Silent Retreats

Throughout the year we offer Awakening Weeks, which are silent periods of meditation practice. During these weeks, we strive to advance our spiritual practice and breakthrough to enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

The Awakening Week container is strict and uncompromising. By upholding a standard of excellence and not catering to individual preferences, the container creates the optimal conditions for developing the mental clarity and ethical behavior needed to become a trustworthy guide for our world in crisis.

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Our winter-spring Awakening Weeks are led by Head Teacher Soryu Forall, who provides personal instruction, guided meditations, Q&A periods, and dharmic exhortations. We are very fortunate to receive spiritual guidance from someone whose life and actions so clearly demonstrate the great bodhisattva path. You can learn more about Forall here.

Because of the strictness and rigor of the schedule, we recommend having prior familiarity with meditation and/or intense retreat settings before attending one of our Awakening Weeks. We are able to accommodate health issues and disabilities to some degree, so feel free to inquire for more information.

Retreat guests must arrive a couple days before we enter silence and stay for the integration day afterward. As such, the total commitment is ten days. Typically, Wednesday is the arrival day and Sunday is the departure day. You are welcome to extend your stay as a guest for a longer period before or after the retreat.

Our Awakening periods are usually a week long, but we also host an annual two-week long period as well as weekends. Details will be on the events page.

The typical daily schedule of an Awakening Week is posted below. Please note that this is subject to change. The schedule is designed for 24/7 practice, on and off the cushion.

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Schedule

4:15 AMWake-up Bell
4:35 AMChant
5:30 AMSit with Interviews
7:00 AMBreakfast
7:50 AMSit
9:00 AMGuided Meditation + Q&A
10:30 AMSit / Cook Lunch
12:00 PMLunch
Self-Practice
2:00 PMBell
2:15 PMExercise
3:15 PMChores
4:30 PMSit
6:00 PMSit / Walk
6:30 PMSit
Exhortation
Interviews
Chant
Yaza

Upcoming Events

September Awakening Week
September 29 - October 6, 2025

October Awakening Week
October 29 - November 5, 2025

November Awakening Week
November 26 - December 3, 2025

December Awakening Week with Soryu Forall
December 12 - December 19, 2025

January Awakening Week with Soryu Forall
January 25 - February 1, 2026

February Awakening Week with Soryu Forall
February 24 - March 3, 2026

March Awakening Week with Soryu Forall
March 25 - April 1, 2026

April Two-Week Awakening Period with Soryu Forall
April 17 - May 1, 2026