“I think it is the good teachers who will be able to change the world. That’s my belief, because a teacher can nourish, can heal, can build healthy, happy human beings.”
- Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Greatwoods Zen is excited to begin offering daylong mindfulness retreats for classroom teachers, administrators, social workers, others in the field of education, and basically anyone who works with youth/young people.

This retreat will offer participants a chance to refresh themselves and cultivate their own personal mindfulness practice as a base for any sharing of mindfulness with others. It will support them to have an experiential understanding of the practices, and develop the language and skills needed to bring the practice back to the communities they serve. They will also learn effective methods to enhance presence and connection with others, attention, kindness, and emotional well-being inside and outside the classroom.

The retreat center at Greatwoods Zen offers an intimate setting in nature that pleasantly supports our communal practice of mindfulness. The modest retreat size is a precious and powerful opportunity that allows for every participant to have personal contact with the Teachers.

We are excited to share that we have ample scholarships for this retreat!

“If we are at war with our parents, our family, our society, or our church, there is probably a war going on inside us also, so the most basic work for peace is to return to ourselves and create harmony among the elements within us - our feelings, our perceptions, and our mental states. That is why the practice of meditation, looking deeply, is so important.”
- Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Greatwoods Zen is excited to begin offering daylong mindfulness retreats for families (dads, moms, and kids!)

The day will include a full children’s program where children will practice apart from parents for a while and times when the whole family will practice together. We welcome children 6 to 12 years old. Younger children may come if accompanied by an adult. Children older than 12 may attend as well, but the program will be mainly for children of the younger age range.

This retreat will offer all participants a chance to refresh themselves and to learn how to cultivate their own personal mindfulness practice as a base for well-being of the family. It will support them to have an experiential understanding of the practices, and develop the language and skills needed to bring the practice back home into daily life. They will also learn effective methods to enhance presence and connection with others, attention, kindness, and emotional well-being inside and outside the house.

The retreat center at Greatwoods Zen offers an intimate setting in nature that pleasantly supports our communal practice of mindfulness. The modest retreat size is a precious and powerful opportunity that allows for every participant to have personal contact with the Teachers.

We are excited to share that we are offering this retreat on a donation basis so that money is not an obstacle to attend. Those who attend are encouraged to donate what they feel is fair and what makes sense for their financial situation.

A schedule for the retreat will be posted shortly.

“We talk about social service, service to the people, service to humanity, service to others who are far away, helping to bring peace to the world - but often we forget that it is the very people around us that we must live for first of all. If you cannot serve your wife or husband or child or parent - how are you going to serve society? If you cannot make your own child happy, how do you expect to be able to make anyone else happy? If all our friends in the peace movement or of service communities of any kind do not love and help each other, whom can we love and help?”
- Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh