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Zazen, Sitting Meditation

Meditation is the core of Zen practice. Meditation deepens over time, and can be a lifetime pursuit.  Benefits can include increased awareness and concentration, a lessening of stress, and a greater sense of well-being. Walking meditation is offered in between sitting periods. We have both cushions and chairs for sitting.

Body Practice

The Body is our gateway to the present moment. Through different types of body or physical practice, we can learn to fully inhabit, respect, and enjoy the body we each are given. Yoga, martial arts, Tai Chi and other practices prepare the body for meditation. We offer various forms of body practices at OMZN, including yoga, and we welcome inquiries from teachers interested in offering new classes or workshops.

Teacher Contact

Zen is a process of uncovering unconscious habits and ways of seeing our lives. A teacher can act as a mirror, encouraging and enabling us to see our blind spots. At Open Mind Zen Naples, students have the opportunity of working closely with teachers one-on-one. One-on-one encounters with teachers, known as dokusan or daisan in Japanese, are an integral part of the Zen Tradition and are available during most formal sittings.” 

Koan Practice

Koans are traditional stories or interactions between students and teachers, most of which come from the Golden Age of Zen in ancient China. Their purpose is to direct us toward realization of our True Self. Koans are paradoxical in nature. They encourage us to examine our reliance on the logical mind and open to more creative problem solving.