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

2025 Spring Retreat (May 5-10, 2025)
TBD (led by Todd in CSS Meeting Hall with Zoom option)
2025 Fall Retreat (September 12-19, 2025)
TBD (led by TBD 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.

2024 Fall Retreat (November 10-17, 2024)
Know Thyself (led by Todd at Collins Retreat Center with Zoom option)
2023 Spring Retreat (May 16-20, 2023)
Return to Wholeness (led by Todd at CSS with Zoom option)
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 Mountain)
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 Mountain)
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 at Cloud Mountain)
2017 Spring Retreat (April 30-May 5, 2017)
The Still Pond & The Hurricane (led by Fred at Cloud Mountain)
2016 Fall Retreat (Oct. 9-18, 2016)
Uncovering the Sun (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2016 Spring Retreat (April 10-15, 2016)
Opening to Certainty (led by Todd at Cloud Mountain)
2015 Fall Retreat (Oct. 18-27, 2015)
The Mysteries of Surrender (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2015 Spring Retreat (April 26-May 1, 2015)
Relinquishing Conditioning (led by Fred at Cloud Mountain)
2014 Fall Retreat (Oct. 27-Nov. 5, 2014)
Be Still (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2014 Spring Retreat (April 27-May 2, 2014)
Cultivating Emotional Wisdom (led by Matt at Cloud Mountain)
2013 Fall Retreat (October 11-20, 2013)
Returning to the Source (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2013 Spring Retreat (April 12-17, 2013)
Liberating Mind (led by Todd at Cloud Mountain)
2012 Fall Retreat (October 12-19, 2012)
Untying the Knots of the Heart (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2012 Spring Retreat (April 20-25, 2012)
Uncovering One-Taste Consciousness (led by Fred at Cloud Mountain)
2011 Fall Retreat (October 7-16, 2011)
Listening to the Stones, Again (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2011 Spring Retreat (April 22-27, 2011)
Returning to the Source (led by Matt Sieradski, with Fred Chambers at Cloud Mountain)
2010 Fall Retreat (October 8-17, 2010)
Generating Bliss (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2010 Spring Retreat (April 16-21, 2010)
Returning to Stillness (led by Fred Chambers at Cloud Mountain)
2009 Fall Retreat (October 9-18, 2009)
Liberating Afflicted Emotions (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2009 Summer Retreat (July 11-16, 2009)
Resting in Not-Knowing (led by Todd Corbett at Cloud Mountain)
2009 Spring Retreat (April 17-22, 2009)
Letting Go of Conditioning (led by Fred Chambers at Cloud Mountain)
2008 Fall Retreat (October 10-19, 2008)
Back to Basics: Following the Four Principles (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2008 Summer Retreat (July 25-30, 2008)
Still the Pond, Empty the Sky (led by Fred Chambers and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2008 Spring Retreat (April 18-23, 2008)
The Radiance of Awareness (led by Todd Corbett at Cloud Mountain)
2007 Fall Retreat (October 12-21, 2007)
Pointing to the Moon of Enlightenment (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2007 Summer Retreat (June 15-20, 2007)
Relinquishing Belief (led by Todd Corbett at Cloud Mountain)
2007 Spring Retreat (April 20-25, 2007)
Abiding Like an Unshakable Mountain (led by Fred Chambers and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2006 Fall Retreat (October 13-22, 2006)
Know Thyself: The practice of inquiry (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2006 Spring Retreat (April 21-26, 2006)
Dying Into Life (led by Todd Corbett and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2005 Fall Retreat (October 14-23, 2005)
Fire in the Heart: The Practice of Devotion (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2005 Spring Retreat (April 22-27, 2005)
Testing the Teachings (led by Tom McFarlane and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2004 Fall Retreat (October 15-24, 2004)
Listening to the Stones (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2004 Spring Retreat (April 16-21, 2004)
Beginner's Mind (led by Tom McFarlane and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2003 Fall Retreat (October 10-19, 2003)
Why Aren't You Enlightened? (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2003 Summer Retreat (July 18-23, 2003)
Settling into Purity (led by Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
2003 Spring Retreat (April 25-30, 2003)
Liberating Experience (led by Tom Kurzka and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2002 Fall Retreat (October 11-20, 2002)
Liberating Afflicted Emotions (led by Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
2002 Summer Retreat (July 26-31, 2002)
Awakening the Heart of Devotion (led by Tom Kurzka and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
2002 Spring Retreat (April 19-24, 2002)
Discerning Subtle Grasping and Aversion (led by Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
2001 Fall Retreat (October 11-20, 2001)
Time and Eternity (led by Joel and Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
2001 Summer Retreat (July 20-25, 2001)
Dismantling Delusion (led by Joel, with Tom Kurzka assisting at Cloud Mountain)
2001 Spring Retreat (April 20-25, 2001)
Dancing with the Elements (led by Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
2000 Fall Retreat (October 6-15, 2000)
Driving to the Root (led by Joel and Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
2000 Spring Retreat (April 28-May 3, 2000)
Start Where You Are - Toglen Practice (led by Andrea and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1999 Fall Retreat (October 8-17, 1999)
Unconditional Surrender (led by Joel and Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
1999 Spring Retreat (April 23-28, 1999)
The Wisdom of the Heart (led by Andrea and Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1998 Fall Retreat (October 9-18, 1998)
Tasting Emptiness (led by Joel and Andrea at Cloud Mountain)
1998 Spring Retreat (May 29-June 3, 1998)
Entering into Silence (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1997 Fall Retreat (September 26-October 6, 1997)
Cultivating Bliss (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1997 Spring Retreat (April 18-23, 1997)
Servanthood (led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1996 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1996 Spring Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1995 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1995 Spring Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1994 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1994 Spring Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1993 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1993 Spring Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1992 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1992 Spring Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1991 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1991 Spring Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1990 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1990 Spring Retreat
(led by Joel at Cloud Mountain)
1989 Fall Retreat
(led by Joel at Gull Haven)
1988 Summer Retreat
(led by Joel at Great Space Center)
1988 Vision Quest
(led by Joel in Cascade Mountains)
1987 Summer Retreat
(led by Joel at Great Space Center)