What we’re about
Take your meditation off the cushion and into the beautiful outdoors; come for a mindful hike in (usually) secluded parts of the city, and let yourself be inspired and grounded in nature. As featured in the SF Chronicle and the Bold Italic.
Each Roaming Zen event consists of mindful hiking (at a pretty moderate place), with some time for meditation at an auspicious location, and chances for discussion. We don't shy away from any of the hills in the city, though I will always flag roams with a lot of climbing, as well as any longer than usual routes, or if a roam is one-way as opposed to a loop back to the starting point (if the description doesn't specify, then it's a loop).
There are many kinds of hikes available on Meetup, and as I like to say, this is not a group where you have to tell your life story every time; we place an emphasis on quiet presence. If there is one thing living in a monastery taught me is that you can learn a lot about someone without words being involved.
These roams are offered by donation; they are one way I try to be able to afford to continue living in San Francisco as a zen priest!
I know Meetup is notorious for no-shows and late changes of rsvp. I am not as strict as other organisers (and we do talk to each other!), but I do pay attention to those who regularly drop off or no-show, and there will be consequences for recidivists, as it is discourteous for others who would like to attend. I have informed several people that they will not be welcome on future roams as their attendance record was so dismal. Please sign up with a real intention to show up.
I also maintain a separate mailing list of almost 200 people, several of whom usually show up each time. I find that groups larger than a dozen are much more stressful to manage, so keeping it small helps me, and keeps the group intimate.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Roaming A Pack of BatteriesLodge at the Presidio, San Francisco, CA
There will be fewer roams than usual in June and July as I will be traveling, moving house, leading a hiking retreat at Green Gulch, and trying to have some down time as well - rest assured we will be back at full speed in August.
In the meantime, I am always dreaming up new routes, or at least new combinations of the places we love the most (as in the recent Russian Hill remix), and here is one of those.The city has always had an element of being a strategic military location - and we owe the extensive green spaces of the Presidio to this. The second World War saw many batteries and gun placements built into to the hillsides overlooking the ocean, and two sections of trail highlighting these have opened up in recent years. This roam will take us along the coastal hills through at least half a dozen batteries, and then back through the woods.
There will be a fair amount of climbing on this roam, and it will mostly be off-road. We will also head down the sand ladder to Baker Beach on the way round.We may get sun, and we may get fog; bring water, snacks, and layers for whatever the weather is doing.
These roams are offered by donation. They are one way I am able to pay my rent in San Francisco.
Punctuality is always appreciated. Please send a message on the app if you are running a little late. I can usually respond to messages before we get underway, but then I won't be checking my phone.
I know Meetup is notorious for no-shows and late changes of rsvp. I am not as strict as other organisers, but I do pay attention to those who regularly drop off or no-show, and there will be consequences for recidivists, as it is discourteous for others who would like to attend. - Roaming From M to NForest Hill Station, San Francisco, CA
There will be fewer roams than usual in June and July as I will be traveling, moving house, leading a hiking retreat at Green Gulch and trying to have some down time as well - rest assured we will be back at full speed in August.
It feels like a while since we have been up on Golden Gate Heights, so I thought it would be good to stretch our legs on a Friday with this one-way roam. We will start at Forest Hill station (we meet behind the station in the little park), served by the M train (and the K, and usually the L too) and end on Judah to take the N train back.
There are many options on how to get from A to B, or from M to N, but all of them involve plenty of staircases and climbing, so this will be a short but punchy route.We may get sun, and we may get fog; bring water, snacks, and layers for whatever the weather is doing.
These roams are offered by donation. They are one way I am able to pay my rent in San Francisco.
Punctuality is always appreciated. Please send a message on the app if you are running a little late. I can usually respond to messages before we get underway, but then I won't be checking my phone.
I know Meetup is notorious for no-shows and late changes of rsvp. I am not as strict as other organisers, but I do pay attention to those who regularly drop off or no-show, and there will be consequences for recidivists, as it is discourteous for others who would like to attend.
