Registration to attend in person is closed.
Registration to attend online is open, below.
Dear Everyday Zen sangha,
This spring, we will again have the chance to sit together for six days, in person and online, waking with the bell and following the call of the han.
Sesshin will start at 6:00 pm on Monday, April 1, and end at noon on Sunday, April 7, 2023 (Pacific Time). The in-person gathering will be held again at the Santa Sabina Center in San Rafael. The virtual gathering will take place through Zoom.
Zoketsu Norman Fischer will lead the Sesshin. Mei Kan Gen Shin (Luminous River Manifesting Faith) Anlor Davin is our Shuso.
The draft daily schedule and guidelines for participating in person and online via Zoom can be found below, along with the link for dana to support our offerings. For in-person participants, there is also information on arrival and departure and Covid protocols. For online participants, there are notes and a link for registration.
Additional details for both in-person and online participants will be provided in ‘Welcome’ emails before the start of the sesshin.
We look forward to sharing this precious time for practice with you.
— Norman and the Everyday Zen Sesshin Team
Schedule
Daily Schedule
A core instruction in sesshin is to follow the schedule. The Daily Schedule for this year’s sesshin is linked to below.
Sesshin Daily Schedule (2024)Guidelines
Guidelines on Participation
Sesshin is an intense silent retreat different from our monthly one-day sittings. Here are guidelines from Norman that express our intention to practice together in sesshin with strong seriousness of purpose.
Dana
Support Everyday Zen
For in-person participants, the fee for room and board covers only our direct costs to Santa Sabina. Please consider making a separate donation of $150 for Norman and his teachings and for the administrative costs of organizing and offering this sesshin.
For online participants, joining the sesshin is by donation. The suggested donation is $150, depending on your circumstances.
Dana for practice discussion with senior teachers during sesshin can be arranged directly with senior teachers.
Make a DonationFor In Person Participants
Arrival Info
Arriving at Santa Sabina Center
On-site check-in to receive room assignments will begin at 4:00 pm on Monday, April 1. Proof of a negative Covid test will be required (see below). Please do not come earlier than requested unless you have been specifically invited by the inos to do so.
You will be able to set up your space in the zendo and get settled into your room prior to dinner, served at 6:00 p.m. An orientation, one period of zazen, and the Pali Refuges will complete the evening by 9:00 p.m.
Sesshin will end at noon Sunday, April 7.
Santa Sabina is not able to accommodate arrivals earlier than 4 pm on Monday, April 1 or departures earlier than noon or later than 2 pm on Sunday, April 7.
Covid Protocols
Covid Testing & Protocols
At the Santa Sabina Center, to ensure optimal health practices and for the safety of all participants, we will observe the protocols developed by our hosts and by the Everyday Zen Covid Safety Group, informed by current research. All attendees must be fully vaccinated and boosted.
Attendees are required to purchase a 2-pack of home antigen tests and to test once, on the Monday of sesshin before arriving at Santa Sabina, and a second time the next morning before breakfast (Tuesday). Proof of a negative test will be required in order to check in at Santa Sabina. Masking during sesshin will be optional.
Additional detail on these Covid protocols, including plans for responding in the event of positive test results occurring during sesshin, will be sent in the ‘Welcome’ email for in-person participants the week before the start of sesshin.
Because the Covid situation is in constant flux, there is always a possibility that the protocols will change. If this happens, participants will be alerted by email right away. Please be prepared to bring N95, KN95, or KF94 masks.
For those traveling on an airplane we recommend testing at home with a rapid antigen test before you leave, as well.
For Online Participants
Information & Registration
Join Online via Zoom
As with any sesshin, in signing up to join the sesshin online via Zoom, you are making a commitment to follow the schedule and the guidelines of the Inos.
Online participation in the sesshin is designed for those who sign up to sit the full sesshin. It is not offered as an opportunity for drop-in practice. At the same time, we realize that not everyone will be able to follow the sesshin schedule in sync with the in-person sangha in Santa Sabina.
Before registering, please review the sections above on the sesshin schedule, guidelines, and dana, and see the registration page for more details.
To register, please click the button below and follow the instructions on that page. Registration closes on Saturday, March 30 at 6:30 pm (PDT).
