Introduction to Zen Training Weekend
with Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Danica Shoan Ankele, Gokan Bonebakker · Zen
Three-day introductory sesshin in the Catskill Mountains for new and returning practitioners. Instruction in zazen, Zen liturgy, dokusan, and communal living. Beginner-friendly.
About this retreat
This weekend retreat introduces the fundamentals of Zen practice in a structured, supportive setting. You'll learn zazen (seated meditation) from instructors, participate in chanting and liturgy, and have the chance to meet one-on-one with a teacher in dokusan. The retreat follows a traditional sesshin schedule — early mornings, multiple sitting periods, communal meals, periods of work practice — giving you a real sense of how Zen training unfolds daily.
The Catskill Mountains location means you're in a quiet rural setting, which matters for a retreat focused on inner work. You'll stay overnight, eat with the group, and experience what monastic community practice looks like, even in a weekend format.
This is explicitly designed for people new to Zen, though returning practitioners also attend. You don't need sitting experience or knowledge of Buddhist terminology to participate. The retreat's structure — instruction built in, teacher availability, clear schedule — makes it a solid entry point into sesshin practice.
Full details from Zen Mountain Monastery
An introductory retreat for those new to Zen or formal Zen training, offering instruction in zazen, experience with liturgy and work practice, private teacher interviews, and immersion in monastic life at Zen Mountain Monastery in the Catskill Mountains.
Also at Zen Mountain Monastery 03
Thursday – Sunday · 4 days
Holding Up the Blossom: A Summer Solstice Zazen Arts Immersion of Miraculous Expression
with Jody Hojin Kimmel, Katie Yosha Scott-Childress
Zen Mountain Monastery
Monday – Sunday · 7 days
One Continuous Thread: Home Practice Intensive—June
with Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Jody Hojin Kimmel, Danica Shoan Ankele
Zen Mountain Monastery
Monday – Sunday · 7 days
Summer Solstice Sesshin
with Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Jody Hojin Kimmel, Danica Shoan Ankele
Zen Mountain Monastery