Now and Zen

Hike and meditate at Green Gulch Zen Center in Marin County

01.12.2017

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.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View
  3. Two people fly fishing on the Truckee River with guides from Reno Fly Shop

    Zen and the Art of Fly Fishing

    Learning to fly fish is one of the most fun and beautiful ways to connect with nature, family, friends, and yourself. It’s also a great way to truly experience the magic of a place. Make that place Reno Tahoe, where a fly fishing adventure with Reno Fly Shop is like being planted in a plein air painting of dreamy outdoors.

    View

  4. Roaring Good Time

    There’s nothing quite like the majestic beauty of California’s redwood forests. Now, imagine experiencing those towering giants aboard a historic 19th-century steam train. Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton is home to some of the oldest and most authentically preserved narrow-gauge steam engines in America.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  2. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View
  3. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  4. A woman on the overlook deck overlooking the Truckee River at Oxbow Nature Study Area in Reno

    This Way to Oxbow and Dickerson Road

    Just west of downtown Reno—tucked right alongside the Truckee River—is a nature haven for wildlife spotting and waterside relaxing. The 22-acre Oxbow Nature Study Area is ideal for those seeking solitude and a short hike. Afterwards, explore the creative hub of Dickerson Road.

    View