​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Meditation Retreats


Louisville Zen Center offers Zen retreats and other extended sittings - both in-person and online. Those who have completed the Introduction to Zen Meditation or equivalent are welcome to attend. 


If the retreat venue is Heart of Perfect Wisdom Zendo, please read here about how to join us in-person. When attending virtually, click here for how to join us online.


You may also participate in Rochester Zen Center sesshin (intensive Zen meditation retreats) and other events led by our teachers and their senior students.


Zazenkai: 1-Day Extended Sitting

Heart of Perfect Wisdom Zendo (HPWZ); Date: TBD​​​​​

Louisville Zen Center's mother temple, Rochester Zen Center (RZC), frequently leads hybrid zazenkai (extended sittings). You may join online in RZC's Zoom Room or attend in-person at Heart of Perfect Wisdom Zendo. Our group leader usually offers one-to-one, Private Instruction to those on Zoom as well as to in-person attendees at HPWZ. You may even attend part-time. We ask that in-person participants attending part-time arrive/depart in the breaks between blocks. Here is the schedule: 

​

  • 6:15 am - Block 1: Zazen
  • 7:30 am - Breakfast: provided for in-person participants
  • 8:30 am - Block 2: Zazen, chanting, teisho
  • 10:30 am - Tea break     
  • 11:00 am - Block 3: Zazen & Private Instruction
  • 12:45 pm - Lunch: bring your own; water and tea provided
  • 1:30 pm - Block 4: Zazen
  • 3:00 pm - end with The Four Vows


Email us at louisvillezen@gmail.com for RZC Zoom access, questions about Private Instruction, or to reserve a seat at HPWZ. You may extend this schedule even more by attending Louisville Zen Center's regular Sunday evening sitting.


​​Cost. We suggest non-members give $15-$20 per day via the Paypal button when attending a retreat led by Louisville Zen Center, but any contribution, large or small, is much appreciated. To make an ongoing commitment while supporting the mission of the Center, please consider membership. 

Dates Length Location Led by Application Deadline
Jun. 10-17, 2023 7 days Chapin Mill/Zoom  Sensei Donna Kowal May 25
Jun. 27- Jul. 1, 2023 4 days CM Work Retreat Donna-s & John-s Apply here
Jul. 22-29, 2023 7 days Chapin Mill/Zoom Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede July 6
Aug. 25-27, 2023 2 days CZG/Zoom Ven. Jissai Prince-Cherry August 11
Sep. 8-10, 2023 2 days Chapin Mill/Zoom Ven. Trueman Taylor August 24
Sep. 23-30, 2023 7 days Chapin Mill/Zoom  Sensei Donna Kowal September 7
Oct. 6-8, 2023 2 days Madison Zen Center  Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede Sep. 30; Apply here
Oct. 28 - Nov. 4, 2023 7 days Chapin Mill/Zoom  Sensei John Pulleyn October 12
Dec. 8-10, 2023 2 days Chapin Mill/Zoom Eryl Kubicka November 16

​​Sesshin: Intensive Zen meditation retreat​

Sesshins are offered about once a month with Louisville Zen Center's mother temple, Rochester Zen Center. These retreats vary in length from two to seven days with about 10 hours of zazen scheduled each day. One-to-one instruction is offered about three times daily. 

Louisville Zen Center's regular sitting schedule is suspended during sesshin, but sangha may join the retreat by applying to attend in-person in NY or online via RZC Zoom. Part-timers are welcome online, but if you want one-to-one instruction you must attend at least two of the four blocks of sitting including one in which one-to-one is offered. You may also attend sittings informally (though without one-to-one instruction) simply by signing on to RZC Zoom. ​Here is the daily sesshin schedule. 


Below is a list of upcoming Rochester Zen Center sesshins. Click here for the application and fee information. Note: Louisville Zen Center members receive member rates for sesshin and other events hosted by Rochester Zen Center.