We hope you can join us for...
The Essence of Practice
A six-day non-residential silent retreat led by Matthew Lowes
May 11-16, 2026
Throughout the ages, meditation, in all its various forms, has been the perennial practice on the spiritual path.
Join us as we explore the essence of that universal practice.
“Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity”
–Laozi, Tao Te Ching
Prerequisites: This retreat is not open to the public. In order to be eligible to attend this retreat, you must be a qualified CSS member. If you are not a current member and are interested in attending a CSS retreat, you can learn about joining CSS and becoming one of our member practitioners.
This is a non-residential retreat held in person at the CSS Meeting Hall. If you cannot attend in person, you can attend via Zoom. This retreat will be held in noble silence. You should arrange a private place to practice, eat, and sleep, and you should plan to minimize your communication with the outside world for the duration of the retreat.
There is no fee to attend this retreat. However, please consider a donation to CSS to help support our services. You may also donate directly to the teacher(s), who are not paid by CSS and give their teachings as a labor of love.
Registration: You must register to attend this retreat. To register, complete the online registration form and send us your payment.
- Open the retreat registration form at the link below.
- Read the instructions on the registration form, fill out the form, and click Submit.
- A confirmation email will be sent to you which includes further instructions on attending the retreat..
To register now, click here to open the registration form.