Investigating Zen Practice: A One-Day Workshop

Great Vow Zen Monastery's one-day workshop gives a practical overview of core Zen practice elements in a single sitting. In a day you'll move through zazen (seated meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), chanting, work practice, and dharma teaching — enough to sense how these pieces fit together in a sesshin rhythm without committing to a multi-day retreat.

The focus on "Ten Directions" suggests a teaching framework that contextualizes practice within a broader view of reality or practice lineage. Koans (paradoxical questions used to cut through conceptual thinking) appear as part of the day's exploration, making this more than sitting-only — you'll encounter the questioning that shapes Zen inquiry.

One-day workshops function as both entry point and refresher. If you're curious about what Zen practice actually involves — the schedule shape, the silence, the formality of oryoki or chanting — this gives you a contained taste. If you sit regularly elsewhere, it's a chance to cross-train in a different community's approach.