Zen


Our work is based on zen- and mindfulness principles. Those are about contact with the here and now, reality as it is, with attention to our own awareness. Are we awake in the here and now, or are we entangled in our thoughts?

Zen Buddhism has been on the rise in the Western world since the 1960s. This is not surprising given the many insights Zen has to offer. Zen emphasizes the open mind or beginners mind. Often, however, our minds are dominated by bubbles - value judgments, positive or negative - which shape our view of the world. Zen offers a way to see our own bubbles more clearly so they become less dominant.

Zen is also known for koans, puzzling questions such as 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?', Or 'If I switch off the lamp, where does the light go?' The questions cannot be solved by using logic, the answers must come up naturally, for example in meditation.

That is also the core of Zen practice, meditation, or in Japanese: zazen. Meditation is nothing more than taking a mental shower. We create the opportunity to allow everything that plays inside us to calm down, so we participate again in daily life with a clearer mind.

Mindfulness, which originated from Zen, is an awareness training that is very popular nowadays. Mindfulness teaches us to live with more attention in the here and now, and reminds us that we are more than our thoughts and feelings so we can become more flexible in everyday life.