Practice Year Opening Retreat
Saturday, September 6th, 2025 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Pacific Time
After a lighter schedule of practice in July and August, we inaugurate our practice year (September through June) by coming together for a day of retreat.
This will be a quiet day of chanting, zazen, silent work, a formal meal (bring a vegetarian bag lunch if you will be in the Dirt Zendo), and a practice year opening ceremony. Participate in the Dirt Zendo or the Cloud Zendo, full-time or part-time.
Suggested donation for the retreat is $20 for full-time participation. Donate what feels right for part-time participation, and remember our Suggested Donation policy means no one should forgo participation for financial reasons.
Dirt Zendo Information:
- Please register if you will be there for work period or lunch so we can plan, but feel free to drop in to practice without registering too.
- If you will be there for lunch, please bring a vegetarian bag lunch that doesn’t need heating.
- If you will be there for work period, bring clothes you feel comfortable cleaning or working outdoors in.
- Bring Buddhist reading for breaks if you want to read (although we also have a library).
Cloud Zendo Information:
- Please consult the retreat schedule (below) before joining, so you can enter appropriately depending our what is happening.
- Keep yourself muted (until the ceremony at the end).
- You are encouraged to keep you video on, although this is optional; however, if your camera is going to capture movement (yours, or a pet’s), please turn your camera off.
Note that retreats happen in a different Zoom room than our regular Bright Way Zen events! You will receive this info in your registration confirmation email.
Click here for a printable version of the schedule.
See the schedule on this page for links to chants and ceremonies.
Retreat Schedule
Full time attendance is a valuable practice, but you are welcome to arrive and leave at any point in the schedule. Bring a vegetarian bag lunch if you will be joining us for the meal at 12:30pm.
Click here for a printable version of the schedule.
CLOUD & DIRT ZENDO TOGETHER:
8:00am …….Zazen (seated meditation)
8:30 …………Kinhin (slow walking meditation) – At home: Walk slowly, one half-footstep per breath, back and forth between two points.
8:40 …………Zazen
9:10 …………Chanting Service – At home: Chant along but keep yourself muted; it doesn’t work to chant together on Zoom – Click here for a copy of the chanting service.
CLOUD & DIRT ZENDO SEPARATELY:
9:40 ……….Break – maintain silence and mindfulness
10:00 ……..Silent Work – Click here for a copy of the work chant, which we recite together at the beginning of the work period
In the Dirt Zendo: Please accept a work assignment, and work silently and mindfully. Work until the bell rings to end the work period.
At home: Choose something simple, physical, and restorative to do, like cleaning, sewing, gardening. Also take this time to prepare your lunch. Set a timer for yourself so you can work without looking at the clock. When the timer goes off, immediately stop your work and clean up.
11:15 ……….End Work/Break – At home: give yourself time to wrap up/clean up your work and prepare yourself mentally and physically for zazen
CLOUD & DIRT ZENDO TOGETHER:
11:30 ……….Zazen
11:55 ……….Kinhin
12:05pm…….Zazen
12:30 ……….End Zazen/Meal Prep – go get your lunch, come back and sit down, wait in silence for meal chant to begin.
12:35 ……….Formal Lunch – Click here for a copy of our meal chant.
ALL PARTICIPANTS INDEPENDENTLY:
1:00 …………Rest period – spend this time doing something very quiet and relaxing – take a nap or a leisurely walk, read some Dharma material, or just sit in the sun (or listen to the rain).
CLOUD & DIRT ZENDO TOGETHER:
2:00 …………Afternoon Recitation
2:10 …………Zazen
2:40 …………Kinhin
2:50 …………Zazen
3:20 …………Practice Year Opening Ceremony – Click here for a copy of the ceremony
4:00 …………Retreat Ends