zazen

Alaska winters, she said, are actually conducive to Zen Buddhism’s sitting meditation, or zazen, a practice they believe can help them attain a greater sense of self.

“People have very active, sports lives in the snow, but when activities slow down, it gives more opportunity for zazen,” she said.

Noise, family, responsibilities, nothing has come in the way of their zazen, which began when the community was founded in 1986 after meeting for years informally with followers of other branches of Buddhism.

For more than two decades, she along with other community members have taught zazen, yoga and the dharma to women at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center.

Brian Schumaker, who calls himself a beginner practitioner, reflected on the benefits of zazen in a frenetic world full of distractions.