Retreat Reports: Western Zen Retreat

We publish selections from retreat reports written after Western Chan Fellowship retreats, to illustrate the range of experiences people go through as they investigate themselves in silent meditation. These reports are printed anonymously and may be lightly edited.

Western Zen Retreat April 2019, a participant reports

Calligraphy for the character Chan

I arrived not knowing what the retreat was going to be like. I knew we would investigate the question “who am I?” but preferred to find out how once I…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2019 , Western Zen Retreat Reports , Anon

Western Zen Retreat 2016 Report

Calligraphy for the character Chan

I am not sure where or when the journey to Maenllwyd began, but it had its roots long before the day of our arrival for a Western Zen retreat in…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2016 , Western Zen Retreat Reports

Western Zen Retreat with Hilary and Rebecca, February 2015

Calligraphy for the character Chan

I was amazed to see how much came up during the communication exercises.

It went on till the last exercise unhindered by my attempt to tie things up…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2015 , Western Zen Retreat Reports , Anon

Glimpsing myself

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I had never been on any kind of retreat before I arrived at the Western Zen retreat at Maenllwyd in November. It was something I had been building up…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2013 , Western Zen Retreat Reports

Letting go of this, letting go of that: what then?

Calligraphy for the character Chan

I arrived at my first Western Zen retreat with no expectations and was looking forward to spending five days meditating in the beautiful Welsh…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Western Zen Retreat Reports

Not a Bad Starting Point!

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The WZR was my first retreat with the WCF. Before that I had been practicing Zen in the Soto tradition for about eight years. I participated in about…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Western Zen Retreat Reports

30 Years Later

Calligraphy for the character Chan

The retreat gave me a space and context to deal with a situation that seemed overwhelming and allowed me to feel grief and sadness freely, without any…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Western Zen Retreat Reports

Until Next Time...

Calligraphy for the character Chan

As I neared Maenllwyd I could see where I needed to get to as I recognised it from the pictures but I wasn’t sure which way to go. One way had a…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Western Zen Retreat Reports

Keep Practicing!

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The retreat was a scientific experiment and the constants were meditation, eating, working, sleeping, waking, meditating. The repetition of the same…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2006 , Western Zen Retreat Reports , Anon

Fixing the Separator

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Before setting off on my journey to the retreat I was looking forward to the train journey and to a few hours walking before arriving at the Maenllwyd…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2004 , Western Zen Retreat Reports , Anon

Finding the Fullness of Myself

Calligraphy for the character Chan

I arrived at Maenllwyd with a willingness to open to the fullness of my experience, and to be present with that which I regarded as difficult or…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2004 , Western Zen Retreat Reports , Anon

What's This?

Calligraphy for the character Chan

Since attending the WZR at Pinebush (2004) I have been listening to tapes of John's talks frequently while driving. Earlier today, driving along and…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2004 , Anon , Western Zen Retreat Reports

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