By Alesha
Sunday, May 26

Day 6 was our second day at the Kanozan Zen Center, and was packed full of activities. We participated in a morning mediation, attended a workshop focused on “Taking in the Good”, got a glimpse into a traditional Tea Ceremony and had an evening “Silent Retreat.” I was particularly excited to experience the Silent Retreat – a period where there is generally no discussion or interaction among members.

Morning Meditation

This was the second day we participated in a 6AM morning meditation. Despite how early it was, I noticed that waking up this early began to feel somewhat natural for most of us. The sun rose at around 4:30AM providing us with a bit of early sunlight that our bodies naturally responded to. In addition, due to the time difference, many of us were getting to bed around nine to ten, so even a six o’clock wakeup call resulted in a full night’s sleep. 

During morning mediation, I noticed that my thoughts were quite active. Prior to the trip, my meditation practice primarily occurred during evening hours. Over the course of the trip, I did start to notice how starting and ending my day with meditation helped to enhance my overall well-being throughout the day. Quieting the mind first thing in the morning gave a nice reset that sleep/rest alone did not. 

 “Taking in the Good” Workshop

My take away from this workshop is that we must make a conscious effort to bring awareness to positive moments. By noticing sensory details and our thoughts and feeling in reaction, we can come to realize that we are experiencing a pleasant moment. While our bodies tend to naturally automatically recognize negative experiences, we have not evolved to do this naturally for positive experiences. 

Tea Ceremony

Traditionally, tea ceremonies served as meeting places for monks to recharge during long days of sitting meditation. During a tea ceremony, a total of 3-4 people meet and enjoy some sort of sweet (i.e., cookie) and typically a cup/bowl of green tea. 

Tea ceremonies also served as a place where all parties symbolically came to the table as equals. We were all impressed by the small door at the back of the room. Traditionally, those taking part in the ceremony would use this door to enter the room. One must essentially bow to fit through this door, a way to humble and symbolically put all parties on equal ground. 

Although we were introduced the “one moment, one meeting” phrase the previous day, I enjoyed its application to this ritual. It was a reminder that even if I were to return to the Japan, with the same people, under the same circumstances, it would not be the same. Each moment is unique unto itself and therefore worth treasuring because it cannot be repeated.