Fall 2026 Retreat

Thursday October 22, 7p to Sunday October 25, 12p

Zazen: The Practice of “Not Two”

The body itself is wisdom in motion.
For this reason, zazen is not something performed by the mind while the body passively accompanies it.
Body, breath, heart, mind, and world participate together in a single activity.
~ Roshi Joan Halifax

The heart of Zen practice is zazen. While zazen is often understood simply as meditation, it is far more than a technique or state of mind. Sitting in upright stillness, allowing breath and life energy to flow, we open ourselves to reality as it is. Not pushing away or grasping what arises, this practice invites us to rest in this very moment with intimacy and wholehearted presence. Here, the boundaries we habitually create between self and other, body and mind, inner and outer begin to soften, revealing the living truth of "not two." Residing in this mystery, we express the wholeness of life and glimpse the liberation of this one Buddha body.

You are invited to join Open Door Zen Community’s fall retreat, where we will explore the form and spirit of zazen together. Through periods of seated meditation, embodiment practice, dharma talks, and silent reflection, we will deepen our understanding of practice through direct experience. Practicing together in sangha (community) is a great blessing; it is an opportunity to support one another in settling more fully into the present moment and discovering the wisdom that is already here.

This retreat will be offered in person and online. Open Door Zen Community retreats offer a gentle entry point for new practitioners and the opportunity for us all to cultivate a larger container for life. Please note, this is a silent retreat. There will be opportunities for warm connection throughout and by cultivating noble silence together we create a rare and vital space for hearts and minds to quiet. Wherever you are on the path, please know you are welcome.

This retreat will be led by Open Door Zen Community students and teachers — Don Coleman, Kathryn Coleman, Becky Hiller, Anne Johnson and Kim Neuschel.

Retreat Leaders

  • Don and Kathryn Coleman

    Don and Kathryn have practiced taijiquan (forms, weapons and push hands), qigong, neigong, sitting zazen and studied the I Ching since 1984. They are both initiates in the Gold Mountain Daoist School of Internal Alchemy and Jin Dan (Gold & Cinnabar) Method. Mostly, they like to listen to birds and practice with Open Door Zen Community.

  • Becky Hiller

    Becky has been practicing mindfulness and studying Buddhism for over two decades, and has been practicing with Open Door Zen since 2018.  She formally became a student of Flint’s in 2022.  As a psychotherapist and Zen student she loves being in collaborative practice with others, and is fascinated and delighted by the process of it all.

  • Anne Johnson

    Anne was recently ordained as a priest in the Soto Zen lineage by her teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer. She serves several sanghas as sewing teacher. Anne is a retired licensed clinical social worker whose work focused on services to children and families.

  • Kim Neuschel

    Kim is an entrusted teacher in the Soto Zen lineage. She received entrustment in the Spring of 2025 from Roshi Flint Sparks and her sangha sister and teacher, Suzanne Kilkus. Kim has been studying with Flint since 2004 and is deeply grateful for the endless blessings of this path.

Registration Information

Join us in person - as a resident or commuter -  at Holy Wisdom Monastery,  4200 County Highway M, Middleton, WI 53562.

Or, join us online.

The dharma teachings begin Thursday, October 22 at 7p. The first evening serves as a gentle Dharma gate for our time together, allowing us to settle and enter into noble silence. We conclude the retreat Sunday, October 25 at noon.

ODZC is committed to financially accessible teachings, so please pay what you can based on your circumstances. For reference, the amount to cover costs to attend in person is $260, and online is $160. There will also be the opportunity to practice generosity through dana when the retreat concludes.

In person registration closes October 7 at 5p and online registration closes October 19 at 5p.

Please carefully review the Covid and Respiratory Illness Policy for in person participation.

Here is the Cancellation Policy.

Register Here

To reserve a room at Holy Wisdom Monastery, please email Brooke Livingston blivingston@holywisdommonastery.org

In the subject line of the email type,  ‘ODZC October Retreat room request’. In the body, include your first and last name, phone number, email, billing address and dates if different than those of the retreat. 

To preview room rates visit Holy Wisdom Monastery’s personal retreat page.

Mostly single and a few double rooms (2 single beds) are available.

Residential space is limited to 21 people so when booking a double room please consider a roommate.

Rooms are held for ODZC participants until September 22, and released to the public after that.

For questions email opendoorzencommunity@gmail.com