The practice of Zen meditation asks us to return again and again to the present moment, which is mindfulness, so we can meet life as it is.

We bring gentle attention to the breath, the body, and the senses. Thoughts, feelings, and distractions are noticed without judgment, allowing them to come and go naturally. We may practice in seated meditation, in movement (walking meditation), or bring this awareness into the movements of our daily lives (mindfulness).

The practice is threefold: mindfulness, concentration, and insight.

We cultivate mindfulness (being present), concentration (staying with it), and investigate with curiosity and patience, so that the flower of insight can bloom, and we can be more free. Free to enjoy the precious gifts of life. Free to meet pain and suffering without fear and be able to find meaning in them. Free to bring about transformation at the root.

Zen Buddhism focuses on directly experiencing reality through meditation and mindfulness. I follow the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh who was my teacher for many years. He emphasized being in the present moment, cultivating compassion for the self and others, inviting a sense of joy and wonder, and living the understanding of interbeing, interconnectedness. His lineage carried Zen out of the monastery and into the world where meditation becomes a way of living, not a retreat from life.

This tradition combines practice with classic Zen texts such as the Heart Sutra with early Buddhist texts such as the Anapanasati Sutra. It encourages creativity and engaged practice that is aware of the needs of society and the time. Thich Nhat Hanh encouraged us to practice as part of a community, so that we can support each other.