Through The Gateless Gate - Menla Retreat - August 2026

7:00am-7:25am - Meditation (Zazen)

7:25am-7:40am - Walking Meditation (Kinhin)

8:00am-9:00am - Breakfast

9:15am-10:15am - Morning Teaching Session

10:15pm-12:15pm - Guided Imagery, Small Group Exercises, Creative Practices

12:30pm-1:30pm - Lunch

1:30pm-3:00pm - Rest, Journal Time, Personal Practice, Opportunity for Spa Session

3:00pm-3:25pm - Meditation

3:25pm-3:35pm - Walking Meditation

3:35pm-5:45pm - Afternoon Working Session, Exercises, Nature Meditation, Creative Practices

6:00pm-7:00pm - Dinner

7:15pm-7:25pm - Meditation

7:25pm-9:15pm - Evening Session, Exercises & Discussion

9:15pm-10:00pm - Opportunity for Private Interviews with Teacher (Dokusan)

Full schedule on the Menla website.

This in-person class will be held at the Menla retreat center in Phoenicia, NY.  After purchasing a ticket for this class, use the following link to book your accommodations at Menla: menla.org/retreat/through-the-gateless-gate. To book accommodations you will need the following password: TTGGMENLA826. If you have questions about accommodations, please call the front desk at Menla at 845-688-6897, ext. 101.

A Four-Day Retreat into Facing Impermanence, Uncovering Life Meaning, and Finding One's True Self

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This unique retreat draws from two profound traditions, End-of-Life Doulas and Zen Buddhism. They offer different perspectives, but share a deep commitment to exploring fundamental questions: Who are you really? What does it mean to die? and, How do you live—and even die—with a deep sense of meaning? 

The end-of-life doula approach carries wisdom that comes from a clear-eyed view of what human life looks like from its final vantage point; what people wish they had known or done sooner, and what matters when almost nothing else does. Zen Buddhism offers a direct inquiry into the nature of the self, mind, and reality using meditative practices as a means to investigate direct experience rather than relying on belief. Together they form a profound way to face the fear of dying, reduce the suffering of attachment, discover how to live a meaning-focused life at any age, and awaken to one’s true nature.