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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261211T180000
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DTSTAMP:20260922T221920
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SUMMARY:Voice as Practice with Meredith Monk & Ellen Fisher
DESCRIPTION:  \nMeredith Monk and Ellen Fisher return to the Garrison Institute for this in-person workshop where voice\, movement\, and image intersect to create an opportunity for us each to discover our own personal richness. \nEach session will begin with a short\, guided meditation\, followed by a detailed vocal and movement warm-up. We will explore how the outbreath expands into sound\, tone\, and resonance\, and work with exercises to deepen our listening and awareness of our environment as well as the voices coming through us. The playful aspect of creation and the joy of discovering our unique vocal qualities will be emphasized as a way of connecting us to the healing power of the voice and body. \nDuring the weekend\, Meredith will also give a talk on the relationship she has crafted between her Buddhist practice and her art\, and Ellen will join her for a Q&A. \nThe workshop is open to all experiences and backgrounds.\n  \n\nTEACHERS\n  \nPhoto credit to F. Scott Schafer \n  \nMeredith Monk is a composer\, singer\, director/choreographer\, filmmaker\, and creator of new opera\, music-theater works\, films and installations. Recognized as one of the most unique and influential artists of our time\, she is a pioneer of what is now called “extended vocal technique” and “interdisciplinary performance”. Celebrated internationally\, her work\, workshops\, and lectures on Art as Practice have been presented at major venues throughout the world. \n\n  \n  \n  \nPhoto credit to Ben Stechschulte \n  \nEllen Fisher is a movement-based performance artist whose work integrates gestural actions with visual elements such as film and shadow play. She began performing with Meredith Monk/The House in the 1970s. Ellen also teaches and lectures regularly on dance both domestically and internationally. \n\n  \n  \n  \n  \nTo learn more about their work\, please visit www.meredithmonk.org \n  \n  \n__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, Double and Commuter rooms available. Please note\, there is no available guest elevator and all rooms are accessible by stairs—except for those reserved for the mobility-impaired on the first floor. There are two communal bathrooms on each residential floor as well as a comfortable lounge with sofas and easy chairs\, where tea and instant coffee are available. The lounges also are equipped with wireless\, high-speed internet connection. There are several local hotels within driving distance from the Institute\, for those who wish to stay off-site\, as commuters. Onsite meals are included with commuter registrations.\n\n\n \nCOVID-19\nThe health and safety of our guests and staff is a top priority for the Garrison Institute. To attend a retreat or event all guests\, teachers\, and staff are strongly encouraged to self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site\, and to bring a 2nd self-test kit when coming on site. We encourage everyone to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before your visit. If you experience symptoms or have a positive diagnosis\, please notify us immediately at events@garrisoninstitute.org We will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by our local officials\, New York State and the CDC.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/voice-as-practice-with-meredith-monk-ellen-fisher-december-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/meredith-monk-ellen-fisher.png
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261226T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270101T140000
DTSTAMP:20260922T221920
CREATED:20260916T193346Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T222409Z
UID:51496-1798297200-1798812000@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Village Zendo Annual Winter Retreat
DESCRIPTION:Finding Refuge in Community\n  \nThe Village Zendo’s year-end retreat is a chance to step out of ordinary life and enjoy deep silence and contemplation at the turning of the year. \nOur schedule is serious (with plenty of zazen meditation) but also spacious\, with time to enjoy the beautiful grounds and nearby trails. Dharma talks are given daily\, and there is opportunity to meet individually with teachers. Delicious vegetarian meals are offered buffet-style.  \nIf you have put off doing a residential retreat\, or felt intimidated to try one\, this is a wonderful opportunity. A special orientation will be offered to those new to Zen or to Village Zendo retreats. \nCome and join the Village Zendo sangha as we greet the new year with clear minds and open hearts. \n  \nThis retreat will be held in silence\n  \nPRICING & REGISTRATION\n  \nRegistration is a 2-part process: \n1. Program Fee – In order to reserve your spot on this retreat\, there is a separate registration fee due to Village Zendo. Please register for the course HERE first. \n2. Then\, register for room & board with us the Garrison Institute\, using the registration form at the bottom of this page. \n  \nThere are two options being offered for this retreat: \nFull Retreat: December 26 to January 1\nHalf Retreat: December 26 to December 29 \n  \n\nTEACHERS\n  \nPhoto Credit: A. Jesse Jiryu Davis \nThe Village Zendo is a community of people who come together to practice in the Soto Zen tradition. We offer zazen (sitting meditation)\, one-on-one instruction with a teacher\, dharma talks\, chanting services\, retreats\, workshops and study groups. Co-founded in 1986 by Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara and Roshi Barbara Joshin O’Hara\, the Village Zendo is committed to authentically continuing the Zen tradition while keeping it contemporary and relevant to today’s world. We are located in lower Manhattan and additionally offer a hybrid zendo\, with a vibrant online community that participates virtually\, from different locations all over the world. \nOur Abbot Emerita\, Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara (now retired)\, received dharma transmission in the White Plum lineage of Taizan Maezumi Roshi\, which incorporates both the Soto and Rinzai Zen traditions. Village Zendo has been given the Japanese name Dotoku-ji (True Expression Temple). The zendo is known for its vibrant and diverse community and the stability of a sangha that draws from a core of longtime dedicated practitioners. Our programming emphasizes the myriad ways Zen relates to our daily lives by way of writing\, social action\, health and well-being\, and the arts\, as well as traditional Zen studies. \nOur new Abbot\, Roshi Shinryu Thomson\, received Denkai\, or full priest ordination\, from Enkyo O’Hara Roshi in August 2007\, dharma transmission in December 2009\, and Inka in January 2021. He has been affiliated with the Village Zendo since 1998. He also leads the Phajjsi Qollut Jalsu Zen Center in La Paz\, Bolivia\, which he co-founded in 1992. As abbot\, he is supported by Enkyo Roshi’s twelve dharma successors who form the VZ teaching staff. \n  \nPlease email events@garrisoninstitute.org with any questions.\n  \nThere are Single and Double rooms available. Please note\, there is no available guest elevator and all rooms are accessible by stairs—except for those reserved for the mobility-impaired on the first floor.  There are two communal bathrooms on each residential floor as well as a comfortable lounge with sofas and easy chairs\, where tea and instant coffee are available. The lounges also are equipped with wireless\, high-speed internet connection. \n\n\n \n  \nCOVID-19\nThe health and safety of our guests and staff is a top priority for the Garrison Institute. To attend a retreat or event all guests\, teachers\, and staff are strongly encouraged to self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site\, and to bring a 2nd self-test kit when coming on site. We ask everyone to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before your visit. If you experience symptoms or have a positive diagnosis\, please notify us immediately at events@garrisoninstitute.org We will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by our local officials\, New York State and the CDC.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/village-zendo-annual-winter-retreat-2026/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person,Silent Retreat
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Village-Zendo-Banner-Graphic.png
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270113T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270117T130000
DTSTAMP:20260922T221920
CREATED:20260727T203823Z
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SUMMARY:Beginner’s Mind Sesshin: A Winter Silent Retreat of Wholehearted Practice
DESCRIPTION:New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care\nJanuary 13 – January 17\, 2026 \n\n  \nSesshin\, the Japanese term for a Zen meditation retreat\, holds the profound meaning of “touching the heart-mind” and stands as a fundamental pillar of Zen practice. This exceptional occasion offers a precious opportunity for us to delve deeper into our practice alongside a supportive community of fellow practitioners. During our time together\, we will explore the teachings of the Wholehearted Way\, emphasizing the ever-present possibility of intimacy and the sheer delight of experiencing life’s fresh reality. \nThrough the practice of sitting and walking meditation\, engaging dharma talks\, and intimate dokusan sessions with a teacher\, we will immerse ourselves in the transformative power of Noble Silence. Let us come together\, here and now\, embracing this five-day\, four-night journey of discovery and growth. \n  \nRETREAT ACCOMMODATIONS\nRooms are located on the second\, third\, and fourth floors. There are two spacious communal bathrooms on each residential floor. There is no elevator. \n  \n  \nWHAT’S INCLUDED\nAll prices include tuition\, lodging\, and three vegetarian meals a day. Supporter Level and Benefactor Level pricing are available for those who wish to increase their support of NYZC and our work to make the dharma accessible to all. \n  \n  \n  \nTEACHERS\n\nChodo Robert Campbell Sensei\, is a co-founder of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care – a non-profit organization that focuses on the teaching of Zen and Buddhist practice with the goal to make them more accessible to people all around the world. The center delivers contemplative approaches to care through education\, personal caregiving\, and meditation practice. Chodo is a dynamic\, grounded\, and visionary leader and teacher; he has traveled extensively throughout the U.S instructing in various institutions. Sixty-thousand people listen to his podcasts each year. His passion lies in bereavement counseling and advocating for change in the way our healthcare institutions work with the dying. \nHe is also on the faculty of the University of Arizona Medical School’s Center for Integrative Medicine’s Integrative Medicine Fellowship and the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine in San Diego. \n  \nKoshin Paley Ellison Sensei\, MFA\, LMSW\, DMIN\, is an author\, Zen teacher\, Jungian psychotherapist\, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. After many years as a chaplain and psychotherapist\, Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care\, which offers contemplative approaches to care through education\, personal caregiving\, and Zen practice. Today\, New York Zen Center’s methodologies are internationally recognized—and have touched the lives of tens of thousands of individuals. Koshin is a world renowned thought leader in contemplative care. He is the author of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity\, Courage\, and Compassion (Balance/Hachette\, 2022); Wholehearted: Slow Down\, Help Out\, Wake Up (Wisdom Publications\, 2019) and the co-editor of Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care (Wisdom Publications\, 2016). His work has been featured in the New York Times\, PBS\, CBS Sunday Morning\, Tricycle among other publications. \nHe is currently on the faculty of the University of Arizona Medical School’s Center for Integrative Medicine’s Integrative Medicine Fellowship\, on Faculty of the Integrative Medicine Fellowship of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine\, and he is a visiting professor at the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics\, of the University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston Medical School. \n  \n  \n\nClick here to REGISTER
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/beginners-mind-sesshin-a-winter-silent-retreat-2027/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/LR-Dedicated-Winter-Sesshin-Sep-15-2024.png
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270219T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270226T120000
DTSTAMP:20260922T221920
CREATED:20260901T131355Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T161206Z
UID:51278-1803060000-1803643200@www.garrisoninstitute.org
SUMMARY:Westchester Meditation Center Annual Retreat 2027
DESCRIPTION:2027 Westchester Meditation Center Annual Retreat\nFriday\, February 19 through Friday\, February 26\, 2027\nAt the Garrison Institute\, with Judy Lief\n\nWinter is a natural time to deepen our practice \nPlease join us for our annual retreat \nPractitioners of all levels are warmly welcomed\nThis retreat includes a separate track for vajrayana practitioners*\n  \nMany people are drawn to meditation as a means to develop more serenity and clarity. But a deeper transformation of our experience is possible. A well-established meditation practice grounds us deeply in an openness that is also clear\, flexible and resilient. We are then better able to rise to life’s challenges with the kindness of an open heart. \nA week-long immersive retreat is a powerful way to deepen our relationship to meditation and see its benefits. With a settled mind\, we can tune into our innate wellbeing and our open heart. Mindfulness-awareness meditation\, fully understood\, can directly support overcoming our fixed\, inflexible patterns\, and allow the emergence of a more stable attitude of acceptance and kindness. We hope you can join us in exploring and fine-tuning these qualities that our world needs more than ever. \nSurrounded by natural beauty and far from the clamor of our busy lives\, Garrison Institute offers the ideal environment for deep contemplative practice. We welcome both new and experienced practitioners to attend this retreat. \nThe retreat will be jointly led by Judy Lief\, a senior teacher in the tradition of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and master editor of his works\, and senior teachers of the Westchester Meditation Center\, Derek and Jane Kolleeny and Gene Bobker. \nThis mostly silent retreat will be primarily focused on sitting meditation\, but the daily schedule will also include walking meditation\, dharma talks\, discussion groups\, two individual meetings with a meditation instructor\, yoga\, and free time. \nThe separate vajrayana track* will include talks on the Ganges Mahamudra by Tilopa! Again\, there will be separate shrine rooms for all types of vajrayana practitioners. \n\n\nSILENCE\nWhile most of the week is in silence\, exceptions include the first and last days\, scheduled group discussions and meditation instruction meetings\, and Q&A sessions after teacher talks. \n  \nSCHOLARSHIPS\n  \nWestchester Meditation Center is committed to making our programs affordable to all. Scholarships are available for this program so if you would like to be considered for financial support please let us know by completing this application. \n\n\nABOUT US\n  \nFor more information about WMC visit the website\, westchestermeditationcenter.org and for more information about Judy Lief\, visit her website at https://judylief.com/ \n  \n\nTEACHERS\n  \nJudy Lief\, Senior Teacher in the tradition of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche\nJudy Lief is a Buddhist teacher who trained under the Tibetan meditation master\, Ven. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She has been a teacher and practitioner for over 35 years\, and she continues to teach throughout the world. Judy is known for offering insights and practices stemming from the Buddhist tradition as a support for ordinary people facing the difficulties and challenges of modern life. Judy leads retreats and workshops as well as presenting online teachings. In her teaching\, Judy prefers questions to answers\, humor to earnestness\, delight to solemnity. Judy teaches with clarity and empathy\, with deep respect for the wisdom of the Buddhist teachings and the power of Buddhist practice. She especially enjoys sharing insights drawn from her Buddhist training with people simply looking for a way to develop more mindfulness and kindness in their lives. Judy’s teaching is marked by gentleness\, humility\, and an occasional poke of insight. \n  \n  \nJane Kolleeny\, Westchester Meditation Center Senior Teacher\nJane Kolleeny has been studying and practicing Buddhism since the early seventies when her teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche arrived in Boulder\, Colorado. A native Coloradan\, she moved to New York in 1990 and taught classes at the New York Shambhala Center for many years\, organizing and teaching at the Tuesday dharma gatherings for nine years. She serves as volunteer retreats and business development director at Garrison Institute. \n  \n  \n  \nGene Bobker\, Westchester Meditation Center Senior Teacher\nGene Bobker met Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche as a student at University of Colorado the summer of 1971. She attended the 1974 seminary and became a meditation instructor in 1976. In the late seventies she became a teacher at the New York Shambhala Center and also served as director of the center from 1977 to 1982. In 1982 she staffed the Bedford Springs Seminary\, and later served as practice department coordinator in New York. She has been teaching at Westchester Meditation Center for ten years. Genie has served as an educator in the Westchester public school system. She has led mindfulness/awareness training for educators in school and camps\, and has taught meditation to students in classroom settings. Genie is a mother and grandmother. \n  \n  \nDerek Kolleeny\, Westchester Meditation Center Senior Teacher\nDerek began the practice and study of Buddhism with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1976. In 1982 He earned a B.A. from Harvard College in the Comparative Study of World Religions\, focused on Buddhism\, including study of Sanskrit and Tibetan languages. From 1999-2004 he served as head of practice and study of Shambhala Center of NY. In 2004 he created Rime Shedra NYC to provide practitioners access to the core classical texts of the Buddhist tradition and in 2009 he co-founded WMC (initially called WBC). He teaches a wide range of weekly courses and programs on Buddhist meditation and philosophy with insight\, joy and humor. \n  \n  \nACCOMMODATIONS \nThere are Single\, Double and Dorm (3 people) rooms available. Please note\, there is no available guest elevator and all rooms are accessible by stairs—except for those reserved for the mobility-impaired on the first floor. Dorm rooms are located exclusively on the fourth floor. There are two communal bathrooms on each residential floor as well as a comfortable lounge with sofas and easy chairs\, where tea and instant coffee are available. The lounges also are equipped with wireless\, high-speed internet connection. There are several local hotels within driving distance from the Institute\, for those who wish to stay off-site\, as commuters. Onsite meals are included with commuter registrations.\n\n\n \n  \n  \nCOVID-19\nThe health and safety of our guests and staff is a top priority for the Garrison Institute. To attend a retreat or event all guests\, teachers\, and staff are strongly encouraged to self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site\, and to bring a 2nd self-test kit when coming on site. We ask everyone to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses before your visit. If you experience symptoms or have a positive diagnosis\, please notify us immediately at events@garrisoninstitute.org We will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by our local officials\, New York State and the CDC.
URL:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/westchester-meditation-center-annual-retreat-2027/
LOCATION:In-Person\, 14 Mary’s Way Route 9D\, Garrison\, NY\, 10524\, United States
CATEGORIES:In Person,Partially Silent Retreat
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WMC-2026-Retreat.jpg
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