
Mountain cloud zen center
Welcome to Mountain Cloud Zen Center, a lively community of lay-practitioners, deeply connected to the possibilities of peace and awakening through Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. We are a hybrid community — our Santa Fe Campus has a lovely zendo, hiking trails, and lodging in the mountains just outside the city. Meanwhile we have a robust online community of practitioners tuning in from around the country and the world to our zendo, as well as to our online sangha forum.
Wondering where to start?
- Check out our daily meditation schedule for more information, including how to join us online. Daily zazen and weekly talks are all hybrid, free, open to the public, no membership or registration required to attend.
- We have retreats, courses, residencies, personal retreats and more! Explore our wealth of programs on our 2026 programs page, or our monthly calendar.
- For those new to meditation or Mountain Cloud, scroll down to our Getting Started section below for guided meditations and other resources.
No Mud, No Lotus: Weekend Retreat with Shana Smith
February 6th – 8th, 2026
Thich Nhat Hanh’s famous line, “No Mud, No Lotus,” reminds us that awakening and suffering are not two separate things. The lotus of wisdom and compassion blooms only from the mud of our human struggles. Over this weekend retreat, we’ll explore how the principles of Zen practice help us transform difficulty into insight.
Upcoming Retreats and Special Events


Learn to Meditate
Getting Started
We provide instruction and support for new meditators. Join our online Introduction to Meditation Start with some introductory videos and talks about mindfulness and zen meditation or join on of our online or on-site daily sits.
We are happy to connect with you
Subscribe here to receive our weekly newsletter and information about current and upcoming events.
Zen Teachers at Mountain Cloud
Valerie Forstman
Valerie Forstman is an Associate Zen Master of the Sanbo Zen Lineage and is Mountain Cloud’s Guiding Teacher. She joins Mountain Cloud with a shared vision of the core Zen path, a way of coming home to who we truly are.


Study at Mountain Cloud
Residency
Mountain Cloud is now accepting applications for our Residency Program. Information about the program including lodging, meals, Zen practice and study, samu, cost, and other activities are described on our Residency Program page. The minimum stay is one month.

Deepen your knowledge and practice with our free resources
Dharma Talk: “Begin Again: The timeless gift of a new day” with Valerie Forstman
Dharma Talk: “Begin Again: The timeless gift of a new day” with Valerie Forstman
Dharma Talk: “One Treasure – Endlessly Functioning” with Valerie Forstman
Contact
Reach out to us.
Get in touch if you have further questions.
Email: Click here to email us
Mountain Cloud Zen Center
7241 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87505


