The retreat facility is divided into two cloisters and was designed to be ADA-compliant. The retreat facility is designed to house up to 32 retreatants in cabins and dormitories in a cloistered environment for short and long retreats.
Cloisters, Meditation Hall, Dining,
and Kitchen:
Cabins
and Bathhouse:
FULL SCREEN: Press Play then Double Click on Video
Cabin A:
Teachers Cabin
SCOL is a multi-use facility with two wings connected by a central administration and kitchen building, modeled after traditional three year retreat centers with separately cloistered men and women.
1. Central Kitchen/Administration Building
The retreat cloister was designed to make it easier for cooks to serve both cloisters from a central kitchen during a retreat. The large commercial kitchen is designed to handle the needs of small or large retreats. Adjacent to the kitchen are offices with access to computers and printers.
Each cloister contains eight individual cabins, two of which are ADA certified (four in all).
A small cabin is furnished with the following (or similar):
Retreatants bring their own bedding (sheets, comforter/sleeping bag, pillow, and towels) and provide their own meals for individual retreats.
For shorter retreats, a cabin can be used as double-occupancy housing. When no retreats are scheduled, the cabins may be used for individual retreats.
Each wing contains a bath house and dining hall.
The dining rooms are connected to the central kitchen facility for ease of service and open out onto the cloisters for retreatant access.
These graceful, tall spaces serve retreatants during group meditation. Designed to capture light even during the long winters, they are the centerpieces of each cloister. The North Cloister meditation hall accommodates retreats of up to 16; the South Cloister is larger and accommodates up to 32 retreatants.
These spaces are designed for specific practices during long retreat, and serve as dorms, yoga halls, or meeting spaces at other times.
These residences are furnished with private baths and kitchenettes. See the Cabin A video below.
Each cloister is enclosed by a fence, protecting retreatants from visitors and allowing for greater withdrawal from the activities of day-to-day life.
Groups can meet in the shrine rooms, for practice and teachings, and in the yoga rooms, for less formal activities. The south shrine room can accommodate 32 retreatants on cushions and in chairs, and the north shrine room can accommodate 16. The yoga rooms can be outfitted in a number of ways for different uses.
Provided meals are simple and vegetarian. Breakfast consists of oatmeal with assorted toppings, and hard boiled eggs. Lunch is a hearty vegetarian main dish and sides, and dinner consists of soup, salad, and bread. We also provide tea and snacks.
Generally all retreatants gather in the kitchen to recite a blessing together and dish up meals, and then retreatants are free to eat in the dining room of either cloister or outside.
If you prefer, the option for your group to provide it’s own food and cooks is available. Staff can provide kitchen training. All cooks must have a Washington Food Workers card.
