Introduction to Zen Training Weekend

This weekend sesshin is structured for people encountering Zen practice for the first time, though it welcomes returners as well. You'll learn zazen (seated meditation) from the ground up—posture, breath, how the mind actually behaves when you sit—rather than being thrown into silent sitting with no instruction.

A traditional weekend schedule means early mornings (typically 5 or 6 a.m. wake), alternating periods of zazen and kinhin (walking meditation), formal meals, and work practice—usually kitchen or grounds duties that are part of Zen training, not chores. You'll also experience chanting and liturgy, which grounds Zen practice in ritual and community. Dokusan—private meetings with a teacher—gives you time to ask questions or discuss what you're noticing in your sitting.

The center will provide instruction tailored to beginners, so you're not expected to know how to sit or what "noble silence" means in practice before you arrive. Bring comfortable clothes you can sit in, and expect a basic but clean residential setting. Food is typically vegetarian and communal.