7am Zen Meditation for Everyday People

Join our quiet meditation and practice your Way in community with others. There’s nothing to achieve and nothing to attain. No special knowledge, experience, belief, or non-belief required. Just be yourself in community with others from all around the USA as well as the Indianapolis area. Click "Attend" to request to join the group and the meditation. There are three basic questions to answer, and your consent to a conduct agreement. Beginners encouraged!

Our form is simple. We sit together in quiet for 25 minutes and practice returning to ease in the body and ease in the breathing. Afterwards, we usually offer a reading and everyone is welcome to share questions or reflections. A typical practice has around six-ten persons, regardless of the event count seen here in Meetup.

What can I expect?

Your request will be reviewed by one of ICY's members (within 24 hours) and you will be notified through the Meetup app. At the meditation time, be ready to connect to the online Zoom link you will be provided. Find a clean, comfortable, and quiet place to sit and join the meeting. You’ll enter our waiting room. Whoever is leading practice will let you in. Most people join a few minutes early to say hi and get settled in. The silent part of practice begins at the start of the stated practice times. If you join during the silent portion, please stay muted and begin practicing.
It’s ok to have your camera off, but it’s nice to be seen as well. If you are new, the practice leader will introduce themselves, offer an introduction to the practices offered that day, and ask you if you’d like any instructions on meditation. It’s ok to say yes. It’s ok to say no.

We typically practice seated meditation in silence for 25 minutes beginning with a recitation of an ancient dialogue between Zhaozhou and Nanquan, two ancient Chinese Zen Masters. It’s ok to sit in any way you find comfortable. Using a chair, cushion, mat, or bench is fine. Do your best to let your body rest in stillness, breathe in and out through your nose, and allow and tension (squeezing of muscles) to soften a little bit. Sitting with ease, breathing with ease, and being at ease are related. At the end of the practice period, the practice leader will invite a bell to ring three times. Each time you hear the bell, take a full breath, hold for a moment, and release. After the third breath, we bow to each other. After that, we typically offer a reading and hold an informal sharing and discussion period.

You can learn more about ease, the Foundations of Mindfulness, and Zen here.

Thank you for supporting community well-being.

Our practices are always free for participants. Donations are warmly accepted, but not expected. Your tax deductible donations allow us to pay our workers fairly and pay for software, services, supplies, and equipment to make our practice spaces welcoming, accessible, and free for everyone. Indy Community Yoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 84-3308687) and has earned a GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency.

Please click here to use our secure donation website or Venmo: @indycommunityyoga to make your tax-deductible donation.

Thank you and see you soon!

Email: hello@indycommunityyoga.org
Web: https://indycommunityyoga.org
Instagram: @indycommunityyoga