York Sangha

The York Sangha practises Zen Buddhism in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), following his emphasis on mindfulness and being present in all aspects of our lives. Our practice is guided and rooted in Thay’s teaching, and in keeping with his openness to other traditions there may be readings from other sources (Buddhist, Christian, secular) depending on the choice of the facilitator on a particular evening/day.

We meet on Mondays from 7 to 9 pm and Thursdays from 10.30am to 12.30pm in the heart of the city, close to the railway station. (For August, Christmas and Easter we may meet informally in members’ homes, please check before coming.) Each evening session usually consists of informal sharing tea together followed by two sitting meditations interposed with mindful walking or movement, inspirational reading(s) and opportunities to share our experiences of the practice.

Each week a different member of the group facilitates (on a voluntary basis; it is not compulsory to facilitate sessions) and that person chooses the format, theme and readings for the evening. Chairs are provided, but if you use a meditation stool or cushion for sitting please bring it with you. On the first Monday of the month we use the 5 Mindfulness Trainings for ethical living as our theme, and on the third Monday of the month we read a particular book by Thich Nhat Hanh.

We hold Days of Mindfulness on Saturdays (9.30am to 4.30pm), every other month, where the evening practices are extended and we bring contributions for a shared mindful lunch. We invite monastics and lay members of the Community of Interbeing to lead our practice.

Our evening sessions, and Days of Mindfulness are open to anyone interested in meditating in the company of others and applying mindfulness to their lives. There is a small charge for attending, to contribute to room hire and other costs. The Sangha is a “not for profit” group and any surplus funds are given to charity in keeping with the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Please contact Lauri if you are interested in joining us.

“Every morning when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others.” Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step