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Oceans of Compassion: A Retreat In Service To The Earth

Name: Oceans of Compassion: A Retreat In Service To The Earth
Start: 2025-09-18
End: 2025-09-21
Location: Zen Community of Oregon
Rating: 4.92

4.9292 reviews

September 18 - 21, 2025

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Kodo

Laura

Kodo Conover

Nancy Kodo Conover has been practicing Zen since 2000 and received Lay Transmission from Chozen and Hogen Roshi in 2015, ordained as a temple priest in 2021 and received Dharma Transmission and Preceptor authorization in 2023. Kodo retired from a career as a vocational rehabilitation counselor to help establish Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple and is the Temple Manager since 2010. She leads Tuesday night meditation and discussion at Heart of Wisdom, co-leads Grasses and Trees Sesshin and has a life long interest in the natural world. She is married and has lived in the Pacific Northwest her whole adult life.

Laura Jomon Martin

Laura Jomon Martin has been practicing Zen since 2004, receiving Lay Teacher Transmission from Chozen and Hogen Roshi in 2019. She has served in various capacities within the ZCO Sangha, leading retreats, classes, and is always excited about Sangha-building activities and organizational development. She continues a long career as a social worker (since 1993), with most of those years in community mental health agencies. She is an LCSW in private practice, specializing in working with healthcare professionals. She has taught MBSR and secular mindfulness since 2009. She and her husband Bansho currently reside at Great Vow. Zen Teacher Jomon leads a group in Vancouver, WA on Tuesday nights. Find out more HERE.

Details of this retreat

Inspired by SOLVE Oregon Beach Cleanup activities, and in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, you’re invited to join the Zen Community of Oregon for a weekend CAMPING retreat at BEVERLY BEACH STATE PARK.

Take a weekend on the coast to connect with the Sangha. With a relaxed schedule and opportunity for socializing, there will be sitting times, Dharma talks, and practices to take with you into beach clean-up practice.

We will share work practice together — cooking, set-up, clean-up — as a continued expression of care for each other and the Earth. We will focus on themes of Compassion, listening practice, our precious living earth and waters, and the Bodhisattvas who look after them.

When: Dinner Thursday September 18th – Breakfast Sunday September 21st (you are welcome to come early, but be sure to bring your own food until Thursday dinner)

We will practice beach cleanup on Saturday September 20th from 10am – 1pm.

COST: $175 if registered by August 21 Late registration $200.

This year, the group campsite area will not be available. You will need to reserve your own tent site (https://www.reserveamerica.com/explore/beverly-beach-state-park/OR/402126/overview) at the state park: 3 nights costs $91. Campsites do fill up fast. We have reserved a couple tent sites just in case. There are no more yurts available through the state park reservation system. We have also reserved a couple of yurts for three nights at an additional cost of $202 each. They can sleep up to 4. Please contact Jomon if you need a yurt. We are prioritizing Silver Dragons (participants 60 or better) for yurts.

A $50 deposit holds your space in the retreat. No one is turned away for lack of funds. Scholarships are available by emailing registrar@zendust.org.

Deadline for registration September 11, 2025

BRING:

Tent
Sleeping Pad, Sleeping Bag, Pillow
Layers of clothing,
Comfortable shoes for beach cleanup
Camp chair (optional)
Toiletries
Oryoki set if you have one
Water bottle
Sitting supplies – your own cushion or bench. There will be chairs on site.
Bring a thick blanket or yoga mat to use as a Zabuton (the floor is hard)
A sieve or wire strainer for sifting small plastic pieces out of the sand.

Questions about the retreat, email Kodo.Conover (at) gmail.com

Getting Here

Zen Community of Oregon

Directions

Ride sharing can be arranged from the airport with some advanced notice with our registrar. The monastery is located 80 miles northwest of Portland, Oregon on twenty forested acres overlooking the Columbia River flood plain. The drive takes 80-90 minutes.

Directions from the airport:
1. Take I-205 North to I-5 North. I-5 North to exit 36 Longview (south of Seattle, north of Portland).
2. At the exit travel west on to 432 towards Longview City Center.
3. At the sign to “Highway 30 to Oregon”, turn left (south) onto “Oregon Way” .
4. Cross the Lewis and Clark Bridge into Oregon.
5. Turn right (west) onto Highway 30 towards Astoria. Clatskanie is 12 miles from this point.
6. In Clatskanie turn right at the stoplight onto Nehalem Street
7. Go straight to the end, and then follow the road left onto 5th street.
8. Stay on this road (do NOT take the first left fork to the Poplar Farm).
9. You will reach a fork after 2.9 miles; stay left, on Quincy-Mayger Road. Following the street signs saying “Zen Monastery”.
10. The Monastery is 1.8 miles past the fork, at 79640 Quincy-Mayger Road on the right.

Accommodation

Overnight guests stay in the guest hall (semi-private dormitory), follow the daily monastery schedule, and share meals with the community. A donation is suggested. Private retreat accommodations are sometimes available for those with significant prior meditation or contemplative experience. Private retreatants can follow their own schedule in solitude.

Program Price $175 if registered by August 21. Late registration $200.

Venue & Amenities

A/C in Rooms

Free Wifi

Spa

Sauna

Pool

Towels

Free Parking

Kitchen

Tour Assistance

Hot Tub

Coffee/Tea

Cafe

Restaurant

Fitness Center

Yoga Studio

Housekeeping

Bicycles For Rent

The monastery includes a spacious meditation hall, guest and resident dormitories, dining hall, and a large organic vegetable garden.

Within the forest is Great Vow's famous Jizo Garden, a memorial garden for people who have died, and the newly dedicated Shrine of Vows, a place where people leave tokens of their deep aspirations.

Meals

Menu Types

Vegan

Vegetarian

Pescetarian

Ayurvedic

Includes Meat

Organic

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Nut Free

Meals are simple. Breakfast is usually hot grain cereal, nuts or nut butter, dairy and non-dairy milk, fruit, yogurt, and tea. Lunch is the most substantial with a main entree, salad, vegetable side, and condiments. Dinner is soup and bread. Many retreats are served as buffet. Zen-style retreats feature meals that are oriyoki, a Zen form of mindful eating in monasteries that goes back 1,000 years. Imagine Zen tea ceremony, but eating. Newcomers are guided on how to do it and people get the hang of it after a couple days. Meals are vegetarian with vegan options. Gluten-free alternatives can be accommodated. Coffee, caffeinated, and herbal tea are provided.

Customer Reviews

4.92 out of 5.0 average rating

Anonymous • Jun 30, 2025

5.0

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Kodo Conover

Laura Jomon Martin

Details of this retreat

Getting Here

Directions

Accommodation

Venue & Amenities

Meals

Menu Types

Customer Reviews

Anonymous • Jun 30, 2025

Drop of Stillness - 1/2 day retreat

Doug • Jun 23, 2025

Retreat and Refuge

richard • Jun 18, 2025

again

Eliza • Jun 01, 2025

Stillness Half Day Retreat May 31st

Teresa • Jun 01, 2025

Such a blessing 🙏

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