Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Zen meditation is known to be very effective to alleviate the negative impact of stress, anxiety and insecurity. For more than a thousand years, Zen meditation has been practiced in Asia to help develop insight into the challenges of life in order to gain clarity, peace of mind and ultimate wisdom.
Another even greater problem we face today is mistrust caused by ignorance among people of different cultural backgrounds. This mistrust can be neutralized by the ultimate wisdom developed from Zen meditation practice.
Several modern meditation methods practiced in western society today are derived directly from traditional Zen meditation. Many of them have been adopted by highly respected medical institutions in North America to improve the recovery process from life threatening diseases such as cancer.
Chung Tai International Retreat Center provides various levels of Zen meditation teachings and retreats throughout the year. Two entry level weekend retreat programs developed for and catering to those with busy schedules are now offered to the public on a regular basis. Each retreat program delivers a different level of meditation experience as detailed in the “Zen Delight Retreat Programs”.
Our progressive Zen meditation programs begin with the Breath Counting Method, progress to the Mindfulness of Breath, the intermediate stage, and finally culminate with the Middle Way Reality Method. The two entry level weekend programs focus on the first two methods – Breath Counting Method and Mindfulness of Breath. Every retreat participant will leave the retreat with a personalized schedule for daily practice according to his or her level of experience. If followed strictly, this daily practice schedule will prepare the participant for later joining the intensive retreats that focus more on Mindfulness of Breath and, eventually, the Middle Way Reality Method.
Regular attendees of our teachings and retreats often experience an improvement in people skills and more harmonious relationships with friends, families and colleagues. It is also not uncommon to notice that the productivity of a practitioner improves over a period of time after starting regular Zen meditation practice.
In addition to our regular retreat programs, we can also work with an organization to custom design a program to meet the organization’s unique needs. Those interested in customizing a retreat should contact Chung Tai Zen Center of Houston. We look forward to working with you to provide your organization with an unforgettable and beneficial experience.
