Ongoing developments

There are a few new developments that we are discussing for Ordinary Mind. I mentioned Sunday that we may extend the Thursday evening sitting to allow two sitting periods, by beginning at 7:30 instead of 8:00. If you have an opinion about that, please let me know by email. We will probably have two 30-minute periods with kinhin (walking meditation) between, followed by tea and informal discussion.

We have also had a request to add another evening sitting. It may be possible to offer this in conjunction with an introduction to meditation class, if there is enough interest, either on Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

We are also discussing offering a two-day sesshin, probably some time in September, over a weekend. A sesshin is an intensive or retreat that provides an opportunity to deepen your practice through meditation, simple work practice, dharma talks, and individual practice discussions with teachers. Sitting together with others in this simplified space and schedule provides a clearing in our busy lives to enrich our practice. We support each other through our sincere practice and shared silence. If you have any questions or suggestions about this practice opportunity, please let me know. In the months before the sesshin, we will offer two introductory half-day sittings following the Sunday program so that you may experiment with extending your zazen practice in this way.

So, as you can see, we would like to expand our offerings in ways that can best support your practice and your aspirations. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.