Retreats
Zen Meditation Retreats for Increasing Mindfulness
We strongly encourage everyone to step back from their busy lives and attend retreats as often as possible. They are a wonderful way to deepen your practice.
We have been offering meditation retreats for over 25 years. We now offer 3 seven-day retreats each year as well as several three-day meditation retreats. These retreats are non-residential and are conducted in deep silence. They involve intensive meditation, daily dharma talks, interviews with teachers, morning services, work practice rest, the Practice of Immediacy in the Arts® and 3 delicious Zen home-cooked meals a day (meals for full-time participants).
If you live in the area you can sleep at home.
If you are traveling from a distance, the Zen Center is located about 20 minutes drive from either the O'hare International Airport or the Midway Airport. You may make reservations at The Carleton of Oak Park which is close to the Green Line train which goes right by the Zen Center. It's about a 5 minute train ride away. You may choose to also find cheaper accommodations at local Airbnb's. There are many such rental opportunities in Oak Park. If you wish, we can also provide you with car transportation to and from your hotel or Airbnb, as long as it's within the immediate area of the Zen Center.
We ask that you have an established meditation practice before you come to the 7-day retreats.
Upcoming 2019 Meditation Retreats:
Fall Retreat: Sept. 1 - 7th, 2019
3 Day Fall Retreat: October 9 - 12th, 2019
Fall Retreat
This retreat will be held in deep silence. It includes intensive meditation, morning Zen services, daily dharma talks, Practice of Immediacy™, council circle, private interviews with teachers, work practice, rest and 3 delicious home-cooked Zen meals each day for full time participants.
You may attend either the full 7 Day Retreat, or a 3 Day Retreat held during the full retreat. You may participate full time or part time for the 7 Day Retreat, but the 3 Day Retreat is full-time only. If someone wants to attend both the morning and evening sessions, they can buy the morning pass and the evening pass.
We ask all participants to be present for the first night of training. We recommend that you have a regular meditation practice to do this retreat full time.
This is a non-residential retreat, participants are requested to sleep at home.
Schedule:
7 Day Retreat: Sunday, Sept. 1st - Saturday, Sept. 7th
3 Day Retreat: Weds., Sept. 4th - Sat. September 7th
Cost:
7 Day Retreat: $525; $420 for ZLMC Members
3 Day Retreat: $225; $180 for ZLMC Members
Part Time Costs:
7 Day Retreat: All Mornings Pass - $175/$140 Members
7 Day Retreat: All Evenings Pass - $175/$140 Members
3 Day Fall Retreat
This retreat will be held in deep silence. It includes intensive meditation, morning Zen services, daily dharma talks, council circle, private interviews with teachers, work practice, rest and 3 delicious home-cooked Zen meals each day.
Schedule:
Retreat begins Thursday, October 9th at 7:00 pm
Retreat ends Saturday, October 12th at 9:00 pm
Cost: $225/$180 for Members
The only part-time passes are available for 7 day retreats and consists of participating in all of the morning meditations or all of the evening meditations.
We will only be able to refund your fee, if you cancel at least one week before the retreat. The passes you buy for a retreat are only good for that retreat and no others.
Equity Policy: The Zen Life & Meditation Center, Chicago is committed to providing dharma teachings to anyone regardless of their ability to pay. We have set up a Dharma Fund which our members contribute to in order to support this policy. As a result, partial scholarships are always available for any of our programs or offerings.