Daily Practice Schedule
Morning Meditations & Chanting
Please note that all of our morning meditations are online only. We begin with one meditation period followed by chanting (live). Liturgy can be found here: Abbreviated Liturgy with Heart Sutra
East Coast, Monday – Friday, 7:30am – 8:00am ET
Click here for the East Coast Monday-Friday morning Zoom link
West Coast, Monday – Sunday, 7:30am – 8:00am PT
Click here for the West Coast Chan Monday-Sunday morning Zoom Link.
Monday Nights, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Every Monday, we offer 30-minute periods of seated meditation, punctuated by a period of either walking meditation or mindful yoga. This is offered both live at the center and on Zoom. Guo Gu will offer a Dharma talk on the first Monday of each month.
Wednesday Sitting and Personal Consultation with Guo Gu, 6:30pm-8:00pm
On Wednesday evenings, we offer periods of seated meditation, punctuated by a period of either walking meditation or mindful yoga. During this time, one can request a private consultation with Guo Gu.
Thursday Short Meditation Instructions, 6:30pm-8:00pm
We offer basic meditation instructions on the first Thursday of the month. Registration required by that Thursday morning. These instructions cover basic postures and methods of practice. The instructions are not a substitute for the thorough Beginner’s Meditation Workshop. Nevertheless, it is sufficient to get you started on meditation practice.
Sunday Morning Sits, 9:30am-11:30am
On Sunday mornings, we offer periods of guided seated meditation, punctuated by a period of either walking meditation or mindful yoga. We will end the session with Q&A, sharing, or informal socializing,
On the first Sunday of each month, we practice a special form of “loving-kindness” meditation that Guo Gu developed to cultivate inner peace, kindness, and healing.
Beginner’s Meditation Workshop
This 2-part series Beginner’s Meditation Workshop is the most systematic and thorough introduction to the practice of Buddhist meditation available anywhere. Practitioners of all levels can benefit from it. It covers the conditions, methods, stages of meditation, pitfalls, and other supporting techniques to regulate the body, mind, and spirit such as self-massage, yoga exercises, and daily mindfulness techniques. Please stay tuned for the next offering of courses.
Retreats
Retreats offer a rare occasion to deepen one’s Chan practice and commitment to the path. Many experiences arise in retreats that would normally not surface in daily individual or weekly group practice. We have temporarily discontinued half-day and one-day retreats.
Each sitting during a retreat is 30 minutes, punctuated by short periods of mindful yoga or walking meditation. There is also mindful work practice, which is a way for retreatants to integrate their practice to daily situations. On One-Day and longer retreats, retreatants also get an opportunity to speak one-on-one with Guo Gu in personal interview. For a sample 1-day retreat schedule, click here. Please also review our retreat etiquette here.
Intensive Retreats
“Intensive” retreats are the entry point for serious Chan practice and study. They follow a schedule with alternate periods of sitting, exercise, and walking meditation throughout. Guo Gu gives dharma talks and offers personal interviews everyday. Registration required. They are designed to allow you to wholeheartedly devote your energies to using the method. For those whose conditions are ripe, intensive retreat is the opportunity to develop genuine insight, or see one’s self-nature. Guo Gu leads these retreats at our center and other locations in North America and Europe. Please check the upcoming retreat schedule here.