Classes, Workshops, Retreats,
and More
No one is turned away for lack of funds. We REALLY want you to take advantage of our programs!
From Sosan, our Guiding Teacher:
Some people have told us that they don't attend as many classes as they'd like because they can't afford to pay the full asking price (the price we say covers teacher payments and Clouds admin/staffing). If you are such a person, please know this: your attendance at any of our programs is a huge benefit in and of itself. All the teachers give the Dharma freely. It doesn't save Clouds any money in admin and staffing if you don't attend. If you decide not to attend, then we lose your valuable input, and your fellow Sangha members lose the opportunity to practice with you. Attitudes like "I don't deserve to attend if I can't pay full price" come from a mindset of separation and scarcity. This is not the Buddha Way.
So, what is the Buddha Way with regard to giving? Giving and receiving have to do with realizing that we are not separate. That we cannot exist on our own.
Thank you for the generous gift of your presence and supporting our practice with your own!
Please note that processing fees for EFT payments are lower than credit card fees. You can elect to cover fees as part of your donation. Many thanks!
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Getting Started in Zen
Various Dates
7 pm -9 pmIn this 2-hour workshop, you receive all the tools you need to get started on your personal journey in Zen practice.
Instruction will be given in zazen meditation, basic Buddhist philosophy, developing a home practice, as well as practicing as part of a community.
There will be plenty of time for questions and conversation!
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Interested in our upcoming year-long Jukai cohort?
What is Jukai?
Jukai, in Zen Buddhism, is the ceremony where a lay practitioner formally receives the Buddhist precepts and takes refuge in the Three Treasures: the Buddha, the Dharma (teachings), and the Sangha (community). It signifies a deeper commitment to Buddhist practice and a conscious embrace of the path of awakening. They sew a rakusu (small Buddhist robe), learn about the precepts, and participate in a Jukai ceremony where they receive a Buddhist Dharma name.
Please be in touch with Myoshin for more info: myoshin@cloudsinwater.org
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Yoga as an act of liberation, compassion and meditation
In-person and Zoom offerings
Tues mornings, In-person
Thurs evenings, In-person
Tues & Thurs mornings, ZoomOct 7 through Dec 18
In-person with Eisho Felicia Sy and Koji Acquaviva
Zoom with Taizan Alford
Join us for a gentle yet powerful practice that weaves together movement, breath, and meditation. Rooted in compassion and curiosity, this class is not about performance—it’s about presence. Together we will ground in the body, soften the heart, and explore the edges of possibility with gentleness. Whether you are new to yoga or deepening a long-time practice, this is an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, your breath, and community.
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Ringing in the New Year
In-Person Only
Wednesday, Dec. 31, 8 pm - Midnight
With Jinzu and Koji
This program is offered freely, but participants may register with a donation if desired.A fun alternative New Year's Eve celebration. Jinzu, Koji, and others will lead us as we reflect on the past year, release what's unwanted, and ring in the new. The evening will include an outdoor fire ceremony, delicious soba noodles (prepared by Koji), and meditation to the sound of bells.
Registration encouraged but not required.
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Freedom through Understanding: Fundamental Buddhist Studies Series
Hybrid: In-person and Zoom
Saturdays, January 3, February 7 and March 7
9 am - Noon
By donation: $5 - $210
No one turned away for lack of fundswith Rev. Koji Acquaviva
There are ways of understanding both the world and the mind which can decrease stress, frustration and confusion while also connecting us to an appreciative experience of life.
In this series of long-form classes, we clarify the foundations of Buddhist thought, starting with early Buddhism and following the evolution of teaching and practice through the mahayana schools and culminating in an explanation of the unique teachings of Zen. The intention of this series is to offer practitioners a deeper understanding of the ideas which underpin Buddhist practice, making available a more subtle and nuanced interpretation of practice experiences.
Online registration ends 1/1/26. If you would like to register after that date, email koji@cloudsinwater.org. -
Zen Practice and Liberation for All
In-person only
Saturday, January 10
9 am - 1 pm
By donation: $5 - $150
No one turned away for lack of fundswith Sosan Flynn and the WURK group (White-practitioners Unraveling Racial Karma)
This half-day workshop is designed for white Buddhists and friends who want to create a Sangha (Community) where people of all races, gender, and economic class feel like they belong. This is how we actualize the vow of liberation for all.
The class is open to people who are beginning this journey, as well as those long on the path to exploring the white racial framework that shapes our world. We will explore how whiteness impacts our lives and hinders us from being present to the racialized world we live in and look deeply into how white racial conditioning affects our lives and the lives of people of color in our Sangha and beyond.
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Winter Practice Period: Living the Precepts (includes class)
Hybrid In-person and Zoom
Sunday, January 11 - Sunday, March 22
By donation: $5 - $700
No one turned away for lack of fundsWith Taizan and Myoshin
Practice period gives us the opportunity to concentrate our Sangha energy on practicing together. This practice period, we'll focus on the Ten Essential Bodhisattva Precepts.
The Ten Essential Precepts: Practice Period Class
Hybrid In-person and Zoom
Thursdays, January 15 - March 19, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Teachers: Sosan, MyoOn, Myoshin, Koji, and Taizan
Winter practice period will be a time to gather together in community to focus on the precepts. The precepts are the teachings that guide us in the way we treat each other and ourselves. They are lamps to guide our way. The ten essential precepts are guidelines for how a compassionate being acts in the world. This is an excellent class for many types of students: those new to the practice, those who have been practicing for a while, and those who are interested in participating in the Jukai ceremony on November 7, 2026.
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Studying the Wisdom Chapter from Shantideva's Path of the Bodhisattva
Zoom only
Tuesdays, Jan 13 - March 3
6:30 - 8 pm CT
By donation: $5 - $220
No one turned away for lack of fundsWith Flying Fish Barbara Murphy
Together, we will study the last chapter in Shantideva’s Path of the Bodhisattva, which covers the six virtues or perfections of the bodhisattvas. Many scholars have written commentaries from this chapter by Shantideva. Flying Fish Barbara Murphy will offer an introduction to this chapter and some of the key points raised by our ancestors' understanding of wisdom. The class will include reading the text, a presentation of the concepts and group discussion.
Please contact Flying Fish if you would like to take this class but have not taken the previous class on concentration: rev.flyingfish@gmail.com
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Weekend at the Monastery: Joint Sesshin with Clouds in Water and Ryumonji Zen Monastery
In person only
Friday, January 16, 5 pm through Sunday, January 18, 3 pm
By donation: $5 - $300
No one tuned away for lack of fundsWith Sosan Flynn and Shoken Winecoff
We are happy to continue to partner with Ryumonji Zen Monastery in northeastern Iowa for a lovely sharing of practice energy. Ryumonji, located about 3 hours from the Twin Cities, is designed from a blueprint of a classic Zen monastery in Japan. Built and operated in an environmentally sustainable way, its gorgeous buildings and temple grounds reflect the spirit of "peaceful dwelling." You will experience the deep quiet of the rural countryside, and if it's clear at night you will see the Milky Way!
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Family Workshop: Beginning Anew
In-person only
Saturday, January 31, 10 - 11:30 am
By donation: $5 - $50
No one turned away for lack of fundsWith Myoshin and Sosan
At Clouds in Water, the teachers regularly practice "flower watering" where we express what we appreciate about one another. Flower Watering is the first step in the practice of "Beginning Anew" in which we also practice expressing remorse and offering forgiveness. This is a wonderful practice that anyone can do. In this workshop, parents are invited to come with their children, ages 6 and older. We will learn this practice together, emphasizing the expression of gratitude.