, which includes a non-refundable $50 application fee). Full details about the daily schedule, what to bring, and what online participation entails are sent upon registration.
Application and scholarships
If you're new to ZCD or not a member, you'll need to apply through the office. The teachers review all applications and make final acceptance decisions. Partial scholarships are available for those with financial need; the center also invites those with means to donate to the Mary Mich Sesshin Scholarship Fund. Registration closes May 18, 2026.
Full details from Zen Center of Denver
Five days of intensive Zen practice, led by Cathy Seizan Wright and Geoff Baoku Keeton including zazen, dokusan, teisho, chanting, and oryoki-style vegetarian meals. Details pending.
Registration
Sesshin cost is $225 for ZCD members and $275 for non-members, which includes a non-refundable $50 application fee. Participants may choose one of three options: in-person and stay overnight, in-person and sleep at home, or online via Zoom; the cost is the same for all three options. Please note that payment is required for registration. More information, including the sesshin schedule and what to bring, will be sent when you register. Total in-person capacity is 30. Stay overnight capacity is 20. If you wish to stay overnight, please register early to guarantee a spot.The registration deadline is May 18, 2026.
If you are not a ZCD member, or if this is your first sesshin with ZCD, please contact the office for a sesshin application. Acceptance to sesshin for all participants, regardless of membership status, is at the discretion of the teachers.
Scholarships
For those in financial need, some partial scholarships are available. Please contact the office to apply. For those with financial means, we ask that you donate an amount of your choosing to the Mary Mich Sesshin Scholarship Fund to enable all who desire to participate in sesshin. Details provided upon registration.
Sesshin Setup
Sesshin participants will attend a setup and orientation session Sunday morning prior to sesshin starting at 10:00 am.
Schedule
Plan to arrive at the center at 2:30 pm on the first day. The sesshin will conclude before noon on the last day.
Friday – Wednesday · 6 days
Fall Sesshin
with Peggy Metta Sheehan
Zen Center of Denver