Introduction to Zen Training Weekend

This is an entry point to Zen practice structured as a traditional weekend sesshin. You'll sit zazen (formal meditation) in regular periods, learn the basic liturgy and chanting used in Soto Zen training, and have private time with a teacher—called dokusan—to ask questions about practice and receive guidance. The retreat is held at Zen Mountain Monastery, a residential training center in the Catskills, so you're immersed in the rhythm of the place rather than commuting in and out.

Soto Zen emphasizes zazen itself as complete practice, not a means to a goal. The teaching style tends toward simplicity: sit, show up, let the practice unfold. At ZMM, this means a structured day with designated sitting periods, walking meditation (kinhin), instruction, and meals taken in silence as part of the practice.

If you've never done this before, an introduction weekend is the standard way to start. You'll learn the logistics—how to sit, what the schedule looks like, what happens in dokusan—without committing to a longer retreat. Many people use this as a test: Does this work for me? Do I want to come back?