The Whole Earth is Medicine
A Daylong Retreat in LA
Saturday October 25, 2025
10am-4pm
Los Angeles, CA
Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club
In-person
Note from Henry
‘The Whole Earth is Medicine’ comes from a Zen master called Yunmen, who lived in China from 864 to 949. The full koan runs: “Medicine and sickness correspond to each other. The whole earth is medicine. Where is your real self?”
If mindfulness is the medicine, what is the sickness? Or perhaps could all of experience – a whole, unified experience – be the medicine?
Join me on a day of exploration of this koan, learning how it can support and deepen your practice.
What to expect on a daylong retreat?
Henry will lead you through guided meditations that will invite us to explore this koan, The Whole Earth is Medicine, and how it can open us to deeply needed healing, at many levels.
Henry will offer his unique teachings, combining both ancient wisdom and modern knowledge of meditation, and there will also be periods of silent practice.
There will be an extended Q&A with Henry to have your practice questions answered. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, there will be plenty of chances to connect with others on a similar path, sharing personal experiences and insights with each other.
How can this koan benefit our practice?
This koan encourages a shift in perspective from viewing the world as a source of suffering to recognizing it as a source of healing and potential for growth. This challenges the dualistic view of sickness and health, suggesting that even in difficult circumstances, there is inherent medicine available.
Finding Medicine in the World
This koan emphasizes that the entire world, including seemingly negative experiences, can be a source of healing and wisdom. It encourages practitioners to actively seek out the medicine present in all things, rather than solely focusing on perceived ailments or problems.
As we immerse in the practice of this koan, we may find that it helps break down the rigid categories of “good” and “bad,” “pleasant” and “unpleasant,” allowing for a more nuanced understanding of experience.
Self-inquiry and awakening
The koan’s question “Where is your real self?” prompts a deep exploration of our true nature and identity. Practicing with this koan can help us look beyond superficial labels and societal conditioning, activating a powerful process of self-inquiry that is crucial for personal growth and liberation from suffering.
Encouraging action and engagement
The koan is not just an intellectual exercise; it is an invitation to actively engage with the world and find healing within it. It encourages practitioners to embody the teachings of the koan in their daily lives, seeking opportunities for growth and healing in all situations.
This might involve taking action to address social or environmental problems, practice self-care, or simply approaching life with a more open and compassionate heart.
What to expect on a daylong retreat?
We’ll explore how this koan helps us engage with the four main zones of practice — Mindfulness, Connectedness, Flow, and Awakening — found in The Way app and Henry’s book, Original Love. These foundational aspects of meditation offer explorations from the heart, and help us develop a wholesome meditation practice.
During this retreat, by immersing ourselves in shared stillness, we open to a deeper sense of rest and ease, allowing a more profound connection with our true nature to emerge. Through practice, reflection, and community, these retreats accelerate our journey toward a more wholehearted and awakened way of being.
About the Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club
The Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club is a historic community organization dedicated to fostering social, cultural, and philanthropic initiatives. Established in 1905, it serves as a vibrant hub for events, programs, and community engagement.
Student feedback after Henry’s
recent retreats
I loved listening to Henry, the guided meditation and meditating with this Sangha. I enjoyed the atmosphere with its lightness and depths and still feel it inside.
The way Henry Shukman ‘landed’ us into deeper levels of consciousness — often using poetry as a vehicle for getting us there. And allowing us collectively to notice and sit with that shift without saying a word.
The immersive nature of the day. The sense of community. Henry’s teaching was real and helpful. The meditation was powerful.
A Daylong Retreat in Los Angeles
- Guided meditations, talks, and poetry to help deepen your practice
- Live Q&A time with Henry
- Subscribe to The Way app to enjoy a 20% discount on all live events. Book through the app’s Events page to claim your discounted price. Click here from your mobile phone to go the Events page. For any questions, email info@thewayapp.com.
Event Details
Cost: $155
When: Saturday October 25, 10am–4pm
Where: Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club, Los Angeles, CA
Subscribe to The Way app to enjoy a 20% discount on all live events. Book through the app’s Events page to claim your discounted price. Click here from your mobile phone to go the Events page. For any questions, email info@thewayapp.com.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this retreat, please contact our programs manager, Jeremy. We’re happy to answer any questions and look forward to having you join us!
Refreshments
During our ample mid-day break, participants can go out for lunch at one of the many nearby restaurants, or bring your own lunch. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided throughout the day.
Scholarships
We warmly welcome you to contact us if a scholarship would allow you to attend this retreat. Please contact our Courses & Retreats Manager Jeremy for details about how to apply.
About your teacher
Henry Shukman
Henry is an authorized Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, the co-founder of The Way meditation app, and the Spiritual Director Emeritus of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to teaching meditation, Henry is an award-winning author and poet. His struggles and traumatic experiences as a youth, combined with a spontaneous awakening experience at 19, paved the way for Henry to develop a well-rounded approach to healing and awakening through meditation.
