In Zen Buddhist monasteries, a sesshin is an intensive practice period where members of the temple community meditate, chant sutras, and work together, all with the intent of strengthening their own practice. More focused and rigorous than their daily practice, sesshin can sometimes lead to great “breakthroughs” in a participant’s own practice, opening their mind to new and unfathomable potential and understanding.

Taking inspiration from this approach, “Three Practices, Same Path” is a week-long intensive guided study period where participants will meet daily to cultivate their skills and knowledge on the three interwoven arts of tea, incense and meditation. With each day featuring a specific art, from 功夫茶 gōng fū chá, Korean tea meditation, 香道 Kōdō (the “Way of incense”), and 茶の湯 chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony), participants will be given the opportunity to critically engage with each art as its own form of mindful practice. Additionally, each day will be held at a different location, in a different context, ranging from a tea house, a public park, an artist studio, a private practice space, opening their minds to the boundlessness of practice.

Participants will meet for two hours everyday, either in the evening or in the morning. In additional to tea and incense, each participant will be given a compendium of texts, translations, traditional manuals, and subject specific notes to offer a greater depth to the practice period.