One Continuous Thread: Home Practice Intensive—September
Soto Zen
Week-long online zazen intensive run by Zen Mountain Monastery, designed to bring sesshin structure into home practice. You sit on your own schedule while participating in live webcasts of their formal sesshin—a hybrid approach for people who can't step away for a full residential retreat.
About this retreat
This is a practical compromise: you get the structure and momentum of a formal sesshin without leaving home. Zen Mountain Monastery (ZMM), based in the Soto Zen tradition, runs a full residential sesshin September 21–27, and this offering lets you tune in via livestream while keeping your own daily commitments intact.
The idea is simple but effective. Rather than sitting alone at home, you sit with others—even if you're in separate rooms. You can watch the formal practice unfold in real time, join meditation periods on the stream, and maintain what Zen practice calls "one continuous thread" across the week. It's not a substitute for the intensity of a silent residential retreat, but it's genuine practice with genuine structure.
This works best if you can carve out consistent sitting time each day. You'll need a quiet space and reliable internet. The $10 suggested donation reflects the accessibility ZMM builds into its online offerings.
Full details from Zen Center of New York City/Fire Lotus Temple
A home-based zazen intensive that brings elements of a formal sesshin into your daily life while allowing participants to navigate ongoing work, family, and personal responsibilities. Participants can follow ZMM's sesshin schedule via live webcast or set their own schedule.
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