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Event Series: Weekend Retreats

February Weekend Retreat with Shana Smith

No Mud, No Lotus: Weekend Retreat with Shana Smith

Friday, February 6th Sunday, February 8th
Online and in-person
**Onsite lodging is now full. Spaces still available online and in-person commuters.**
If you’re coming from out of town and need a place to stay for the weekend, please contact our registrar for more information.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s famous line, “No Mud, No Lotus,” reminds us that awakening and suffering are not two separate things. The lotus of wisdom and compassion blooms only from the mud of our human struggles. Over this weekend retreat, we’ll explore how the principles of Zen practice—such as the Five Hindrances, the Three Poisons, and the Four Noble Truths—help us transform difficulty into insight. We’ll also touch on what David Loy calls “The Lack Project,” examining how our restless sense of incompleteness can become a gateway to freedom rather than a trap.

Whether you’re new to Zen practice or a long-time practitioner, this weekend offers a chance to dip your toes into the sesshin experience. The structure of silence, meditation, and mindful activity offers both refuge and renewal—a way to re-enter daily life with greater compassion, steadiness, and clarity.

Designed to support those new to Zen-style retreats or those returning with “beginner’s mind,” this program invites you to experience how the simple rhythms of sitting, walking, and shared stillness can bring both the mud and the lotus into full bloom.

What to expect

Click on the video below to learn more from Shana about what’s in store for this weekend retreat:

  • Commute, attend online, or stay on campus to settle on our 20 acre land in the Santa Fe foothills
  • Receive practice support through talks, Q&As, optional 1-1 with the Sanbo teacher
  • Guided movement throughout to support your body during extended sitting
  • Three nourishing, home-cooked, vegetarian meals a day
  • Dedicated rest periods for you to fully immerse yourself in the tranquility of silence and stillness.

Sample Retreat Schedule (MT)
subject to change

Friday

  • 6pm – 7:30pm: Group Dinner & Orientation
  • 7:30 – 8:00: Zendo Orientation & Meditation

Saturday

  • 7:00am — 8:00am: Movement & Meditation
  • 8:00am – 9:30am: Breakfast & Work Practice
  • 9:30am -12:00pm: Movement, Talk, Q&A & Meditation
  • 12:00pm – 2:30pm: Lunch & Rest
  • 2:30pm – 5:30pm: Movement, Meditation, 1 on 1 support
  • 5:30 pm – 7:00pm: Dinner & Break
  • 7:00pm – 8:30pm: Meditation Session

Sunday

  • 7:00am — 8:00am: Movement & Meditation
  • 8:00am – 9:30am: Breakfast & Work Practice
  • 9:30am -12:00pm: Movement, Meditation & Closing
  • 12:00pm: Lunch

Registration Options*

Onsite lodging is now full. Space still available online and for those commuting in-person.
If you’re coming from out of town and need a place to stay for the weekend, please contact our registrar for more information.

In-Person
Shared Lodging:
$320
Camping/Bell Tent:
$300
Commuting:
$260

Online: $80

25% scholarships available for those experiencing a financial barrier to attend. Additional Scholarships may be available. See registration page for details.

Members receive a 15% discount. See the members’ newsletter and/or Members Zone for a special link. If you’re not a member, learn more about membership here.

*Pricing has changed for 2026. Please click here to learn more about these changes.

Immerse yourself fully in the experience by staying onsite at our rustic campus in the foothills. Revel in the tranquility and simplicity, escaping the everyday clutter of your life. Explore our trails, and bask in the expansive views of the Santa Fe Valley and the night sky.

 

Your Guide

Shana Smith is an Assistant Teacher of Sanbo Zen based in Florida. Shana provides online 1-1 practice support to our members, and provides workshops for our 30 Days of Zen Course and sesshins.

Shana discovered yoga in 1990 and began attending regular classes in several different styles of yoga. After several years of ardent practice and study, she began to teach at her local studio and Yoga Temple.  Shana became interested in the sensations and insights she experienced in Savasana, which led her to begin a regular meditation practice and in 2007 took refuge in the Sanbo Zen Lineage, and recently become a Sanbo Zen Assistant teacher.  Over the years, she has found a tremendous synergy between Yoga and Zen, and integrates the two in her daily, committed practice.

 

Start
February 6
End
February 8
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