Unplug and Recharge: Living Mindfully in the Digital Age.
Rediscover the joy of being fully present and begin a new relationship with technology.
This mountain refuge, far from cell-phone signals and wifi connections, offers the ultimate luxury: a rare opportunity to sit still. In the space that opens up in the absence of our phones and laptops, we will explore what it is to shift from “doing” to “being”.
This two part workshop moves from practical knowledge to the practice of zen over the course of a weekend.
Day One: Workshop
Led By Djinn Gallagher
& Krista De Castella
Day Two: Retreat
Led By Djinn Gallagher
Recharge
Sunday Jan 17th
Check-in: 9am - 9:30am
Ends: 5:30pm
Cookies & Tea: 5:30 - 6:30pm
Zazen is the practice of sitting with awareness and experiencing whatever arises. Throughout the history of Zen, the practice of zazen has been considered the primary agent of awakening. Zazenkai are periods of time dedicated to zazen with minimal traditional formalities.
This sitting is suitable for both beginners and experienced sitters. The day will begin with some instruction in the details of posture, breath, sitting and walking meditation in the Zen tradition, and the rest of the day will consist of silent practice. This daylong offers a gentle schedule with periods of outside walking meditation, optional yoga and opportunities for discussion with teachers.
Experience Level: Everyone welcome; No previous experience necessary.
Unplug
Saturday Jan 16th
Check-in: 9am - 9:30am
Ends: 5:30pm
Cookies & Tea: 5:30 - 6:30pm
As we investigate the science of how technology impacts the brain and body, we’ll have a chance to revel in the sense data of direct experience: mindful eating with delicious jikoji cooking; mindful walking through the wilderness of the Santa Cruz mountains; and mindful connection with others – and with ourselves. We will rediscover the joy of being fully present with a variety of meditation and mindfulness practices, and learn simple techniques for technology hygiene beyond the gates of the monastery.
This Saturday retreat will introduce participants to current research on technology, meditation and brain. We will explore the habit forming elements of technology use and options for cultivating a more mindful relationship with our screens and devices. We will also introduce and practice a range of simple meditation and movement exercises including: guided sitting meditations, body awareness, mindful eating, stretching and mindful movement.
Facilitators
Krista De Castella:
Born in Canberra, Australia, Krista has been a student at the San Francisco Zen Center since 2011. Before coming to the United States, Krista was introduced to Zen meditation in 2007, while living and studying martial arts full-time in Okinawa, Japan. She is passionate about intensive meditation practice and the association between meditation, yoga and the traditional Japanese arts. Krista has also worked for two years as a Fulbright visiting researcher in Stanford’s Clinically Applied Affective Neuroscience Lab (CAAN) researching the implications of mindfulness meditation for anxiety disorders and emotion regulation. She is currently completing a Clinical masters and Ph.D in psychology and teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes and retreats in various locations in the Bay Area. Krista received training in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) from Bob Stahl, Ph.D and Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D, and through the OASIS institute/UMass Medical Center.
Djinn Gallagher:
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Djinn spent 20 years as a journalist and copy editor in the newspaper industry before she left in 2007 to come to Tassajara and the San Francisco Zen Center, where she has been practicing for the last 8 years. Djinn was ordained as a Soto Zen Priest by Senior Dharma Teacher, Paul Haller, in January 2013 and was shuso (head student) at Tassajara in the fall of 2015.