New to Zen?

Introduction to Zen Class

If you are new to Zen, please attend our Introduction to Zen Class. We ask that you do so even if you are an experienced meditator in other forms and traditions, or are meditating regularly at home with an app.

Why? Zen is a form of meditation that relies on form, structure, and sangha, or community practice, and familiarity with these forms is important for you to feel comfortable sitting with us. Our Intro to Zen class will introduce you to all the basics you’ll need.

You’ve practiced Zen before but would like a refresher? Of course, you’re more than welcome in our class as well.

Why Zen?

Our minds--almost always engaged in creating concepts, identities, judgments, assessments, and narratives about self, others, and the world--can be the source of a great deal of our (and others’) dissatisfaction and suffering. Zen offers a way to practice not attaching so much--not clinging so much--to these concepts, thoughts, assessments, and narratives, and thereby living with greater freedom, ease, and joy.

But how?

Zen training is direct, physical, and experiential--not a philosophy or intellectual position. It includes meditation practice, both on one’s own and in the context of a larger, supportive community, grounded in the simplicity of breath. One-on-one work with a teacher offers further support. Our Introduction to Zen offers simple, practical, doable steps to help you access the direct experience which Zen point to. 

Is Zen for me?

As already stated, Zen is a form of meditation that is grounded in structure and form. What does that mean? Zen teaches an upright, body-focused way of sitting meditation, during which we (ideally) hold our bodies completely still and follow our breath – the very heart of Zen practice. In addition, when in the Zen meditation hall with others, we follow a certain prescribed form of walking. By doing this we seek to eliminate the need for individual decision making or self-expression (in other words, the part of our mind that constantly wants to pick and choose gets a break). Not all forms of meditation foster an approach like this which is why it’s important for you to experience the Zen way by taking the Intro class to see if this might be the right meditation path for you.

Intro to Zen Class

When: Offered on two Thursdays a month (choose one) from 6pm–8:15pm except in August. All sessions are led by one of our teachers. Please see our calendar for specific dates.

Registration required: Please register for the class in advance here (at least 24

hours before the class begins).

Cost: $40. This includes a one month trial membership allowing you to attend any of our sittings without paying the sitting fee as well as being able to have a one-on-one meeting with one of our teachers. Your registration will be confirmed once we receive payment. Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds, but are happy to work with you to reschedule your registration should the need arise.

Arrival for the Intro to Zen class: Doors open at 5:45 pm. Please arrive no later than 5:55 pm. The class begins at 6 pm sharp and we regret there will be nobody available to let you in after that time.

What to wear: Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. We do not use robes at Still Mind, so we ask that you refrain from wearing shorts, skirts, or tank tops, or clothing with any text or logos, which could be distracting to others. There is a changing room at the zendo for your convenience.

Dharma Holder Matthias Esho Birk

Detailed Class Schedule:

6:00 pm – 6:45 pm Introduction to the basics of Zen meditation, form and structure in our zendo.

6:45 pm Break and meet members of the sangha

7:00 pm Zen meditation with the sangha

7:25 pm Kinhin (walking meditation) with the sangha

7:35 pm Further teaching and Q&A with teacher (just ITZ participants). A supportive handout will be given out at this time.

8:05 pm Rejoin the sangha for the closing chant.

A Brief Background on Zen

Zen is a Japanese word which simply means meditation. In Chinese, the word is Chan. Meditation is a practice that dates back to ancient India. About 2,500 years ago, a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who came to be known as the Buddha, or the Awakened One, based his primary teaching on the practice of meditation grounded in the breath. In the 5th century, this practice moved from India to China, where it developed over the next few hundred years into what we know today as Zen. In the 13th century, Zen moved to Korea and Japan, and came to the United States and Europe in the 20th century.