Hokyoji’s True Heart Womens Retreat

This year’s True Heart Women’s Retreat will take place May16-19, 2024, Thursday to Sunday. Activities will include regular periods of zazen and creative activities such as writing, singing and art. We will enjoy nourishing vegetarian meals, mindful nature walks and yoga.
We will have group sharing and discussion. And there will be free time in the afternoon to renew and refresh.
We will explore with gentle curiosity who are the True Hearts in our lives. How do we embody our True Heart? And co-create a space to hold people and natural things that express to us individually and collectively the true hearts in our lives.
We welcome everyone into this retreat. It will be led by two of Hokyoji’s Associate Teachers.

Rev. Kyoku Tracey Walen began practicing Buddhism in 1998, was ordained in 2008, and was given dharma transmission by Byakuren Judith Ragir in 2015. She trained from 2008-2010 at Great Vow Zen Monastery. She also studied Zen sewing with Tomoe Katagiri and became one of her successors. Currently she resides at and supports Hokyoji and also serves as a Zen teacher at Clouds in Water Zen Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Rev. Onryu Kennedy has received transmission in both the Katagiri and Uchiyama Roshi lineage. In 2019 and 2020, she attended three month practice periods at Toshoji International Zen Center (Japan) and in 2017 at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center (California).  In the Spring 2020 practice period at Toshoji she was Shuso, head monk for the practice period. She completed zuise in January 2023. And in February 2024 her application for Kokusaifukuyoshi was approved by the Japanese Sotochu.

Throughout her life she has valued social justice work as an expression of her vow. She is currently an Associate teacher at Hokyoji Zen Practice Community.  She experiences great joy in the opportunity to learn and teach Buddhist practices.