Even science can agree with our consensus; the benefits of meditation are undeniable. "Researchers at the University of Massachusetts have documented changes in the brains of novice practitioners who took an introductory eight-week class and meditated as little as 15 minutes a day. Sroka said the techniques can become second nature. In times of stress, [...]
When I arrived last Thursday at Garrison Institute for a four-day Contemplative Care retreat and learned that there would be 108 participants, I gulped that number in and took a stroll outside to soak in the beauty and quiet before they all arrived. As I watched them stream in, I exclaimed out loud, out of [...]
This past weekend I attended the Garrison Retreat with New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. It was a rich and heart-opening experience that I will write more about soon! Until then, enjoy some of the scenery I was lucky enough to see and photograph!
I've been privileged over the years to witness the truth of this and watch as students recover from anxiety and depression by way of meditation. The hardest part for most people is trusting that it can work and then making a commitment to daily practice. It works, it really does! So to recognize world mental [...]
Prior to enrolling in the NYZCCC Foundations course I had a rich, satisfying and rewarding life and wasn’t even sure why I decided to add this work to my full plate. But after twenty-eight years of sobriety and twenty-five years of Zen practice I’ve learned not to resist going where my higher self leads me, and taking on [...]
"A moment in time, a place in time, a breath. A quiet corner can be found anywhere, can be created anytime. It is an attitude, an outlook. It can be found in your particular approach to your particular day. A quiet corner simply needs a slight shift in perspective to emerge. A quiet corner is [...]
The first three weeks of the Buddhist Contemplative Care training have been rich, deep, and amazing, so I thought I’d share some of what struck me from the books we’ve read so far. More to come in future posts. "We all must deal with conditioning. The sense of ourselves as separate is what we are contending with [...]
Time flies like an arrow and moves much too swiftly. Although our all day sit was shortened to a half day, it was all the more intense and deep for we knew it would be over in a flash. And so it was, so still in the zendo as we sat together supporting each other, [...]
I am in a writing state of mind this month, so I thought I’d share some quotes from writers. Even if you don’t write, they make sense for whatever your passion is, don’t you think? “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” ― William Faulkner “A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, [...]
The Zen Of Building & Maintaining A Meditation Practice If you've taken one of Nancy's classes before or if you have had any instruction in meditation and would like to meet weekly with a group to help deepen your practice and strengthen your resolve to sit regularly, please join us for this class. Sitting in [...]
