2025 Fall Sesshin is 11/12 - 11/16/2025

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025 at 5:00PM - Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at 2:30PM

Steps to Register:

1. Registration will open October 1, 2025. 
2.  You may commute to Sacred Waters from home each day or purchase a ticket that includes overnight accommodation at Sacred Waters. 
3. To assist Sacred Waters, we are handling the room reservations and payment. Please do not contact Sacred Waters about room reservations.
4. While we encourage and enthusiastically welcome new applicants, when space is limited, it will go to those who sit regularly with the Sangha or are established students of Maria and/or John. We expect to have plenty of room for commuters.

Sesshin means "encounter with the heart." It is an intensive silent retreat centered on Zen meditation and guidance from a teacher. With consecutive days of focused and supported group practice, we can deepen our practice and open up to the core of our being. Space is limited, and priority is given to regular Sophia Zen Center practitioners and students of our guiding teacher Maria Reis Habito.

Schedule:

A typical day starts at 6:30 AM and ends at 9:15 PM with the following schedule:

• 90 minutes of Zazen before breakfast
• Breakfast
• Zen chores
• 60-minute break
• Zen Talk (30 minutes)
• 90 Minutes of Zazen
• Lunch
• Rest for 2.5 hours
• Tea Ceremony (30 minutes)
• Zazen for 60 minutes
• 30-minute walk or rest
• Zazen for 30 minutes
• Dinner
• Break for 90 minutes
• Zazen for 90 minutes
• Chant Sutras
• Day ends at 9:15PM

Meals are vegetarian with a vegan option. Report any dietary restrictions on the registration form.

Sacred Waters address: 16990 Douglas Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545. The phone number is 574-277-0034.

Questions? Contact John Petersen at SophiaZenCenter@gmail.com or 574-309-8370.

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