Rocks Sitting ~ Bloedel Reserve ~ Bainbridge Island. Photo by Sara Hunsaker
Engaging in practice and commitment is for yourself and all beings.
This one-day sitting is an opportunity for:
♦ Taking Your Place
♦ Deepening Practice
♦ Taking Time Out
♦ Just Sitting
♦ Grounding
♦ a Little Something for the Self
Led by Sara Hunsaker
You may choose a full-day or half-day. (Morning half begins at 8:30; afternoon half at 12:45.)
$20-$30 Full-Day Suggested Donation; $10-$20 Half-Day, or any amount as affordable, direct to MBZC.
Scholarships Available. Please indicate your request when completing your registration.
Our Zoom Sitting Form: Instructions
Sara will leave her camera and mic on and turn her computer volume down, but not off. You are encouraged to do the same. Hopefully, this will create a sense of Sangha and accountability as if we were in person, so we're less likely to act out our habit patterns and actually settle into stillness and silence.
Please turn down or off any secondary devices (home phones/cell phones) and your notifications before signing in to your Zoom device. Sara will check the chat periodically and mute and turn off her video to respond. As the intention is to tend toward silence and stillness, you are encouraged to only use the chat if necessary.
Three bells will begin zazen and two bells to begin walking meditation (kinhin), or mindful stretches, and one bell to end to take time to quietly move your body as a form of meditation, use the toilet or get a drink of water.
Please maintain your practice of mindful awareness so our practice of concentrated present-moment remains unbroken as much as possible.
During zazen, point the camera towards your profile or body so that you feel a sense of accountability in your movement and sounds knowing that we can hear each other. Thus move slowly and as silently as possible. This helps to still the mind. Please don't position your screen so you can see or be distracted by it during zazen. As the sitting leader, Sara may be the only exception to this.
There is a scheduled time for lunch followed by a break. Please remember to care for your practice during this time and don't check your devices for messages etc. except for emergencies, of course.