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Empowering you to live an effective Zen-inspired life of openness, empathy and clarity.

Empowering you to live an effective Zen-inspired life of openness, empathy and clarity.

ZLMC Grand Re-Opening

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Oct. 26, 2011

For Immediate Release For More Information Contact

www.zlmc.org Robert Althouse at 708-689-1220

Chicago (October 18, 2011). The Zen Life & Meditation Center of Chicago (ZLMC) celebrates its new location at 38 Lake Street in Oak Park, Il with a Grand Re-opening set for Saturday, Nov. 5 from 12 noon to 2 pm. The public and members of the press are welcome to tour the new Center during the Grand-Re-opening. Zen Master Robert Althouse will also be available for interviews. Featured will be an informal talk on “Overcoming Challenges” by Zen Master Robert Althouse at 12:30 pm. Althouse says, “We are pleased to be able to serve more people through our new location as we meet the growing need for peace of mind in these uncertain times. We empower our participants to pursue a Zen-inspired life that will address this need effectively.”

Zen Life & Meditation Center has successfully redefined what Zen is and how it is practiced in the West through an array of programs that translate Zen into modern terms for the 21st Century. The Center has grown significantly over the past 18 months, prompting a move to a larger, more accessible space on Lake Street. (The Center had previously been located at 163 N. Humphrey Ave.) Over 500 people have taken classes or other offerings since the Center began its new curriculum in May of 2010, and membership has grown by over 600%.

Speaking about classes she began last winter, Skye Lavin, a librarian in Blue Island said, “Stumbling on this wonderful center brought a major source of light into my dark winter internal landscape. Come spring I find myself returning again and again to learn more, meditate, enjoy the down-to-earth and warm community, and eye-openingly useful classes. Really a positive place, open to all.”

The Center’s entry-level curriculum, which starts with the introductory Primer Series of classes showcases the benefits of mindfulness meditation. Validated by research in neuroscience, mindfulness meditation is the cornerstone of living a Zen-inspired life and is easily learned with simple techniques. Its regular practice can yield positive results including the following:

• Reduce stress

• Experience peace of mind, confidence and positive self worth

• Deal more effectively with conflict and anger

• Be more focused, relaxed and grounded

• Develop more trust in interpersonal relationships at work and at home

• Build sound physical and emotional health

Leading the instruction is Zen Master Robert Joshin Althouse, who has been teaching for 20 years and practicing Zen for over 40 years. He has studied with many great Zen teachers such as Taizan Maezumi Roshi and Nicolee McMahon Roshi and the Tibetan Rinpoche, Chogyam Trungpa.

In addition to the entry level Core Curriculum, ZLMC offers a broad range of programs including public meditation, retreats, talks, private Zen Counseling, Reiki Healing, Corporate Wellness, and Advanced Zen Studies.

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Althouse Interviewed by Serge Prengel

portrait_s Zen Master Robert Althouse was interviewed by Serge Prengel for a Podcast on Serge's web site. You can find the interview by clicking here.

Althouse interviewed on Radio Show, Awakened America

On April 3, 2011, Robert Althouse was interviewed by Marshall Stern on WCPT radio for the opening of his new show called "Awakened America". Marshall writes on his web site, "This show, our 'maiden voyage on the sea of consciousness', centered around Zen and activism with guest Roshi Robert Althouse, abbot of the Chicago Life and Mediation Center and discussions about how to treat Tea Parties with care and compassion." To hear the show, click here.

Charolotte Joko Becks passing

Charlotte Joko Beck dies at 94

Zen teacher and pioneer, author and founder of the Ordinary Mind Zen School passed away peacefully on June 15, 2011 at 7:30 am at the age of 94.

Joko Beck was one of Taizan Maezumi's twelve Dharma successors. She went on to establish a style of Zen practice that was free from much of the trappings and formality of Japanese Zen. She approached Zen practice informed by Western psychology and she seldom wore her robes and seldom used titles.

She was the author of two important books on Zen - Everyday Zen and Nothing Special. Both of these books have had an enormous impact on many Zen students and will continue to remain Zen classics.

She was about the same age as Aitken Roshi and they remained close throughout their teaching careers. They shared a common concern for high standards of ethical conduct.

We remember her with gratitude and extend our condolences to her family, successors and students.

Inner Disarmament Workshop

joshin_teaching Zen Master Robert Althouse will spend Sunday, April 10, 2011 at Beloit College. This is his second visit to the college in several monthes, where he will spend time with students teaching them beginners meditation. He'll talk about meditation benefits, the nature of mindfulness meditaiton and nonviolent communication.

At 10:30 in Moore Lounge Althouse will teach mindfulness meditation. He'll draw on current clinical findings in neuroscience and show how mindful awareness can help you:

reduce stress
increase emotional balance
increase focus and groundedness

From 1:00 to 5:00 pm Althouse will teach an Inner Disarmament Workshop. He'll teach students nonviolent communication, as a method for reducing violence both within oneself and in the world. The workshop will show how NVC is applicable in personal relationships, and as a spiritual practice for countering the dehumanizing "domination system" that privileges the few and oppresses many in our world. For more information, contact Bill Conover at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .