Tag: Summer Solstice

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Summer Solstice Daylong Retreat 2025

Summer Solstice Daylong Retreat

June 21st, 2025


Join us for a day of practice on the Summer Solstice as we conclude the Spring training period.  This weekend event, centered on Saturdays full day of practice, is open for residential and drop-in attendance. If you would like to stay on campus and make the most of this weekend of practice please contact us to make arrangements. Please be aware that there is a minimum number of attendees required for us to support residential practice. We request that everyone who intends to join us beyond dropping in for a single period contact us with your plans.

The talks during this retreat will be from the recently released second edition of Tendo’s practice book Dewdrops on Stinging Nettles. This will serve as a sort of “soft launch” for the book which will become increasingly available over the next few weeks. The second edition of this book is available everywhere. Additional information can be found here: Dewdrops on Stinging Nettles. 

Join us Online

We will continue to broadcast these retreats via Zoom for those unable to join us in person.  We will begin the online broadcast during regular Friday evening zazen and conclude after Sunday’s Zazenkai allowing for one to be able to extend ones practice beyond the full day.  

Essential Information for those joining online
• Please tune in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time so you can be settled.
• Download the monastery schedule: Daylong Retreat Schedule [updated 6.20.25]
• The sutra book we will be using can be downloaded here: Virtual Sutra book
• Read these posts:  Guidelines for Virtual Events and Orientation to Virtual Sesshin.
• To receive the links for Virtual Events by email: Tahoma Events mailing list.

Friday Broadcast Schedule
6:30pm to 8:00pm: Zazen

Saturday Broadcast Schedule
5am to 7am: Choka; Zazen
10:30 to Noon: Instructional Talk; Zazen
2pm to 4:00pm: Dharma Talk; Zazen
6:00pm to 8:45pm: Zazen

Zoom Link: [event has passed]

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Summer Solstice Intensive

Summer Solstice Zazen Intensive June 22nd, 2024


In commemoration of the summer solstice please join us for a full day of Zazen. The day will run from 10am to 8:45pm in three blocks. One can come for as much or as little as one wishes. The schedule is such that people can easily travel here for the event and thus there is no residency option. There will not be meals served, but one is of course free to bring food or have meals off campus.

All periods are open for drop in attendance. Each hour will include zazen followed by kinhin, with the zazen periods following the schedule below. One can stay for as many periods as one is able. Please arrive/depart during the kinhin (walking meditation) periods which begin 10 minutes prior to the next period.

We will continue to broadcast the sitting periods via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. The Zoom link will be posted in the days before the event. For those attending online please read this posts:  Guidelines for Virtual Events .

Zoom Link: [Event has passed]

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Summer Solstice 2022 Daylong Retreat

We celebrate the conclusion of the spring training period and the start of summer with a full day of practice. All of the events of this retreat are open for in-person and drop-in attendance if you are fully vaccinated.  While one can drop into any of the periods without prior notice, if you wish to attend the whole day, or through any of the meals you must  contact us by Thursday June 16th.  If you’d like to make it a weekend event from Friday through Sunday or an overnight please contact us to make arrangements.  Please note that any overnight stays need to be arranged by Thursday June 16th. If there is limited in-person signups this retreat will be shift to drop-in and online attendance only.

We will continue to broadcast these retreats via Zoom for those unable to join us.  We will begin the online broadcast during regular Friday evening zazen and conclude after Sunday’s Zazenkai allowing for one to be able to extend ones practice beyond the full day.

Essential Information for those Joining Online
• Download the full schedule: Daylong Retreat Schedule
• The sutra book we will be using can be downloaded here: Virtual Sutra book
• Read these posts:  Guidelines for Virtual Events and Orientation to Virtual Sesshin.
• To receive the links for Virtual Events by email: Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list.

Broadcast Schedule

Friday, June 17th
6:30pm to 8:20pm: Zazen

Saturday, June 18th
5am to 7am: Choka; Zazen
10:30am to Noon: Zazen
2pm to 4:00pm: Dharma Talk; Zazen
6:00pm to 8:45pm: Zazen 

Sunday, June 19th
8:00am to 9:30am:: Zazenkai

Zoom Link: [event has passed]

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2021 Summer Solstice Retreat

June 20th-27th, 2021

Our weeklong retreat commemorating the Summer Solstice begins on June 20th. There are plenty of options for people to take part. People can sign up for full time attendance until June 20th, or for part-time attendance up to the day before you intend to attend. Please contact us if you’d like to take part in person (full vaccination required):
tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

Drop-In Attendance
All of the events are open to drop-in attendance for the fully vaccinated. Simply arrive ten minutes before the scheduled event, find an unoccupied place in the Zendo and take part. Drop-in attendees are expected to not attend meals. If you’d like to include a meal in your list simply contact us in advance and you can do a day, or half a day of part time practice.

Online Retreat
We are also offering this retreat online for those unable to come to the monastery. Online retreats can be as rigorous as an in-person retreat if you approach the self-directed activities with as much commitment as those broadcast.  Suggestions and procedure for getting the most out of a virtual sesshin can be found in our Guidelines for Virtual Events and Orientation to Virtual Sesshin.

The online retreat will have four major broadcast blocks throughout the day:
5am to 7am: Choka and Zazen
10:30am to Noon: Zazen
2pm to 4pm: Dharma Talk and Zazen
6pm to 9pm: Zazen

Zoom Link for Online Retreat: [event has passed]

To receive the links for the Virtual Events by email: Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list.

For this retreat we will be working on practices and approaches to training for retreat, daily practice and amidst the furor of daily life. Rooted in traditional practice, the approach we will be studying extends into the natural world with simple practices we can engage in beyond the zendo. The primary text for this retreat will be Dewdrops on Stinging Nettles a practice guide we have put together. This will be supplemented with classic texts throughout the tradition. Copies of the text can be acquired here: Dewdrops on Stinging Nettles.

Essential Files
• Download the full schedule: Summer Solstice Retreat Schedule
• The sutra book we will be using can be downloaded here:: Virtual Sutra book
• An excerpt of our text covering the outside practices can be downloaded here: Dewdrops on Stinging Nettles – Outside Practices

Retreat Schedule

Sunday, June 20th

5:00pmInformal Dinner; Cleanup
6:00pmOrientation [in dining hall]
7:30pmZazen
8:00pmOpening Sutra (sutras p.16);
Introductory Talk
8:45pmKaichin [in kitchen]
All times Pacific Time. Please arrive/tune in ten minutes before scheduled events.
Events in Bold will be streamed.

Monday June 20th – Saturday June 26th

5:00amChoka  (sutras p.3-14); Sampai; Han
5:40amZazen (short period); Kinhin
6:00amZazen; Zazen
7:00amBreakfast; Cleanup; Break
8:15amSamu [meet on kitchen deck]
10:30amOutside Zazen; Kinhin
11:30amZazen;
11:55amLunch; Cleanup; Break
2:00pmDharma Talk; Kinhin
3:00pmZazen; Zazen
4:00pmOutside practice [meet at zendo]
5:00pmDinner (informal, optional); Cleanup; Break
6:00pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin;
7:00pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:00pmZazen; Zazen
8:45pmSarei (tea); 
Han; Closing Sutra (sutras p.17); Sampai
9:00pmKaichin
All times Pacific Time. Please arrive/tune in ten minutes before scheduled events.
Events in Bold will be streamed.

Sunday, June 27th

5:00amAbbreviated Choka (sutras p.3, 4, 10, 12, 13); Han;
5:20amZazen (short period); Kinhin
5:45amZazen
6:15amClosing Sutra (sutras p. 6,7); Closing Talk
6:30amBreakfast; Cleanup; Break
8:00amZazenkai  (sutras p.3, 10, 14)
9:30amInformal Tea [on kitchen deck]
All times Pacific Time. Please arrive/tune in ten minutes before scheduled events.
Events in Bold will be streamed.

 Please email us with any questions, or for registration information: tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

This retreat is offered without charge, however there are costs to us for food, utilities, printing and operations. So please do consider making a donation online or in person with this in mind.

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Summer Solstice 2021 Weeklong Retreat

June 20th – 27th

Registration is open, please email us at:  tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

As we transition into summer we conclude the Spring Training period with a weeklong retreat.  This will mark the fifth retreat that has been held at Tahoma since the pandemic began. These retreats have all been put on by the monastery staff and have all been available online.  This retreat will be available in person for those fully vaccinated and will bring to a culmination the practice that has been presented over the last year.

This retreat will feature expanded activities taking place outside and will emphasize practice that integrates into our daily lives and lay practice. All of the indoor activities will be presented online via Zoom for those who are unable to be fully vaccinated by the retreat. But this will be a very valuable experience for everyone as we resume full time in person practice and we encourage everyone who is able to to come in person. The text that we will be using for the retreat will be presented to all attendees. For those practicing at home you can acquire your own copy, or download an excerpt with just the outdoor practices here: Dewdrops on Stringing Nettles.

There will be options for full time or part time residential participation,  drop-in attendance and online participation.  We ask that everyone who attends email us stating their desire to attend and in what capacity. We will allow drop-in attendance without prior notification either in person or via Zoom if one is unable to commit beforehand or discovers some free time. We absolutely encourage participation in whatever way that works for you. For those attending full time registration will be required as we need to have attendance information for meals, allergies, emergency contact and so on.  

We are still being cautious and of course have to follow WA State guidelines. This limits us to twenty (20) people in the Zendo as of this mailing, so this is our limit for in-person attendance. So please register soon and if we exceed that number there will be a waitlist. We will expand the limits if the State changes the guidelines which are dependent on vaccination rates. We also are asking that people staying in residence arrive the afternoon of the 20th, and depart by the afternoon on the 27th. On the final day we will conclude with choka and a closing ceremony followed by Zazenkai for those who wish to sit with the local sangha.  Below is the schedule of the weeks events (subject to change).

June 20th, 2021
1pm: Campus opens for residents.
5pm: Informal Dinner
6pm: Orientation
7:30pm: Opening Ceremony/Zazen 

June 21st-26th, 2021
4:50am –  9:00pm: Retreat Daily Schedule

June 27th, 2021
4:50am: Zazen/Closing Ceremony
8am: Zazenkai
10am: Cleanup
Noon: Departure

As we wish to share the dharma with everyone we are not setting a fixed cost for the retreat. However there are costs to us for food, utilities and operations. So please do consider making a donation online or in person with this in mind.

If you’d like to volunteer to help with cooking,  to prepare food beforehand, or to donate snacks or sarei treats, please email:  tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

There will be a post early next week with the full schedule, Zoom Information and other information for the retreat. Additionally an email will be sent to the mailing list with this information. Sign up to our mailing list here: Monastery Messages.

Registration is open, please email us at:  tahoma@tahomazenmonastery.com

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Summer Solstice Weekend Intensive

June 19th-21st: Virtual Summer Solstice Weekend
Tahoma Zen Monastery

June 20th is the Summer Solstice and as is our tradition we will sit from sunup to sundown on this day. We will bracket this day of practice with extended sitting Friday evening and Sunday morning, concluding with Zazenkai. All of the sitting periods will be broadcast online and we will follow the schedule of the recent virtual Sesshin.  Drop-in attendance for the zazen and samu periods will be allowed though we will not be able to accommodate any communal activities beyond that. 

Zoom Link:  [event has passed]

Friday evening Schedule

5:30pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
6:30pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin
7:30pmZazen; Zazen; 
8:20pmKaichin / Yaza
All times  Pacific Time.
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Please tune into events five (5) minutes early

Saturday Schedule 

5:00amChoka (Sutras); sampai ; Han
5:40amZazen [short period]; Kinhin
6:05amZazen; Zazen
7:00amBreakfast / samu / break
11:00amUninterrupted Outside Zazen 
12:00pmLunch / break
2:00pmDharma Talk; Zazen; Kinhin
3:00pmZazen; Zazen
4:00pmOutside Practice / Dinner / Break
6:00pmUninterrupted Zazen; Kinhin
7:00pmZazen; Zazen; Kinhin
8:00pmZazen; Zazen; 
8:50pmKaichin / Yaza
All times  Pacific Time.
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Please tune into events five (5) minutes early

Sunday Morning Schedule

5:00amChoka (Sutras); sampai ; Han
5:40amZazen [short period]; Kinhin
6:00amZazen;
6:30amBreakfast / break
8:00amZazenkai
9:15amInformal Q&A
All times  Pacific Time.
Events in Bold will be streamed, events in Italics are self-directed.
Please tune into events five (5) minutes early

Download the sutra book here: Tahoma Sutra book
Dai Segaki can be found here:  Chant booklet

Before taking part in a Virtual Event at Tahoma please read this post:
Guidelines for Virtual Events

To receive the links for the Virtual Events by email:
Tahoma Virtual Events mailing list.

Thank your for your continuing support and please email us with any questions:  Contact Information. 

Notes and sources for the Dharma talks will be posted here, after the end of weekend.