As we begin to settle into the rhythms of our new daily schedules, it will be important to ensure that we keep some sense of stability and center. Even though these societal restrictions are temporary, they will last long enough for habits to form, including ones that aren’t so helpful to us. We may even start to see habits that training helped us overcome begin to creep back into our behavior.

Our monthly zazenkai was meant to be held this Sunday, but since we aren’t able to gather for it together, we wanted to provide you with a framework for some extended practice you can do at home:

Start time: Choose your own time over the weekend
Zazen: 30-45min
Kinhin (walking meditation): 10min

Repeat 3x

If you aren’t able to sit for this long yet, adjust the sitting time to your ability but still repeat the sequence three times. For walking meditation, take a walk outside, but just walk; no phone, no music, no talking. If it is raining, bring an umbrella.

If you do not practice zazen, replace it with something that you can do mindfully and without distraction. While lately we may have had more time to focus on long-shelved hobbies, minimizing our distractions to be truly in the present moment still requires effort and discipline.

Please do your best!