Other locations?

Anyone know of anything like this in Northern California? I've done short things at the San Francisco Zen Center's monastery, Green Gulch, but it is expensive to stay there unless you're doing a work retreat.

I generally have been doing retreats in Ohio but the three hour time shift messes with my ability to sleep, not to mention the huge cost in traveling across the country.

Jigen, are you just looking for a good, inexpensive monastic retreat center in your area where you can do a self-retreat? If so, I strongly recommend the Tathagata Meditation Center in San Jose, California. See www.tathagata.org/ . The cost is $25/day . I do know they do allow self-retreats, though that's not what I went there for, so I don't quite know how that arrangement works. Their staff would be glad to explain.

spirit rock in marin spiritrock.org

Cloud Mountain. It's not in California but on the same coast.

A truly great retreat center.

spirit rock. after making the suggestion I started exploring the site, and this is the description of a 9-day "insight meditation" retreat:

"This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing clarity and depth of practice. Traditional instructions will be combined with a spirit of lovingkindness and silent sitting, walking, dharma talks, and interviews. This is a good retreat for both beginning and experienced students."

I have no idea what that means.

And it costs $1350 to $850 sliding scale plus donations to teachers and retreat staff.

Could be great though. People seem to love it.

I think the next retread I do I just wanna pack up some supplies and go camping. : )

There's the Vajrapani Institute in the Santa Cruz mountains. Not very cheap either but it's a really great location. www.vajrapani.org/Site/index.htm (note: the center is very much in the tibetan buddhist tradition but they welcome people of all traditions.

You can visit at Abhayagiri Monastery in Mendocino county - www.abhayagiri.org/main/content/C57

Spirit Rock does not offer self retreats but they are a great retreat center. I recommend visiting if you've not been.

Insight Meditation Center has day-longs and half-days - www.insightmeditationcenter.org/programs/daylong-retreats/