Retreat information
Group retreats
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Group retreats at Furnace Mountain provide participants with an opportunity to pursue spiritual inquiry in an environment of silence, stillness and collective effort.
We ask retreat participants to hold four agreements: Be still Be silent Don’t look around Do your best During a retreat the participants sit, walk, work and eat together in silence. The teacher(s) leading the retreat will give encouragement through a talk each day, and participants will have the opportunity to attend private interviews with the teacher(s). Interviews are a time to consult about one’s practice, ask questions about Zen meditation and take up koan inquiry. Some people, including those who have been practicing on their own for some time, may find the retreat schedule - including maintaining silence and physical stillness for long periods - challenging. Retreat participants see, over and over, the mind’s incessant activity. |
Everyone is asked to make a great effort to sit still, attend sessions no matter how tired, and to continually give their best to staying present.
Some previous experience of sitting meditation is therefore helpful. If you have any concerns, or believe you have a pre-existing physical, emotional or psychological issue that could impact your ability to participate in the retreat, please email our office account and ask to speak to our guest master.
Retreats vary in length from 1 to 90 days. Day long retreats are non-residential.
Participation in retreat is by application only.
Please click on this link for more information about the registration process & retreat fees.
Some previous experience of sitting meditation is therefore helpful. If you have any concerns, or believe you have a pre-existing physical, emotional or psychological issue that could impact your ability to participate in the retreat, please email our office account and ask to speak to our guest master.
Retreats vary in length from 1 to 90 days. Day long retreats are non-residential.
Participation in retreat is by application only.
Please click on this link for more information about the registration process & retreat fees.
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Daily Schedule during in-person Zen retreats: 5:30 Wake Up 6:00 - 8:00 Chanting, Sitting and Free Walking 8:00 Breakfast 8:30 - 9:30 Work Period 10:00 - 12:30 Sitting, Dharma Talk and Free Walking 12:30 - 1:00 Lunch 1:00 - 2:30 Lunch Clean-Up and Free Time 2:30 - 4:30 Sitting and Interviews 4:30 - 6:00 Personal Practice Time (Yoga, Walk...) 6:00 - 7:00 Dinner (optional light meal) 7:00 - 9:00 Chanting, Sitting and Free Walking 9:30 Retire |
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Travel:
Traveling by car:
After being fully registered you will be emailed directions to the Zen Center. We are located near the Red River Gorge area of Eastern Kentucky, about 1 hour from Lexington, 2 hours from Louisville.
We encourage you to do car-sharing with other retreat participants.
Traveling by airplane:
The airport (LEX) is about an hour drive from the Zen Center. Car rental and Uber are available at Bluegrass Airport. We are no longer able to provide transportation, but are happy to connect you with other retreat participants to arrange car-sharing.
Please only book your flight after having received a registration confirmation from FMZC!
Venue:
Furnace Mountain occupies 1000 wooded acres in the foothills of the Appalachians.
There are a number of buildings on the property:
The Tea-House (providing the administrative center and some accommodation), a number of cabins providing simple accommodation, and a Meditation Hall modelled after traditional Korean temple buildings.
All buildings are linked by trails rather than paved roads. Both the temple and teahouse are wheel-chair accessible, and transportation between buildings is possible if you are handicapped.
Traveling by car:
After being fully registered you will be emailed directions to the Zen Center. We are located near the Red River Gorge area of Eastern Kentucky, about 1 hour from Lexington, 2 hours from Louisville.
We encourage you to do car-sharing with other retreat participants.
Traveling by airplane:
The airport (LEX) is about an hour drive from the Zen Center. Car rental and Uber are available at Bluegrass Airport. We are no longer able to provide transportation, but are happy to connect you with other retreat participants to arrange car-sharing.
Please only book your flight after having received a registration confirmation from FMZC!
Venue:
Furnace Mountain occupies 1000 wooded acres in the foothills of the Appalachians.
There are a number of buildings on the property:
The Tea-House (providing the administrative center and some accommodation), a number of cabins providing simple accommodation, and a Meditation Hall modelled after traditional Korean temple buildings.
All buildings are linked by trails rather than paved roads. Both the temple and teahouse are wheel-chair accessible, and transportation between buildings is possible if you are handicapped.
Accommodation:
Accommodation is provided in simple single-sex shared rooms (1-4 persons per room). Bedding is supplied.
Some rooms have their own (shared) bathrooms, others use the bathhouse toilets and showers.
Meals:
Organic, vegetarian meals are provided and included in the cost of the retreat. We serve simple vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) prepared freshly every day. As much as possible we use produce from our own gardens and substitute with products/produce from our local Coop. We try to accommodate food allergies, but are not able to cater to food preferences.
Accommodation is provided in simple single-sex shared rooms (1-4 persons per room). Bedding is supplied.
Some rooms have their own (shared) bathrooms, others use the bathhouse toilets and showers.
Meals:
Organic, vegetarian meals are provided and included in the cost of the retreat. We serve simple vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) prepared freshly every day. As much as possible we use produce from our own gardens and substitute with products/produce from our local Coop. We try to accommodate food allergies, but are not able to cater to food preferences.
Please bring:
A towel, personal toiletries and any medicines, an alarm clock, a flashlight, comfortable clothing, insect and tick repellent, a waterproof jacket and outdoor shoes or boots – the trails and paths around the property can be muddy in wet weather.
Sitting cushions and mats, as well as chairs are provided in the temple, but please bring your own cushion or bench if you have particular needs.
Please wear subdued colors (black, brown, blue or grey) in the temple and dress modestly – no shorts, tank tops or tight yoga wear.
No perfumes, after-shave lotions or essential oils!
A towel, personal toiletries and any medicines, an alarm clock, a flashlight, comfortable clothing, insect and tick repellent, a waterproof jacket and outdoor shoes or boots – the trails and paths around the property can be muddy in wet weather.
Sitting cushions and mats, as well as chairs are provided in the temple, but please bring your own cushion or bench if you have particular needs.
Please wear subdued colors (black, brown, blue or grey) in the temple and dress modestly – no shorts, tank tops or tight yoga wear.
No perfumes, after-shave lotions or essential oils!
Individual retreats
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We welcome practitioners to undertake individual retreats at Furnace Mountain Zen Center.
For those who wish to undertake a solitary retreat, the Hermitage provides complete seclusion. It is situated in an isolated part of the property, perched on a large rock high above a steep-sided valley. The accommodation is basic: one-room, with no running water or electricity, but with a wood-burning stove for winter heat. Retreatants can spend their entire retreat in the hermitage, or may choose to join the community for practice in the Meditation Hall. |
If you are interested in a solo retreat with more than just basic accommodation we offer our monks cell, close to the meditation hall.
It has a private bathroom with a shower, and a small kitchen.
If you are interested in doing a solo retreat, please contact us.
It has a private bathroom with a shower, and a small kitchen.
If you are interested in doing a solo retreat, please contact us.