Now and Zen

Feel like you need to enlighten up? Green Gulch Zen Center understands. For over 40 years, this Marin County staple of mindfulness has blazed a trail to ahhs (including, literally, a fabulous hiking trail!). For those curious, visit the Center on a Sunday morning, when they open their wooden temple doors to the public for meditation classes. Remove your shoes at the door and take a seat on a wooden platform cushioned by pillows. Next, assume the position: legs crossed, arms resting on knees, back straight, eyes half-open gazing ahead.

Zen priests teach zazen meditation, best summed up as “let thoughts come, let thoughts go.” Next is the Dharma talk, an hour of inspirational stories packed with plentiful wisdom. Afterward, replenish your well-spent energy with tea and muffins, and step outside for a stroll through the center’s organic farm and fresh gardens. Good zenergy.

BONUS HIKE: Green Gulch Farm Zen Center lies smack in the middle of some excellent hiking trails, including a 4-mile loop that passes through the farm and up to outstanding coastal views. Green Gulch Farm Zen Center is located on Highway 1 (Shoreline Hwy.) less than a mile from the Muir Beach access road.

Green Gulch Farm Zen Center is located on Highway 1 (Shoreline Hwy.) less than a mile from the Muir Beach access road. The Sunday program starts with meditation instruction at 8:15 a.m. If you have experience, skip the instruction and arrive for the 9:15 a.m. session. A $10 to $20 donation is appreciated to support the Center.