Retreats

The Center regularly organizes silent meditation retreats in order to give practitioners an opportunity to deepen their spiritual practice. Usually we offer a five-day introductory retreat each spring and a nine-day retreat in the fall. Residential Center retreats are for CSS members only and are not open to the public. Normally, people become eligible to attend a spring retreat by enrolling in our Foundation Studies course or completing a significant portion of our Distance Studies course. Those who have completed a spring retreat become eligible to attend a fall retreat.

Upcoming Retreats

2024 Spring Retreat (April 12-14, 2024)
Vipassana (Insight Meditation) (led at CSS by Andrea)
2024 Fall Retreat (November 10-17, 2024)
TBD (led by Todd at Collins Retreat Center)

Note: Center residential retreats are for CSS members only, and are not open to the public. View the latest retreat announcement

CSS retreats are held either via Zoom, at CSS, or at a rustic, rural retreat center. For more information about registering or attending a CSS retreat, please contact a CSS teacher or mentor, or the CSS retreat coordinator.

Past Retreats

See our collection of group photos from past retreats.

2023 Fall Retreat (August 18-20, 2023)
Nondual Compassionate Presence (led at CSS by Andrea)
2023 Spring Retreat (May 16-20, 2023)
Return to Wholeness (led at CSS by Todd)
2021 Spring Retreat (April 15-19, 2021)
The End of Separation (led by Todd and David via Zoom)
2020 Spring Retreat (June 4-8, 2020)
Awakening from Delusion (led by Todd and Mora, via Zoom)
2019 Fall Retreat (Oct. 21-30, 2019)
Following Love's Camels (led by Joel at Cloud Mt.)
2019 Summer Retreat (Aug. 14-18, 2019)
Compassion & Transcendence (led by Matt at CSS)
2019 Spring Retreat (April 5-10, 2019)
Open your Treasure House (led by Hiromi, with Matt, at Cloud Mt.)
2018 Fall Retreat (Oct. 13-17, 2018)
Deconstructing the Delusion of Time (led by Joel, at CSS)
2018 Spring Retreat (March 25-30, 2018)
Know Thyself (led by Todd and Luke, at Suttle Lake Camp)
2017 Fall Retreat (Oct. 23-Nov. 1, 2017)
Practicing Emotional Alchemy (led by Joel)
2017 Spring Retreat (April 30-May 5, 2017)
The Still Pond & The Hurricane (led by Fred)
2016 Fall Retreat (Oct. 9-18, 2016)
Uncovering the Sun (led by Joel)
2016 Spring Retreat (April 10-15, 2016)
Opening to Certainty (led by Todd)
2015 Fall Retreat (Oct. 18-27, 2015)
The Mysteries of Surrender (led by Joel)
2015 Spring Retreat (April 26-May 1, 2015)
Relinquishing Conditioning (led by Fred)
2014 Fall Retreat (Oct. 27-Nov. 5, 2014)
Be Still (led by Joel)
2014 Spring Retreat (April 27-May 2, 2014)
Cultivating Emotional Wisdom (led by Matt)
2013 Fall Retreat (October 11-20, 2013)
Returning to the Source (led by Joel)
2013 Spring Retreat (April 12-17, 2013)
Liberating Mind (led by Todd)
2012 Fall Retreat (October 12-19, 2012)
Untying the Knots of the Heart (led by Joel)
2012 Spring Retreat (April 20-25, 2012)
Uncovering One-Taste Consciousness (led by Fred)
2011 Fall Retreat (October 7-16, 2011)
Listening to the Stones, Again (led by Joel)
2011 Spring Retreat (April 22-27, 2011)
Returning to the Source (led by Matt Sieradski, with Fred Chambers)
2010 Fall Retreat (October 8-17, 2010)
Generating Bliss(led by Joel)
2010 Spring Retreat (April 16-21, 2010)
Returning to Stillness (led by Fred Chambers)
2009 Fall Retreat (October 9-18, 2009)
Liberating Afflicted Emotions (led by Joel)
2009 Summer Retreat (July 11-16, 2009)
Resting in Not-Knowing (led by Todd Corbett)
2009 Spring Retreat (April 17-22, 2009)
Letting Go of Conditioning (led by Fred Chambers)
2008 Fall Retreat (October 10-19, 2008)
Back to Basics: Following the Four Principles (led by Joel)
2008 Summer Retreat (July 25-30, 2008)
Still the Pond, Empty the Sky (led by Fred Chambers and Joel)
2008 Spring Retreat (April 18-23, 2008)
The Radiance of Awareness (led by Todd Corbett)
2007 Fall Retreat (October 12-21, 2007)
Pointing to the Moon of Enlightenment (led by Joel)
2007 Summer Retreat (June 15-20, 2007)
Relinquishing Belief (led by Todd Corbett)
2007 Spring Retreat (April 20-25, 2007)
Abiding Like an Unshakable Mountain (led by Fred Chambers and Joel)
2006 Fall Retreat (October 13-22, 2006)
Know Thyself: The practice of inquiry (led by Joel)
2006 Spring Retreat (April 21-26, 2006)
Dying Into Life (led by Todd Corbett and Joel)
2005 Fall Retreat (October 14-23, 2005)
Fire in the Heart: The Practice of Devotion (led by Joel)
2005 Spring Retreat (April 22-27, 2005)
Testing the Teachings (led by Tom McFarlane and Joel)
2004 Fall Retreat (October 15-24, 2004)
Listening to the Stones (led by Joel)
2004 Spring Retreat (April 16-21, 2004)
Beginner's Mind (led by Tom McFarlane and Joel)
2003 Fall Retreat (October 10-19, 2003)
Why Aren't You Enlightened? (led by Joel)
2003 Summer Retreat (July 18-23, 2003)
Settling into Purity (led by Andrea)
2003 Spring Retreat (April 25-30, 2003)
Liberating Experience (led by Tom Kurzka and Joel)
2002 Fall Retreat (October 11-20, 2002)
Liberating Afflicted Emotions (led by Andrea)
2002 Summer Retreat (July 26-31, 2002)
Awakening the Heart of Devotion (led by Tom Kurzka and Joel)
2002 Spring Retreat (April 19-24, 2002)
Discerning Subtle Grasping and Aversion (led by Andrea)
2001 Fall Retreat (October 11-20, 2001)
Time and Eternity (led by Joel and Andrea)
2001 Summer Retreat (July 20-25, 2001)
Dismantling Delusion (led by Joel, with Tom Kurzka assisting)
2001 Spring Retreat (April 20-25, 2001)
Dancing with the Elements (led by Andrea)
2000 Fall Retreat (October 6-15, 2000)
Driving to the Root (led by Joel and Andrea)
2000 Spring Retreat (April 28-May 3, 2000)
Start Where You Are - Toglen Practice (led by Andrea and Joel)
1999 Fall Retreat (October 8-17, 1999)
Unconditional Surrender (led by Joel and Andrea)
1999 Spring Retreat (April 23-28, 1999)
The Wisdom of the Heart (led by Andrea and Joel)
1998 Fall Retreat (October 9-18, 1998)
Tasting Emptiness (led by Joel and Andrea)
1998 Spring Retreat (May 29-June 3, 1998)
Entering into Silence (led by Joel)
1997 Fall Retreat (September 26-October 6, 1997)
Cultivating Bliss (led by Joel)
1997 Spring Retreat (April 18-23, 1997)
Servanthood (led by Joel)