Zazenkai (Daylong Retreat)

This daylong is the April installment of a six-part 2026 series on women ancestors in modern Zen. Valerie Forstman, an Associate Zen Master, focuses this month on Silvia Ostertag Roshi, a Swiss-born Sanbo Zen teacher who was also a musician. Silvia founded a "Gesture Play" and meditation center near Cologne and framed her days with zazen, often writing poems after sitting to guide students. The dharma talk opens with one of her poems, "Earth Gratitude," and explores the winding arc of her life—including her death to cancer—as an expression of her teaching: moment to moment, not the slightest separation.

The schedule runs 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time and includes sitting periods, walking meditation (kinhin), one or two guided movement sessions, a dharma talk from Valerie, and afternoon Q&A. In-person participants should bring their own lunch; tea and coffee are provided. The center describes Forstman as bringing "a rare combination of authentic dharma experience and scholarly depth" to encounters with these lineage ancestors.

The retreat is available both in-person and online via Zoom. In-person registration is $60; online is $30. Members receive 15% off, and needs-based scholarships are available. If you want to extend your time at the center, Mountain Cloud offers optional onsite lodging (dormitory, private cabins, or camping) and can arrange 1-1 guidance with Sanbo Zen Teacher Scott Thornton during a personal retreat stay.