Meditation

You want to feel relax at Alentejo and learn more about zen meditation ?

At Monte da Avó Maria you can participate in a spiritual and very deap experience that helps you to find your inner peace.

Mediation will not carry you to another world, but sitting in silence and doing “zazen” (japanese name for seated meditation), reveals the most profound and calming method to develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight. One of the great gifts of Buddhist meditation is that it strengthens our capacity to be choicefully present in our lives—to live by intention rather than being buffeted about by inner reactivity or outer circumstances.

Over time, Zen meditation can help us see when we are enacting values we don’t actually endorse. It brings you back to essentials…..here and now. Living in the present moment.

These meditation sessions at Monte da Avó Maria are open to everyone. This experience allows participants to experience a practice that has been transmitted through the centuries which affects all aspects of daily life.

The sessions at Monte da Avó Maria are held by Silvia, which is an experienced person who is “Bodhisattva” following Sōtō Zen meditation and rituals. Kids are also welcome . Specific sessions for them will be organized, contact us for more details.

Adult Zen meditation sessions take place every Wednesday from 19:30 to 20:45. Price: 5 €/ participant. Beginners are welcome !

Program of simple Zen meditation session: ( see English and Portuguese explanation below)

19:15– welcoming practitioners and preparing the room / acolhimento dos praticantes e preparação da sala

19:30 – Closing doors and ringing the ” Mopan ” traditional wooden instrument / Fecho de portas e toque do instrumento tradicional de madeira “Mopan”

19:35 – incense offering and first part of ZAZEN (20 min.) / oferta de incenso e primeira parte do ZAZEN (20 min.)

19:55- KINHIN ( walking meditation) (15 min.) / KINHIN (meditar a andar dentro da sala) (15 min.)

20:10 – 2nd part of ZAZEN (20 min.) / 2ª parte de ZAZEN (20 min.)

20:30 – Mopan to defind the end of the whole session / tocar o “Mopan” para definir o fim da sessão

20:30 – 20:45 – Little ritual with sutra singing and tifying the room / Ritual com canto de sutra e arrumação da sala

For Zen meditation weekends or Half-Day Zen retreats you get dates and information on this page > RETREATS<.