Retreats

Join Shana Smith, Assistant Teacher of Sanbo Zen International

for a monthly Zazenkai

A Day of Zen, at Karuna Cottage

March 15, 2025 8:30am – 3:00 pm

April 13, 2025 8:30am – 3:00 pm

May 17, 2025 8:30am – 3:00 pm

Every month at Florida Sanbo Zen Center, www.FloridaSanboZen.com, we host a Zazenkai (Day of Zen)–an immersive full day of Zen practice that is open to all meditative traditions.   It is an opportunity to dive deep into the gift of extended time together in silence and intention.

*pre-registration required

Ready to join us? Please RSVP at your earliest convenience at FloridaSanboZen@gmail.com and indicate which Day(s) of Zen you would like to attend. Time is 8:30am-3:00pm, with a potluck brunch, and registration is $40-$60 sliding scale. *Online option is available.

*If you do not have the funds for this donation amount, please donate what you are able to (no one turned away). To pay your registration fee, you can bring a check or cash to the zendo and place it in the dana box. Alternatively, you can pay electronically.

Questions?

Several folks who are newer to meditation have expressed that they are “not ready” for an extended day of meditation.  We encourage the wary to lean in to their concern, to embrace the unknown, and come anyway.  Here are some questions and answers that I hope will be helpful:

Q: My mind is too full and active right now with my busy life, so wouldn’t that make me unable to sit that long?

A: Congratulations!  A busy, cluttered “monkey mind” provides the perfect foundation for a day of immersive practice, as it gives you lots to become mindful and aware with. It is also a grand opportunity, by creating space for all of that busy-ness, to let it settle at last. It takes some intention and patience, but you will be very glad you decided to sit with yourself, exactly as you are. 

Q: But I don’t know how to make my mind settle.

A: We have simple and effective tools in Zen to help the intention in “stilling the mind.” We will be reviewing these this Wednesday after our weekly sit, both online and in person. Please come if you can, and if not, a recording will be made available,

Q: My body is not able to sit that long.

A: Whether you are dealing with pain or fidgety-ness, Zen has tools to help there, as well!  We will be reviewing these tools Wednesday night.

Q: I am way too busy to take this much time to sit.

A: A famous Zen saying: “You should meditate for at least fifteen minutes per day. If you’re too busy to do this, then meditate for an hour.” Check out this great article on our perception of “time famine:” Too Busy to Meditate? You Actually Need It the Most – Shivendra Misra – Shivendra Misra

Q: I cannot just sit still in silence all day.

A: We do not sit for any longer than 25 minutes at a time. There is walking in between sitting periods, two periods of guided movement practice, breaks and lunch for free movement, as well as a Dharma Talk and a Question and Answer period.

Q: What if I cannot sit in the same position or make it the full 25 minutes sometimes?

You can quietly change your sitting position or stand, and you can even take an outside walk during some of the sitting periods if needed.

Q: What if I cannot make it for the full day?

A: Partial participation is welcome!  The schedule is attached here.  We only ask that you do not enter during a sitting period, but rather wait for a walking period or other break to enter.

Q: I’m on a super tight budget. What if I do not have $40-$60 to donate?

A: Come anyway and donate what you are able that is comfortably within your means.  The dana (donation amount) covers rental of the Karuna Cottage, a donation to Mountain Cloud Zen Center, a donation to our teachers, and sustaining the costs of Florida Sanbo Zen. Any amount helps, and we have some funds in reserve for scholarship.

Any other questions? Feel free to email FloridaSanboZen@gmail.com

Contact floridasanbozen@gmail.com to register and for more details.

Past Retreats:

Mārajinā Bhikkhunī offered two retreats that  covered the Four Divine Abidings on December 14th and January 1st.