Year-Round Training at YZMC

Zen Mountain Center is an intentional practice community dedicated to looking deeply at the patterns and conditions that keep us from living whole and joyful lives. For those who are interested in whole-hearted practice, a period of residency can be a way to start or strengthen a life-long commitment to realizing our true nature.

The residential training program at YZMC encompasses a wide variety of practice opportunities. At the heart of our practice is daily zazen. By sitting in silence, we quiet our minds and open out to the stillness that reveals our true nature and place in the world. Residents also engage in other areas of practice including study with the teacher through personal interviews and dharma talks, work practice, body practice, service and ceremony, study of sacred and historical Buddhist texts, precept practice, communication councils, and retreats in related disciplines. 

The training year at YZMC is divided into "interim" and "intensive" training periods. The spring and autumn months (March thru May, and September thru November) are periods where we focus on formal Zen training including six to nine hours of zazen each day, and silent meditation retreats from five to eight days. The interim training periods (November thru February and June thru August) are periods where we focus more on livelihood, workshops, and have more time available for personal pursuits. During the interim months we maintain a regular daily schedule of zazen in the morning and evenings with shorter meditation retreats including sesshin and opportunities to participate in many other retreats and workshops held at the Center during these months. Each week also includes one to two days off the regular schedule where you can hike in the surrounding mountains, visit the nearby mountain village of Idyllwild, or the cities located in the surrounding desert one mile below YZMC. (Please see our schedule pages for more detailed information.)

Short and Long-term Residential Training

Zen Mountain Center is here for one thing, and one thing only, and that is to help us to uncover our deepest truth. From the wakeup bell in the morning until we go to sleep at night, the focus is on realizing and actualizing our innate wisdom in every activity. Dedicating a period from a month to a year to full-time residency allows us to settle into the rhythm of the training schedule and develop a strong foundation for spiritual practice.

Residencies can range from a few days to more than a year. For those who are interested in long-term training we recommend you try out an six-month residency which encompasses both interim and intensive training periods. The first two months of residency for any trainee acts as a trial period that enables both YZMC and the new trainee to establish if long-term training would be beneficial. Training fees are $700/month and include all food, lodging, and tuition. For those who are able to make a minimum of an eight-month commitment, financial assistance is sometimes available depending on need, skill, and motivation. Please contact the YZMC office for more information and an application. It is recommended that prospective trainees read the YZMC Resident Guidelines prior to sending in an application.