Frequently Answered Questions

I currently practice yoga. Isn't it the same as Zen meditation? No, not really. While yoga is a wonderful practice, it not really the same as Zen meditation. Zen meditation involves sitting still in a specific way so that one can cultivate mindfulness. This awareness is then used as a foundation for a deeper inquiry into the nature of one's life and becomes the basis for living a Zen-inspired life of openness, empathy and clarity. 

If I follow a Zen-inspired life, will I have to perform rituals, such as bowing, wearing sacred garments, or having a Buddha statue in my home? No. Living a Zen-inspired life has very little to do with specific rituals or collecting more religious objects. Living a Zen-inspired life has to do with the quality of the life you are living now. If you already have a deep faith in a particular religion, living a Zen-inspired life would help deepen and enrich your existing faith. Whatever religious object you have in your home is your personal choice.

Can you explain the connection between Zen and the following health conditions – stress, anxiety, and overall wellness? How will it help me in these areas? A Zen-inspired life, rooted in mindfulness meditation will directly impact and lessen your levels of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness meditation helps strengthen areas of the brain that modify and regulate emotions, making you more resilient in the face of life's challenges, more spacious and less reactive. There is also increasing medical evidence of lowered blood pressure and strengthened immune systems as a result of mindfulness meditation. 

How will Zen-inspired living help me improve my relationships? Our core curriculum will teach you a way to use language based on Nonviolent Communication (NVC) that can transform not only the way you communicate with the ones you love, but those people you find difficult and disagreeable. It will do this by showing you how to remain connected with someone during a strong disagreement or argument.