meditation retreat

(also: sesshin) In Buddhist meditation traditions, setting aside a weekend, a month, or several months for intensive practice is considered crucial to expediting the student’s progress. During such meditation retreats in the Zen tradition, the practitioner engages in breath-counting practice, sitting and walking meditation, and, in Rinzai Zen, koan study. Typically, no talking is allowed, except asking necessary questions during work practice and in the interview with the teacher.