What we’re about
Greatwoods Zen is a mindfulness Community and peaceful retreat setting on 28 acre meditation gardens. We promote peace, mindfulness, and community!
Who We Are:
We are a community of people interested in the art of mindful living and engaging compassionately with ourselves and the world. Mindfulness is the energy of being fully alive and awake to life, as it unfolds in each moment. Because of the busyness and distractions of everyday life, we forgot how to slow down and touch the miracles of life that are happening all around and within us every day. Together as a community, we support one another to practice mindfulness - that is, to rest, rejuvenate, reflect, and remember to come how to ourselves.
We respect everyone’s root spiritual traditions, and accept people of all faiths. Any one from any religion is welcome to attend and learn how to touch their own spiritual heritage even more deeply with a depth of mindfulness. People of all racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, and of all genders and orientation are welcome.
The days of mindfulness will be facilitated and led by David Viafora, an Order of Interbeing member and student for 20+ years of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Roger Grosswald owns the beautiful meditation gardens and his deepest wish is for others to receive deep nourishment and healing in the gardens.
What We Do:
Every day of mindfulness, we offer a variety of practices for people to learn the art of mindful living. We begin by guided sitting meditation indoors, followed by mindful walking outside in a very beautiful and refreshing natural setting of forest and ponds. We listen to a teaching about mindfulness based on Buddhist wisdom teachings, followed by a group discussion. We finish with a simple lunch together that is offered by Greatwoods Zen.
Where We Meet:
Our gatherings take place upon the gorgeous 27 acre preserve of forest, ponds, and wetlands of Greatwoods Zen. We may walk or sit near a quiet duck pond, or saunter to the top of a small hill to overlook the forest. When the weather is too cold or raining, we will stay inside. All gatherings initially take place in the meditation hall at 8015 Sullivan Drive. Greatwoods Zen is located on the east side of Charlotte, in the “Hickory Grove” neighborhood.
Current Schedule:
* Saturdays 10am - 12:30pm (lunch included)
Our meetings may be adjusted in response to input from members like you. All feedback is welcome.
We look forward to you joining us!
Upcoming events
2
Winter Solstice Bonfire
Greatwoods Zen, 2631 Buckleigh Dr., Charlotte, NC, USJoin us on the longest night of the year for an evening of candlelight, community, and gentle reflection. Together we’ll honor the quiet power of winter with meditation, soul-nourishing songs, warm soup, and teachings on interbeing that illuminate the dance between darkness and light.
We’ll also engage in simple somatic embodiment practices to help us ground into the body’s wisdom—softening, sensing, and reconnecting with the quiet aliveness beneath the mind’s activity. These practices invite us to feel held from within, making space for deeper presence and ease.
Many in our Charlotte community have faced deep challenges this year. This gathering offers a compassionate space to rest, reconnect, and remember the resilience and support we already carry—within ourselves, our ancestors, and one another.
All are welcome.
This is a donation-based event hosted by Greatwoods Zen.
Donation link: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/greatwoods-zen-donations/items
Time: 3–6pm, followed by a communal dinner.
You’re invited to bring musical instruments, songs, poetry, or any other piece of art to share if you feel called.9 attendees
New Year’s Mindfulness Retreat
Greatwoods Zen, 2631 Buckleigh Dr., Charlotte, NC, USJoin us for a heart-centered New Year’s retreat — a nourishing weekend of reflection, connection, and renewal as we transition into a new cycle of life.
In the darkest part of winter, we gather to celebrate the bright gifts of our lives, honor our precious community, and reignite the forces of our deepest aspirations for the year ahead.
The turning of the New Year is a powerful threshold. Together, we’ll slow down and reflect on the quality and meaning of our lives, release what no longer serves, and invite clarity, intention, and inspiration for the year to come. This retreat will be both contemplative and celebratory: a space to turn inward, and a space to uplift one another with joy, movement, and conscious play.
Our time will be gently structured around practices that support whole-being renewal, including:
❄ Loving-kindness and mindfulness practices (singing, silent meditation, walking meditation)
❄ Dharma teachings on transition, aspiration, and conscious renewal
❄ Reflective and creative practices including written, artistic, and expressive year-end reflection
❄ Relatefulness practices for mindful connection in conversation
❄ Somatic and expressive movement to awaken vitality, presence, and ease
❄ Celebratory practices of music, play, and embodied joy to welcome the New Year wholeheartedly
❄ Sangha sharing circles to deepen in community
❄ Wholesome seasonal meals (vegetarian with vegan options) to nourish body and spirit
NOTE: This is a non-residential, commuter retreat in nature (participants return home each night).
No prior experience is needed — only a willingness to arrive as you are.
Retreat Fees (Sliding Scale)
Supporter: $395 (helps cover others in need)
Self-sustaining: $295 (covers your own participation)
Scholarship: $195 (reduced rate for those needing support)
Scholarships
We are dedicated to making this retreat accessible to all. We ask that you take only what you need so we can continue supporting others in the future. To receive a scholarship discount code to cover up to 90% of the cost, please email us.
Registration
Registration link https://my.cheddarup.com/c/mindfulness-retreats/items/item/7652365
Registration must be completed in advance. Last day to register: December 30.
NOTE: registration in Meetup does not grant you a spot. Please register through the link above.
Questions? Contact us at Connect@GreatwoodsZen.org4 attendees
Past events
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Group links
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Members
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