2026 silent retreat
danaparamita &
THE GREAT MATTER :
giving & receiving and
birth & death
a meditation, movement & contemplation
RETREAT
NOV 5-8, 2026
@ yokoji zen mountain center
2026 will mark our fifth year of retreat at Yokoji.
It is such a tremendous gift to practice there, and together.
The 2026 retreat will explore teachings on the first paramita in the mahayana tradition: dana or generosity. Dana reflects the profound experience that unfolds when a human being both receives and gives-- subtle aspects of our day to day life that often trip us up without us even noticing so much.
Sarah will pair this dana inquiry with what Zen calls, "the great matter", namely, birth and death.
We explore these teachings by weaving together a great deal of meditation, dharma talks, embodiment experiments & movement pleasures, text study and contemplative inquiry.
This retreat is the pinnacle annual event for our sangha,
and I hope you can join us.
Sarah
Daily Practices
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lot of sitting and walking meditation
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chanting
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yoga movement, breathing & energy practices
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somatic inquiry practices, dance practices, not-neatly-in-a-box movement practices
- rest
- dharma talks
- communion with nature
- communal meals
- technology-free experience; no phone zone
- work practices to support the community while on retreat
- noble silence, most of the retreat
- sarah will offer support & teaching around entering, being in, and exiting silence
- optional opportunities for intentional speaking and listening practices.
This retreat is a refined, consciously crafted container, upholding a clear and boundaried space into which you can enter as you are-- therein lies the potential for transformation and meaning for those who participate.
The retreat is grounded by a thoughtfully designed schedule that includes both structure and spaciousness. These two qualities enables participants to feel well supported in the process of unbinding what is tangled.
Magic unfolds on retreats like
this through the cooperation of
an intentional and kind community,
articulate and wholehearted teaching,
and the energetic force
of the practices themselves.
Tucked between the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains near Idyllwild, this Southern California retreat will take place
amongst the pines, chaparral and stars
of these beautiful Cahuilla ancestral lands.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS:
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zen housing accommodations - rustic and simple
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communal living
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small group housing accommodations
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possible opportunity for individual housing (depending on enrollment totals)
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clean, healthful meals
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gluten free and vegan menu, with additional options offered (such as eggs & cheese)
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tea, coffee and simple snacks available throughout the day
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body self-treatment corner
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zafus (meditation cushions), zabutons (larger cushion base for the zafu), meditation benches & chairs available for use throughout the retreat
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please bring your own yoga mat and additional yoga props (more details upon registration)
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FOR WHOM:
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all kinds of folks are welcome, of all identities and backgrounds
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this retreat is for practitioners with any amount of practice history, from fairly novice to very experienced; however is not appropriate for a brand new beginner practitioner. email sarah with any questions.
More Questions? See our FAQs below.
Still more questions? Email Sarah
thank you monique sanders, fiona akhtar, alyssa soderberg & loren robertson
for capturing the gorgeous images as retreat archivist that are shared here.
about your guide, sarah clark
I have simply followed my feet.
Mysteriously and fortuitously, I have wound up here: teaching movement, the dharma, yoga, exploring awakening and aliveness and wisdom for over 20 years now.
And it also turns out that I build community-- organically and by accident.
I love these practices. They have completely altered and gorgeously shaped my life. Piddly words could never capture my awe & gratitude.
That they center ethics, relationships, realness and agency means I never get bored.
Payment & dana
structure
The payment structure for this retreat is offered on a sliding scale, in keeping with the tradition within buddhist lineages that offers teachings through a gift economy system.
We aim to make this retreat as financially accessible as possible and are interested in financial transparency.
Participants are encouraged to offer what they can
with generosity, and
also without strain or regret.
This is the practice of dana.
Let’s bring heartfelt mindfulness to this fiscal exchange.
Each participant must pay a minimum base level of $350 to attend the retreat. This cost covers payment to Yokoji Zen Mountain Center for housing, food and administrative support ($300 per person) + cost of additional supplies & fees ($50 per person).
Beyond this required base level, any additional payment directly supports Sarah for her administrative work, her teaching and facilitating while on retreat. This aspect of your payments is part of the practice of dana, or generosity, in the realms of giving and receiving.
Participants may choose from 5 tiers of payment options. The amount in each tier is all-inclusive for the retreat (4-day/3-night) and covers housing, food, materials and dana to Sarah for her labor & teachings.
$350 - Foundational Roots Tier
This tier covers the base level of required costs with no additional dana for Sarah.
$650 - Solid Trunk Tier
This tier includes the base level of required costs plus $75/day of dana to Sarah.
$850 - Outstretched Branches Tier
This mid level tier includes the base level of required costs plus $125/day of dana to Sarah.
$1,050 - Green Leaves Tier
This scholarship level tier includes the base level of required costs, plus $125/day of dana to Sarah, plus an additional $50/day as “scholarship” offerings to help supplement another participant who cannot afford to pay more than the base costs.
$1,350 & above - Blooming Flowers Tier
This benefactor level tier includes the base level of required costs, plus $125 or more/day of dana to Sarah, plus an additional $125/day as “scholarship” offerings to help more generously supplement another participant who cannot afford to pay more than the base costs.
Cancellation Refund Policy
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after Sept 21, 2026, 50% refunds offered (of total dana amount chosen).
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no refunds after Oct 5, 2026.
2026 Yokoji Zen Mountain RETREAT w. Sarah Clark
Registration & Payment / dana
both completed registration form and dana are needed
to secure one's place on retreat.
REGISTER here
PAYMENT/
OFFER DANA here
Dana is the buddhist practice of
giving and receiving,
with generosity
and without strain or regret.
This retreat is offered on a dana system, ranging from $350-1,350.
Please read the details above regarding how this payment structure works.
Have an intentional amount of dana in mind before clicking the button to pay;
You can self adjust your dana amount!
Want to divide dana into two separate payments? Go for it. Please make final paymment by Oct. 5, 2026.
OR to avoid fees,
you can alternatively pay via:
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Zelle
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PayPal, selecting "friends and family" at check out.
Thank you so much
for your generosity.
FAQs
-- What time does the retreat begin and end?
On Thursday, please arrive between 3-3:45pm pacific.
On Sunday, the retreat wraps by 2pm pacific.
-- I'm flying in from out of town. What airport should I use?
San Diego, Los Angeles and Palm Springs airports can all work well for this retreat. Please see next question for driving times.
-- What are driving times like to Yokoji Zen Mountain Center from the surrounding metropolitan areas?
From both San Diego and Los Angeles, Yokoji is approximately a 2.5 hour drive, in non-rush hour traffic. If traveling to Yokoji from these areas after 2pm, the commute can run upwards of 4 hours.
From Palm Springs, Yokoji is approximately a 1.5 hour drive.
-- Will there be ride sharing options on this retreat?
Yes! We will send an email about this to those enrolled in retreat.
-- Will options be offered around how folks are able to access sitting for meditation?
Yes, of course. In addition to zafus (meditation cushions) and meditation benches for those who prefer to sit either cross-legged or in a supported kneeling posture, there are also chairs for use throughout the zendo. There's also a corner of the zendo with other props available for folks who may to take a posture other than upright (such as reclined or supine) during any given seated meditation period.
-- I have limited yoga asana practice / my yoga practice is pretty rusty. Should I be concerned about that?
No. The physical and energetic practices-- which draw from yoga, somatic practices, dance modalities, and functional movement techniques-- are designed to be accessible to all sorts of folks with all sorts of levels and types of experiences, who may be meeting all sorts of different conditions. Sarah will guide in a way that offers lots and lots of options throughout the process, as well as encouragements around how to make skillful choices.
-- Can you say more about the set up for housing?
Fundamentally, the housing accommodations are communal; however, you will see on the registration form, we ask several questions about folks' needs and preferences regarding housing. We do our best to accommodate everyone as much as we are able. Flexibility regarding accommodations largely depends on how many people ultimately sign up for the retreat, as well as how many residents are practicing at that time at Yokoji-- ie it simply comes down to the math of how many spaces are available intersecting with folks' overall requests.
-- What's the Policy regarding Illness?
It is of great importance that each of us involved in this retreat do all that we can to protect the health of everyone attending, as well as the health of the ongoing residents, monastics and Abbot of Yokoji Zen Mountain Center, with whom we will share the grounds and meals during our stay there..
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General
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Please do not attend retreat if you are ill or are testing positive for any contagious illnesses.
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We will do our best to maintain good ventilation in the zendo and there is always outdoor seating options during meals; please keep in mind potential swings in temperatures with mountain weather.
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We trust you to use basic good judgment throughout retreat, and inform Sarah or other support people if you feel unwell during retreat.
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If a retreat participant becomes sick during retreat, they will be asked to stay in your room /isolate from others and if serious, return home. We will have rapid tests for Covid -19 on hand if needed. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they must leave the retreat, per Yokoji's policy.
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Leading up to Retreat:
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We ask that you consider taking extra care in the 7 days leading up to the retreat to minimize risk of exposure to Covid, Flu and other communicable diseases as much as is possible.
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Illness Specific Cancellations:
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If a participant cannot attend because of a positive Covid, Flu or Strep test within 5 days leading up to the retreat, their payment will be fully refunded. Documentation of the positive test with the date will be required in order to process the refund.
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