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.
Each Roaming Zen event consists of mindful hiking, with an emphasis on quiet presence, with some time for meditation at an auspicious location, and chances for discussion. 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.
As featured in the SF Chronicle and the Bold Italic.
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, 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 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 Yerba Buena Cove399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA
Not too long ago, we set out to trace the shoreline of both Mission Bay and Yerba Buena Cove; when we stopped to rest at Salesforce Park, a number of attendees got enticed away by the Bhangra event that was just starting, so we never managed the second half of that roam.
However, we have traced the old waterfront before, and I would like to do it again from the edge of Rincon Hill to Telegraph Hill, and come back alongside the present-day Embarcadero, several blocks of landfill to the east.
"One thing about the cove of Yerba Buena, or San Francisco, as it very soon came to be called, was the great number of good-sized fish that swam close in shore and were stranded by the outgoing tide. These were the natural food of all sorts of predacious animals, which existed in enormous numbers and, being little interfered with by man, for that reason were indifferent to his presence. I often used to sit on the veranda of my father’s house and watch bears, wolves and coyotes quarreling over their prey along what is now Montgomery Street."
I don't remember where I picked up this reminiscence, but I suspect it was at somewhere within foundsf.org.
We will use our imaginations to picture those days as we make our way around the high-rises of the Financial District and the warehouses to the north - and I will bring some old photos to look at. This will be almost entirely flat and paved. There should be a couple of quieter spots to sit and meditate, even on a Friday afternoon.
- Roaming Some Downtown POPOSMohandas K. Gandhi, San Francisco, CA
There are any number of Privately Owned Public Open Spaces around the downtown area. I was just down there checking a few of them out, and it would be fun to have a Friday roam around some that are worth the visit, and step aside from the busyness of the city.
It would be impossible to take them all in over the course of three hours, so this will be edited highlights. There are parks, alleys, gardens, lobbies and roof gardens - I have three on my planned route, but only managed to access one of them on my scout, so I can't guarantee we will do any better on the day.
It will also be impossible to linger in all of them, but we will stop at the nicest, and take short meditation breaks throughout the roam.
This is mostly flat, with some staircases (and elevators!). I will keep the attendance limited so that we don't overwhelm some of the spaces.
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 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.
