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2023 Summer Hybrid Sesshin, June 26-July 2

Beyond Worlds, Before Knowing: Exploring the Path of Practice-Realization
Led by Valerie Forstman
Monday evening June 26 – Sunday noon July 2
Join us for this annual summer sesshin. Valerie will be leading the retreat from Mountain Cloud’s zendo and the event will be hybrid, with both part-time and full-time attendance options.
Online or “At-Home” Attendance
This Summer, we are excited to provide a robust online experience for those attending the retreat At-Home! Many of us have never done an online retreat before, or aren’t sure how to tap into the retreat mindset through Zoom. However, we know from experience that the online experience can be very connective and deep, and that there are many advantages to doing a retreat at home and connecting to sangha, sharing the teachings and schedule while in your everyday environment.
Online attendance is a good way for newcomers and less experienced meditators to wade into a multi-day silent retreat. It’s also a great option if you just need the flexibility.
We also know that retreats are a vital form for deepening our practice. So, we are invested in helping our sangha flourish in their practice wherever they may be doing it, and are committed to making the age-old tradition of sesshin available to all who seek it!
So, what do we have in store for our Online, At-Home, participants?
Before the Retreat
- Orientation Session Monday June 26 at 6pm MT where you’ll meet your fellow online retreatants, and set the tone and intention for the week ahead.
- You will also receive a comprehensive document, Planning Your Online Retreat to help you set up for your home environment for sitting a multi day Zen retreat…. you will receive tips, suggestions, and general guidelines for what will occur and why.
During the Retreat
- Optional Break-Out Group Support Sessions with Scott Thornton throughout the retreat in order to get support and guidance as you settle into your practice, make adjustments to your practice, or as challenges arise.
- Receive Recordings of Talks and Q&As each day.
- Part Time and Full Time Options. You can decide whether to do the retreat Full Time (4-6 Days of the retreat) of Part Time (3 days or less). Within those days, You can choose which parts of the schedule work best for your situation. Since you are at home, we understand that interruptions occur. We can help you figure out the details during our At-Home Retreat Workshop, Orientation Session, and even the Group Support Sessions during the retreat.
Retreat Schedule (Click here for full schedule)
Daily Schedule (Tuesday – Saturday)
Morning/Early Block
- 6:00-7:30am Sitting
- 7:30-9:30 Breakfast, samu, rest
Main Block
- 9:30am-noon Sitting and dharma talk (will be recorded and shared via email in the evening)
- Noon-1:30pm Lunch and rest
- 1:30-5:00pm Sitting and Q&A (will be recorded and shared via email in the evening)
Evening Block
- 5:00-7:00pm Dinner, rest, personal time
- 7:00-8:30pm Sitting
Online-Participation Cost
Part time – $180 (3 days or less)
Full time – $360 (4-6 days)
Benefactor – $750, pays for your attendance and full time participation for someone else.
We try to keep our costs as low as possible, so please try to pay one of the options offered. Part time payment is based on your own best judgement of how much time you will attend. If you registered for the Retreat Prep Class held online, June 17 at 10am MT, you will receive a 25% discount. We make every effort to accommodate all who want to attend, regardless of financial means. If you need additional fee reduction, please contact Johanna.
For general questions about the retreat contact Johanna or Kieran.
On-Site Attendance (Full)
Click here to review our COVID-19 Protocols.
Photo by Brett Carey on Unsplash
- Start
- June 26, 2023
- End
- July 2, 2023
- Event Categories
- Retreats, Sanbo Zen, Special Events