ZenToBe

It started with the 'ZenToBe' residential retreat house, and now it's more about a circle of spiritual people. We go to events, organize them, and support each other.

The current Schedule.

~ Anna

Based on Japanese tea ceremonies, matcha tea is served in a raku bowl. Oat milk can be added to make the taste softer.

Other teas are served in transparent glass tea sets.
Spend an hour drinking tea and being present at the moment. Just here and now.

The photo shows the tatami setup for the tea room.

• The event is free, but you are more than welcome to make a small donation to the Clear Water Zen Center.

• Please contact me to schedule.

Chinese tea ceremony takes several hours and goes well on the Leela game nights. If you want to try legendary Da Hong Pao and Pu-erh teas on another evening, please get in touch with me. Location

The word zen is shortened from zazen. Zazen means seated meditation. You sit straight back, eyes open, breathing freely, and doing one of the internal practices that works best for you. Usually, people start by counting breaths from 1 to 10 and start again. This practice helps you to learn to watch your thoughts and calm your mind. It has a tremendous therapeutic effect.

When you practice with other people - sanga and with a teacher - roshi, this therapeutic effect deepens a lot.

One way or another, some people feel an interest or desire to go with their practice beyond these health benefits. Zazen is also a way to experience your true nature. 

If you want to learn more about zen, here are links to where I started:

- Clear Water Zen Center has a friendly website on which I learned about the book "Three Pillars of Zen" by Roshi Philip Kapleau. It is also an amazing Sanga, which is where I belong. Zazen sitting opportunities are available on-site several days a week.

- Windhorse Zen Community has a very informative website that I keep reading and finding new things. The center is located in North Carolina on a beautiful land with a mountain view. Two teachers lead it. People from our center usually go here for a sesshin - a 7-day zen retreat. And one of the teachers visits our center regularly. They host weekly on-site and Zoom programs.

When I started practicing Zen in 2018, I had a lot of questions that books would not answer for me. I could not visit the Center frequently since my kid underwent intense treatment. My practice was mainly alone at home. I was lucky to find a friend I sometimes met during my lunch hour at work. This page and this opportunity for virtual meetings is for someone who wants to talk about Zen practice casually. So you are not alone with books. Or for someone who wants to speak with me before going to a Zen Center. The Zen Tea would be the perfect option if you prefer to meet in person.

My name is Anna. The primary purpose of my project is to create a space for meaningful in-person communication. Since I have a full-time job in IT, this is more like a hobby.

I'm passionate about supporting the local Zen center and creating events that connect people and bring joy to their lives. 

I enjoy meeting new people, creating different mixes of teas, discovering new vegan recipes, kayaking, learning calligraphy, experiencing different cultures, and visiting northern countries during summertime.

Master Reiki in 2008, I entered the Zen practice just in 2018. I also spent ten years in the academy - Physics and Chemistry. I implemented the science approach to outer-world discovery in my inner-world experiments. To realize later that Zen practice had it all for thousands of years.