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DTSTART:20260923T210000Z
DTEND:20260927T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20261019T182937
DESCRIPTION: \nLed by Chodo Robert Campbell Sensei, Koshin Paley Ellison Sensei, Pamela Ayo Yetunde.  \n\n\nThe annual Contemplative Care Retreat is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect, with yourself, with others.\nRooted in Zen teachings and the Bodhisattva path, this retreat offers a space to deepen your meditation practice, engage in meaningful dialogue, and cultivate compassionate presence in all aspects of life. The practice of contemplative care offers an exploration of relationship, courage, and connection—a way of meeting ourselves and each other with openness and kindness.\nTogether, we will reflect on how to nurture resilience, awaken to the fullness of our experience, and serve with greater wisdom and compassion. \n\n\n\nWhat to Expect\nThrough meditation, dharma talks, experiential learning exercises, personal meetings with teachers, shared meals, periods of noble silence, and more, we will create a space of practice, rest, and renewal.\n\n\n \n\n\nWho is this Retreat For?\nThis annual retreat is open to all, whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner seeking to refresh your practice! We welcome anyone who wishes to explore the intersection of contemplative practice and compassionate care.\nFor alumni of our Foundations in Contemplative Care program or our Contemplative Medicine Fellowship, this retreat serves as an annual reunion—an opportunity to reconnect, meet other practitioners, and nourish your practice within a like-minded community.\nJoin us for this transformative retreat, where we will cultivate presence, deepen our care, and walk the path of practice, together.\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat It’s Like to Be Here\nPast participants describe the Contemplative Care Retreat as a place for deep practice, genuine connection, rest, and renewal. Here are a few reflections from those who have joined us at Garrison:\n\n\n\n“The Contemplative Care Retreat was restorative on the deepest levels, with its chance to connect to so many people engaged in contemplative and compassionate care, hear stories, enjoy the intimacy of silent connection, and learn from our fabulous teachers. It was both a reset and a step forward, and almost a year later I am still benefitting from it, and anxious to attend again.”\n— Daiki Teresa Jordan\n\n\n“As someone who's mostly attended formal silent retreats, the NYZC's Contemplative Care Retreat was exactly what I needed. I'd studied Zen for 20 years, but there was a whole aspect of Buddhist practice that only really made sense when we could meet, talk, laugh (and maybe even dance a little) — bringing our whole complicated human selves, and having that self accepted and cared for by the group. NYZC retreats are diverse, actively inclusive, and a lot of fun, without losing any of the rigor and depth of the true teachings. That's a rare and priceless gift.”\n— Mia Livingston\n\n\n“The numerous and varied dyad and small group exercises, which offered all of us opportunities to share intimately and be vulnerable with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences — all within a deeply spiritual container shaped and lovingly maintained through meditation, noble silence, and enriching teachings — were just the medicine I needed. I surprised myself by what I chose to share, and in that sharing found both fresh understanding and new spiritual connections, the effects of which continue to ripple out and support ongoing change within and around me.”\n— Michael Bornheimer\n\n\n“The Contemplative Care Retreat felt like a homecoming for the spirit. The teachers created a container that felt so safe and open, I felt able to connect with people I'd never met in a way that nourished and enriched. I also felt challenged to listen to others and to myself from a more whole-hearted and authentic place. For that too-brief time I lived in a garden full of the joy of human connection and began to learn how to cultivate the skills to be able to grow that joy in the seedbed of my own life.”\n— Craig Cloutier\n\n\n“The first Contemplative Care Retreat I attended turned me inside out in the best way, and sent me back home well grounded to meet care-partners in my volunteer work. There is always something unexpected in my experiences there. Humor and joy are not lacking in this retreat that dives deeply into the places we don't necessarily go that are difficult in the life-and-death of living. What a gift.”\n— Rev. Cindy Shukudo Bapties\n\n\n“The first thing that comes to mind is Sangha (community), the third Triple Gem. Sitting with a group of individuals as we look deeply within (gracefully coached by Koshin and Chodo) is invaluable, inspiring, and healing. I always leave the retreat feeling simultaneously exhausted and so very alive! The Garrison Institute is a wonderful, nurturing, and perfectly structured environment, allowing me to settle in and focus on the spiritual issues at hand.”\n— Rob Bundy\n\n\n\n\n\n20 Continuing Education Credits (CEs) for Social Workers (LMSW and LCSW only) are available for this retreat. There is a $25 certificate fee for CEs. Please be sure to add this to your registration if you'd like to receive CEs for this retreat. You will also be required to complete an evaluation form after the retreat in order to receive CEs.\nNYZC is an approved provider of SW CEs through the NYSED State Board for Social Work. If you are licensed outside of New York State, please check with your local SW Board to make sure they'll accept these CEs.\n\n\n\n \nHEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY\nPlease review and complete the required questionnaire and waiver found here. Registrations are not considered finalized until this form has been completed.\n  \nSCHOLARSHIPS\nA limited number of partial scholarships are available for this retreat. Scholarship accommodations are for shared (double or triple) rooms only. Please apply for support by completing a Scholarship Application Form.  Due to limited funds, preference will be given to sangha members who regularly participate at the Center. Priority deadline: August 16, 2026.\n\n\nGETTING THERE \nThe Garrison Institute is reachable by car or Metro North Railroad. There is also a Shortline Bus to Poughkeepsie, which is 30 minutes from the Garrison Institute. For further information, please see this Travel and Transportation pdf on the Garrison website.\nPlease anticipate an arrival time between 3:00pm and 4:00pm, with dinner at 5:00pm. Please check your registration confirmation email for more information on what to bring. \n\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\nREFUND POLICY\nMore than 2 weeks ahead of the retreat - 50% refund. Within the two weeks prior to the start of the retreat - non-refundable.  Registration will close at midnight Eastern Time on September 20th, 2026.\n\n\nAll prices include tuition, lodging, and three vegetarian meals a day.  Supporter 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\nDONATIONS\nDonations (dana) to teachers are not included in registration cost. Dana is a foundational practice that emphasizes the importance of cultivating generosity without attachment or expectation of reward. In the Soto Zen teachings, we practice the act of giving not for benefit but to transform the mind of the giver and receiver equally.\nThe teachers offer themselves freely as an expression of dana. We encourage you to contribute an amount meaningful to you at the end of the retreat.\n \n\n\nCOVID-19 POLICY\nIt is the Garrison Institute's policy that every guest and participant must self-test (at home antigen test is acceptable) within the 48-hour window prior to arriving for a retreat on site, and bring a second self-test kit when coming on site. They do not require proof of a negative test result. If you have a positive test result, please notify us immediately at info@zencare.org. Please see their Safety Protocols for Covid-19 page for more information.\nThe Garrison Institute will continue to follow any COVID-19 guidelines set forth by local officials, NYS, and the CDC.\n\n\n\n\nRETREAT TEACHERS\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nChodo Robert Campbell Sensei, GC-C\nNYZC Co-Founder, Vice President, & Guiding Teacher\nChodo Robert Campbell Sensei is a Zen teacher, bereavement specialist, grief counselor and a recognized leader for those suffering with the complexities of death & dying, aging, and sobriety. The educational non-profit he co-founded, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, touches thousands of lives every year through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices. Chodo has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets.\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nKoshin Paley Ellison Sensei, MFA, LMSW, DMIN\nNYZC Co-Founder, President & Guiding Teacher\nKoshin Paley Ellison is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year. Koshin has appeared on dozens of podcasts and his work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets. 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, 2018).\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nPamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., Th.D. is a pastoral counselor, educator, and writer. She is the author of Songbird Birdsong: The Story, Casting Indra's Net, and co-editor of Black and Buddhist. You can learn more about her work at www.pamelaayoyetunde.com.\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\nFor details, click here: https://newyorkzencenterforcontemplativecare.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/component/events/event/532
SUMMARY:Contemplative Care Retreat 2026
ORGANIZER;CN=New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care:MAILTO:info@zencare.org
UID:532-2026-09-23 17:00:00@newyorkzencenterforcontemplativecare.nonprofitsoapbox.com
SEQUENCE:0
LOCATION: 14 Marys Way Route 9D, Garrison, NY, 10524
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