What to Bring

 

Clothing:

  • Loose and comfortable clothes for sitting (but please, no noisy fabrics such as nylon)
  • Easy-on-and-off shoes; i.e., sandals. No shoes allowed in the zendo.
  • Blanket or shawl to stay warm during sits, as the zendo is kept cool to promote wakefulness.
  • Rain gear
  • A comfortable jacket/sweater (depending on the weather)

Sit Gear:

  • Meditation bench or cushion (Zafu)
  • Meditation pad (Zabuton) or folded blanket
  • Any pillows required to aid with sitting in a *chair
  • Back Jack or seat with back support if you want to sit on the floor during dharma talk

Other Supplies:

  • Flashlight
  • Yoga mat
  • Coffee/tea mug to avoid disposables
  • Water bottle (filtered water is available)
  • Notepad and pen
  • Earplugs (in case you are a light sleeper)

 *Cushioned chairs are available in the zendo (meditation hall). You do not need to bring any sit gear if you don’t want to.

Bedding/towels are provided and a cart will be placed in the breezeway with fresh towels midway through the retreat. 

Just in Case

If it happens that you’ve forgotten a necessary item (i.e. toothpaste, earplugs, etc.) there is a small supply of ‘essentials’ available, so please see the Retreat Manager before going to a store.

For retreats longer than a week, a ‘Store Run’ is a volunteer task.  An envelope with a note and money for your need is left in a basket the morning of the designated day, purchased by the Store Run volunteer in the afternoon and left on the table for you to pick up.