Tag: performanceimprovement
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Tassajara Summer Retreats 2026
Photo by Erin Scott San Francisco Zen Center is pleased to announce that Tassajara will be offering an inspiring array of retreats this summer! These Zen meditation and interdisciplinary arts retreats are geared towards guests who are interested in immersing in practice and nature under the guidance of some of our most established teachers.…
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Food that Brings People Together
By Claire de Chivre, City Center Tenzo (Kitchen Manager) Editor’s Note: The City Center Tenzo (Kitchen Manager) recently began sending out monthly notes from the kitchen to the City Center residents. We’re sharing one here with the wider sangha. This newsletter offers a glimpse into the philosophy, values, and operations of a Zen kitchen,…
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The Oxygen Mask Principle: Why Self-Care Matters
We’ve all heard the airplane safety instruction: in case of emergency, put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. It’s practical advice for survival at 30,000 feet. It is also one of the most profound lessons for living a sustainable, compassionate life on the ground. Yet so many of us resist this wisdom. We…
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Simple Mindfulness Techniques for Holiday Balance
The end of the year often brings a whirlwind of activity—holiday gatherings, year-end deadlines, and the pressure to finish strong. Amidst the chaos, mindfulness becomes not just a practice, but a necessity for maintaining balance and inner peace. Why Year-End Mindfulness Matters As we rush toward the new year, it’s easy to lose ourselves in…
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Christina Lehnherr on Buddha Body, Buddha Mind
By Tova Green Senior Dharma Teacher Kikū Christina Lehnherr, who will lead the City Center Winter 2026 Practice Period, chose the topic, “Buddha Body—Buddha Mind” to affirm that “it is possible to practice with exactly the body we have, as it is. Limitations are not hindrances; instead they are opportunities to be creative and…
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Lay Initiation Ceremony at Green Gulch – November 16
Left to right: Ofosu Jones-Quartey, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho, Terrye Callender, Carmen Phelps and Claudelle Renee Glasgow. Photo by Shundo Gennin. Congratulations to Ofosu Jones-Quartey (Jido Gensei / Compassionate Way, Profound Stillness), Terrye Callender (Mokusen Zenkatsu / Silent River, Pure Aliveness), Carmen Phelps (Yubutsu Shoho / Brave Buddha, Pure Letting Go), and Claudelle Renee…
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Upcoming Holiday Closures
Photo by Shundo David Haye. City Center Closures Thanksgiving The City Center building and the bookstore will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 27–28, and will reopen on Saturday, November 29 for the regular morning program. There will be no public lunch. The online SFZC Store will remain open. Rohatsu Sesshin The City…
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All in the Family: City Center’s Shuso On Living at SFZC
By Tova Green Vanessa Able, City Center’s Shuso (Head Student) for the Fall 2025 Practice Period, arrived from France with her husband and ten-year old daughter in September. A Soto Zen priest and a chaplain, Vanessa began her practice in the UK (where she grew up). She teaches chaplaincy at the Sati Center for…
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An Invitation to Join the Tassajara Summer 2026 Community
Tassajara Director, Ashley Ng, and City Center Abiding Abbot, Dōshin Mako Voelkel. As I watch the sunlight begin to wane and the valley’s leaves turn red, orange, yellow, and brown, I feel deep gratitude for the seasons and how each turning brings its own purpose and beauty. This morning, my mind goes to our…
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Holiday Gifts for Compass Clara House Children
Compass Clara House, located just down Page Street from City Center, is a family shelter with which San Francisco Zen Center has been involved for many years. It has been our tradition for City Center to host a holiday party for the families where each child is given a gift bag that includes, among…