Beginners

Sunday Morning Programme for Beginners

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zazenkai

Starting November 24, we will be offering a newcomers’ programme on Sunday morning once a month. From January 2020, it will usually be the first Sunday of the month, unless there’s a sesshin or other event happening – January 5 will be the first beginners’ Sunday of 2020.

(We invite experienced practitioners to come along as allies to support and give a friendly welcome to newcomers!)

The Sunday Beginners Schedule:

  • 9:45 am  – Doors Open
  • 10:00 am  – Meditation Instruction
  • 11:00 am – Break
  • 11:20 am – Meditation
  • 11:40 am – Talk with Questions and Responses
  • 12:00 pm – Tea and biscuits with the community

An Introduction to Zen, October 6

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shundo 6

Sunday, October 6, 1 pm – 4 pm

Find out how to use the teachings of Zen Buddhism to transform your life. During this introductory afternoon, you will:

  • Learn some simple techniques to help settle your mind
  • Find a sitting posture to maintain a quiet steadiness while you meditate
  • Design a meditation space to support a regular practice
  • Discover the path that can lead to an easing of anxiety and depression
  • Explore the practical aspects of the 11th step (for those in recovery)

We recommend loose comfortable clothing. Free parking is available in St Anne’s Cathedral. The suggested donation is £10, but please donate whatever you can afford. To register, click here

Settling the body and the breath cultivates a settled state of mind. Sitting in a balanced posture creates a quiet steadiness that can, with training, become our default state, a way to meet whatever happens with upright and calm awareness. When we regularly meditate in a space that is free from distraction and interruption, we can begin to discover a deeper level of stillness that stretches outwards from our limited self-absorbed world view. The preoccupations of our daily lives take up less space for a while as we give our active cognitive brains a rest and take the backwards step that turns the light inward.