A center for Zen meditation, residential training and retreats.

Located in Asheville, NC area.

Dying in America

Seeking the Elusive Death-with-Dignity

A Workshop with George Felos, a internationally recognized expert on legal, medical and ethical concerns related to the End-of-Life. Saturday, June 29, 8:30am – 4:30pm. To read more, click here.

About Us...

The Deepening Quiet

Rooted in the ancient mountains of western North Carolina near Asheville, Windhorse Zen Community is a group of people who come together to practice Zen, to wake up to the deepest truth of the Buddha’s teaching and to embody it in their daily lives.

The teachers at Windhorse, Sunya Kjolhede and Lawson Sachter, were ordained and sanctioned by Roshi Philip Kapleau. The training at Windhorse blends the strengths of both Rinzai and Soto practice, using breath, open awareness and koan-based zazen meditation. We also work with unconscious forces that deep practice may bring to the surface – both those that are creative and inspiring, as well as those that stir up painful mindstates that may undermine one’s Dharma work.

We live simply, heating with wood collected from our woods, and trying to live in harmony with the earth and each other. Recognizing the vital role of authentic relationship, we set a high value on Sangha as the living expression of Zen teaching and practice. Along with daily meditation and regular retreats, we offer residential training that makes it possible to be immersed in the practice here at Windhorse for longer or shorter periods of time.

New to Zen? Or maybe just new to us...

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A Day for Families at Windhorse

Posted by on Apr 11, 2013 in Sangha Blog | 1 comment

A Day for Families at Windhorse
by Marnie Downs We just had our “family” day at Windhorse and my sense of it is that we all want a whole lot more of them! It was just the most delightful day and here is what we did: We started our day at around 10:30 with a gathering of parents with their children (ages ranging from 3 ½ to 7 with a toddler in there too) in the zendo. We all gathered around Sunya who told the most thrilling story of the Buddha who had turned herself into a parrot. And lo and behold “our” Ginger actually Read more [...] Read More

Dharma Family Day on April 6th

Posted by on Mar 30, 2013 in Sangha Blog | 3 comments

Dharma Family Day on April 6th
This Saturday we’ll be hosting a program for parents and children at the Windhorse center at 580 Panther Branch Rd in Alexander, near Weaverville. Activities will include storytelling,  seed-ball making and throwing,  learning how to fold origami cranes (for those old enough to do that; parents of younger children can do the folding themselves), quiet listening and brief meditation. Weather permitting, we’ll be hiking in the woods and down to the pond, listening and watching for birds as Read more [...] Read More

High Noon in Mid-March

Posted by on Mar 19, 2013 in Essay | 1 comment

High Noon in Mid-March
Pond Musings by Sunya Kjolhede, Sensei  So still down here by the big pond on the other side of the Windhorse woods, near the hill where Wally and Ginger’s homestead stands. It's a few days before the Equinox but already warm and full of the news of spring—these southern mountains don’t usually wait for the official Opening Day. Directly overhead a crow calls out across the water to its treetop comrades, sparking a raucous conversation. The heavy drumming of a pileated woodpecker echoes Read more [...] Read More