Just Now is Enough: A Daylong Immersion with Boulder Zen Center

We live in a culture of continual improvement. It pushes us to refine ourselves, expand our capacities, and shape a better future. Even meditation can be instrumentalized to become a better person. Zen practice invites a deeper shift.

“Just now is enough” does not mean that nothing needs to change. It means that this moment — this body, this breath, this situation — is already complete, even in the midst of confusion or doubt. When we ground ourselves in that completeness, the next step does not need to be forced. It’s already ripening.

In this one-day retreat, we will explore the difference between anxious becoming and responsive unfolding. Through silent sitting, practices of mutual embodiment, a dharma talk, and a closing circle, we will open ways of sensing how striving shapes our experience of self and time — and what it means to rest in the sufficiency of now. Liberation is not the perfection of the self. It is the freedom that appears when we no longer organize our lives around improvement but trust the fullness of what is already here. From that freedom, appropriate action naturally emerges. Just now is enough.

Schedule

8:00 Welcome Tea
8:30 Zendo & Oryoki Instruction
9:30 Break
9:45 Zazen
10:15 Kinhin
10:25 Zazen
10:55 Break
11:10 Dharma Talk
12:00 Zazen
12:30 Service
12:45 Oryoki Lunch
1:30 Break
2:10 Zazen
2:40 Kinhin
2:50 Zazen
3:20 Tea Ceremony
4:00 Break
4:20 Sharing Circle
5:00 End

Who is this for?

We offer this program for people ages 18–35 to create a space tailored to the questions, transitions, and community needs common in this stage of life. Beginner meditators are welcome.

Cost

Dharma Gates events are offered within the practice of Dana (दान), the Sanskrit/Pali word meaning generosity or giving. Rather than operating on a fee structure, we instead ask you to engage with us in a relationship of reciprocity, giving what feels aligned with your circumstances and values. If these experiences are precious to you, we invite you to donate in a way that reflects that. Doing so will breathe life into our efforts, helping us to continue creating beautiful, accessible practice opportunities for young people for years to come. Donation for this course is possible via the registration link.

Location

Mountain Zendo located at 5060 Magnolia Drive, Nederland, CO 80466.

Information about Oryoki

Lunch will be eaten oryoki style. Oryoki is a traditional Zen practice that extends mindfulness into the activities of daily life — in this case, the simple acts of eating together. It is a ritual of serving and receiving, of wholesome and attentive eating, of care extended to the bowls and to one another. As such, oryoki meals are a cornerstone of BZC’s intensives. You are welcome to bring your own set if you have one, or borrow a loaner from BZC.

Transportation and Carpooling

Parking at the Mountain Zendo is limited, so carpooling is required. Please meet at the large parking lot at the base of Magnolia Drive and Canyon (map) between 7:30 and 7:45am. A BZC member will be there to help coordinate who rides with whom. Everyone departs together at 7:45am—this will ensure arrival at the Mountain Zendo in time for the 8:00am welcome tea.